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Hello! Please, tell me about yourself! (Please include preferred name and pronouns)
Hi! My name is Meilly, and my pronouns are she/her. I’m a 15-year-old high school student from Ontario, Canada, interested in writing, STEAM, and most of all, bringing positive change to the community. I live by the belief that each day is a chance to learn, grow, and have fun. For fun, I like writing, doing math, reading, and playing video games. Send me a DM on Instagram @meilly_chen if you ever want to chat! I love to meet new people.
Why do you enjoy writing in the Fantasy and Adventure genres the most?
I enjoy writing Fantasy and Adventure because it is an otherworldly experience– literally. While I do like to write some realistic fiction from time to time, fantasy adds in a layer of worldbuilding, giving me room to craft more aspects of the story to share my message. Adventure is another genre I like to write because of the action, suspense, and thrill of starting and finishing a long journey, with many twists and turns in between.
How does expressing your creativity make you feel?
Expressing my creativity makes me feel proud. I’m an introverted person so I don’t talk to people too much, which often leaves my thoughts crowded up in my head. When I see my creativity take form in something physical— like a small idea turned into a whole story, or an accidental pencil line being shaped into a drawing— the accomplishment of seeing what I manifested before my eyes give me a certain kind of joy.
If you can, share an experience that shaped your belief in learning and growing daily. How has that impacted your hobby of writing?
Each day exists for a reason and comes with valuable time. The way you spend that time can make all the difference, especially as you get older and have less and less free time. I think the best way to use that time is to constantly improve, and I owe this to my parents. They constantly strive to make the most of every day, which I was inspired by and am now following with. In terms of writing, this has driven me to write something every day, even if it is little. I regularly face writer’s block, but when I push myself to write, I end up being more efficient and getting closer to finishing my stories (most of which are novels).
Drawing of Meilly above.
Tell me a story where you created the first piece you were so proud of.
The first piece of writing that I was notably proud of was an opinion paragraph I wrote about a video game in Grade 3. Back then, the highlight of my day was our 30-minute free-writing sessions where we could write anything we wanted inside of our writer’s notebooks. When we were starting our persuasive writing unit, my teacher asked if she could use my opinion piece as an example to show to the class, and I was shocked. I didn’t even know that she read through our notebooks and that she thought something I wrote on a whim was worth something. After I happily agreed and my classmates saw what I wrote, I think they discovered a new side to me. I was always just the quiet girl with good grades until they realized that I spent so much time playing video games that I practically wrote a full-on review of one. I had a hobby that they could connect to and work that they admired, which helped me feel like I belonged in the class. That was when the impact and power of writing really hit me. (If you’re curious, the video game was Disney Infinity 3.0.)
You mentioned that you write fantasy to be able to explore a world without limits. What advice would you give to those who have trouble imagining the same thing?
If you have trouble imagining a world without limits, that’s okay. There’s value in non-speculative fiction and non-fiction, too! You can write fantasy without all of the worldbuilding if it gives you trouble or write something that you feel you’re better at or enjoy more.
Have you been published in school newspapers, websites, and more? If so, how does being published make you feel? What advice would you give to young creatives striving to get published too? I’ve been self-publishing two fiction serials on my Substack (myinc.substack.com/). I
haven’t gained many readers, but I feel proud of myself for putting my work out there on the web (instead of being buried in my Google Drive). My advice to young creatives is to know that you can publish anything with dedication. It doesn’t matter how old you are– I’m just 15– because if you have valuable work and you have the opportunity to put it out there, then why not try?
Is there anyone who gives inspiration to your work? I think my work is inspired by a lot of different things. Most of my ideas just come to me on a whim, but there was most likely some outside influence that I’m not directly aware of.
What do you do when you have writer’s or artist’s block? How do you overcome it? When I have writer’s block, I like to go for a nature walk. I like going outside and being surrounded by nature because it helps my thoughts flow better. After a good walk, I jot down my ideas on a piece of paper and let it set before I open my laptop and start typing things up.
Do you have a future dream job related to the hobby you do? If not, what would you like to be when you’re older?
I’m not really sure what I want to do in the future because there’s a lot that I’m interested in. I might want to become an author, but I’d also like to do something in the field of STEM (computer science, maybe?)
Are there any future writings or drawings in the works? If so, what is it about?
I have about 10 story drafts hanging around. I’m serializing two of these, The Three Elements and The Sacred Crest, on my Substack, and the rest are going to be finished and shown to the world at a later date (probably years from now). I’m the most invested in The Sacred Crest, but since it’s already out there, I’ll talk about The Altered Life, a WIP that is essentially about a girl living with a curse to be alone and stationary. It isn’t the most positive of stories, and it has a pretty tragic ending (at least in my opinion), but not
everyone’s life ends like a fairytale and that’s what I like about it.
What advice would you give to young creatives trying to craft their ethic? When you’re trying to craft your ethic, it’s important to make sure that it aligns with you. If you follow an ethic that is difficult or inconvenient for you, you most likely won’t end up anywhere that makes you feel happy or accomplished. Any additional comments? 🙂
Thanks so much for the interview and publishing an article about me on your website! I’m honored to have this privilege as a creative sharing advice with other creatives.
Interviewed by Maya Ozo
Cover page by Brianna Paulino