June updates!

May came and went! AFCC (Asian Festival of Children’s Festival) was a flurry of panels, signing, meeting old friends and making new connections. Then a reading of Oyster Girl. People are telling me that Oyster Girl is much needed as a story in Singapore’s history and heritage, depicting tales that are not that well-known. Chinese culture is not monolithic. Not all people of Chinese descent in Singapore know a lot about their cultures and traditions… unless they are part of clan associations or/and speak the languages of their dialect (province/regional) groups.

We need to own what we write and we write Asian kidlit (and spec fit).

So what do I have in store for June!

1. A much-needed vacation.

2. Medical appointments (boo).

3. More writing/illustration (I need to focus on the kidlit zine).

4. Joan of Arc research.

Early May updates!

I have to confess: April was rough. I came down with a bacterial infection (the usual sore throat and runny nose).

So, that’s that. I continue to work on the xianxia lion dance pitch. Picturebook-wise, not much: I have come to a standstill.

And in the midst of this, a heat wave and pretty dire deadlines.

What do I have in store for May:

1. AFCC – In-person kidlit conference in Singapore.

2. Oyster Girl reading and activity with a local book group.

3. I need to go back to illustrations again!

April updates and worries

Curious about my April plans?

I am wondering how to boost my Patron count since I have had people cancel their pledges. How could I survive on 77 USD per month? (Of course, I do have other income streams, but 77 USD isn’t enough to cover medical stuff…)

March came and went. It was my birth month. By large, it was an OK month. It rained a lot. Then, it became very warm a lot. I worked on games settings, made a homebrew into a PDF, and edited the wuxia special nonfiction. It’s shaping up into an excellent special. I also worked on my xianxia pitch.

I didn’t work on my picturebook which was disappointing, to say the least. And I didn’t start work on my kidlit zine which I promised I would.

So, April…

1. What do you like to see on my Patron?

2. Back to Mid-Autumn Mice and their new friend, Pretty Rock.

3. Art? Writing?

Belated March updates

It’s my birthday month! (I turn two years closer to the big five-o!)

February came and went very quickly. I worked on things and sketched. 

What does March have in store for me?

1. Working on graphic novel pitch.

2. Games-related draft.

3. Picturebook.

I am on Tor!

Werewolves in Space: Joyce Chng’s Starfang Sequence

February updates!

Oh wow, January sure came and went off quickly. Celebrated the Lunar New Year and this time, we managed to see relatives we haven’t seen for three years! It was a surreal experience. Also did a reading of Oyster Girl. 

So, what does February have in store for me?

1. Contract work.

2. Diversity coordinator stuff. 

3. Medical appointments.

4. TBC.

Happy Lunar New Year!

I know it’s belated, but we have fifteen days of celebration! Today it’s the fifth day and households will be welcoming the god of fortune Cai Shen Ye. 🙂

Rabbit steps: an announcement

Vellum & Ink has now pivoted into publishing… but for a cause. Limited print run, kidlit and about important issues like autism and special needs, black and white, zines.

It’s still very nascent at the moment. The idea came three years ago (!) before the pandemic struck. And the idea has grown tender roots and I hope it will grow.

On the site itself there is a donation link.

Happy New Year! January updates.

At the time of writing, we have just celebrated Christmas and Boxing Day is about to end in about a few hours. It has been an enjoyable Christmas with cooking, eating and catching up with relatives. Of course, now I have allergic rhinitis (boo!), thanks to pet pander, dust and humidity. Tested myself, of course. Negative. I am prone to getting allergic rhinitis – and sinusitis. And I know I just can’t get c-19 like within a few weeks, right? So, boo to pet pander and dust! 

It has been a weird year. C-19, books I have worked on for a long time finally getting published and getting on physical shelves! Attended my first in-person literary festival – and got covided (again?). Worked on the Southeast Asian special (Strange Horizons) and am mighty proud of the talent we have in our region. Also, started editorial work (which included acquiring, selecting and actually doing publishing stuff) for a small speculative fiction thing that is doing amazing things with finding talent (voice, writers, artists). 

A slightly sadder note: It’s been a year since my MIL passed. We celebrated Lunar New Year and all the major festivals without her. The pain is still there, an echo – and during Christmas, we had the cousins go through her kebayas which she had wanted to be distributed out after her passing. Opening the cupboard was… something. We didn’t have the heart to open it. When we finally did, we all teared up. In there, she had meticulously kept all her kebayas and the gowns worn by the girls when they were little. Memories. And we read her beautifully-written instructions with awe and a little bit of sadness. 

So, what will 2023 have in store for me? For a fact, I will turn 48, two years close to 50. I have to promote Oyster Girl and Fire Heart with readings and author appearances (masked, of course, the pandemic isn’t over!). I have also said yes to a couple of things – so I will be busy.

1. Prepare for Lunar New Year.

2. Mid-Autumn Mice (for New Year stuff).

3. Start work on… projects. 

Blessed Solstice and Merry Christmas!

Have a warm and safe Solstice, and Christmas.