Today’s special guest is writer / poet David Yuen to chat about This Too Shall Pass.
Bio:
Born and raised in NJ as a second generation Chinese American, David Yuen received a B.A. from Rutgers University and has been writing poetry along with other writing styles for over twenty years. His works have appeared in other publications including Poetry East and Romantics Quarterly.
Welcome, David. What do you enjoy most about writing short works?
Variety and efficiency. I enjoy the freedom and versatility that comes with doing shorter works, but also how you can quickly convey your message without the risk of having it weighed down by your own writing or losing sight of your initial vision.
Can you give us a little insight into a few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?
One particular short piece I had fun with, especially in my recent book, is “Superman Does His Laundry”. On the surface it looks like a famous comic book hero doing a mundane task, but when you read deeper into it, it tackles things that everyone struggles with: the idea of death, life, and most importantly living love in the face of both.
Another piece I enjoyed, which is more of a poetic piece is “Isolation”. It’s a series of snapshots where individuals from different walks and stages of life experience loneliness. And no matter what they have or don’t have, they still suffer from that human condition. It all then culminates to Jesus who, even though He’s fully God, went through that loneliness more so than anyone else for our sake.
What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
Honestly, it’s hard to say because, nowadays, I often diverge into several genres without any certainty of what I desire to write in the most. If anything, I would say I wrote more about religious themes and Christian living-based works. However, I do still have a soft spot for poetry because I originally started with poetry before going into any other writing style.
What exciting project are you working on next?
|At this point, I’m taking a short hiatus from writing to reflect more on what my future among other things. But when I get back to writing, I’ll find a way to keep everyone posted!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
It was shortly after leaving one of my first jobs and deciding to strike it out as a freelance writer. I did that for about a year and a half. Didn’t make much of a living doing that as I wrote mostly filler pieces for internet content, but if there was any point in my life where I could say that I was a writer; it would be then.
How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for writers?
Besides doing the typical research into writing blogs and publication websites, I would say the best research you can ever get is from your own experiences and, unfortunately, mistakes. I know this isn’t what many want to hear, but I didn’t really start learning until after I published my first work on Amazon and realized how a lot of the things that I assumed wasn’t what I thought.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Being traditional in my writing style, but once in a while, going off the beaten path.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An astronaut.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
A good life isn’t about how you decide to author it—it’s about who you decide the author of it should be.
Links:
Facebook | Instagram | Amazon Author page | Goodreads
Thank you, Lisa, for having me as your guest. It was an honor.