My first exposure to English was in Grade Seven when I was thirteen years old. I tried to memorize each word by associating its sound with similar Chinese pronunciations. I came across an article mentioning that some English learners studying Chinese used the phrase “shall buy two” to remember the Chinese characters for “小白兔” (the little white rabbit). Unfortunately, my school didn’t have enough resources to provide recorders, and the pronunciation we learned from our teacher was influenced by a strong southwestern Chinese dialect accent. I was the only one who accurately spelled out all the terms in the first lesson, which earned me praise from both my teacher and classmates. From that moment on, I fell in love with this foreign language and consistently achieved the highest scores in my class. After completing middle school, I enrolled in a Normal School for Special Education, where English was not a compulsory subject. The curriculum mainly focused on courses related to educating children with hearing loss, visual impairment, or intellectual disabilities. Upon graduating from the Normal School, I became a teacher who taught math, art, physical education, and music classes at an elementary school.

It wasn’t until seven years later that I had the opportunity to revisit English. I enrolled in college and chose English as my major. In our first class, my fifty-three classmates and I were surprised by three revelations:

1. Our teacher’s self-introduction in English was eloquent, but we couldn’t understand what he was saying until he translated it into Chinese.
2. Our teacher was reading an English book imported from the USA, which was thick yet lightweight and had a dollar price tag on the back cover.
3. Our English proficiency was lacking in listening and speaking skills, despite our ability to read and write.

In 2014, I relocated to the USA. Similar to my experience in the first college class, I realized that my English was a mixture of “Chinglish,” where I struggled to understand slang, idioms, and comprehend government documents, product descriptions, and slogans. I lost confidence and became afraid to speak or write in English for some time. Following my husband’s suggestion, I joined a writing club. The club members were kind and friendly, and they encouraged me to share one of my English short stories. They pointed out numerous mistakes in my writing, but they also told me it was a good story and encouraged me to continue writing. That same year, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and completed my first manuscript for an English novel. It felt like winning the lottery. To this day, I have completed four drafts of English novels and am currently contemplating two more.

Writing English novels is a different experience compared to writing Chinese ones. I have published my first two Chinese novels on Chinese websites, although they only attracted a few readers. Once I signed the contracts, I had to increase the word count to meet the website’s requirements (the longer, the better) and update with at least 3000 characters daily. The focus was on speed and quantity rather than quality, and it was often referred to as “fast food literature.” I struggled to keep up with the website’s demands while trying not to lose my passion for writing. Eventually, I stopped submitting my novels to literature websites and instead posted them on my own Chinese blogs at http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/5280998549. I do have a few dedicated readers there! In comparison, writers here polish their manuscripts multiple times before publishing them. I truly appreciate and admire this kind of attitude.

Based on all of these experiences, I have concluded four factors about writing in English as a non-native speaker:

1. Persistence: I learned that many people set goals and start writing, but only a small percentage actually finish their drafts. To combat this, I always made outlines before starting to write and set a specific timeframe to complete the manuscript. Instead of going back to read or correct what I had written, I kept pushing forward until it was done. Becoming part of the 10% who finish their drafts is challenging, but I encouraged myself to aim for even more, like expanding from 10% to 11% or beyond. This approach sounds easier and more motivating.
2. Avoid comparing yourself to other writers and instead listen to your heart and follow your own routine. Comparisons often lead to frustration. When I was writing and sharing my first Chinese novel, I would research famous online writers. The more I learned about them, the more I would underestimate myself and fear continuing with my own writing. Whether we are beginners or experienced writers, it’s important to stick to our own goals and approach writing with confidence, just like a one-day-old puppy not fearing tigers.
3. Ignore external factors and let internal passion drive you forward. Initially, when I published my novels, I cared a lot about attracting readers, getting “likes,” earning money, and becoming famous. I even daydreamed about being interviewed on popular TV programs. However, as reality set in and my imagined outcomes seemed distant, I began to doubt if writing was the right path for me. I took a break from writing. But eventually, I realized that my love for storytelling couldn’t be suppressed. I picked up my pen again and blocked out all external voices. Successful people understand that “fishing is more important than fish.” They don’t focus on external conditions, but rather on their internal passion. In the end, the rewards come to those who remain dedicated to their craft.
4. Anytime and anywhere I have ideas, I make sure to write them down. Small ideas have the potential to grow into significant ones and become part of my written works. I also allow myself to watch TV shows or films to draw inspiration from them. However, it’s important to set reasonable time limits and practice self-control for these hobbies, as they can easily influence our careers and distract us from our writing.
5. Reading and studying are crucial for improving our writing skills and maintaining a passion for storytelling. As a non-native English writer, I have found inspiration from authors such as Khaled Hosseini, the author of “The Kite Runner,” and Min Jin Lee, the author of “Pachinko.” I have also learned a great deal from reading books like “Gone with the Wind,” “The Best American Essays,” and “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language.” If writing is like building a house, then reading and studying help us choose better materials and design better floor plans.

Writing is a challenging career, especially when writing in a second language. Fortunately, I have found myself on the right path, and I thoroughly enjoy walking this road. Every day, as I make progress, I feel happy and fulfilled. Meeting like-minded friends would be an added bonus to my life.

Let’s continue to live, keep moving forward, and keep writing!