About Jennifer J. Chow:
Jennifer J. Chow writes multicultural fiction with intergenerational drama. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
Her short fiction has most recently appeared in Hyphen Magazine and Yay! LA Magazine. Her Asian-American novels include Dragonfly Dreams, The 228 Legacy, and Seniors Sleuth.
What inspires you to write?
As a kid, I always loved playing around with words and carried a thesaurus everywhere. My games often involved elaborate storylines. This active imagination continued as an adult, and I see inspiration in nature, news articles, and even dictionaries.
Tell us about your writing process.
I really like using a paper outline to start off. Typically, I have the beginning and end in mind. For characters, I’ll make profiles for them—and family trees (because I often write about multiple generations). Having said that, my stories tend to veer away from planned paths because the characters have a will of their own.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I wait for their voices to speak to me. Then on the page, I can tell how they will interact with other people or under certain circumstances.
What advice would you give other writers?
Two pieces of advice:
1) Keep writing. Put pen to paper (or finger to key) and finish your stories, no matter how rough they end up. Diligence is essential in creating and revising books.
2) Keep trying. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right fit for your work, but there is a publisher or magazine out there that’s interested in your unique perspective.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I use a combination method. My Winston Wong cozy mystery series is self-published, both because I wanted to explore that method and also since I give a portion of proceeds to charity. My other books are published through independent presses.
There’s a lot of control in self-publishing, and I really enjoy being able to track everything, but it’s also more work. Partnering with professionals through a publisher takes some burden off because there’s a strong network of support. As a new author, I would explore both traditional and self-publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
While some readers will like integrating media into their books (for more interactive reads), I think the traditional novel will also survive. I believe that individual readers and bloggers will continue to influence book reading strongly, and I’m hoping to see more originality in the types of works produced (both with diverse protagonists and more interesting writing techniques).
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Multicultural, Young Adult, Mystery, Women’s Fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Jennifer J. Chow Home Page Link
Link To Jennifer J. Chow Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
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