Write down the bright ideas as soon as they appear. Don’t save them for later. Don’t worry about word count. Just write.
Would you please tell us a little about your writing process?
Usually, an idea drifts down from the sky, and I catch it and keep it safe in my heart.
Day by day, it expands and reshapes itself. I take it apart, reassemble it again and again, until it feels right – until I sense, ‘Yes, this is what I want.’ Then I begin to write.
While writing, I might make small adjustments, but mostly at the level of phrasing and rhythm.
What motivated / motivates you to write?
My experiences. My emotions. My thoughts. Every ripple that forms as life passes through me.
Do you enjoy writing?
Very much.
What are the most important steps an amateur writer can take?
Read more, think more, live more.
Never dismiss a small emotion or passing idea – if you dig deep, there’s often a story waiting there.
And most importantly: just start writing (or typing, lol).
Who would you say are your literary forebears? Who have you learned the most from?
LI Bai, the Tang dynasty poet from over a thousand years ago. I mentioned him in my essay Echoes of History.
His expression represents, to me, the ultimate freedom – boundless and unrestrained. That freedom lets his thoughts resonate with the heavens and the earth, and creates a kind of romantic connection between human and nature.
Which books is it most important for an aspiring writer to read?
Any book that sparks your interest and keeps you reading without pause.
There’s a Chinese saying, kai juan you yi (开卷有益) – ‘opening a book is always beneficial’.
Writers have their own areas of curiosity, their own styles and ways of expression. It’s like finding your place in the world – if a book draws you in, then it’s the right book for you.
What do you believe is the function of your art?
For now, two things.
One is to express how I see and think about the world.
The other, if possible, is to record and share the stories of sexual minorities in contemporary China. As I wrote in Echoes of History: ‘Without records, our feelings would not be understood; without records, for our generation there would be no LGBTQ+ people in China.’
If you were to begin writing today for the first time, would you do anything differently? Which would be your first steps?
Write down the bright ideas as soon as they appear. Don’t save them for later. Don’t worry about word count. Just write.
What have been your most meaningful or profound experiences as a writer?
Once, my writing resonated with the world itself – it called the wind and rain. Hahaha.
And another time, a short story of mine helped a friend out of depression. After reading it, he said something in him opened up, and he slowly got better. That made me truly feel the power of words. What medicine couldn’t do, literature did. Haha.
Yi Li is a writer, creative video director, and television director from China, currently pursuing a Master’s in Creative Writing in the UK. His work explores themes of identity, memory, and the experiences of sexual minorities, drawing on years of involvement with LGBTQ+ community work. He is committed to creating work that bridges cultures and sheds light on underrepresented lives.