Stolaroid Stories cover image

Stolaroid Stories

Latest episodes

undefined
Feb 15, 2024 • 1h 3min

Writing in English to Build a Small Online Business: with Alberto Cabas Vidani from Italy

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/ZbO7WegbCnE I discovered Alberto on Medium.com and was impressed by the quality of his writing. Alberto is an Italian writer and blogger who helps aspiring content creators become prolific by building custom systems that fit their busy lives. He started blogging in Italian in 2010 but then boldly stepped into the world of English writing to reach a wider audience. In this conversation, you'll hear him talk about: His early beginnings in digital content creation His transition from writing in Italian to writing in English Recommended resources for non-native English writers Writing on Medium.com His writing process and approach Using ChatGPT ...and other things related to writing, content creation, learning English, and digital entrepreneurship. If you find this useful, please email me to let me know. All my contacts are on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:38 - Switching to English 13:08 - Gaining Confidence 16:30 - Loving English 24:38 - Writing on Medium 35: 26 - Getting Better at Writing 43:30 - Writing & ChatGPT 52:08 - Books for writers 55:10 - Alberto's course 01:01:44 - Conclusion Links & Resources: - Medium: read Alberto's articles on Medium.com -- https://albertocabasvidani.medium.com/ - The Unstoppable Creator (Alberto's newsletter + free email course) -- https://albertocabasvidani.ck.page/052d7c645d - The Tilt for content strategies and business insights -- https://www.thetilt.com/ - Ali Abdaal and Nicolas Cole -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIfEgvpEufU Books we mentioned: - "Storyworthy" by Matthew Dicks - "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield - "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser - "The Art and Business of Online Writing" by Nicolas Cole - "The 4 Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris Find out more about me and my work on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/
undefined
Feb 12, 2024 • 10min

You Don't Need Follow Every English Teacher Out There

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/his4qaunSmA You don't need 127 teachers, YouTubers, or creators. One or two are enough. Choose one you trust and then get on with your learning without getting lost in a sea of contradicting voices. Links The only YouTube channel I used to learn English -- It was great in 2011. Imagine how great it is in 2024 -- https://www.youtube.com/user/engvidenglish My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/
undefined
Feb 8, 2024 • 20min

The Best Way to Learn a Language: All You Need to Know About It

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4kfYRqxYtqA What's the best way to learn a language? My first language is Italian but I've spent the past decade teaching English, a language I started learning in my 20s. I've also studied and researched second language acquisition as part of my MA in Language Education. Without bragging, I know the answer to "What's the best way to learn a language?" But I can't reveal the secret without first addressing a bigger question. I hope what I say in this episode is helpful. *** My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/
undefined
Feb 5, 2024 • 16min

Don't Use English Idioms to "Sound Advanced"

Do you use English idioms in speaking or writing to sound advanced? To impress someone? To look cool? Don't. Episode links Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/zW1x9ydBwHA Book: 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost My book -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/ The video I mentioned -- https://youtu.be/P_AZvuGjS0w?si=kqiGQneeDh-8zcm8 My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/
undefined
Feb 2, 2024 • 1h 27min

The Power of Thinking about Thinking & Learning Journals: with David Loewen (Doctor of Education)

David Loewen, a writer and Doctor of Education, discusses the shortcomings of traditional education, the importance of thinking about thinking, learning journals, bears, Australia, and creativity. They explore the concept of learning journals, personal development, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and the power of sharing authentic writing. They also touch on the concept of self and bias in learning journals, encounters with wildlife, freemium products, and free educational email courses.
undefined
Jan 29, 2024 • 5min

Improve Your Writing by Publishing on Medium (Tips for Non-Native English Writers)

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/gjDkyfaW-40 Keeping a journal or a diary has never scared anyone. But putting your words in front of other people’s eyes, well, yes, that might be intimidating, especially if you’re writing in a second language. I never had an audience when I was learning to write in English. I would use pen and paper, and I never published a single word except for some status updates on Facebook. I missed out. Knowing that someone will read you may be scary, but it'll naturally force you to revise, improve, and polish your text. You’ll be checking the language you use, asking yourself whether your ideas are clear or not and, most importantly, you’ll be writing to and for real human beings who may even give you some feedback. That's why I encourage you to publish your writing. No special tools are required. You don’t need any expensive subscriptions. You don’t need to learn how to build a website or create a personal blog. You just need to open an account on Medium.com – a free blogging platform. I’ve been there for a while too, so if you need any help or have any questions about it, let me know in the comments. *Links* Medium - https://medium.com/ My medium profile - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni The Short Form - https://medium.com/the-shortform
undefined
Jan 26, 2024 • 13min

How to Improve Your Writing (Book Recommendation)

Watch on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/P_AZvuGjS0w What's the best way to improve your writing? Here's a book that can help you. Great for beginners and intermediate writers. Useful reminders in it for more advanced ones. Links and stuff I mentioned "100 Ways to Improve Your Writing" by Gary Provost An interview with Derek Sivers on the "Writers Ink" podcast: "The Art of Simplicity with Derek Sivers" -- https://writersinkpodcast.com/the-art-of-simplicity-with-derek-sivers/ My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/
undefined
Jan 22, 2024 • 8min

2 Crucial Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing Anything

A ramble about what to ask yourself before writing. *** My 3-week writing program - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/
undefined
Jan 18, 2024 • 1h 1min

Write to Be Useful: with Niki Tisza

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/JDPwhC987eM In this episode of Stolaroid Stories, I'm joined by Niki Tisza, a non-native English writer and designer from Hungary. Niki started writing when she was a kid and her passion for the written word has never waned. Here's what you'll hear her talk about: - Journaling - Negative feedback she received from teachers - Her successes as a blogger - Coping with criticisms about her English grammar. - Arnold Schwarzenegger - Reading books - Writing tips I hope her story will inspire you. 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 - Niki on Medium - https://medium.com/@nikitisza - Niki's website - https://www.nikitisza.com/ - 41 Useful AI Prompts for Non-Native English Writers (PDF) --https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SH_mfeXlBQjn92Jxmfn5HlZa_ggbNAlV/view?usp=sharing - 3-week writing program - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 - Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger - Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Niki's Early Writing Journey 09:47 Negative Feedback 22:02 Writing in English 32:45 Blogging vs. Social Media 36:01 Writing Advice 41:33 Using ChatGPT 48:00 Reading + @ArnoldSchwarzenegger 53:50 Future Project +Conclusion
undefined
Jan 15, 2024 • 9min

Don't Let ChatGPT Suppress Your Writing Creativity (a rant😅)

I have a monthly subscription to the ChatGPT 4, the "premium" version. I love ChatGPT. In one of my blogs, I wrote: "An AI chatbot is a tool — like a hammer. You can use a hammer to put up paintings on the wall, build a hospital for kids, defend yourself from a mugger, or smash your partner’s head. A hammer is neither good nor bad. A hammer is a hammer. But what you use a hammer for can have good or bad consequences." An AI chatbot is the same. An AI chatbot is a terrible tool for you as a non-native English writer if you let the machine write for you. (Read the full article here if interested -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/41-ai-prompts-for-non-native-english-writers/) The Internet is full of junk and it's never been easier to churn out crappy writing. So let's use AI to learn, improve, and create great stuff -- not to become robots ourselves.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode