Member Spotlight: Weina Dai Randel

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? As an immigrant and an Asian American writer, I’d like to connect with people and share with them a piece of my experience and my perceptions of cultures and history in a thoughtful, entertaining, and intimate way. Storytelling offers such a path. I believe that a good book with an unforgettable story will help build people’s understanding and empathy of those different from themselves, even if the characters come from another world. We live in a society where many people feel the need to talk, rather than listen, the need to trumpet their own ideas, rather than understand others. With our increasing dependence on social media and digital technology comes the dwindling time to reflect and connect on a deeper, more meaningful level. When people read, they are more inclined to immerse themselves in the universe the author creates. This is the author’s chance to be known, to be understood, to bond.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Go out for a walk. Walk and think, if you can. If that still doesn’t help, take a step back, rest, let your mind roam, and read. And read. When writer’s block strikes, it can feel helpless, but it’s OK to feel this way. Stay connected to your story, delve into the bigger picture of conflict, and your characters will ultimately rescue you.

What is your favorite time to write? Night time from 8pm to 12pm.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? I heard this piece of advice from Sandra Brown while attending a conference twenty years ago. She said, “Take writing seriously. Treat it like a job.” At that time, I had just started writing and had a family to take care of. Every hour of the day was pre-planned and free time was hard to come by. I honestly didn’t think there was time for writing. Her advice stuck with me. I took writing seriously and made an effort to sit down and write for an hour or two every day. Eventually, I was able to complete my first novel.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? What excites me the most as a writer is the same as a reader–to read a good book.

Weina Dai Randel’s The Master Jeweler is out now with Lake Union Publishing.