Robert Raymer's Blog, page 20

Creative Writing WorkshopTwo Coming to Kota Kinabalu!

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP TWO COMING TO KK! (different from the first--taking you through the brainstorming and writing process to produce a complete first draft, if you're up to the challenge!)
  Turning your Personal Experience into a First Draft of a First Person Narrative
Due to popular request, a second creative writing workshopwith ROBERT RAYMER
When:  Saturday, 13 August Time:  2.00-6.00pm Cost:  RM100 Who:  16-90+ years old Where:  7th Floor, Wisma Anglican, Karamunsing Next:  Email or sms your name, contact phone number & email address to.................
Contacts:       Jude Day – 014-3514298 / jude.day@gmail.com                        Farida Shukoor – 016-8486874 / fshukoor@hotmail.com

Come and write – produce a complete draft of a first-person narrative-- Your story! 

Plan and start writing an additional piece of fiction.


In this 4-hour workshop, you will complete the first draft of a narrative, editing and revising it if there is time. 
Areas of learning:  probing questions; 5Ws and IH; primary & secondary emotions; sensory details; point of view & point of reference; organising & outlining; 4 killers of narratives; narrative structure; use of dialogue; reasons for editing-it's not just about grammar!
You will also brainstorm and start the first draft of a work of fiction.

NOTE:  You can attend this workshop – even if you missedthe first one!

Find out more about Robert on his website:  www.borneoexpatwriter.com/
Organised by the KK Theatre Group, SPArKS 
www.sparks.org.my
Bio for Robert Raymer:
Named as one of the "50 Expats You Should Know" by Expatriate Lifestyle,American Robert Raymer has taught creative writing for 13 years at twoMalaysian universities, has judged short story competitions including the2009 MPH National Short Story Awards, and conducted numerous workshops onwriting and creative writing. 
His short stories and articles have been published 500 times in such places:  The Literary Review, Thema, Aim, London Magazine, Going Places, My Weekly, The Writer and Reader's Digest. 
Lovers and Strangers Revisited (MPH 2008), a collection of short stories set in Malaysia, winner of the 2009 Popular-The Star Readers Choice Awards, has been taught in universities and will soon be translated into French.
Tropical Affairs: Episodes from an Expat's Life in Malaysia (MPH 2009) isa collection of creative nonfiction about living in Malaysia for overtwenty years. nominated for 2010 Popular-The Star Reader's Choice Award. 
His latest book is Spirit of Malaysia (EDM, 2011). 
He is a member of Maui Inner Circle, a critique group.  His blog on writing,his interviews, and his book reviews can be accessed from his websitehttp://www.borneoexpatwriter.com.
One of his latest articles on writing, about pre-writing techniques, is published in Quill Annual 2011. Another on "The Power of Five" in Quill-Jan-March 2011 and "Getting Known Through the Media", Quill April-June 2011                                                                  # # # 
*Here is the link to the previous workshop in KK with links to three blogs from participants. **Here's my workshop with Malaysian Nurses Association. Another with International Tuition School in Kuching.

2011 Popular-The Star's Reader's Choice Awards

*If you're having trouble reading this, go to this link
Congrats to all the nominated authors, especially friends Yvonne Lee, Lee Su Kim, Amir Muhammad,  David TK Wong, whom I met at last year's awards, and Tina Kisil whom I met at my workshop in KK, which she also blogged about.  It's good to see that Borneo is represented twice in the non-fiction category by Tina Kisil and Brother Michael Jacques.

A Creative Writing Workshop for Nurses and a Tribute, Too

Nurses, believe me, have plenty of stories to tell.  They've seen it all on their jobs, the daily drama of life-and-death, the painful loss of loved ones (parents losing a child or vice versa), miraculous recoveries after doctors have given up all hope, and even patients falling in love with them.  So I felt honored being asked to conduct a creative writing workshop for thirty-three nurses (and a few extras including the organizers) from the Malaysian Nurses Association over a recent weekend in Kuala Lumpur.


