Elizabeth Tai's Blog, page 21

Lessons learned from writing four novels

I used to be a chronic unfinisher of novels. I would start one with great excitement and fervour, then get distracted by the next shiny fiction idea. Rinse. Repeat.

But when I took fiction more seriously, I came across an author who said that authors should finish their shit. Since this wisdom was echoed by many authors I admired, I decided to make it my life mission to finish my shit. (Fiction, that is. I always finished my articlesor I don't get to eat!)

Not only did I get big a burst of sat...

Why I DNF books

I'm the girl who finished every book. No matter how sucky it was. Maybe it was the kiasu side of me: I've sunk some cold, hard cash into it, so I better make the money count somehow. It's also the reason why my TBR (To Be Read) shelf is so massive - I find it really difficult to give up on books.

You also always hope that a book gets better, that somehow it'll snap out of its stupor and be exciting, and mostly because I'm a writer of books and could almost feel the book sobbing when you aband...

What to do during a solo writing retreat

The Airbnb unit that I had used to write my manuscript a few weeks ago.

My definition of a writing retreat is this: A time of self care where you nurture your body, mind and creativity so that you can produce words that inspire others. It's not bootcamp or a novel sweatshop where you produce words. Not for me, anyway.

Here's how I go about mine:

First, have a plan

Always be ready with a list of writing tasks so that you won't be at a loss how to meet your writing project goals. When you're in a...

my experience WITH THE CIM diploma in Digital Marketing

So, there it was: The results for my final paper. Frankly, I was really sure I'd flunk this one. And, honestly, if not for the input from my lecturers at the Australian College of Marketing, I probably would've. I ripped it open.

I passed. It's official, I have a Diploma in Digital Marketing!

At the end of 2014, I decided to pursue a digital marketing qualification because I wanted to give my Mass Communication degree an edge. Initially, I thought of pursuing a Master's degree, but the options...

What I read in July: Blazing through my TBR!

So proud of myself! I mostly #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks in July and bought only one book. Yay, me!

Out of the 12 books I read, four were books I bought years ago, two were library books, and the rest were newer TBR stock from December last year.

The Star Trek novel Once Burned worried me because I've been trying to start it since 2013. Fortunately, I got over the "so bored" bit and the book got really good towards the end.

Rose Bride is yet another bazzilionth failed attempt to find another romance aut...

What I learned in July

View from my makeshift standing desk. This is actually a bar table at my recent staycation studio.

Sitting all the time is so bad for your back

I was aware of that after reading Get Up!, but boy did I really experience that in July. I was plagued with sciatica pain and lower back pain much of the month because I was sitting for hoursat work. And that's when I realised...

Standing while working is awesome

I jury rigged a standing desk for myself by stacking a couple of boxes on a table. Not the...

4 ways Goodreads can help you reduce that TBR pile

Photo by Eli Samuelu

Years ago, I loved having hundreds of unread books in my personal library waiting for me. The thought of having a constant supply of reads thrilled me. Now? Not so much.

After embracing a simpler, more minimalist lifestyle, I started disliking waste of any kind, and having a big TBR pile felt like not just a huge waste, but a big burden. Each book represented a lost opportunity and a careless expense.

Yet, despite the TBR pile, I kept on buying more books - compulsively, a...

When neighbours hate Airbnb

Buzz off, holiday makers!

I love Airbnb. It gives me an affordable way to go on writing retreats every month without burning a hole in my pocket. And it is also super convenient to spend a vacation in an apartment with a kitchen and washing machine at hand.

What I didn't realise was that some folks hate Airbnb.

The lovely red sign you see above is what greeted my friends and I when we "checked in" to our Airbnb unit in Penang recently.

The guy who rented us the place explained that just a few m...

My experience using Uber: A review

I love the cute little Uber cars which tells you how many Uber cars are around, and how far they are from you.

I haven't had the reason to use Uber in Kuala Lumpur, but many of my friends raved about the car-sharing app and said that they couldn't live without it.

All I know about Uber is that it seems to create ripples everywhere it goes. Uber riders may love it, but governments seem inclined to ban it. There's always some form of protest when it comes to town!

In Malaysia, it's the same. Tax...

Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

Photo by Ivan S. Pasarin

If you're recoiling at the title, why?

It's a genuine question. What is it about shame that it makes us so nervous?

Recently I came across Brene Brown, which I only got to know because Elizabeth Gilbert mentioned her in her book Big Magic. And this is when I discovered that she was a "shame researcher". I thought, "How odd", and filed it away in my brain cells under "curiosities".

Never did I know that she'd play an important part of my spiritual and emotional journey m...