I've been stuck in a creative hole for the past year and bad writing is the only thing that inspires me to push forward. Now if only I had time to write...
That's the spirit! I also find that reassuring for my own writing. Now I just have to find the stamina to keep writing and organizing things. You can do it!
Something I realized is that no matter what, I associate ACOTAR with Cindy. I can't read any of the ACOTAR books without hearing Cindy's narration in my mind. So basically I can't take any of the scenes, especially the ones where Rhys shakes mountains, seriously.
resonating so hard, because i used to LOVE the ACOTAR books and then watching cindy just lifted the veil and basically now i cant read quivering member without thinking of cindy
I love how Cindy always gives very clear and specific reasons why she doesn’t like a book instead of just saying things like “I didn’t relate with the characters”, “I didn’t care for the story” without explaining why. I’m not trying to dismiss anyone’s opinions and feelings but as a viewer, I can’t imagine how the book is like if the reviewers don’t specify why and how they did or didn’t love a book. Like give me details! I need some details to see if I should read a book or not.
Agreed!!! That's what I love of Cindy's videos when it comes to the books she talks about because I get a very clear view what the book is about. Ik that some stuff she doesn't like I wouldn't mind and some she likes I would absolutely hate so her mentioning those is amazing. I also like that she admits that sometimes she likes books purely cause they're fun even if the story is a cliche romance where the characters had to share a bed
therapy is expensive but hearing cindy talk about a book that should've been titled "reasons why some people should not have kids" is free and right here so
I'm so glad you read "Everything I Never Told You". The kids' perspectives were so heartbreaking, knowing that your parents don't love you and the guilt that everyone feels.
there is a Brazilian book called: Conectadas, by Clara Alves, about a girl who pretends to be a man in an online game (we know how much a woman suffers in these online games) and ends up meeting another girl in this game and falling in love.. .is very cute and addictive and I would love for you to read it. I love your videos and find them sorely needed. you are inspiring to me in many ways ❤️🖤🇧🇷
cindy: ah yes i read evelyn hugo two years ago me: :o its been two years????? also cindy: i read the kiss quotient in last year's asian readathon! me: its been a fucking year time is an illusion life is a social construct
You know sometimes my brother gets into this philosophical tangents when he's either drunk or pining about his boyfriend but just listening to this video shut him up when he heard about the bride test and now he's afraid of our mother being inspired by this story
"so we can eat together" I don't know if you already know, I just wanted to say that something like this is really helpful for people like me with eating disorders.
I think I almost spit out my drink when you said that this mother specifically was able to tell it was tear stains in the cookbook. The mother should of tried to be an athlete because of them mental gymnastics she needed to assume it was tears. 😂
It's interesting when she said that her characters wouldn't have a favorite genre of music because they're too busy trying to survive because that in itself is a very strong character trait. I see questions like "What would your character be doing if they were in a party?" My character can't stand crowds why would she go to a party at all?
When I read ‘Everything I never told you’, I mostly sympathised the mom and my heart broke for her. How hard it was for her to make it to university and how gifted she was and how she never got to achieve her goals. It was a veeeeery painful read for me.
I really liked Everything I Never Told You. I actually got something different out of it. I was thinking more about how we hide things from our kids and we think we are helping them by protecting them from what we’re afraid of or pushing our own dreams into them. I think it was much more common in the 70s-90s to hurry things instead of talk about them and I liked reading about how that impacts the family.
Cindy makes every book sound so interesting, then rips them to shreds right before my eyes. It’s an emotional roller coaster I sign up for (and enjoy 👀). 9:01 ahahahaha insert I’m an accountant audio here
I've been exhausted trying to maintain everything going on and trying to be there for my best friend who is struggling with mental health, but this update literally made my day. Thank you so much cindy!
I really appreciate you putting out these books despite mental health holding you back. I know a stranger thousands of miles away may not be able to do much but I want you to know that you're loved and appreciated ❤
I’d love to see the mail order bride thing more from the girl’s perspective psychologically. I think its a really interesting dynamic that on one hand this man might be treating you well but at the end of the day he literally bought you. And do you feel bad for acting like a “good” wife even if internally you’re (rightfully) at least somewhat resentful or disgusted by them.