Robert Raymer with a shaky hand!The transition from my two workshops in Kota Kinabalu (a six-hour, and a four-hour) to a two-day (16-hour) workshop in KL went quite smoothly thanks to the nurses who were there to assist me all the way from Borneo.  They not only posted the agenda online, way in advance, but also entertained me during meals and tea breaks with their nursing "war" stories.  These included swapping their first death encounters—the first time as a young nurse they encountered a patient who had died.  One even freaked out when that very patient turned out to be still alive.  Although the outside wounds suggested death (partly blown off face and loss of limbs, a soldier caught in a jungle booby trap during the communist insurgency), a more experienced nurse urged her to check his pulse—yes, he was still alive.
One thing I aim for in all of my creative workshops, no matter the duration, no matter the participants, is to keep it lively and low tech to avoid needless delays and technology glitches that have marred plenty of presentations (a few of my own and many others at conferences when the equipment they're not familiar with fails to cooperate or a virus wreaks havoc on their Power Point presentation).  So now I use a series of index cards that also gives me flexibility to adjust the tempo along the way, depending on the participant's level of writing and their English language skills, and how much time is left prior to a break.  
Basically I aim to get everyone involved in the writing process from pre-writing techniques (and making sure they're using it properly) to a complete first draft, after taking them through a series of writing tasks and story starter ideas.  Not only do I apply some of my Tree Methodology from Tropical Affairs: Episodes from an Expat's Life in Malaysia, but also give them some judging tips to improve their stories.
Day Two began with introducing my 19-year-old son Zaini, who is studying in KL and became an honorary nurse for the morning session, which proved to be a bonus for the younger nurses, since I was the only male present.  Several of the nurses had read snippets about him in their signed copy of Tropical Affairs—so they asked him to sign their books, too!  The previous day they already heard about him, after I used him as an example for the topic fear (he had a fear of heights after a elevator experience when he was toddler that I later corrected), and mentioned his surprise visit to my creative writing class when he was five in "And Please Welcome".   After the article appeared in the New Straits Times, an older student (I taught mostly teachers in my writing classes at USM) quipped, "How can you write 1000 words about a 20-minute visit, when we can't write about our entire lives in half that many words?"  My reply was, "That's why I'm here to teach you."
I taught the nurses, too, whose ages ranged from their early 20's to 76, taking them through the steps of writing a first-person narrative about a significant, unforgettable experience on Day One.  I held them back from the actual writing until I had them probe further with 5W and sensory detail questions which I gave them time to flush out before moving onto the next one, so when they were finally allowed to write, they were more than ready, since they've been thinking about it for a long time, and the results showed!  No surface, off-the-top-of-their heads writing here—I wouldn't allow it, one of the reasons I take them through the steps so they can produce some­thing not only well written (at least content wise for a first draft) but insightful, too.  The nurses lived up to the challenge.  More importantly, they had tangible proof of their writing to show for their efforts, something they could now work with and polish to make even better.
On Day Two, we explored their childhood fears, and then moved into the realm of fiction as we brainstormed topics such as "They Found Me" and "He kicked in the Door" which I developed in my creative writing classes at two Malaysian universities so my students could see the endless possibilities that the topic presented limited only by their imagination.  Most of the nurses were able to turn their ideas into a story.
Since we had some time on Day Two thanks to an early Sunday morning start, several volunteers read what they had written, even revealing personal secrets that many of their friends and fellow nurses didn't know.  Several of these, I felt, had the potential to be published—after some post-workshop writing cleanup—especially those that touched us in unexpected ways.  Particularly one about an on-the-spot offer to adopt one of their patient's new born baby.  Would her husband agree, on such short notice, to make that decision with her, one that will drastically affect their lives for the next couple of decades?  Would you be able to make that decision?  This was a story that had been waiting to be written for over thirty-two years, and it may never have come about had this particular nurse not attended the creative writing workshop.
Other stories went back even further, forty-fifty-sixty and yes seventy years, including a terrifying (at least for me) account of female circumcision, when two "nurses" visited their house wielding a razor blade and finding her naked hiding under her parent's bed.  Although retold in a light-hearted, lively manner that only a trained nurse could do, I was caught unaware that this went on in Malaysia for Muslim women.  But that was a long, long time ago . . . . Now they do the procedure in hospitals with qualified doctors shortly after the child's birth, as they did for most of the boys back in the US during my generation.  Thankfully, I have no memory of that!
The things you learn at a creative writing workshop!  I know from the comments forwarded to me from their internal questionnaire, how much they learned about writing and how eager the nurses were for a follow-up workshop so they can improve their writing style, even hoping to have their work edited for possible publication in their newsletter.  Book ideas and an anthology or two were even bandied about on such topics as "first death encounters" or "first time a patient fell in love with them."  An example of the latter was being put in the awkward position of having to turn down a marriage proposal from a patient recovering from the trauma of losing his leg.  With all hope gone, he hoped that the lovely nurse taking care of him would also marry him!
I know for a fact that I have learned an awful lot about nurses in those two days, and I do appreciate what they have gone through in their careers as nurses, too.  So I would like to salute the nurses of the Malaysian Nurses Association, and all nurses around the world, because we depend on them to help us and our families to get through one of the most trying, heart-wrenching periods of our lives.  And yes, they do have plenty of stories to share, but so do many of us if we reflect back on our own lives, regardless of our professions, regardless where we live. 
The truth is that too often, most of us are too busy living our lives to write, or we tend to think that no one else would be interested in our stories, our triumphs and failures.  So if you're part of any organization or an association in Malaysia (or this region), and you have a budget for personal development, as the Malaysian Nurses Association thankfully do, you might want to contact me, so I can help you deliver your story into your own eagerly waiting hands, once and for all.  That's doctors—er, I mean, nurses—orders!                  —Robert Raymer, Borneo Expat Writer
*Here's the link to the workshop in Kota Kinabalu with three attached blogs from some of the participants. http://borneoexpatwriter.blogspot.com...
** And another in Kuching http://borneoexpatwriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/creative-writing-workshop-in-kuching.html 

