EMILY X.R. PAN: Navigating A Meaningful Path after a Career Change

Emily X.R. Pan is the New York Times bestselling author of her debut novel “The Astonishing Color of After”. She is the founding editor-in-chief of Bodega Magazine, and a 2017 Artist-in-Residence at Djerassi, and she received her MFA in fiction from the NYU Creative Writing Program where she was a Goldwater Fellow.   “The Astonishing Color of After” received five starred reviews and is a Wall Street Journal’s top 12 picks of the season. Entertainment Weekly described her first novel as “accessible and compelling.” and was also recommended by other popular media outlets like Buzzfeed, Book Riot, PopSugar and more. In today’s episode, we get deep into discussion about Emily’s career paths and why and how she made the shift from business to writing. We dive into the details about “The Astonishing Color of After”, from the family story that inspired her to write the novel, to discovering the voice in her story, and to her editing process. Emily also shares what it was like to re-discover Taiwan as an adult for the research phase of her book. Further into our conversation, we talk about the importance of trusting your instincts when sharing your work with your peers, the role that negative space serves in crafting short stories, and tips on organically marketing your novel. Say 'Hi' to Emily on Twitter! Head over to her shownotes page for a list of resources mentioned in the episode by clicking here. Happy listening! Xo, Yin PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! --- If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! --- Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group! --- Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here! ---  “I want to have that community. I want to be immersed and surrounded by people who are reading novels and who are talking creatively and talking about the things that they’re creating and the characters they’re making and the stories they’re trying to tell.”  -Emily X.R. Pan (Click to tweet!) “It’s really crucial to be able to take away and let the negative space speak for itself.” -Emily X.R. Pan (Click to tweet!) "I kind of just wanted to create in this cave with just myself which at times is very lonely but I also feel like I sort of needed it for this book. I needed to develop the confidence to trust in my own words and in my own voice again.” -Emily X.R. Pan (Click to tweet!)  --- WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:  Emily’s shift in career paths and the success and happiness she found in her dream career  Emily’s family story that inspired her to write “The Astonishing Color of After” How to overcome feeling overwhelmed during your research process The importance of writing your story in the voice you know best  The role negative space serves in crafting short stories  A look into Emily’s editing process to rework the world of “The Astonishing Color of After”  Tips on organically marketing your novel  The importance of trusting your instincts when sharing your work with your peers