Ask the Author: Lauren Ho
Answered Questions (9)
Lauren Ho
Hello, I find that my process has evolved quite a bit since I debuted, with my second book I was very systematic and intentional (I was also not working a day job for 1 year+ when writing my second book), sticking to a schedule of writing for at least 3 to 4 hours a day or 800 words minimum. Now that I'm working fulltime again, I take it easy and write when I can. I am learnt to be more patient and forgiving with myself, and not push myself to write when I don't feel like it. I think you should just go with what suits you, at your current stage of life. :)
Lauren Ho
That's a great question (and sorry I didn't reply earlier, I really hardly ever am on this site, and I'm still not very familiar with the interface so I JUST saw this question!)
I think I've always seen myself as a writer, I've been writing short stories (and some have placed or were finalists in international writing competitions) since I was a teen, so for me, that aspect of my identity was never in question. I think people tend to see publishing a book and success as validation of your talent/skills, but I don't see it that way, everyone's journey is so so different, and paths to traditional publication also hugely depends on what you're putting out there (genres, trends etc) and even your background/identity, your goals as a writer etc. All this to say: external validation is great for an author, but I've always thought of myself as a writer since I first discovered I could make myself and others feel something with my words. Hope this helps! x
I think I've always seen myself as a writer, I've been writing short stories (and some have placed or were finalists in international writing competitions) since I was a teen, so for me, that aspect of my identity was never in question. I think people tend to see publishing a book and success as validation of your talent/skills, but I don't see it that way, everyone's journey is so so different, and paths to traditional publication also hugely depends on what you're putting out there (genres, trends etc) and even your background/identity, your goals as a writer etc. All this to say: external validation is great for an author, but I've always thought of myself as a writer since I first discovered I could make myself and others feel something with my words. Hope this helps! x
Lauren Ho
Please note that LUCIE YI has the following CW: miscarriage, male infertility, infidelity
Lauren Ho
I read widely—sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary adult and romance, crime, thrillers, comedy, literary fiction, essays and short stories—but I tend not to reach for political thrillers, political non-fiction, or memoirs.
Lauren Ho
Pasta. Rice. And when I'm away from Malaysia/Singapore, it's Assam Laksa and Tom Yum Gung.
Lauren Ho
I'm working on the sequel to Last Tang Standing and another book about a mother-daughter road trip that might or might not take a dark turn. :)
Lauren Ho
Slankets. Only occasionally wearing outside clothes. Hot chocolate. Netflix. What? Writing? Yeah, that too.
Lauren Ho
First: Get your hands on a copy of Strunk and White's the Elements of Style. Read it. Read it again. Make love while reading it. OK, maybe not while reading it. But read it after you're done, at very least.
Second: Start writing. Pick a topic and just put words down on paper/screen. Join a writer's group if you like doing it in a group—writing, that is. Don't take a dump where you eat.
Third: Cultivate a thick skin. Do something that scares you (something legal, please), preferably in front of others. LEGAL STUFF ONLY PLEASE I MUST EMPHASIZE. The reason you need to cultivate a thick skin is so you can start showing people your writing, which is essentially fragments of your soul. It's all very personal. And someone's bound to not like the stuff you've written. So start cultivating that thick, thick skin. It's the reasons why I like singing in public. While I jog/walk. It freaks out the neighbours but hey, I want to keep the property prices in my area low so I can encourage other creatives to move in, a sort of reverse gentrification. I'm generous like that.
Second: Start writing. Pick a topic and just put words down on paper/screen. Join a writer's group if you like doing it in a group—writing, that is. Don't take a dump where you eat.
Third: Cultivate a thick skin. Do something that scares you (something legal, please), preferably in front of others. LEGAL STUFF ONLY PLEASE I MUST EMPHASIZE. The reason you need to cultivate a thick skin is so you can start showing people your writing, which is essentially fragments of your soul. It's all very personal. And someone's bound to not like the stuff you've written. So start cultivating that thick, thick skin. It's the reasons why I like singing in public. While I jog/walk. It freaks out the neighbours but hey, I want to keep the property prices in my area low so I can encourage other creatives to move in, a sort of reverse gentrification. I'm generous like that.
Lauren Ho
I remember being at a friend's place, this accomplished lawyer with a string of accolades, and she was telling me why she was dreading going back home that Chinese New Year because she was still single in her late 30s and was definitely going to get grilled on this (I'm substituting "grill" in place of the string of expletives she actually used) by her aunties, and voilà—an opening chapter was born.
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