A Cinderella Story for Writers

As a novelist based in Borneo, which by the way, is way off anyone literary map, I love Cinderella-writer-breakout stories.  Even though this story is a year old (I admit I didn't know the full details), it doesn't make it any less timely and gives those of us who are actively writing novels hope.  I just heard it Tuesday evening during my meeting with the French translator for Lovers and Strangers Revisited,  who sent me the link.  

    The New York Times, which didn't even review the book since it was so far off their radar, called it the most dramatic literary Cinderella story of recent memory.  Of course I'm talking about Paul Harding, 42, whose novel "Tinkers" was repeatedly rejected by agents and publishers before it finally found a home with the tiny Bellevue Literary Press and paid US 1,000 advance.  Then, amazingly, it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.  It happens.  It's rare, but it does happen.  (The fact he had already signed a two-book deal with Random House back in 2009 and had previously won a Guggenheim takes nothing away from this.  It merely shows he can write and he won't be a one-book wonder.  Random House won't allow it!)   

In April I also blogged about a friend who had no agent in February 2011 but had her first novel go to auction in March (after finally acquiring an agent.)  It all happened so fast for her.  And I have a strong feeling that novel is going to win a prize, though maybe not the Pulitzer.  Maybe something international.
So the moral is.  Never give up on your writing dream.  Find a way to make it work.  And keep on learning about your craft.  Then maybe you or I will be the next Cinderella story...

Start Your Day by Making Decisions

The first step to action is to make a decision.  Decide what you want to do today and follow through with some action.  The opposite of action is indecision, whereby you waffle between projects, not sure what to do, and then you allow worry and doubt to creep in.  Hovering just beneath these, in your subconscious, is the fear that you're not really going anywhere, that you're not good enough to achieve the goals that you've set out for yourself.  Then you start to doubt your actions (and inactions) even further, and worry even more, and suddenly you're on this vicious cycle and feel paralyzed with indecisions, and then everything feels daunting, and nothing is getting done and suddenly your whole future seems to be bleak.  Ever feel like that?  Not a good way to start the day.
Napoleon Hill wrote in Think and Grow Rich that "The six basic fears become translated into a state of worry, through indecision."  But in order to make a decision (especially if you're already feeling flustered or overwhelmed), you need to take a deep breath, calm yourself down and think a little more clearly by making a prioritized to-do list that you want to accomplish today (ideally do it the evening before so you're ready to jump into it).  Accept the fact that you're not going to accomplish everything and there are tons of things you've been meaning to get around to this past week (past month), so choose the most important ones for today only, those that ideally will take you close to your goals), and put them on top of your list and then prioritize these.  Then make that first decision by choosing that first item and quickly delve into it. 
For the time being, ignore everything else on that list!  That's when you start getting into trouble, when your attention and your focus shifts to everything else that you need to do and then suddenly, you're not working on any of them.  You've become the proverbial donkey that can't decide which haystack to eat and starves to death!  Even the Queen in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, can't do all six impossible things before breakfast (or lunch as I recentlyblogged about) at the same time.  She has to choose one impossible thing first, and then when that's complete, choose the number two impossible thing, and steadily work her way through all six. 
No one said this is going to easy, and I bet nothing on your list is truly impossible.  The fact that you put it on your list shows that you think it's possible since it's on a "to-do" list, not an "impossible-to-do" list.  Your list may seem merely impossible, because, possibly, you're looking at the whole list!  You have failed to choose only one to start with.  Keep in mind it is impossible to do everything at once!
Also, to control or protect your morning (day) even more, avoid checking your email until after you accomplish at least one thing, or your whole morning can get derailed by someone else's problem.  Even good news can throw you off your schedule!   Good news and especially bad (especially when it includes more work!) can wait.  Make that decision right now and get going.  If you don't, then you're back to square one, and nothing is getting done, and your life is once again falling apart . . . . Not today, though.  Today you've already decided that this is going to be your most productive day ever!                          -Robert Raymer, Borneo Expat Writer-  

Meeting French author and translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching

Jerome Bouchaud and Robert Raymer in KuchingThe plan was to meet Jerome Bouchaud, translator of Lovers and Strangers Revisited into Trois autres Malaisie and author of Malaisie - Modernité et Traditions en Asie du Sud-Est, at The Junk at 7pm.  According to Lonely Planet "A long-time favourite with visitors and Malaysian celebrities—whose pictures line the staircase—Junk offers superb sophisticated Western food with Italian bias amid a collection of endearingly eccentric, well, junk."  They should add, "cool" junk, including some collectors items and antiques that will keep you mesmerized as you wonder about the premises, both upstairs and down, along with generous portions of great food.  I thought Jerome would like the place, just in case we ran out of things to talk about, not that I should have been worried. 

After arriving early to beat the traffic, I was dismayed to find The Junk closed on Tuesdays.  At a loss, I texted Jerome and suggested Khatulistiwa Café on the waterfront, a relaxing, open-aired venue, a great place for watching people as they stroll along the waterfront, also a safe first-meeting place that's easy to find.  I still meet there regularly with Borneo Tom. 
Jerome, who I just blogged about two days ago Gearing Up for the French and was in Kuching to update a French travel guidebook (not his own, but another that he contributes to), had one advantage over me, he knew what I looked like from my book, website and blog, while I had no clue, other than hearing for the first time that morning a cheerful sounding voice.  He turned out to be tall and handsome—no doubt excellent qualities for translating—with a cheerful disposition, alert eyes, and a quick sense of humor.  I liked him right away. 
From the moment we shook hands to nearly four hours later, we spoke in a rapid fire conversation, pausing to eat our respective though different beef noodle soups, as we exchanged writing and marketing ideas, our writing experiences, and how we both came to be writing in Malaysia.  
He also told me how he stumbled upon my website/blog, while actively looking for expat writers in Malaysia (which he also did while living four years in China).  He then recommended Lovers and Strangers Revisited to Editions GOPE, who had contacted him via a mutual friend, looking for an expat writer in Malaysia for their new Asian series of books, that I blogged about in February, after the deal was confirmed and contracts signed.
By the time we departed, both of our heads were spinning with ideas, after tossing back and forth viable and rather helpful suggestions, seeing the potential.  This is what every writer needs, especially those expats in far-flung locations like Borneo (me) and Langkawi (him), a kindred spirit with similar writing goals who is putting himself out there, walking the talk and producing books.  Yeah, we're far from famous, but we both know that if we keep at it and keep producing good books, success will be there.  

Plus now we share a similar fate, having joined forces to take my Lovers and Strangers Revisited and turned it into our Trois autres Malaisie.  Yeah, I wrote the original stories, but Jerome translated them to appeal to a French market, and for that—and for recommending me in the first place—I'm eternally grateful.

Think and Grow Rich, Turn Your Life Around Through Self Analysis

In Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich, he devotes an entire chapter on "The Six Ghosts of Fears"; it's his second longest chapter (out of fifteen) and he saves it for last.  He lists Six Basic Fears:
The fear of povertyThe fear of criticismThe fear of ill healthThe fear of loss of love of someoneThe fear of old ageThe fear of death
Under "The Most Destructive Fear" he writes:
Fear of poverty is a state of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one's chances of achievement in any undertaking, a truth which became painfully evident during the depression.
This fear paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control an impossibility. It takes the charm from one's personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the will-power into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory and invites failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness-and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires, excepting lack of a definite purpose.
That's a lot, and that's just one fear.  (It seems an awful lot of this fear is circulating around the US the last couple of years, a panic of how bad things are and how worse it's going to get, as if its never going to end.)  By the way, it was Napoleon Hill who gave FDR the Great Depression-slogan:  The Only Thing We Have to Fear, is Fear Itself.  To combat these fears, and to turn your life around, Hill recommends that "Self-analysis may disclose weaknesses which one does not like to acknowledge.  This form of examination is essential to all who demand of life more than mediocrity and poverty."

He adds:Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people. This weakness is all the more damaging, because most people do not recognize that they are cursed by it, and many who acknowledge it, neglect or refuse to correct the evil until it becomes an uncontrollable part of their daily habits.
News stories, newspapers, and the Internet are chock full of negative influences about what's all wrong with the world today (including all that crime, celebrity and political meltdowns, and how innocent people like you and me are wronged, instilling the fear that you might be next, so beware!) 
To aid those who wish to see themselves as they really are, the following list of questions has been prepared. Read the questions and state your answers aloud, so you can hear your own voice. This will make it easier for you to be truthful with yourself.

