Developmental Milestones: An Anniversary Post

Wonhng Mahkwa: relatives of the boss (lit. yellow jacket)In the Ching dynasty, Manchurians wore mahkwa jackets when horse riding. Typically, these clothes were blue or black, but the emperors would bestow a yellow jacket on imperial relatives or respected officials. I'm part of a group of imperial relatives (read: worthy writers), a tight-knit band led by the illustrious Robert Lee Brewer. Last April, I participated in his platform challenge. It's been a year of much growth, not unlike that of a … [Read more...]

A Writer’s Real Gold

Jyuyihsing: jewelry made from pretend goldAbout one hundred years ago, a goldsmith's shop called Jyu Yih Sing made gold-plated jewelry.  It grew in popularity because its merchandise glittered like real gold and did not change in color.  The business eventually expanded to six branches with nine thousand employees. What's like real gold for a writer?  His or her brand.Robert Lee Brewer talks about the benefits of creating a slogan.  I've also been reading Rob Eagar's book called Sell Your Book … [Read more...]

Writer’s Digest West Conference- 9 Writing Tips

Lohksau Da Saamgaang: make mistakes at the beginning of workBefore the invention of clocks, the Chinese used a night watch-man to tell people the time.  He struck a gong at specific hours:(1 hit) yatgaang: 7:00-9:00pm(2 hits) yihgaang: 9:00-11:00pm(3 hits) saamgaang: 11:00pm-1:00am(4 hits) seigaang: 1:00-3:00am(5 hits) nghgaang: 3:00-5:00amStriking three times when it was supposed be"yatgaang" meant a mistake (lohksau da saamgaang).  We all make errors when starting a career, or even a hobby.  … [Read more...]

To Go or Not? A Writers’ Conference Dilemma

Louhsyu Laaigwai --> Mouhdehng Maaihsau: don't know how to startIn Chinese language, there exists a verbal riddle known as the enigmatic parallelism.  A hungry rat (louhsyu) tries to bite a tortoise (gwai)--without success when the tortoise hides in its shell.  This image of the rat trying to pull out the tortoise demonstrates the phrase's meaning of not knowing how to begin.I'm not sure where to start in terms of writers' conferences.  According to this post called "The Writers Conference … [Read more...]