After almost 11 years, my book is finally ready! I’m super excited to announce my memoir, “Life on a Tightrope” is now available on Amazon in both ebook and print format.
How did this memoir come about?
It didn’t start off as a memoir. It originally started with me just keeping notes on what was happening to me when I became ill. There were so many different things happening that it was hard to recall what was happening and when. It was more of a medical document so that if doctors asked questions, I could answer without any problems remembering.
Slowly, it shifted more into a journal, then slowly started to think that perhaps my finding in my health journey could help others, either by informing them who suffers from health issues, or those who look after anyone who has health problems.
Why did it take over a decade to publish?
Mostly because when you’re writing a memoir, you can’t write more than the present! I honestly didn’t know where the book would end. Even when I was sort of done, it still took another two years to work on the epilogue and go through the proofing and editing process.
Why is it published under a pen name when it’s a memoir?
This was a super tough decision! I kept going and back and forth on whether to publish under my real name or not over the years I wrote this book. It’s also what delayed my publication. At first, I was reluctant to publish it under my name because it revealed so much about my health and past. It made me worry about what people would think, especially since there is still stigma around mental health issues. When I finally got the courage and decided to go with my real name, I thought about the people in the book. While I changed everyone’s name, their characteristics, locations and so on, my family has not been changed. It reveals a lot about my parents and they are quite the conservative, reserved type. So to keep their identity private, I decided to go with a pen name instead. It has been quite challenging trying to market it under a pen name!
What do you hope readers will get out of it?
I’m hoping that it will give some resources for those who are suffering from health issues—whether they be physical, emotional or mental. For me, when I became ill, I was inspired by other people’s memoirs that I read who had gone through their own health struggles. While my life is nothing extraordinary, I hope it will give some sense of hope, and might inspire them to be more proactive about their health.
