Growing up, I struggled to put my thoughts into spoken dialogue. I would stumble over my own feelings, my imagination, until I ended up a reticent adolescent who needed to be pried open with a crowbar.
But the written word has always flowed through me. If you asked me to totalize all that I am in a one-minute speech, I’d probably spend half of it wondering just how to answer that question. If you asked me to type it…you’d get exactly what you’re reading right now.
I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. I would regale you with tales of my childhood if I remembered anything beyond the heat and the food that I still salivate over as an adult. My third-grade teacher was the first person to plant the idea of creative writing in my head. Thank you, Mr. Duncan, wherever life has taken you.
In my writing, I make a conscious effort to have my protagonists reflect my identity as a Chinese-Indonesian woman. They eat aromatic foods and journey to places inspired by my many travels. All of them are pieces of me, dispersed in writing.
When I was ten, I moved to Vancouver, Canada with my family. I learned to enjoy the outdoors; I am no longer tempted to claim an allergy to open air, but remain quite partial to taking naps on my couch under a fluffy blanket. It was here that I wrote my first novel at thirteen years old. Spoiler alert: it was terrible. Truly, I speak of my debut manuscript with a very fond grimace.
It was a start, though. I dabbled in urban fantasy, migrating to contemporary YA during my first semester at university in London, UK. I still default to lighthearted romantic short stories now. But fantasy has and I’m fairly certain always will be where my heart builds its nest. Daring swordfights, badass heroines, convoluted plots that end in a solid “AHA” moment – that is where you’ll find me.
Welcome to my world of words.
Clara Abigail 