
Isabel Allende's creative secrets
- Interview
What makes a story unforgettable? For Isabel Allende, it takes unruly characters, family secrets, political upheaval and a healthy dose of imagination. The celebrated novelist opens up about the alchemy of storytelling, why writers should ignore the advice to write what they know, and what keeps her imagination alive. Guest: Isabel Allende, writer. StorytellingProducer: Ali Benton
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A2 · Elementary
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writing that ends with the promise that she will write and write until the end.
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of her craft, with stern advice and loving encouragement to those who might follow her
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Is this episode right for you?
A2 · Elementary
Everyday topics, clear speech
- 91% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 147 words a minute: a natural pace.
- 100 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
Transcript
The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.
harder words (B2+)
Asked the other day by her granddaughter what she'd done lately to have fun, Isabel Allende replied that nothing amuses her more than hiding in her lair to write. At the age of 83, with something like 30 books to her name that have sold about 80 million copies in over 40 languages, Isabel Allende has a new book on the market, a book about
writing that ends with the promise that she will write and write until the end. The new book is called Storytelling, a Masterclass in Crafting Stories, part memoir, part confession of her craft, with stern advice and loving encouragement to those who might follow her down the path to writing, and everywhere magnificent pronouncements.
There's a power in the written words she writes, but it's better not to think about that because it'll scare you. Isabelle, welcome once again to Late Night Live. Thank you, David.
That was the opening. The rest of the episode (27 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.
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