Two faces...
Really this is about two faces of writing... the yaoi and the other stuff I write. Today, I think I'll touch on the yaoi.
I had a conversation last night with susan_zhang about someone reading SMM or one of the books... someone the book was not written for... not the audience. To hear he'd read it was surprising because honestly, I'd not thought of someone seeking it out merely because I wrote it. I'd created the SMM books with an Asian girl mindset. To some raised on certain bodies of literature, the language would be too flowerly and over the top. To someone who was culturally Asian (I was raised quite Asian), the books probably are more in line with the nuances of complex concepts captured in a set of symbols (kanji or hangul). For me the English language is lacking that duality of symbolism in its words. The shape of the language and the meanings are not always sufficent to capture that essence I want.
It's hard to write Japanese or Korean while using English. It's a fucking bitch I might add.
To my knowledge, So Much Mine has been translated into about eight languages so far. It might be more. I don't know. Anyone is welcome to take these words and work them into the language they need them to be. I am good with that. Over a thousand books have gone out and I don't know how many PDFs have been downloaded. To be honest, I don't know if I have the right to "own" those books ... to proclaim them as mine. I view them more as doujinshi. Disposable. Left for others to pick up. But perhaps addressing a few things that people like and maybe talking about things that connect with the Asian audience.
Like self-awareness, acceptance of who you are, learning to love and learning you are worth being loved, being gay and Asian, wanting to please your family because that is just what is done.... and how to speak up if someone is hurting you.
There are a lot of things in those books. Not all of them are serious. Sometimes it is lighthearted but always with an eye on what I wanted to say....and pretty much have always said.
It doesn't matter who you love, so long as you love.
Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all accept that as a Truth? Couldn't we move past the fear, anger and hatred if there was a part of the human soul that recognized that piece of the heart?
I am thankful... God no, grateful for the readers of SMM because they liked it. Plain and simple. It just is out there. If someone finds it and likes it, then great. It's not for everyone. Hell, sometimes it's not for me but it belongs to those who need it or want it. I just typed it out.
Snookies.
I had a conversation last night with susan_zhang about someone reading SMM or one of the books... someone the book was not written for... not the audience. To hear he'd read it was surprising because honestly, I'd not thought of someone seeking it out merely because I wrote it. I'd created the SMM books with an Asian girl mindset. To some raised on certain bodies of literature, the language would be too flowerly and over the top. To someone who was culturally Asian (I was raised quite Asian), the books probably are more in line with the nuances of complex concepts captured in a set of symbols (kanji or hangul). For me the English language is lacking that duality of symbolism in its words. The shape of the language and the meanings are not always sufficent to capture that essence I want.
It's hard to write Japanese or Korean while using English. It's a fucking bitch I might add.
To my knowledge, So Much Mine has been translated into about eight languages so far. It might be more. I don't know. Anyone is welcome to take these words and work them into the language they need them to be. I am good with that. Over a thousand books have gone out and I don't know how many PDFs have been downloaded. To be honest, I don't know if I have the right to "own" those books ... to proclaim them as mine. I view them more as doujinshi. Disposable. Left for others to pick up. But perhaps addressing a few things that people like and maybe talking about things that connect with the Asian audience.
Like self-awareness, acceptance of who you are, learning to love and learning you are worth being loved, being gay and Asian, wanting to please your family because that is just what is done.... and how to speak up if someone is hurting you.
There are a lot of things in those books. Not all of them are serious. Sometimes it is lighthearted but always with an eye on what I wanted to say....and pretty much have always said.
It doesn't matter who you love, so long as you love.
Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all accept that as a Truth? Couldn't we move past the fear, anger and hatred if there was a part of the human soul that recognized that piece of the heart?
I am thankful... God no, grateful for the readers of SMM because they liked it. Plain and simple. It just is out there. If someone finds it and likes it, then great. It's not for everyone. Hell, sometimes it's not for me but it belongs to those who need it or want it. I just typed it out.
Snookies.