001: A Lengthy Start
Hi there, and welcome to (the latest, and hopefully longest-lasting, incarnation of) my newsletter. This first instalment's going to be a relatively long one, mostly because a lot has happened to me in the last couple of months. Like, a lot.
But before that...
Support my work
Work-Life Balance – a prose/comics hybrid co-created with Benjamin Chee
You can also get the Work-Life Balance bundle, which comes with the book, a mug, washi tape and more
Worlds Apart: A Conversation About Mental Health – a comic co-created with Nurjannah Suhaimi
HANTU – Spotify channel for the award-winning narrative series, Ghost Maps, and the talk show, Dead Air, both of which were co-created with Kyle Ong
Now, let's get this party started.
Gathered here today
We'll begin with some big personal news.
My partner of nearly six years, Nadia, and I got married on the 1st of July. Well, technically, we got married in December last year in a small legal ceremony—but this was our big shindig, held at St Joseph's Church along Victoria Street and Tiara Waterfront at the National Stadium.
The whole thing was a truly magical whirlwind of love—for each other, yeah, but just as importantly, for family, friends and those rare few that sit in both camps.
At the end of the whole affair, neither Nadia nor I could honestly tell you what had happened beyond a few moments here and there. Truth be told, we still can't, but we know that everyone had a blast and, really, that's all that mattered.
And then, on the very next night, I left the country for a writing residency in Norwich.
In residence
Quick recap for those of you who didn't know about this.
On a Friday in April, I received an email from the National Arts Council. They were inviting me to apply for a writing residency organised and supported by the NAC and the National Centre for Writing in the UK. I didn't reply to the email till Monday 'cause I spent most of that weekend in shock.
After recovering from that shock though, I replied, applied and, eventually, was accepted. For four weeks, I stayed in a cottage on the same grounds as the NCW’s offices, in a medieval building called—and I swear I’m not making this up—Dragon Hall.
I spent the residency working on my very first novel, a story I've wanted to tell for years now, but didn't have the time or confidence to get started on. While this opportunity certainly presented me with the time I needed, I still wasn't sure if I could hit the goal I had set for myself: a modest 20,000 words.
I ended my four weeks with 21,000 words of my first draft—as well as a head full of ideas on how to move forward, and a 1,500-word post for NCW's Walking Norwich blog (more on that in a bit).
The most important thing I took away from the residency though was that confidence—that I could actually do this and do it well.
This was an absolutely life-changing experience for me and I'm so grateful to the NAC for nominating me, as well as the amazing team at the NCW who welcomed me with open arms and made my stay somehow even better than I imagined.
I also have to thank the people of Norwich: from Steve and Karen at Butterfly Café, who helped me start each morning with a full belly and a smile, to the guys at Salls Lokma who helped me end every other night with the best chicken wrap I've ever had; from my mentor, Ian Nettleton, who made me feel truly understood as an author and provided me with invaluable advice, to the folks I met at the Dragon Hall social, who made me feel like part of their encouraging and thriving community of creators.
Until the next time I visit Norwich—and there will be a next time—I'll miss all of you every day.
Take a walk on the wild side
I had the idea for my NCW blog post, Listen When the Spirits Speak, before I even landed in Norwich.
I already knew that I wanted to touch on the city's folklore, but nothing that I'd read online connected with me. Then, Meihan Boey—author of The Formidable Miss Cassidy and the centre's writer-in-residence for June 2023—tagged me in an Instagram post about how there was the ghost of a witch along the River Wensum, and it all immediately clicked in my head.
I started work on this post after I finished my novel's 21,000 words, so I was in high spirits, but also keenly aware that my time in Norwich was coming to a close. I'm immensely proud of it, and I hope everyone enjoys it and even finds it informative. For me though, it'll always feel like this lovely encapsulation of my time there.
And the nominees are...
While I was in Norwich, I also received some incredible news from home: Work-Life Balance has been nominated for Best Literary Work in the 2023 Singapore Book Awards.
The ceremony will be held on the 6th of September, but as cheesy as it sounds, it's already a hell of an honour to be nominated. I mean, holy crap, we can legitimately say that Work-Life Balance is at least one of the best literary works in Singapore now.
It's wild to Ben and myself how much love our little book has received since its release. We've had wonderful interactions with readers and fans, read very lovely write-ups and reviews, and been part of engaging panels, where we've been asked about everything from our process to even potential sequels. And now, we're up for one of the most prestigious prizes in Singapore. Seriously, just wild.
I don't think either of us will ever get used to how well this book has done—but, hoo boy, are we thankful (and excited and bloody nervous).
Home, bittersweet home
Unlike July, this last month or so hasn't been easy for me. It's tough enough, leaving behind the time and space to work on my novel, but to return and jump straight into a freelance advertising gig to pay the bills—pretty much the antithesis to my residency—is downright depressing.
I was speaking with some other writers recently about the feasibility of being a full-time storyteller instead—living off book sales, as well as speaking engagements and workshops. Their conclusion was that it's probably not going to happen here, not in our lifetimes anyway... but it's still a conversation—and a fight—worth having.
It certainly wasn't the conclusion I was looking for—not at that moment, not while I was still struggling with our current reality. Nevertheless, it is a hopeful one.
We create whole worlds out of thin air and it all begins with believing that we can. If we don't have that belief, we'll never even get started on the hard work that comes with storytelling.
And that's why we have to continue to believe that, at some point, we'll reshape this world into one where we can do what we love and make a decent living out of it. Just like with our stories, it's that belief that propels changes forward, that pushes us to achieve what we once thought impossible—as tiring, frustrating and heartbreaking as it can be in the meantime.
Maybe it's because we're so versatile
I'll be part of this year's Philippine International Comics Online Festival—joining Kifurai, creator of Two Tails, and Nadhir Nor, co-creator of Afterlife: The Boy Next Realm, on the panel, Visual Versatility: Unique Worlds in Comics. We'll be speaking about how our own lives and environments have informed the worlds we've built.
The panel will be happening live this Sunday, the 3rd of September, at 1pm (GMT+8). If you want to join us, you can register for a free PICOF all-access pass here.
Luca says hi, I guess
I did promise when you subscribed to this newsletter that you'll get updates about our cat, Luca. So, let's start wrapping up this edition with a photo that perfectly sums up Luca and Nadia's dynamic.
Links and things
Meihan's also got a post on the Writing Norwich blog. Hers is about running through the city.
Aditi Shivaramakrishnan—editor at Work-Life Balance's publisher, Difference Engine—wrote a piece about two short films that spotlight the immigrant experience.
Honeycombers interviewed Kyle and myself for an article about society's fascination with the supernatural.
Moving forward
There's still lots more I want to talk about, but this edition's already gone on long enough. I'm aiming to do an instalment every first and third Friday of the month, so expect the next one of these to hit your inbox on the 15th.
Before we close things out though, here's a reminder to support my work:
And that's it for me. See you in two weeks!