Another thing I'm really tired of in book/ movies is how they're trying to escape from an Asian country and live the American dream, it definitely was the case say 10/20 years ago but that has changed a lot, does that mean people aren't there who want to move to a different country absolutely but doesn't that happened everywhere? I'm just tired of our counties being only portrayed as under developed and only having poor people or they show random shot to of our religious festivals show "culture". Sorry for the rant but I'm just tired of the same narrative being shown that was kind of valid for the late 90s
Agreed. Frankly I know a lot of people who want to flee the US right now because they're worried about their rights and their survival. But yeah let's keep writing about the American dream, as if it's not a systemic obstacle course riddled with oppression and bigotry. They never seem to focus on WHAT people were fleeing or what those people THOUGHT America promised them, and whether it delivered or not.
@@jazwhoaskedforthis PERIOD. The ignorance and the straight up ERASURE of the America the marnginalized people know which is bigotry and oppression. It's getting weird.
I actually thoroughly enjoyed “Everything I Never Told You.” I thought it was really well written and I liked the story telling a lot. It was very in-your-face and direct with the messages, but it set the tone for the family’s dynamic and how everything just seemed forced onto the kids. Both the characters’ stories and deliveries were so direct, yet the parents and family didn’t truly know each other. Like with Lydia, no one knew how she was feeling or what she was doing that led up to her death. As obvious as everything may have been, it still went under their noses and I think that juxtaposition plays an impactful role in the relationship dynamics. I also liked how it started off with “Lydia’s dead” and then you find out the cause of death towards the end of the book. As you learn that Lydia’s death is ruled as a suicide, you also learn the truth behind her death and that the family and police actually got it wrong. This backwards story telling created a feeling of remorse and I thought it was very clever. Yes the parents (esp the dad) were very questionable, but I don’t see a way this book could be as successful with mentally stable parents. And it was kind of cool to read about a minority perspective in the 70’s facing identity problems and how that was projected onto family life. I guess it all just depends on what kind of style of writing you like, though. I’ve been wondering and waiting to see if you would review EINTY and I’m kind of sad it only got 3/5 stars 😭 but I do see your points and your opinions are valid.
Cindy just release the unedited ACOSF video. You know we’ll all watch it and some might even memorise every word from it. It’ll also save you a lot of time and work
18:25 this shit hit me SO HARD. I've always wanted to write novels but i have stopped myself midway through the process so many times because when i would see questionnaires like that or tips like "get to know your characters well" i'd be stumped because i just physically cannot force myself to think of them as human beings created by me, they're just characters, man. i think this whole idea of "you should know your characters like you know yourself" comes from books/universes like harry potter where their author can literally tell you each characters' zodiac sign, menstrual cycle, and digestion problems without even looking at their notes :/ it's just too much pressure on writers
i think the tears on the cookbook were more so about generational trauma and how the traumatic experiences were passed down through the daughters' relationships with their mothers, from the grandmother to the mother to lydia
Omfg I read Everything I Never Told You in my senior year English class and was wondering if you would read it someday… that day has come and it’s given me everything and more. In short: people should just not have kids please and thanq
cindy: *explains the plot of the book and makes it sound so exciting and interesting* me: oh i should probably pick this up cindy: so i rated it 2 stars me:...
While discussing craft in the real world, you were saying something about characters having a fav song, this reminded me of the way many romance book authors have started adding whole playlists for their books. The books borrow the feelings from these songs to add to a scenario which tbh is very generic and perhaps follows the same western language as the book was talking about. For eg, even when the books have characters that aren't American, most songs would be English songs.
speaking of writing, how is your book coming along cindy?! we havnt had a write with cindy video in awhile. also hope you’re doing okay, appreciate you so much 😁
@@withcindy yay! Have you finished it? I’ve been editing my book for the whole past year and I’m writing the sequel and I love watching your writing blogs while working on them. Is your book YA or adult? What do you think separates the categories?
I've always struggled with those kind of "get to know your character" type things with my own writing, but never could put that into words why--but I definitely feel like you do with that! I got myself a copy of Craft in the Real World bc I heard a lot of good things about it, & after hearing you discuss it, I'm looking forward to reading it even more
In a perfect world, I would agree. Addicts, narcissists, and socio/psychopaths should straight up never have kids. Our world is too bigoted for that though, and it would just turn into people of color, gay people, and non-christian/catholics being forcibly sterilized (more than they already are in some cases).
I kinda feel like Cindy should come up with her own character building quiz. First question should be, is your character a big tiddy liddy? I'd take that quiz laughing the entire time...edit: In all seriousness though, I like your idea of character building shown in the vid, and if you ever get around to the idea, I'd love to take your quiz as an aspiring author.
That “Home Fire” book was giving me anxiety lmao. Just less than a week ago I voted for the first time in my country (FOr ThE MoST imPOrTAnT VOtINgS iN hIStoRY) and the advertisements of different political groups throwing shade to each other (for three entire months because fucking campaigns) really had me wanting to break the TV or bang my head against a wall, so I’m sure that book would give me nightmares 😭 Thank you but no thanks 🤩
okokok so when you were talking about the bride test and talking about the main character not processing his emotions like everyone else because hes autistic (i am too) and thinking he doesnt have any, i struggle with the same thing and i thought it was just me and its really nice to know that theres a reason i shed a whole tear
Your new apartment looks great! I'm making breakfast and it's honestly really nice listening to you talk about books while eating so it feels like I'm doing it alone. You always make the book sound so interesting and then tear them apart. It really gives an idea of how while the concept is good, the execution could be better 😁
I already love this. It feels like a friend talking to me while I do things. Currently drawing and eating. Its like having lunch with a friend while we do creative things. Very fun, love your videos! Makes me feel alot of comfort.
@@withcindy Taco Bell. I was supposed to have 4 cheeserollups and one cinnamon twist along with two tacos but they gave me two cinnamon twists instead of my cheeserollups🥲
18:11 Exactly! That's why I can't stand AU fanfiction I'm like... this character is a flower shop owner now? They might as well be a completely different person.
“I just wanna write my book, be done with it , and go.” I feel that in my soul. I’ve been in a few workshops and writing classes in my time, and I think that a lot of good can come out of them, but one downside is that you lose that sense of being your own first audience for your book. I tend to think way too much about how my writing might be received or interpreted; and I know for experience that too much of that nonsense in your head will keep you from writing at all eventually.
I wanna know what SJM's workshops were like, because I felt like at the school we went to, there was this subtly insensitive to not be creative in our workshops, and if you were, you would feel like the outcast. That happened me to last year, and knowing she graduated from the same place years before, I hope she didn't go through the same thing.
okay YESSS with Celeste Ng's books! I knew I liked Little Fires better but couldnt really put my finger on it. But what you said about the nuanced thing is EXACTLY it!!
The part of the characters, talking about how sometimes they are the result of their situations, is actually what I've been basing my characters from. Some do have favorite foods and music, but those things are from his own culture, who he is and who he was.
I still really liked The Bride Test because of how Khai was depicted as an autistic character, but I agree with your points about the immigration issues. Also, I am super hyped for Quan's book though. I hope it's amazing. He deserves it after doing all the work for Khai's and Esme's relationship
You made me view a lot of things that I think about when writing trough a different perspective and I really appreciate that, sometimes I feel like I struggle trying to get the deeper meaning done correctly and that gets in my way of actually writing which is something I enjoy
i also think that the bride test could be so much better if it wasn't romance novel but it would focus about being an immigrant in different country. so much wasted potential. also amazing vid cindy! hope you're doing great!
i think it could still be a romance novel while focusing on those things! if anything it could have strengthened the relationship to see the 2 of them overcoming the hurdles!