Having read Think and Grow Rich for the third time, and after finding myself once again procrastinating on a task that I vowed to complete last week (is there a subconscious fear working against me?), I thought it high time that I complete this self-analysis to see what's going on . . . . I'm half way through right now—taking a break since I'm being so brutal on myself, taking full responsibility for all that I'm doing and not doing effectively (I've already written seven, single-spaced pages of answers!). 
I'll warn you, it's tough on the ego, but every now and then you need to take stock of yourself, especially if you feel you are holding yourself back (even subconsciously).  This way, based on your truthful answers, you'll know exactly how to move forward, and that's exactly what I aim to do. Move forward.  Already I'm anxious to get back to the rest of those questions!  Just reading through the questions will make you think, but the real power comes with your answers, and what you do next now that you know the truth about yourself!
Do you complain often of  'feeling bad," and if so, what is the cause?Do you find fault with other people at the slightest provocation?Do you frequently make mistakes in your work, and if so, why?Are you sarcastic and offensive in your conversation?Do you deliberately avoid the association of anyone, and if so, why?Do you suffer frequently with indigestion? If so, what is the cause?Does life seem futile and the future hopeless to you? If so, why?Do you like your occupation? If not, why?Do you often feel self-pity, and if so why?Are you envious of those who excel you?To which do you devote most time, thinking of SUCCESS, or of FAILURE?Are you gaining or losing self-confidence as you grow older?Do you learn something of value from all mistakes?Are you permitting some relative or acquaintance to worry you? If so, why?Are you sometimes "in the clouds" and at other times in the depths of despondency?Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can avoid?Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?Have you learned how to "drown your troubles" by being too busy to be annoyed by them?Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling" if you permitted others to do your thinking for you?Do you neglect internal bathing until auto-intoxication makes you ill-tempered and irritable?How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate them?Do you resort to liquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?Does anyone "nag" you, and if so, for what reason?Do you have a DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE, and if so, what is it, and what plan have you for achieving it?Do you suffer from any of the Six Basic Fears? If so, which ones?Have you a method by which you can shield yourself against the negative influence of others?Do you make deliberate use of auto-suggestion to make your mind positive?Which do you value most, your material possessions, or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?Are you easily influenced by others, against your own judgment?Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or state of mind?Do you face squarely the circumstances which make you unhappy, or sidestep the responsibility?Do you analyze all mistakes and failures and try to profit by them or, do you take the attitude that this is not your duty?Can you name three of your most damaging weaknesses?What are you doing to correct them?Do  you encourage other people to bring their worries to you for sympathy?Do you choose, from your daily experiences, lessons or influences which aid in your personal advancement?Does your presence have a negative influence on other people as a rule?What habits of other people annoy you most?Do you form your own opinions or permit yourself to be influenced by other people?Have you learned how to create a mental state of mind with which you can shield yourself against all discouraging influences?Does your occupation inspire you with faith and hope?Are you conscious of possessing spiritual forces of sufficient power to enable you to keep your mind free from all forms of FEAR? Does your religion help you to keep your own mind positive?Do you feel it your duty to share other people's worries? If so, why?If you believe that "birds of a feather flock together" what have you learned about yourself by studying the friends whom you attract? What connection, if any, do you see between the  people with whom you associate most closely, and any unhappiness you may experience? Could it be possible that some person whom you consider to be a friend is, in reality, your worst enemy, because of his negative influence on your mind? By what rules do you judge who is helpful and who is damaging to you?Are your intimate associates mentally superior or inferior to you?How much time out of every 24 hours do you devote to:a. your occupationb. sleepc. play and relaxationd. acquiring useful knowledgee. plain waste
Who among your acquaintances,a. encourages you mostb. cautions you mostc. discourages you mostd. helps you most in other ways
What is your greatest worry? Why do you tolerate it?When others offer you free, unsolicited advice, do you accept it without question, or analyze their motive?What, above all else, do you most DESIRE? Do you intend to acquire it?Are you willing to subordinate all other desires for this one?How much time daily do you devote to acquiring it?Do you change your mind often? If so, why?Do you usually finish everything you begin?Are you easily impressed by other people's business or professional titles, college degrees, or wealth?Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?Do  you cater to people because of their social or financial status?Whom do you believe to be the greatest person living?In what respect is this person superior to yourself?How much time have you devoted to studying and answering these questions? (At least one day is necessary for the analysis and the answering of the entire list.)
By the way here's a short video of these same questions, with pleasant and soothing images and music to accompany them!
Hill then adds:
If you have answered all these questions truthfully, you know more about yourself than the majority of people. Study the questions carefully, come back to them once each week for several months, and be astounded at the amount of additional knowledge of great value to yourself, you will have gained by the simple method of answering the questions truthfully. If you are not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the counsel of those who know you well, especially those who have no motive in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience will be astonishing.
Good luck, and if you want to read the whole book on line, here's a website that allows you to do exactly that, which I just now found while posting this blog! Good luck.

