All About Love
Lang Leav
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Dear Lang, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us today. How do you describe your style? Who do you write for? Who are your readers? I like to blur the lines between poetry and prose, alternating between traditional poetry to free verse. I write for the broken hearted, the ones who are trying to make sense of their feelings. I write a lot about themes that are relevant to all women, despite their age, cultural background or nationality. I suppose that’s why my work connects and resonates with so many women, all around the world. Love is universal and touches all our lives. |
Photo: courtesy of the artist |
What do you credit with your success as an international best-selling author?
My work is honest and forthright. Writing is a craft, but first and foremost, it is about making a connection with another human being.
My writing takes complex themes and conveys them with striking simplicity. I believe this is the reason why my books have been so successful.
How much time and energy have you invested in becoming a social media sensation?
I invest all my time and energy into writing. I view my social media as a platform where I am able to share snippets of my work and connect with my readers. I try to answer as many comments and tweets as I can. The rest of my time is spent focusing on my writing projects.
Did you always know you were going to be a writer or was it a specific moment that made you turn to writing as a lifetime choice?
I have always known I would be a writer, but it is the only in the last few years that my life-long passion has blossomed into a career.
My life began in a Thai refugee camp where my parents were seeking refuge from the Khmer Rouge regime. We emigrated to Australia where I grew up in the low socio economic town of Cabramatta. It was a place where migrants from several war torn countries had settled. People who had lost everything, including family members. I grew up in the midst of their collective sadness and despair.
As a child, writing was an escape for me. It wasn’t so much a choice as it was a necessity.
My work is honest and forthright. Writing is a craft, but first and foremost, it is about making a connection with another human being.
My writing takes complex themes and conveys them with striking simplicity. I believe this is the reason why my books have been so successful.
How much time and energy have you invested in becoming a social media sensation?
I invest all my time and energy into writing. I view my social media as a platform where I am able to share snippets of my work and connect with my readers. I try to answer as many comments and tweets as I can. The rest of my time is spent focusing on my writing projects.
Did you always know you were going to be a writer or was it a specific moment that made you turn to writing as a lifetime choice?
I have always known I would be a writer, but it is the only in the last few years that my life-long passion has blossomed into a career.
My life began in a Thai refugee camp where my parents were seeking refuge from the Khmer Rouge regime. We emigrated to Australia where I grew up in the low socio economic town of Cabramatta. It was a place where migrants from several war torn countries had settled. People who had lost everything, including family members. I grew up in the midst of their collective sadness and despair.
As a child, writing was an escape for me. It wasn’t so much a choice as it was a necessity.
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SAD GIRLS is your debut novel with a worldwide release date of May 30th, 2017. What can you tell us about the process of writing your debut novel? What are your expectations for it?
Writing Sad Girls was an absolute joy. I began work on Sad Girls shortly after the release of my first book, Love & Misadventure, in 2013. Since then, I have released three additional bestselling poetry books and gone on several multi-country book tours. During all the madness of the last few years, Sad Girls was a writing project I loved coming back to. Nothing would make me happier than a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting at my desk overlooking the sea and getting lost in the dark, atmospheric world of Sad Girls.
Writing a full length novel was a lot more challenging than I anticipated and I was fortunate enough to work with my New York agent Al Zuckerman—a past professor at Yale. He has so much wisdom to impart and I have learned so much from him about the craft of writing and storytelling.
I try not to have any expectations when I send my books out into the world and Sad Girls is no different. But based on the feedback so far, I think my fans are going to love it!
One of the statements associated with Sad Girls is, “Your first love isn’t the first person you give your heart to—it’s the first one who breaks it.” In your opinion, what is the best remedy for heartbreak? Do you create better work when you’re going through a tough time in life or is it the need and the ability to create that allow you to deal better with any kind of difficult situation while communicating better with the world?
Time is the only remedy for heartbreak. Let’s face it, all the clichés like a warm bath or a tub of ice cream are great distractions but they can’t mend a broken heart. I think many people underestimate the gravity of a heartbreak. It can be as devastating as grief and should be treated with the same kind of reverence.
I believe when you’re going through a tough period, writing can be cathartic. This is one of the themes I explore in Sad Girls. There is a line of dialogue between my two characters Audrey and Rad where she reveals an important insight about writers: “I don’t think all writers are sad. I think it’s the other way around—all sad people write. It’s a form of catharsis, a way of working through things that feel unresolved, like undoing a knot. People who are prone to sadness are more likely to pick up a pen.”
Writing Sad Girls was an absolute joy. I began work on Sad Girls shortly after the release of my first book, Love & Misadventure, in 2013. Since then, I have released three additional bestselling poetry books and gone on several multi-country book tours. During all the madness of the last few years, Sad Girls was a writing project I loved coming back to. Nothing would make me happier than a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting at my desk overlooking the sea and getting lost in the dark, atmospheric world of Sad Girls.
Writing a full length novel was a lot more challenging than I anticipated and I was fortunate enough to work with my New York agent Al Zuckerman—a past professor at Yale. He has so much wisdom to impart and I have learned so much from him about the craft of writing and storytelling.
I try not to have any expectations when I send my books out into the world and Sad Girls is no different. But based on the feedback so far, I think my fans are going to love it!
One of the statements associated with Sad Girls is, “Your first love isn’t the first person you give your heart to—it’s the first one who breaks it.” In your opinion, what is the best remedy for heartbreak? Do you create better work when you’re going through a tough time in life or is it the need and the ability to create that allow you to deal better with any kind of difficult situation while communicating better with the world?
Time is the only remedy for heartbreak. Let’s face it, all the clichés like a warm bath or a tub of ice cream are great distractions but they can’t mend a broken heart. I think many people underestimate the gravity of a heartbreak. It can be as devastating as grief and should be treated with the same kind of reverence.
I believe when you’re going through a tough period, writing can be cathartic. This is one of the themes I explore in Sad Girls. There is a line of dialogue between my two characters Audrey and Rad where she reveals an important insight about writers: “I don’t think all writers are sad. I think it’s the other way around—all sad people write. It’s a form of catharsis, a way of working through things that feel unresolved, like undoing a knot. People who are prone to sadness are more likely to pick up a pen.”
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Love & Misadventure is your first book that allowed you to introduce yourself as a poet and illustrator. How did you react to all the amazing feedback you received for it?
I had no idea what to expect when Love & Misadventure went out into the world. In 2013, the Washington Post published an article suggesting that poetry was dead. At the time, many book stores didn’t even have a dedicated poetry section.
I had no idea that my book would play a role in getting the younger generation hooked on poetry again. I couldn’t believe the hype my work was generating and it filled me with so much love and gratitude for my readers.
Where do you turn to for hope and motivation?
My partner Michael is like my personal cheer squad. He was supportive of my work, right from the beginning. In one of my pieces, I wrote, “Who you love and who loves you back determines so much in your life.” I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, no doubt.
Inspired by your work The Universe of Us, can you share with us the latest wonder of our universe that has made you smile?
Recently Nasa discovered seven Earth-like planets orbiting the Trappist-1 star. I love the idea that someday, we will have the capability of visiting other worlds. What a wonderful thing to imagine!
Do you have a pick me up quote that inspires you daily? Do you have a favorite quote from your partner and fellow writer, Michael Faudet?
My favourite pick me up quote is from the Wizard of Oz. “You’ve always had the power dear, you just had to learn it for yourself."
My favourite piece from Michael Faudet is “Writers Block” from Dirty Pretty Things. He’s also writing a gothic novella Zana which you can read right now on Wattpad. It will take your breath away!