Interviews

October 2019 - Interview with MeiSummer

This month, we are privileged to be interviewing a Wattpad Featured Author, a Wattpad Star, and writer who is part of the Wattpad PaidStories program. But not three interviews; only one is required with Meixia — username @MeiSummer since she has accomplished all of these and more.

ZonderZorg (ZZ): — Let me begin by asking how to pronounce your name, Meixia.

MeiSummer (MS): — It's pronounced as Měixià (mey-sya). 美 means beautiful and 夏 means summer, so beautiful summer.

ZZ: — I see on your profile that you joined Wattpad in April 2016. You have had impressive successes in the two and a half years you've been here. Tell us about the writing journey which has brought you these remarkable recognitions.

MS: — I started writing fiction when I was in primary school. I wrote short stories at the back of my notebook and also took our writing homework as opportunities to write. As for Wattpad, I joined the platform in 2016 for work, because I wanted to explore the marketing opportunities available. It was only back in 2017, however, when I decided to use it for writing and really put in the time to finish a full-length novel. Because I didn't study Creative Writing and haven't attended any formal writing workshops, I didn't have a clear idea back then of what it really took to write a novel. I've been reading books since forever, though, and I watch a lot of TV dramas, so somehow, those helped me understand what I wanted to see in my own stories.

ZZ: — With no formal study or training, how do you explain that your writing has gained the quality to garner all the recognition?

MS: — I think so many things have changed since 2017. A lot of those changes I can attribute to the Wattpad Community. Because I knew I needed help to improve my writing, I opened my first story, A Room for My Pretend Love, to feedback. In fact, I actively sought feedback by joining book clubs and talking to people. As a result, I learned so much about writing dialogue, plotting, and editing. I cringe just thinking about my first draft for A Room for My Pretend Love. I was clueless and it showed. I think if people read my stories, they would see how I'm improving with each one.

ZZ: — I see you focus on writing about China and that you feature mostly Asian characters. Is this because of your familiarity with them?

MS: — This is a question I get asked a lot and often, people ask me if I'm Chinese. To answer this, I have to share a bit about my background. I was born and raised in the Philippines, so I consider myself to be Filipino. My mother's family, however, can be traced back to China's Fujian province. Growing up, I've always heard stories about our Chinese heritage, but my family didn't follow strict Chinese traditions. Six years ago, though, I had the opportunity to move to China for work. To me, that seemed like fate! Finally, I had the chance to learn about that part of myself. I write about China because it pushes me to research, learn more, and make sense of the country that I now call my second home. In doing so, it also helps me understand where I came from.

Meanwhile, I feature mostly Asian characters because that was something I didn't see in the books I've read growing up. Although I adored Sweet Valley High and enjoyed historical romances set in Europe, the characters' experiences usually felt different from my reality. When Jessica and Elizabeth were riding horses and sneaking out to attend parties in high school, I was riding Jeepneys and wouldn't even dare leave the house unless I secured my parents' permission. There was always this feeling of me standing on the outside looking in, and so, I wanted to change that with my stories.

ZZ: — Your book covers are both simple and striking. Who creates them for you?

MS: — I like to commission young and talented artists to do my covers. The covers for A Room for My Pretend Love and The Moon on a Frozen Lake were created by IT Monsters, a group of graphic designers from my hometown. Leftover Woman was done by my friend who's a really awesome fashion photographer and Illustrator. Lastly, I worked with a BTS fan artist from Indonesia to do my short story compilation.

ZZ: — You have millions of reads. How do you promote your stories?

MS: — Once you're happy with your story, start joining contests and book clubs. Read other people's works and join the community forum. The more you expand your network, the more chances you have of getting exposure for your work. Go beyond Wattpad and use different social media sites to market yourself, too. Lastly, don't forget to submit your work to be considered for Wattpad's different reading lists run by the lovely Ambassadors. You can also fill out a form for your work to be featured. I think having my works officially featured by Wattpad contributed most to my stories gaining traction.

ZZ: — You are a career woman. How do you manage your writing and your promotion to fit into this?

MS: — I write whenever I can like during my lunch break, in the evening after going to the gym, or during the weekend. When I have to travel for business trips, I write on the plane. It's not always easy finding time to write because my brain gets too exhausted from work. When that happens, I don't want to do anything but lie down and watch TV dramas. Thinking about my readers help motivate me, though. These days, I make sure to spend at least an hour a day writing. So far, I'm doing good.

As for promotion, my work entails that I be online most of the time, so I just sneak in the promotion of my book during my work hours. Don't tell my boss, though!

ZZ: — I see you have two stories in the Paid programme, A Room for My Pretend Love and Leftover Woman. How has this worked for you? Have you seen an increase or a decrease in readers and reads because of it?

MS: — It's an honour to have two of my works chosen to be part of the Paid Stories program. Through this program, I've received some great feedback about my work from the people at Wattpad. I use the support and data they provide to improve my writing.

As for the reads, it's more or less consistent. Wattpad helps us promote our stories to make sure they get exposure. Moreover, they're constantly finding ways to allow readers to unlock chapters without necessarily having to spend money. I think that's great!

ZZ: — Your writing has focused on Romance thus far. Have you considered other genres?

MS: — I'm currently writing fanfiction, but it's still romantic fanfiction. I don't think I'll ever venture far from romance. Personally, I can only write about things that excite me. I am a huge consumer of the romance genre, whether it be books, games, or TV shows. That's why it makes sense for me to write romance as well. If I ever try other genres, it would most likely be in the form of a short story.

ZZ: — Thank you, Meixia. To end, maybe you can tell us about what you're currently working on?

MS: — No, I thank you for choosing me as your interviewee this month. I had fun answering these questions. I'm currently working on two projects: The Moon on a Frozen Lake, a romance story dealing with the subject of trauma, and Magic Shop, which is a short story collection featuring BTS members. I hope everyone can check them out! And if there's anyone who wants to ask any other questions, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message!