Author Sara Hamdan discusses her journey to becoming a published writer and the nuanced storytelling behind her book, "What Will People Think?" from its unexpected appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Book Club shortlist to navigating the complexities of Palestinian heritage in her work. Hamdan delves into the importance of collaboration in creative fields, the value of allowing one's work time "to breathe", and her perspective on choosing to write a basic Palestinian love story that's loaded with humor.  0:00 Introduction2:16 The Opaque Publishing Industry3:07 Life as an Author & the Overall Big Dream3:38 From Finance to Creative Pursuit4:37 The Power of Authorial Validation5:20 The Value of Creative Courses and Collaboration6:53 The Scientific Nature of Comedy Writing7:45 The Unexpected Love Story9:03 The Appeal of "What Will People Think?"10:59 Packaging a Romantic Comedy with Depth12:00 A Palestinian Narrative12:42 The Elevator Pitch for the Book14:34 The Evolution of the Story16:18 Learning from Past Works19:36 Developing an Instinct for Storytelling21:34 Empowering Storytellers in the Region24:49 Commercial vs. Creative Support26:57 The Organic Creative Scene in Lebanon28:00 Empowering the Next Generation of Authors29:19 Literary Crushes31:24 The Allure of Scripts and Screenwriting32:51 The Blueprint for Screen Adaptation34:08 The Surreal Jimmy Fallon Announcement37:45 Navigating Media Narratives and Empathy40:07 Joy as a Basic Human Right40:28 Communicating with Nuance Amidst Infuriation43:40 Hustle Culture and Sustainable Creativity47:23 Meditation as a Superpower48:02 Book Recommendations Sara Hamdan is a Palestinian journalist and editor raised in Greece and currently living in Dubai. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, she pursued a career in finance and worked as a banker at Merrill Lynch. She eventually transitioned to a career in media after getting a master's degree in journalism at Columbia University. She worked as a business and culture reporter for The New York Times based in Dubai before becoming an editor-in-chief at Google. In her free time, Sara also pursued her love of creative writing and won a Netflix short story award. Encouraged by the win, she completed her debut novel featuring the same central character: a female Arab-American stand-up comedian. Sara now regularly moderates high level conferences and hosts podcasts. Connect with Sara Hamdan 👉 https://instagram.com/bysarahamdan Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns
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