I read Everything I Never Told You when I was like... 13 and I thought it was pretty good. Now, as an adult I realize that it's not as good as I remember, but I think part of the reason why everything seemed so blatant is because it was more geared towards a larger, predominantly white, audience who wouldn't get a lot of the internalized racism or projecting of missed opportunities due to parenthood without those themes being slapped in their face. To my memory, the synopsis makes it a lot more thrillery than it actually is to hook in those readers only for the plot to actually be about the issues I mentioned and how the consequences manifest in their daughter ultimately ending up in a lake. So anyways, I guess the point is that the book is decent and spends too much time catering to white people.
19:00 okay this actually cleared up the way I felt about a book I recently read. I loved it and it was a full 5 stars for me but I felt a little detached from the characters after finishing it, especially since it was such a heavy story it was hard for me to imagine them outside the book or attribute any additional characteristics to them that aren’t written into the book. That’s soemthing that I’m not used to especially since fandoms of all sorts of media take those characters out of canon and sort of create their very own persona. I really liked the book and all the Characters did in it but I think they were SO defined by their settings and the plot points that it is hard to take them out of context and it had me feeling a little detached. I felt really fulfilled from the story since it wrapped it up so nicely that I didn’t even have to imagine their futures because the book already covered that as well. But I think it’s very okay for the characters to only exist and work in a certain context and that gives me a lot of comfort. If I ever wanted to experience those characters again, I could go and reread the book instead of having to search for a connection to the characters outside the book. Which is what I see so many fandoms do and why they are so attached to the media and why there is such a culture around it. I definitely don’t hate that culture and even participate in it. I love the creativity of so many people chipping in to a character, but I think there are still other ways to emotionally connect to a character instead of projecting(lol) on them which is something that I never thought about before.
Hey Cindy, I just wanted to drop in and say that I really respect that you keep charities and donating to activist organizations in mind so often. (And I see in your description a fundraiser mention, as if underlining my point lol.) I just want to say that I've been feeling crushed into the ground lately because the global situation seems doomed, and it's hard to hope when I see so much hate and ignorance even in the people I want to be saved. My mental health has deteriorated massively due to general mental illness, ptsd, and then a year of strictly trying to quarantine. It's not been great. Some activist friends have been telling me that it's okay to just focus on myself, but it's so hard to feel like that's valid or fulfilling or something I can really focus on. But I was trying to think of ways to feel less bleak. I don't have much money ever, but I feel like donating what little I can to people who currently have the stamina to be working directly on the things I care about is not a lot but it's what I can do. So I'd love to know if you have any recommendations (you and anyone else reading this) that I can try to support. Also, side story, but I couldn't really take care of myself today. I've been trying to get myself to do things but it's just not clicking. But I set out water for the neighborhood cats (it's been like 108 degrees lately UGH) and then I set out a hummingbird feeder. I fed my dogs and spent time with them. These are the only things really that kind of made me feel okay and present, despite how microscopically small they are in the grand scheme of things. So I don't know I guess I'm rambling- but I wanted to just pop in for good vibes from your videos, but also to say that I really admire that you keep supporting different things in your focus. I hope that you are also able to take care of yourself, because I recognize how painful and overwhelming your empathy can be at times. You have a good heart and you do good things. anyway wtf was this video about I need to rewind and stop blasting you sorry.
When you were talking about “The Bride Test”, it definitely reminded me of how I feel about the book called Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge. I genuinely was not connected to the main character (AKA Libertie) and there was just no character development at all. There were so many parts that didn’t really correlate to the main plot point. Maybe I just didn’t understand the book? But, the overall book Libertie was definitely not one of my favourites considering I didn’t “connect” to the character! It took me like 3 months to read because I was not motivated to read it at around the 100-150 page mark LOL
your take on Everything I Never Told You is so interesting! it's honestly one of my favourite books ever, I was just so fascinated by it as a portrait of a dysfunctional family. I agree though that the parents and the dad especially are SO unlikeable, but I was content to dislike them lol. also I love Celeste Ng's prose.
Had such a bad day and I've been feeling extremely drained lately. I just wanted to hear a favorite RU-vidr that explains things well and saw this! Thank you for being a part of my mental escape.
