And the answers I get the most are: they think the majority of people don’t want to read about people like them, or they don’t want to put themselves out there for people to say they’re not Asian enough or they can’t claim the heritage because they’re mixed. And then they would ask me how I decided to write from my own background and how I had the courage to do so.

In the last few years, publishing has been shifting, as it realizes that more diverse voices need to be heard. Not just in terms of cultures and heritage, but a whole score of underrepresented voices. And as more agents and editors are looking for books from these perspectives, this is a great time for anyone who has not seen themselves represented in novels in the past to tell their stories. To write the book that they want to read and that will resonate with readers like them. 

How do you write from your perspective, you ask?

Write from Your Own Experiences

This does not mean the novel has to be about you. It only means to write from what you know. 

If you are half-Filipina and half-white, your main character can be the same and you can draw on your own experiences to help build your MC’s backstory. If you’ve felt hesitant to claim the Asian side of you because all your life you’ve heard you aren’t Asian enough, use those same feelings of not belonging for your MC. 

The character can be completely different from you and have life experiences that are not based on your life. But if you draw from your experiences, it will make the characterization deeper and more authentic.

In my debut novel, The Tiger Mom’s Tale, my main character is half-Taiwanese and half-white. I myself am one hundred percent Taiwanese and I’ve been asked why I chose to make my character mixed. I was born in Taiwan, but moved to the States and was raised here from the age of seven. Half of me always felt that I wasn’t Taiwanese enough, and the other half wasn’t American enough, leaving me unsure of where I really belonged and which was my true identity. 

When I started to write this book, I wanted my main character to have that same sense of not belonging. I wondered what it would feel like to look Asian on the outside, but be brought up by a white family, and hence, my MC Lexa was born.

So, in that instance, I drew from my own experiences and backgrounds, but my MC’s story is completely different from mine. I’ve found that drawing from my own experience really gives my characters a depth that might otherwise be missing, especially as a new writer. As I get more comfortable with my writing, I am exploring ways to expand the worlds that my characters come from.

Don’t Worry about Pleasing Everyone

There is no way that everyone who reads your work is going to identify with the characters or situations. As writers, once our books are published, they are no longer ours. They now belong to the readers, whose opinions of it will be based on their own life experiences. 

I was really surprised that the harshest critics of my debut were Asian American women, and in some instances, Taiwanese Americans. Because there are so few books written from this perspective, people who didn’t see themselves in my book felt I represented the culture wrong. 

This is why it’s even more important than ever to have more books published from underrepresented voices. One or two authors cannot represent an entire culture or identity. I’ve come to understand that it’s not my job as the writer to please everyone. I can’t. I can only write from my perspective and my own experiences and hope it will touch or resonate with someone. 

Along this same vein, it’s really true what they say about developing a thick skin in publishing. There is rejection at every turn. Starting with querying, then submissions to editors at publishing houses, and then eventually the reviews. 

People will tear your work apart, some nicer than others. If you can’t handle that, don’t read your reviews. And keep telling yourself that you can’t please everyone. Continue to write, from your true self, the story that you want to write.

Use Sensitivity Readers

What is a sensitivity reader? If you’re unsure of any representation or perspective, it’s always good to have someone read over your work. 

For example, in my debut, the mother realizes after over thirty years of marriage that she is in love with a woman. This has never happened to me or to my mother, so I had someone who has, to read passages to make sure I was getting their feelings and thoughts as accurate as I could. 

Also, because I grew up in America, there were scenes and thoughts from Taiwanese people who lived there, and I had sensitivity readers to make sure the way they spoke and thought was as realistic as possible. 

You don’t have to hire someone to do sensitivity reads. I didn’t. I simply asked the people in my life who represented what I was trying to portray in my book. And if you don’t know anyone, you can always ask in your writing groups or even on social media if anyone knows someone who is willing to talk to you. We all make mistakes along the way, but for me, I want to strive to get a point of view and perspective as correct as I can.

