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 🤗
In June 2019, I sat down for a one-on-one critique of a YA manuscript I had written. The first thing the published author told me was: “You did everything wrong.” Twenty minutes later, I walked out and thought, “Maybe I’m not good at this.”
I walked back home to a cottage I was staying in Martha’s Vineyard with several other women writers for the writing conference. I felt ashamed to tell them what happened. I had planned to cry alone in my bedroom, clean my face, and act like nothing was wrong. Except when the first person who asked me how my critique went, I burst into tears. She hugged me. Each writer came to reassure me that I indeed know what I’m doing, and they asked me to read my pages to them.
I’m sharing this because we all need a support system that keeps you anchored during a big storm. I was afraid these new people would judge me for crying, but instead I made life-long friends.
If you are struggling with self-doubt, anxiety, or a case of impostor syndrome, talk to someone. Be vulnerable. Tell one person who cares about you. Chances are they have felt just like you have.
My Latest News 🖼️
✨I’m excited to share I was awarded a two-month research fellowship at The Huntington Library. I’ll be researching an adult historical novel I want to write about Chinatowns in California.✨
For Washington Post, I got to interview artist Hodges Soileau about his work painting almost all the original Baby-Sitters Club book covers. (The story also ran in the April 30 Sunday section of Book World!)
For Electric Literature, I wrote about 7 Babysitters Club Books that Changed My Life.
Check Out This... 🥰
ARTICLE: “Why Are So Many Asian American Women Named Connie?” Connie Chung was the only Asian American woman on TV when I was growing up. She held her own in a time when no one else in broadcast news looked like her. I love this interactive NYT story and the emotional video at the end.
STORY: I just love this heart-warming tale of a couple in Buffalo, New York, who welcomed 10 stranded South Korean tourists (on their way to Niagara Falls) into their home after a terrible snow storm left their van stuck.
BOOK LIST: Romance author Julie Tieu curated a fantastic Bookshop list of books featuring Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander characters falling in love.
TV SHOW: I love the mix of food history and culture that you get from Taste the Nation (Hulu) with host Padma Lakshmi who takes you around America. Be prepared to be hungry!
ORGANIZATION: If you haven’t heard, the Writers Guild of America is on strike. The amazing TV and movies you watch are written by people who are demanding more pay and better working conditions. If you can donate to help financially assist support staff (like script coordinators, assistants, and more) who are out of work right now.
I'm Grateful For... 🤩
Spotting my book in my local bookstore! I was thrilled to see First-Year Orientation on display! As someone who spends most of her time in bookstores, seeing something I wrote sitting there was delightful.
You are pure joy