A Beautiful Mess
How a burnt cake taught me to continue to write a messy draft.
Welcome to Joy Ride, a monthly dose of joy, good things, creativity prompts, and gratitude by writer Jennifer Chen. If you like it, please share this newsletter with someone who might like it too.
Your Pep Talk 🎂
I burnt the first version of this birthday cake for my twins’ 9th birthday. It was inedible and went “straight to the bin” as they say on Great British Bake Off. Eight nine-year-olds were about to descend into my home for a sleepover that night. I was sweating. I remade the cake, let it cool, made chocolate buttercream, slapped on some sprinkles and heart-shaped macarons (per their request).
I share this with you because it did not look like the picture in the cookbook where I got the recipe. Not at all. But my kids loved it and one of their friends said it was the best chocolate cake they ever had.
As a creative person, the first draft is a mess. There’s mistakes and plot holes and characters who disappear. But what I tell people who ask how I finish writing books—sometimes you have to accept that it’s not good and keep going.
My Latest News 📝
Hangry Hearts Book Events! My second YA book launches in three weeks! I’ll be discussing and signing books in March and would love to meet you if you’re in LA.
March 19 at 7pm at Vroman’s Bookstore with Edward Underhill
March 22 at 2pm at Annabelle’s Book Club with Jessica Parra
For Electric Literature, I interviewed trans author Edward Underhill about his adult fiction book debut, The In-Between Bookstore. We talked about the impact of book bans and how finding yourself in books is important.
I’m more than 24,000 words into a first draft of my adult historical fiction novel about LA’s Chinatown.
Check Out This... 🐶
VIDEO: A Golden Retriever meets some kittens and literally can not handle how cute they are. Me too, Clara! (Instagram @goldensdigger).
MOVIE: Flow. You might sense a very animal-focused theme in my picks this month. This beautiful animated movie is completely dialogue-free, and follows a group of animals as they navigate a flooded homeland. Their relationships are sweet and tender. My family and I adored it!
BOOK: We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida (translated by E. Madison Shimoda). I don’t know how to describe this absurdist book about a fictional medical clinic that prescribes unhappy people a cat to take home, but it’s wonderfully delightful.
FUNDRAISER: Erin Reed, who writes the Erin in the Morning newsletter, shares a list of trans and nonbinary Girl Scouts who are selling cookies and you can get them delivered. Order some Thin Mints and put them in the fridge. It’s the perfect snack!
I'm Grateful For... ✍🏼
My next book coming out. Here are the book plates I’m signing that my publisher will send out with my finished copies. Little kid Jenn would’ve been beside herself with excitement—and adult Jenn feels the same way. By the way, if you’re wondering where I got the cutest desk mat in the world, check out the shop of artist Josey Tsao. I absolutely love her home goods and prints. It makes me happy every day.
I want to read Hangry Hearts and talk to you about it for MY Substack! Looking forward to that chat, Jennifer Chen!