*It took a few days but I finally managed to answer all 61 questions.  The first direct outcome was to create a new work schedule, when I do certain tasks, in the morning, afternoon, evening, since this was an on-going problem and certain important tasks were not getting done.  It has also fired me up in many different ways now that I understand what was holding me back; it reminded me of my priorities, plus it strengthened my resolve.                 Borneo Expat Writer

Think and Grow Rich, Six Fears to Ovecome, and Self Analysis

In Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich, he devotes an entire chapter on "The Six Ghosts of Fears"; it's his second longest chapter (out of fifteen) and he saves it for last.  He lists Six Basic Fears:

The fear of povertyThe fear of criticismThe fear of ill healthThe fear of loss of love of someoneThe fear of old ageThe fear of death
Under "The Most Destructive Fear" he writes:
Fear of poverty is a state of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one's chances of achievement in any undertaking, a truth which became painfully evident during the depression.
This fear paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control an impossibility. It takes the charm from one's personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the will-power into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory and invites failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness-and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires, excepting lack of a definite purpose.
That's a lot, and that's just one fear.  (It seems an awful lot of this fear is circulating around the US the last couple of years, a panic of how bad things are and how worse it's going to get, as if its never going to end.)  By the way, it was Napoleon Hill who gave FDR the Great Depression-slogan:  The Only Thing We Have to Fear, is Fear Itself.  To combat these fears, Hill recommends that "Self-analysis may disclose weaknesses which one does not like to acknowledge.  This form of examination is essential to all who demand of life more than mediocrity and poverty."

He adds:Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people. This weakness is all the more damaging, because most people do not recognize that they are cursed by it, and many who acknowledge it, neglect or refuse to correct the evil until it becomes an uncontrollable part of their daily habits.
News stories, newspapers, and the Internet are chock full of negative influences about what's all wrong with the world today (including all that crime, celebrity and political meltdowns, and how innocent people like you and me are wronged, instilling the fear that you might be next, so beware!) 
To aid those who wish to see themselves as they really are, the following list of questions has been prepared. Read the questions and state your answers aloud, so you can hear your own voice. This will make it easier for you to be truthful with yourself.

Having read Think and Grow Rich for the third time, and after finding myself once again procrastinating on a task that I vowed to complete last week (is there a subconscious fear working against me?), I thought it high time that I complete this self-analysis to see what's going on . . . . I'm half way through right now—taking a break since I'm being so brutal on myself, taking full responsibility for all that I'm doing and not doing effectively (I've already written seven, single-spaced pages of answers!). 
I'll warn you, it's tough on the ego, but every now and then you need to take stock of yourself, especially if you feel you are holding yourself back (even subconsciously).  This way, based on your truthful answers, you'll know exactly how to move forward, and that's exactly what I aim to do. Move forward.  Already I'm anxious to get back to the rest of those questions!  Just reading through the questions will make you think, but the real power comes with your answers, and what you do next now that you know the truth about yourself!
Do you complain often of  'feeling bad," and if so, what is the cause?Do you find fault with other people at the slightest provocation?Do you frequently make mistakes in your work, and if so, why?Are you sarcastic and offensive in your conversation?Do you deliberately avoid the association of anyone, and if so, why?Do you suffer frequently with indigestion? If so, what is the cause?Does life seem futile and the future hopeless to you? If so, why?Do you like your occupation? If not, why?Do you often feel self-pity, and if so why?Are you envious of those who excel you?To which do you devote most time, thinking of SUCCESS, or of FAILURE?Are you gaining or losing self-confidence as you grow older?Do you learn something of value from all mistakes?Are you permitting some relative or acquaintance to worry you? If so, why?Are you sometimes "in the clouds" and at other times in the depths of despondency?Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can avoid?Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?Have you learned how to "drown your troubles" by being too busy to be annoyed by them?Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling" if you permitted others to do your thinking for you?Do you neglect internal bathing until auto-intoxication makes you ill-tempered and irritable?How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate them?Do you resort to liquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?Does anyone "nag" you, and if so, for what reason?Do you have a DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE, and if so, what is it, and what plan have you for achieving it?Do you suffer from any of the Six Basic Fears? If so, which ones?Have you a method by which you can shield yourself against the negative influence of others?Do you make deliberate use of auto-suggestion to make your mind positive?Which do you value most, your material possessions, or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?Are you easily influenced by others, against your own judgment?Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or state of mind?Do you face squarely the circumstances which make you unhappy, or sidestep the responsibility?Do you analyze all mistakes and failures and try to profit by them or, do you take the attitude that this is not your duty?Can you name three of your most damaging weaknesses?What are you doing to correct them?Do  you encourage other people to bring their worries to you for sympathy?Do you choose, from your daily experiences, lessons or influences which aid in your personal advancement?Does your presence have a negative influence on other people as a rule?What habits of other people annoy you most?Do you form your own opinions or permit yourself to be influenced by other people?Have you learned how to create a mental state of mind with which you can shield yourself against all discouraging influences?Does your occupation inspire you with faith and hope?Are you conscious of possessing spiritual forces of sufficient power to enable you to keep your mind free from all forms of FEAR? Does your religion help you to keep your own mind positive?Do you feel it your duty to share other people's worries? If so, why?If you believe that "birds of a feather flock together" what have you learned about yourself by studying the friends whom you attract? What connection, if any, do you see between the  people with whom you associate most closely, and any unhappiness you may experience? Could it be possible that some person whom you consider to be a friend is, in reality, your worst enemy, because of his negative influence on your mind? By what rules do you judge who is helpful and who is damaging to you?Are your intimate associates mentally superior or inferior to you?How much time out of every 24 hours do you devote to:a. your occupationb. sleepc. play and relaxationd. acquiring useful knowledgee. plain waste
Who among your acquaintances,a. encourages you mostb. cautions you mostc. discourages you mostd. helps you most in other ways
What is your greatest worry? Why do you tolerate it?When others offer you free, unsolicited advice, do you accept it without question, or analyze their motive?What, above all else, do you most DESIRE? Do you intend to acquire it?Are you willing to subordinate all other desires for this one?How much time daily do you devote to acquiring it?Do you change your mind often? If so, why?Do you usually finish everything you begin?Are you easily impressed by other people's business or professional titles, college degrees, or wealth?Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?Do  you cater to people because of their social or financial status?Whom do you believe to be the greatest person living?In what respect is this person superior to yourself?How much time have you devoted to studying and answering these questions? (At least one day is necessary for the analysis and the answering of the entire list.)
By the way here's a short video of these same questions, with pleasant and soothing images and music to accompany them!
Hill then adds:
If you have answered all these questions truthfully, you know more about yourself than the majority of people. Study the questions carefully, come back to them once each week for several months, and be astounded at the amount of additional knowledge of great value to yourself, you will have gained by the simple method of answering the questions truthfully. If you are not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the counsel of those who know you well, especially those who have no motive in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience will be astonishing.
Good luck, and if you want to read the whole book on line, here's a website that allows you to do exactly that, which I just now found while posting this blog! Good luck.            Borneo Expat Writer

