stanley ching

Returning to this website and publishing this update after an eighteen-month hiatus is like the Prodigal Son returning to his father. I feel a mixture of shame and comfort.

I have a few updates that I would like to share with my audience. Firstly, while I have a majority (if not the entirety) of my second novel planned in my mind. I have not yet started the endeavour.

"Why not?" Well, firstly this story is set in Venice and I am hesitant to start writing before I've actually spent sometime inside the floating city.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, I do not currently have the energy or motivation to start writing.

With the arise of grind culture in many societies, there has been a growing trend to valorise people who work despite being tired or demotivated.

While I can empathise with those heroics because I was driven to complete A Break in Rapport by an almost fiery passion that wouldn't let me rest even if it cost my health.

I am also humble enough to recognise that I do not have the same passion for my new project.

This does not mean the idea is not alluring. There are some times when I lie in bed and replay unwritten story in my head.

However, as someone who was once drunk on the self-righteous and all-consuming potion of artistic obsession.

I am quite certain that I will not be able to complete this project in a timely manner if I start right now.

I just want to emphasise again that this does not mean I will not write again. I am fairly confident that if I stay in good health then there will come a time where the old embers that lie dormant inside me will erupt again.

Until that day, I will be pursuing my other passion. One still linked to being an artist.

I want to create a YouTube channel and release philosophy videos mixed with my own illustrations.

I guess this means I may become a video essayist.

I guess I will take this opportunity to apologise to the universe for this decision.

Until then, I hope that my novel still crosses your mind once in a while. Remember what I wrote in the closing lines of my novel?

There is an old adage that asks whether a falling tree in an empty forest makes a sound at all, or in this case, if an unread book tells a story..

I don't know, and because of you, I frainkly don't need to. Your imagination is all that keeps Eethan and me alive.

新年快樂，心想事成，萬事如意.

It's been just under two months A Break in Rapport was first published.

Since that day, I still feel a sense of joy every time I think about my novel. It's like I've stored a warm piece of coal in my chest to keep me warm this winter.

Unfortunately, I haven't received a lot of feedback, although I am proud to announce that my novel currently is rated 4.25 stars on Goodreads.

Remember, if you've read it, don't hesistate to leave your feedback!

One frequent piece of feedback I get is that my novel is very descriptive and my audience is able to picture even the most minute details in different scenes.

However, this is a double-edged sword; both a piece of criticism and praise wrapped up in a single statement.

I used so much vivid writing in my novel because I love the idea that words on a piece of paper can be strung together to evoke emotions in my audience. Also, I hoped it captured my protagonist's obsession with capturing the moment as an affront to death.

Yet, this is also the source of the main piece of criticism I've received.

There is a fine line between being vivid and over-describing. It's a thin invisible thin that shifts and bends according to the situation and context, and I am sure there were times that my writing was tedious to read.

But that's okay. A piece of advice that I've received in the past is that artists need to overcome their natural instinct to endow their work with great significance.

Yes, I wrote a book. But this won't be the final piece of writing I release. I already have another idea that has been brewing in my head for the last few months. I'll take the criticisms and fine-tune all future writing.

I'm so proud of A Break in Rapport but I promise that my next novel will be even better. That's a guarantee.

Don't give up on your dreams.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," might be the most overquoted and regurgitated somewhat-wise Chinese proverb.

But in this case, I can say writing this novel started with an unquenchable passion uncovered in London, and it has taken me to some truly unusual places.

The dimensions of my paperback novel are 5.06" x 7.81" with black and white text on cream paper. For anyone that has an attentative eye, this layout is the same as the Penguin Classic edition. It's sleek, stylish and minimal. I really like this sizing.

However, for some reason, Amazon's Self-Publishing system does not allow 'expanded distribution' with my specific dimensions. This means websites like Book Depository will not stock my novel and ONLY the Amazon website. Yay.

What hurts the most, apart from the fact that I didn't know this information, is that if I had printed on 5.06" x 7.81" with black and white text on WHITE paper then I would have been able to press 'expanded distribution'.

Yes, you read that correctly. The difference between expanded distribution was cream and white paper. Thanks Amazon.

To counter this, I tried publish with the second most popular self-publishing company called IngramSparks. To do so, I filled out nine. Yes.

Nine American state tax forms.

Yet when it finally came time to upload the PDF of my manuscript, what I considered the simplest part of the job, IngramSpark announced they were unable to read my PDF? What? Why?

A journey of a thousand miles truly begins with a single step. If you would have told me five years ago that I would need to fill out a state tax form for Pennsylvania, I would have cried and laughed in your face.

Don't give up on your dreams.

What started as a passion to write a book has quickly spiralled into many different avenues. Five years ago, I would have never expected that I would be releasing monthly episodes on my podcast (Safety Last - you can find it on Spotify)

Marketing has always been part of being a merchant, so perhaps I am bringing to light something that many people are already familiar with. Although it seems that a pursuit often needs to be supported by attention on the internet or in the media, otherwise the project seems to whimper and disappear into the sea of static.

What a sad thought.

My next podcast episode with my friend will be about growing up and living in the rural areas, and how that differs from the suburbs.