Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong place. Not that Hawaii isn’t a magical place to be raised. But when I first traveled to Europe for the first time, I felt more at home than I did when I went to Japan. Maybe this is why I find myself drooling over Enchanting Paris: The Hedonist’s Guide. The multitude of cathedrals, the cultural symbolism, and history dripping within its architecture fills me with enviable joy. It reminds me that I am a writer who lives for romantic places and whimsy. Even if real life is too harsh and practical, writing…
-
-
{Photo by Rokki Midro} It seemed impossible during covid to meet new people especially during Covid which ravaged our communities and hearts. But this retired UH professor has been one of the few and rare gems of the pandemic. Although I have never met her in person, I feel a kinship with Kamalani. She is as genuine as she is smart. And I am so grateful to have met her. She graciously agreed to give us a picture of her life, what she aspires to and how her culture shapes what and who she writes about. Hi Kamalani. For those…
-
Happy 2022! It was a challenging 2021, to say the least, which began with a robbery and ended with months of recovery from the vaccine. I haven’t had the motivation to write for a very, long time. But a new year brings hope and possibility. And 2021 wasn’t a total bomb. In fact, after several years of never believing I would ever find an agent, I finally signed with Tricia Lawrence from Erin Murphy Literary Agency last year. I wrote about the process on this website. For the new year, I’ve been contemplating what my writing goals are. With everything going…
-
You may recall a time when I had a podcast of sorts a year ago. Ha! I can hardly imagine doing that now while my kids are at home with me again as well as a puppy and my husband. As we all try to feel our way through another pandemic year, now with even more stuff (political, health, etc.) getting time for myself is near impossible. You’ll know what I mean if you follow me on Instagram. Anyhow, while I was busy juggling homeschooling, one of my past interviewees, a memoirist that I grew quite fond of, wrote another book!…
-
This is not a how to become traditionally published. For that, I’d highly recommend this post with infographic from Jane Friedman. This is a post on what it’s like to endure the relentless journey of becoming a traditionally published author if you choose to take it. It’s the post I wished I read before I started on my own journey 8+ years ago. While your author’s journey will be unique to you, there are similarities in all heroic journeys especially on the road to being published. While many are equipping themselves this summer with travel gear during the pandemic, this…
-
Ever since I transitioned into a fiction writer, I’ve run into these insane walls. It’s the kind of blocks that make you doubt your abilities as a writer. You question whether this story’s dead-end is a sign it’s time to burn it. Maybe this story isn’t meant to be, you think to yourself. Maybe you don’t have the chops to be a fiction writer. It’s not like this didn’t happen when writing nonfiction. But I was able to research might way out of it. And I had an editor with a deadline, which are good incentives. But as I’ve been…
-
In the 14 years that I’ve been writing professionally, I’ve had many ups and downs, as well as yikes and oops moments! It’s pretty much a part of my daily regime and definitely a huge slice of my writing journey. I love sharing all the embarrassing faux pas I’ve made because I want to pass down the wisdom to you. So you don’t make the same mistakes as I have. Here’s hoping. That’s why I pulled together a list of things I’ve done. Some were understandable errors and others I wished I had known better. But all have taught me…
-
The air has shifted. Even here in Hawaii, there’s a slight change in the seasons. The days are getting longer. It’s time to store my sweaters away sadly and I’m back to my usual tank top shorts uniform. Seasons are light bulb reminders externally of things we need to shed inside. While we declutter and spring clean to make ready for summer, there are things we can do as writers to check-in, to make sure we’re still where we need to be. This can look like ordering more paper, getting a fun new journal or laptop. It could mean more…
-
Questions like these are stereotypical because it often plays into the idea that one person can speak for an entire community of people. Also that the experience of being a minority makes things like writing completely different when all writers suffer and struggle to throw words onto a blank page. There are a few things, however, that I can speak to. And if you are Asian American and write, could possible relate. If you wonder: if your work isn’t connecting and you’re receiving rejections because it doesn’t resonate with the majority culture. if your work is chosen preciously because you…
-
If you’re reading this, you want to be published. You want to become an author or be published in a mainstream magazine. Congratulations on acknowledging this HUGE first step! As someone who has walked this path from absolutely no writing experience aside from an internship to working full-time as a copywriter to eventually getting published in newspapers and magazines, I know how simply COURAGEOUS it is to just admit your dream. And I know how difficult it is to want to share it with others who end up telling you why being a writer is a dismal job with little…