Think and Grow Rich, the Fear of Poverty, and Self Analysis

In Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich, he devotes an entire chapter on "The Six Ghosts of Fears"; it's his second longest chapter (out of fifteen) and he saves it for last.  He lists Six Basic Fears:

The fear of povertyThe fear of criticismThe fear of ill healthThe fear of loss of love of someoneThe fear of old ageThe fear of death
Under "The Most Destructive Fear" he writes:
Fear of poverty is a state of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one's chances of achievement in any undertaking, a truth which became painfully evident during the depression.
This fear paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control an impossibility. It takes the charm from one's personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the will-power into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory and invites failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness-and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires, excepting lack of a definite purpose.
That's a lot, and that's just one fear.  To combat these fears, Hill recommends that "Self-analysis may disclose weaknesses which one does not like to acknowledge.  This form of examination is essential to all who demand of life more than mediocrity and poverty."
He adds:Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people. This weakness is all the more damaging, because most people do not recognize that they are cursed by it, and many who acknowledge it, neglect or refuse to correct the evil until it becomes an uncontrollable part of their daily habits.
To aid those who wish to see themselves as they really are, the following list of questions has been prepared. Read the questions and state your answers aloud, so you can hear your own voice. This will make it easier for you to be truthful with yourself. 
Having read the book three times, and after finding myself once again procrastinating on a task that I vowed to complete last week, I thought it high time that I complete this self-analysis to see what's going on . . . . I'm half way through right now—taking a break since I'm being so brutal on myself, taking full responsibility for all that I'm doing and not doing effectively (I've already written seven, single-spaced pages of answers!). 
I'll warn you, it's tough on the ego, but every now and then you need to take stock of yourself, especially if you feel you are holding yourself back (even subconsciously).  This way, based on your truthful answers, you'll know exactly how to move forward, and that's exactly what I aim to do. Move forward.  Already I'm anxious to get back to the rest of those questions, which I'll be doing the moment I post this!  Just reading through the questions will make you think, but the real power comes with your answers, and what you do next now that you know the truth about yourself!
Do you complain often of "feeling bad," and if so, what is the cause?Do you find fault with other people at the slightest provocation?Do you frequently make mistakes in your work, and if so, why?Are you sarcastic and offensive in your conversation?Do you deliberately avoid the association of anyone, and if so, why?Do you suffer frequently with indigestion? If so, what is the cause?Does life seem futile and the future hopeless to you? If so, why?Do you like your occupation? If not, why?Do you often feel self-pity, and if so why?Are you envious of those who excel you?To which do you devote most time, thinking of SUCCESS, or of FAILURE?Are you gaining or losing self-confidence as you grow older?Do you learn something of value from all mistakes?Are you permitting some relative or acquaintance to worry you? If so, why?Are you sometimes "in the clouds" and at other times in the depths of despondency?Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can avoid?Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?Have you learned how to "drown your troubles" by being too busy to be annoyed by them?Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling" if you permitted others to do your thinking for you?Do you neglect internal bathing until auto-intoxication makes you ill-tempered and irritable?How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate them?Do you resort to liquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?Does anyone "nag" you, and if so, for what reason?Do you have a DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE, and if so, what is it, and what plan have you for achieving it?Do you suffer from any of the Six Basic Fears? If so, which ones?Have you a method by which you can shield yourself against the negative influence of others?Do you make deliberate use of auto-suggestion to make your mind positive?Which do you value most, your material possessions, or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?Are you easily influenced by others, against your own judgment?Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or state of mind?Do you face squarely the circumstances which make you unhappy, or sidestep the responsibility?Do you analyze all mistakes and failures and try to profit by them or, do you take the attitude that this is not your duty?Can you name three of your most damaging weaknesses?What are you doing to correct them?Do  you encourage other people to bring their worries to you for sympathy?Do you choose, from your daily experiences, lessons or influences which aid in your personal advancement?Does your presence have a negative influence on other people as a rule?What habits of other people annoy you most?Do you form your own opinions or permit yourself to be influenced by other people?Have you learned how to create a mental state of mind with which you can shield yourself against all discouraging influences?Does your occupation inspire you with faith and hope?Are you conscious of possessing spiritual forces of sufficient power to enable you to keep your mind free from all forms of FEAR? Does your religion help you to keep your own mind positive?Do you feel it your duty to share other people's worries? If so, why?If you believe that "birds of a feather flock together" what have you learned about yourself by studying the friends whom you attract? What connection, if any, do you see between the  people with whom you associate most closely, and any unhappiness you may experience? Could it be possible that some person whom you consider to be a friend is, in reality, your worst enemy, because of his negative influence on your mind? By what rules do you judge who is helpful and who is damaging to you?Are your intimate associates mentally superior or inferior to you?How much time out of every 24 hours do you devote to:a. your occupationb. sleepc. play and relaxationd. acquiring useful knowledgee. plain waste
Who among your acquaintances,a. encourages you mostb. cautions you mostc. discourages you mostd. helps you most in other ways
What is your greatest worry? Why do you tolerate it?When others offer you free, unsolicited advice, do you accept it without question, or analyze their motive?What, above all else, do you most DESIRE? Do you intend to acquire it?Are you willing to subordinate all other desires for this one?How much time daily do you devote to acquiring it?Do you change your mind often? If so, why?Do you usually finish everything you begin?Are you easily impressed by other people's business or professional titles, college degrees, or wealth?Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?Do  you cater to people because of their social or financial status?Whom do you believe to be the greatest person living?In what respect is this person superior to yourself?How much time have you devoted to studying and answering these questions? (At least one day is necessary for the analysis and the answering of the entire list.)
By the way here's a short video of these same questions, with pleasant and soothing images and music to accompany them!
Hill then adds:
If you have answered all these questions truthfully, you know more about yourself than the majority of people. Study the questions carefully, come back to them once each week for several months, and be astounded at the amount of additional knowledge of great value to yourself, you will have gained by the simple method of answering the questions truthfully. If you are not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the counsel of those who know you well, especially those who have no motive in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience will be astonishing.
Good luck, and if you want to read the whole book on line, here's a website  that allows you to do exactly that, which I just now found while posting this blog! Good luck.            Borneo Expat Writer

Gearing up for the French…

Kino Kuniya Singapore (which has a French department), asked the French publisher Éditions GOPE when Trois autres Malaisie  (Three Other Malaysia), the French translation and retitled version of Lovers and Strangers Revisited will be available.  It looks like it'll be out in August, sooner than expected . . . . In the meantime, they are taking Le monde de Suzie Wong   (The World of Suzi Wong) and Trois autres Thaïlande (Three Other Thailand), the first book in Éditions GOPE's series of collection of short stories set in Southeast Asia. Trois autres Malaisie will be the second book.
Unlike Lovers and Strangers Revisited, Trois autres Malaisie will be divided into three sections:  the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indian—hence the title.  For many in France, this will be there first modern introduction to Malaysia, especially via fiction.  There will also be sketches by a French cartoonist, I believe, who has spent some time traveling in Southeast Asia including Malaysia.  The French blog for Trois autres Malaisie also provides a summary of each story, in French of course. Then there's the French translation of "Transactions in Thai", from Lovers and Strangers Revisited, though not included in Trois autres Malaisie (since it's set in Thailand).
And tomorrow, I will be meeting for the first time the French translator of Trois autres Malaisie, Jerome Bouchaud,who is in Kuching to update his guidebook on Malaysia "Malaisie - Modernité et Traditions en Asie du Sud-Est". 
So right now, I'm mentally gearing up for the French…