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.

1) First, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! When did you know that writing is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most?

Thank you for having me! I think my first real experience as a writer was when my older brother wanted to make a literary magazine for the church we grew up in. I wanted to be a part of it so I wrote a poem for it. It wasn’t a good poem, but this got things rolling for me. And here I am today.

What I love about being a writer is the outlet. You need to get something off your chest that’s personal to you? Write it out. You want to share that thing that you just got off your chest? Send it to someone close to you. It’s as personal as you want and as public as you need it to be.

But it can be a double-edged sword.

Sometimes you can write about an issue you have but instead of clearing things up, you can make the water muddier for you by over thinking or over writing. Sometimes you can write something to someone, but if you don’t consider how it may come off, you might end up conveying the wrong thing. Just as much as good things can come from you being you, you can also become the frustrating factor behind your own writing.

2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?

“This Too Shall Pass” is actually a compilation of writing that occurred throughout the past year or two when so much was happening in the world: we were pulling out of a global pandemic, Ukraine was invaded by Russia, U.S. politics was dividing people more than ever. If there was a common theme in this book it would be that we, especially Christians, are faced with so much uncertainty in life that it’s hard to reconcile how we should react to everything going wrong or right in the world. But despite this struggle, there are answers—not easy ones and maybe not even all the answers we want. But whatever has happened, is happening, and will happen these things don’t last forever, but God does.

If readers want to find out more about my book along with my past works, it’s all on my Amazon author page found here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Yuen/author/B09NC3DL9K?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

3) Where do you draw your inspiration from for the stories that you manage to weave together and the characters that you create?

Honestly, I draw it from my life and the lives of those who share it with me. I draw it from what I see in the world around me both the sad things, the complex things, and the good things. It’s been said that life imitates art or vice versa and I couldn’t agree more.

4) Do you have a schedule for when you write? Do you outline your novels? How long does it generally take you to finish a novel? What projects are you currently working on?

Often, I try to schedule my writing mostly on the weekends around the morning when my mind is fresh and my body has caffeine in it. If and when I do have an off day from my job I try to also write then, but sometimes life just gets in the way.

If I’m dealing with a complex essay that I’m going to write, I often jot down notes and not so much an outline. Usually, it’s after I spent time reflecting on what message I want to convey or how I should say things. How long does it actually take for me to write that said essay or story? Well, it can go as long as a few days to a few weeks. Now, in terms of actually writing content for my book, that’s different story. As I touched on before, this book is a compilation of several shorter pieces so normally, unless a piece is a complex essay, usually I can get one piece done within the same day I start writing it. This book was then a compiled after a full year or so of writing almost weekly.

Currently, I’m taking a hiatus from writing to reflect more on my life before coming back to writing again. So as of now, there are no current projects I’m working on but that can easily change!

5) What’s the first book you ever read that really moved you emotionally? Who is your favorite author to read? What book are you currently reading?

The first book that really captivated me was “Middle Passage” by Charles Johnson. It was for a college course I was taking and I really got into that book. By the time I finished it, simply knowing this book really helped me understand books and what’s involved in really diving into them.

I do appreciate C.S. Lewis. He can be a very cerebral writer, but at the same time have very straight to the point things to say and have very good observations that everyone needs to hear.

I recently bought a small collection of inspiration poetry that I do plan on delving into more. As I said before, I originally started to write with poetry, so I guess my soft spot for it is really taking back to my childhood.

6) What has been your most significant achievement as a writer thus far? Where do you see yourself within your career in the next five years?

My significant achievement would be self-publishing my first book, which was a personal book that I gave to my friends and family. It started everything and led to this book. If it didn’t happen, I probably wouldn’t be having this interview.

In the next five years, hopefully, I’ll be wherever God wants me to be. My faith is a huge aspect of my life and the older I get the more I realize that no matter how much I plan or think what’s best for me, the future is in His hands and what He has planned is always better. And I like to leave it at that.

7) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career? What is your advice for other writers to better be able to cope or navigate their way through the publishing process, be it traditional or self-publishing?

In the past, it wasn’t unusual that I dealt with rejection with self-pity or even some margin of despair. Now, I deal with it this way, and this is my advice to all writers out there: ask yourself why you’re writing. Are you writing because you want others to like you? Are you writing because you want to prove something to yourself or others? Why do you write?

If you’re writing because your personal ego is totally invested in it, rejection can destroy you. But if you’re writing because it’s for something greater than yourself regardless of how others may feel about it, rejection stings less (though it can still suck).

8) Do you find it hard to juggle the creative side of being a writer against the business side of being a writer, in terms of marketing and promotion and things of that nature? How hard has it been (or easy) for you to build up your author platform?

Yes. When I first experienced self-publishing, I had all these ideas in my mind that I assumed would naturally happen. Like I would think that just because my book shows up on Amazon and I told a few of my friends here and there about it, that it would just naturally sell itself. Nope.

There’s work to be done. There’s advertising and marketing that needs to be considered. There’s a consistent stream of consideration to wrestle with. It’s been a tough learning curve and even now I struggle with it. But at the end of the day, it’s the nature of things and the sooner I realized that complaining about it wasn’t the right way to go, the easier it became.

9) So many writers say that they hate reading their own work. Do you ever enjoy reading your own work back to yourself after it’s out there for the rest of the world?

It depends on the piece I’m reading, but I think the main thing that keeps me from reading my work and fully enjoying it is like how some cooks don’t feel hungry after cooking their own food. They spend so much time smelling it, watching it, preparing it that after a while, though it might turn out appetizing, they were so exposed to it that all they want to do is take a break from their own food. Does that make sense?

10) Do you believe that there is ever a point in life where it’s too late for an aspiring writer to become successful in this industry? Do you feel a late start would hinder their chances?

Nope. I don’t believe that at all. I’m 45 when this book came out. And unlike professional sports where turning 28 is considered over the hill, writing has the beauty of becoming better with age. In such cases, starting late can actually help you.

11) I feel like writing is a remarkable tool to help people not only express themselves, but also to cope emotionally and mentally. I know for me I write to be and feel more authentic. What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity? How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose?

In my religious faith, which is Christian, God chose language and Scripture to write His love letter to humanity to tell them about how much He’s willing to sacrifice Himself for His creation. It’s a sacred thing. It’s a beautiful thing. And to partake in that same mechanism, even in my own flawed and imperfect way, isn’t just an honor, but also a way that allows me to uncover a sincerity that I may not have ever known about myself. In doing so, I feel that this helps me to do the same for others and inspire them to realize the truth.