The world is so diverse and there are so many cultures, heritages, and points of view that have up until now had so little written about them. I am excited that publishing is starting to take notice and hope more underrepresented writers will share their stories in the near future.

Lyn Liao Butler was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. In her past and present lives, she has been: a concert pianist, professional ballet and modern dancer, a fitness studio owner, a personal trainer and instructor, an RYT-200 hour yoga instructor, a purse designer with an Etsy shop, and most recently, author of multi-cultural women’s fiction. Lyn did not have a Tiger Mom. She came about her over-achieving all on her own.

When she is not torturing clients or talking to imaginary characters, Lyn enjoys spending time with her FDNY husband, their son (the happiest little boy in the world), two stubborn dachshunds, and trying crazy yoga poses on a stand-up paddleboard. So far, she has not fallen into the water yet.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

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When writing, always conduct extensive research.

Undoubtedly, a lot of research is needed for those with no medical background. In this regard, assistance of someone in the field and or an expert on the subject is beneficial while writing a proposal and certainly during or after completion of the manuscript.

My novel “Have A Heart” deals with the intertwined lives of three individuals: Anna, a Russian ballerina who defects to America, develops heart failure, survives a cardiac arrest, and ultimately is in need of a heart transplant. Dr. Ali, the head of the heart transplant program at a New York Medical Center, and Nancy, Ali’s wife who dies on 9/11.

My experiences as a Cardiologist informed my medical fiction novel.

As a Cardiologist and a specialist in Heart Rhythm Disorders, I was well aware of the techniques of heart catheterization, the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders, the technique of implanting a defibrillator, as well as the technique of heart transplant firsthand. Moreover, I knew the complex histories of patients, their trials and tribulations dealing with their heart ailments, and the long and tedious journey, a road filled with cracks and crevices while awaiting a heart transplant and post-transplant. Thus, I did not have to do any research regarding these issues; however, for someone not in the cardiology field even if she or he is a doctor, this would be a most challenging task. Being an expert in the field also has its disadvantages when writing a novel. 

I wrote for the lay reader and not for the experts.

One has to carefully fine tune all the technical elements so that the writing is understood by the lay reader. I had to constantly remind myself that I am not writing for the professional, but for the reader who does not know about the complexities of heart disease and heart transplantation. This in itself is not an easy task and takes multiple revisions and re-revisions. 

For the novice my advice is that writing fiction of whatever genre comes down to re-writing until you get it all together and are ultimately satisfied with the product. It is also important to get feedback, not from friends or family members, but from writers. 

In this regard belonging to a writers workshop is useful. You will get many different opinions since impressions of fiction are after all subjective and not objective, unlike in the sciences. Ultimately, the author will have to decide on what advice he or she will take and what advice will be discarded. Before sending a manuscript to an agent or a publisher it is worthwhile to get a professional line editor to look at the manuscript.

 Most writers do a reasonable job in editing their own writing, but in the process they are apt to miss spelling mistakes, commas and the like for the simple reason that they have read the manuscript so often, perhaps a hundred times or more and therefore the mind is unable to recognize errors in writing and syntax.       

I researched a variety of topics outside of medical fiction.

It is noteworthy that my novel not only deals with medical issues, but also ballet, religion, culture, the political upheavals of our times, including 9/11 and its consequences, as well as the search for inner truth. 

I am not a ballet dancer, nor am I a critic of ballet, which is an art form I knew little about except for attending some performances. Thus, I had to do considerable research on ballet which included attending several ballet performances, and since Anna was a Russian ballerina, I visited St. Petersburg, Russia and attended the Mariinsky Theater and a performance by the Kirov Ballet. I also had to research the Islamic faith and Russian culture to better portray Ali’s and Anna’s character.

In conclusion:

Writing a novel is a complex undertaking that involves: the beginning, the middle, the end, the arc of the story, and the complexity of the characters. In this regard, one has to develop the characters and give them free reign to tell their stories and in the process create a storyline. In this novel the main protagonists: Anna, Ali, and Nancy, came from very different and diverse cultures. 

Indeed in literary fiction often and in particular my case, it is the characters (the main protagonists) that create the story. They take control of the writer while writing the story. For example I knew the beginning and also knew that the novel would be about heart transplant, where one of the main protagonists would suffer from a severe cardiac ailment known as cardiomyopathy that results in heart failure and cardiac arrest. I also knew that there had to be a doctor as a main character who would provide health care for Anna, but beyond that I had no idea where I was going. I did not know how the story would unfold and the role the characters would play in the story. 

I let the characters shape the story. And after the manuscript was complete, and the story unfolded, I took control of the characters during the revisions to better shape the story line. In this process, more narrative is added, some removed and a timeline is adhered to. 

Good luck and all the best in your writing.

Dr. J. Anthony Gomes MD, also Antonio Gomes (nome de plume) and commonly referred to as Tony, hails originally from Goa, India. He studied both English (in Mumbai) and Portuguese (in Goa). Besides English, he fluently speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Konkani (local Goan language) and understands French and Hindi. He immigrated to the US in 1970 after medical school.

His book Have a Heart (Serving House Books, September 2020) explores the intertwined romantic and professional lives of three individuals. It explores a torpid romance between a patient, Anna, and her doctor, Ali, the clash of cultures, the political upheavals of our times, the tribulations of waiting for a heart transplant, and the search for inner truth. Fans of dance and the performance arts, films like The Red Shoes and Black Swan, and shows like ER and Grey’s Anatomy will love diving into this story. 

His third book written for internists, medical students and the lay public in general is entitled: Rhythms of Broken Hearts due to be published in mid 2021.

The post Writing Medical Fiction appeared first on DIY MFA.

In an episode of Sex and the City, Carrie says she used to buy Vogue instead of food because it “fed her more.” But for those of us who don’t have a column that somehow pays for designer shoes and a one-bedroom on the Upper East Side, the reality is we eventually want to stop depending on variations of instant noodles as our main source of sustenance. Yet with tenure-track positions going the way of the dinosaur and the ever-changing landscape of the publishing industry, how does one actually avoid becoming a starving artist?

This was one of the questions I thought my MFA program would answer. On the first day of class, I was surprised when I wasn’t handed a copy of How to Make It as a Writer, complete with a step-by-step guide on how to secure an editing position and a book contract. I was even more surprised as graduation inched closer and I still had no leads on a job.

Unlike most of my cohort, I didn’t have my sights set on a professorship. Even though adjuncting is where most of us start, I needed a gig with health insurance, a 401k, and – if possible – paid time off and sick days. As I went on interview after interview, I realized the two semesters I spent reading submissions for the literary magazine didn’t even qualify me to read the slush pile at any publishing house. Today, I’d like to share some tips that might help you find a career path and be a writer.

Think Outside the Classroom

Many MFA students have dreams of securing professorships post-grad. However, an even larger percentage of MFA students consider teaching to be their only option. For those seeking full-time employment, an adjunct position may not be the best fit.

Websites like Upwork, FlexJobs, and others allow writers to look for remote writing gigs. Additionally, some sites allow you to set your freelance rate to make sure you’re making the most of your time and effort. Additionally, websites like Patreon allow writers to capitalize on their editing, teaching, and other writing talents in a new and innovative way.

That being said, fields like marketing, web development, and advertising are always in need of writers to help get clear and compelling messages to the masses. 

Job vs. Work Mentality

During one of my job searches, a writer friend of mine said to me, “Why are you so stressed? This is just your survival job. Your real work is your writing, and you can still do that while you look.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had to change the way I thought about my job and my work. 

The culture of America fuses together your identity and your job – you are what you do. Whenever I meet someone, “What do you do?” is usually one of the first questions I’m asked, or that I ask someone else. As a society, we think this knowledge somehow tells us everything we need to know about a person.

However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to think of my 9-to-5 not as my job, but as my survival job. It’s the thing I do to keep the lights on, food on the table, and pay for WiFi. It’s not who I am. My work – my real work – is the endless number of post-its with “great ideas” all over my apartment. It’s the open Word doc I occasionally flirt with and never make time for. It’s the ever-growing TBR pile in the corner by my bed.

You Got Skills

Two of my favorite hobbies are baking and posting pictures of my creations on Instagram. I was surprised when my aunt’s friend DMed me one day asking how much 100 cupcakes for her daughter’s bridal shower would be. I gave her a quote, and was able to pay more of my student loan balance that month.

Think about the things you’re passionate about – whether it’s baking, reading (yes, there’s a market for bookstagrammers and paid promotions!), or underwater basket-weaving – it is possible to turn your hobby into an income source. 

FInal Thoughts

Often, writers tend to think that if they’re not teaching, editing, or otherwise connected to writing in their work lives, their writer card is somehow rescinded. Just because you’re not punching in and out of a writing-based job Monday through Friday doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. So start thinking outside the classroom, alter your thinking when it comes to being what you do, and consider ways to capitalize on your other talents.

LAUREN J. SHARKEY is a writer, teacher, and transracial adoptee. After her birth in South Korea, she was adopted by Irish Catholic parents and raised on Long Island. Sharkey’s creative nonfiction has appeared in the Asian American Feminist Collective’s digital storytelling project, First Times, as well as several anthologies including I Am Strength! and Women under Scrutiny. Inconvenient Daughter is her debut novel, and loosely based on her experience as a Korean adoptee. You can follow her at ljsharks.com.

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At the same time, Chinese and Western cultures are based on very distinct belief systems and societal values (not to mention, the difference in the span of their respective histories is thousands of years apart). A concept like, say, individualism conjures up a range of emotions – or no emotions at all – depending on who you’re talking to. These differences, consequentially, are often reflected in their literature, and readers’ interpretations of books vary.

So what are some of these differences?

To answer this, I spoke with several avid readers who grew up in China but also understand English well and have experienced Western culture to some degree. It’s important to acknowledge that, aside from their cultures, everyone’s reading and life experiences are unique. But through their insight and reactions toward Western fiction, we get a glimpse of cross-cultural understanding and, ultimately, a reminder that appreciation for good books is universal.

Romance-in-the-Book

For many readers, there’s a major trade-off in reading Western fiction in Chinese: though Chinese editions are often easier to read, the author’s original tone and expression of emotions are often lost in translation. For the most part, though, the general plot and character dynamics are conveyed well.

Take “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks, for example. In this contemporary romance novel, the love between characters Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton is impeded by their class and socioeconomic differences. Instead, Allie is expected to wed Lon Hammond, a more appropriate suitor. Fred Wei, a Beijing resident, thinks it’s important for characters like Noah and Allie to follow their hearts rather than give in to conformity. He says Allie made the right decision by choosing to be with Noah – and that many people in China would agree, as more and more Chinese youth are prioritizing happiness over their parents’ satisfaction, especially when other factors like money aren’t an issue.

In reality, though, life doesn’t always end up like the books we read. Finances aren’t as easy a hoop to jump through as are family and social pressure. Wei notes that a hypothetical Noah and Allie living in China may not take the same route as the book’s characters. “The wealth gap is much bigger here in China,” Wei says. “If money and status are the only considerations here, and if this ‘Chinese Noah’ is like dirt-poor and from the countryside – or lives in a big city and cannot possibly buy an apartment there – I doubt our Chinese Allie would leave [Lon] for Noah.”

“The Notebook” isn’t the only romance novel Wei has enjoyed reading in English. It was back in high school that Wei read his first full-length English novel, “Women in Love” by D.H. Lawrence. Not only did he find Lawrence’s writing to be both provocative and philosophical, but it also possessed the right amount of subtlety. “The book blew my mind away with its candid description of sexual matters and human emotions – and it’s not done in a lewd, cheap way. It’s arousing, but not pornographic,” says Wei, now 31. Though Lawrence’s books caused controversy back in the 1900s for explicit material, for Wei, being able to read an English-written book like “Women in Love” in its original form is something to be appreciated – especially since Chinese translations may be revised due to censorship.

Wei says Chinese fiction tends to depict characters that are static and have fewer internal conflicts, while characters in Western fiction are more dynamic and complex. In that way, Chinese stories are more predictable and the motifs are often laid out for the reader. “The Western fiction that I’ve read are not so straightforward, and moral judgment is always left for the readers to make for themselves,” Wei says. “Even when there were stereotypical malevolent characters – like Rebecca [of “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier”] – the author didn’t draw moral conclusions by telling readers point-blank that a woman shouldn’t sleep around and taunt her husband.”

Of Political Mind

One classic historical romance novel that has garnered attention within the United States for decades is “Gone with the Wind” by American author Margaret Mitchell. This longtime favorite within the United States follows a vain young woman named Scarlett O’Hara whose well-to-do Southern family endures the economic consequences of the Civil War (1861-1865). Christin Guo, a college student in Beijing, China, says she learned about America’s Civil War from taking history in middle school. “[The war] made the slavery system abolished and contributed a lot to the development of America,” Guo says. “After I read the book, I was able to [understand] more about the problems of racial discrimination and the suffering that the war brought people.” Guo says she believes most people in China who have read “Gone with the Wind” enjoy it mostly because of its charming protagonist and her struggles with love and poverty rather than the historical context.

With a book that’s heavy with implications of politics, leadership and social order, such as the dystopian novel “Lord of the Flies” by English author William Golding, Wei says he thinks most Chinese people are inclined to interpret it more so through “the lens of human nature.” Most people living in China aren’t exposed to party politics the way Americans are, so the political significance of a novel isn’t immediately apparent, he says. In “Lord of the Flies,” a group of young boys are stranded on an island after a plane crash and create their own system of government, which only leads to savagery and even homicide.

To Wei, the many character deaths are Golding’s way of implying that the act of killing arises from dark, animalistic tendencies innate to all humans. “The twist comes in the end, when the boys are found by adults and it’s like snap! They’re back to their bright-eyed, innocent selves,” says Wei, who has also read “Crime and Punishment,” “Moby Dick,” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” among other novels. “I think it’s a satirical way of saying violence – though [it springs] from human nature, free of social restraint – is an adolescent, laughable abnormality if it were not so deadly, which can be put to right by more mature, authoritative people.”

Regardless of what country you’re from, he says, people who read “Lord of the Flies” are bound to find the characters’ behavior cruel and the book brutal and shocking. Similarly, Karen Xue, a graduate student at Boston University who grew up in Shanghai, China, says anyone who reads or watches “The Hunger Games” trilogy by American writer Suzanne Collins will probably have comparable reactions. Though she’s only seen the movies, she says the overall plot reminds her of World War II. “I guess with a general understanding of history and worldview, people would view [“The Hunger Games”] roughly the same, regardless of their cultural background,” Xue says.

Wei acknowledges that since he lives in a different time and place than the Western authors, he has to put aside his own cultural biases and moral beliefs, and keep an open mind while reading their books. “The beauty is in peeling away the superficial differences between the cultures and finding that, deep down, it’s all about the universalities of human nature,” Wei says.

As a recent graduate of UNC School of Journalism, Wendy Lu has written for a variety of print and online publications, including China.org.cn, The Daily Tar Heel, Raleigh Public Record and Chapel Hill Magazine’s The WEEKLY. In college, she served as the managing editor of UNC’s Blue & White Magazine and print co-editor for The Durham VOICE. Wendy is also a former publishing intern at Sleepy Hollow Books and a NaNoWriMo 2008 winner. Learn more about Wendy at https://wendyluwrites.com.

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