Four influential reads from my formative years — Ever since I took up writing, I’ve been an avid reader. However, I hadn’t always loved books. Although I read often as a child, I lost interest in my adolescent years, associating books with tedious schoolwork rather than a fun activity for relaxation. However, I still occasionally read as a…

What I wished I knew at the beginning of my writing career — I started writing fiction for fun. But after a few years, I decided to take it seriously. This meant becoming an avid reader in my preferred genres, and learning from all the writing books I could. …

The importance of writing garbage before you create anything worthwhile — You’ve decided to write a book. You spend months and even years working on it, dreaming of publication. Maybe you finish the first draft. Perhaps you even revise it once or twice. Or you constantly rewrite it over and over, only to hit dead ends. You decide to take a…

8 fiction and nonfiction books exploring the Asian American experience — Two years ago, I went on a stint of reading Asian American fiction and memoirs in order to see myself represented in literature. Because May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, I decided to revisit my list of books on my to-read list. Asian Americans as a…

Find inspiration, get unstuck, and write about your life experiences — Writing what we know comes intuitively to us. Whether we want to or not, parts of ourselves find their way into our writing. One of the most direct ways we can write about ourselves is through personal essays. Personal essays are a form of nonfiction where you share impactful moments…

Don’t judge these books by their lower ratings — You’ve probably heard the saying: don’t judge a book by its cover. This might also apply to making assumptions based on one’s rating. I typically read books above a 3.5 rating (out of 5) on Goodreads, because most of the time anything lower has led to disappointment. However, I’ve also…

A review of TJ Klune’s 2021 novel — I don’t often read fantasy, but a friend recommended Under the Whispering Door. I’ve seen TJ Klune’s name around, but never read his work. His 2021 novel, Under the Whispering Door sounded promising given it’s high ratings and its intriguing premise about the death and the afterlife. …

A review of Nita Prose’s 2022 novel and Goodreads Choice Awards winner — It’s been a long time since I picked up a mystery or thriller novel. Having read my fair share of the genre over the years, I got burned out after seeing similar plots and concepts. However, after receiving a recommendation to read The Maid, I decided to give it a…

Writing advice to write better and have more fun — Years ago, I attended a meeting hosted by my local writer’s organization. The members presented a talk about common and uncommon writing advice. For the familiar tips, we’ve all heard many of these: Write what you know. Write every day. Don’t wait for the muse. Find a consistent place and…