5 Years of Playwriting

There is a series from PBS called “The First Twenty,” where it explores significant, altering events within the first two decades of the 21st century. One of the episodes, “20 Years of Asian American Playwriting,” interviews playwrights – from David Henry Hwang to Lauren Yee – about how Asian American playwriting has evolved.

Shell of Memories, Old and New: Recommended Viewing (and Re-watching)

By now, you’re probably aware that I am a fan of Wong Fu Productions. I’ve been watching their work ever since I was in college, and the love keeps on going. They’ve also come to be one of the sources of inspiration for me, as I pursue my ventures into writing for film and TV. That’s why I’m so thrilled to center this first round of Recommended Analyzing post for the year on their latest project.

Thoughts About Historical Fiction

By now, I think I’ve made it clear as to the kind of fiction I’m adept to writing. My go-to genres are contemporary fiction, magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction. However, in my little corner of the Internet, I haven’t been shy about dissecting other genres that I’m not necessarily the strongest at writing in; most notably young adult fiction and romance (even though ironically, I seem to have developed a bit of a skill for writing rom-coms).

Meeting David Mitchell

It’s the dawn of a new year with very little to expect. That’s why to kick things off, I decided to have a little fun with this first post for 2022 and share something that happened to me a few weeks ago.

What Did I Miss?: December 2021

Published Works

Review of The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki – For Goodreads, I dive into my thoughts surroundings this latest novel from this renowned author and Zen Buddhist priest.

Final Trailer for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Teases the Familiar and the Unprecedented – For The Nerds of Color, I point out how a small moment from The Matrix might actually be playing a much more central plot point in the upcoming installment of the franchise.

Dolly Li and Adrian De Leon Make Asian American History Accessible, One Video at a Time – For the Center for Asian American Media, I explore the individual careers of the co-creators of co-hosts of “A People’s History of Asian America,” before collaborating on the PBS mini webseries in the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings.

Sarah Kuhn on Bringing Herself into Her Fiction – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with the author of the Heroine Complex author series on how she made the transition from being an entertainment journalist to writing fiction for a living.

New Heights, Going Solo, and Creating Fanded: A Conversation with Travis Atreo – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with this longtime voice and face of the digital space on his journey so far, as well as his upcoming startup.

Thoughts From Watching ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ For the First Time – For The Nerds of Color, I give my take on the first entry into this beloved film franchise in 18 years.

Appearances

NOC Spoiler Chat: ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ – In conversation with Mike Manalo, we discuss our very contrasting opinions about this fourth installment of this film franchise, as we dive deep into the rabbit hole of spoilers.

 

8 Years of Lola By the Bay and 2021 Year in Review

For those who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! For those who don’t, I hope you have a really good day anyway.

I can’t believe it’s been this long since the formation of my little corner of cyberspace already. It’s grown to be the virtual hub that I’ve always wanted for myself, and then some. I created the website to make it easy, for those who don’t already follow me on social media, to keep up with writing projects I have going on, as well as what’s on my mind on a (mostly) week-to-week basis. Looking back on my posts over the last 11 months, I think I’ve started to notice just how blatant and honest I’m becoming about both where I am in my journey as a writer, as well as the things that I truly care about.

Trips Down the Rabbit Hole: Recommended Reading

If there’s one film I’m in high anticipation for this holiday season, it’s “The Matrix Resurrections.” It is the first film from the “Matrix” franchise to come out in 18 years, and from the looks of the trailers, clips, and marketing campaign for it, it’s already setting itself up to be something to look forward to.

How Playwriting and Screenwriting is Making Me a Better Writer

Nearly five years ago now, shortly after releasing my second novel, I started making the journey towards writing for both the stage and the screen. A Christmas gift of the word-processing program, Scrivener, jump-started my expansion into other creative writing mediums. Within that time, I have since written multiple stage plays, a few spec scripts, a few pilots, a few short films, and even a feature-length screenplay. Oh, I also upgraded to Final Draft earlier this year, because I felt that it was time to up the ante.

Playwright’s Commentary: “The Swan”

Ten months ago, I made my return to the theatre both for the first time since the pandemic began and the first time in a couple of years, when I made my playwright debut with Rainy Day Artistic Collective. My one-act virtual play, “Interview with an Aswang,” was part of the lineup for their inaugural production. It was such a collaborative experience to be a part of and from the sound of what the audience was saying online, it seems like it was well received.

What Did I Miss?: November 2021

Published Works

Changes Are Coming for the Underworld in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Trailer – For The Nerds of Color, I hype up our first official look at the second-ever “Star Wars” live-action series.

Thoughts (and Just Thoughts) from Watching ‘The Animatrix’ for the First Time – For The Nerds of Color, I give a mini review for each of the shorts that make up this anthology film from the world of “The Matrix.”

TV Spots and Poster Art Galore for ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ – For The Nerds of Color, I highlight the hype that’s starting to build up for the second-ever “Star Wars” live-action series.