The Untangling - An Interview with Tiffany Chu

A Story from Beyond the Bookshelf

Welcome to Beyond the Bookshelf, a community of readers and writers sharing unique perspectives on life and literature through thought-provoking essays, captivating interviews, and influential books as we explore the challenges of life's transformative journey.

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Dear friends,

In the first few weeks of writing Beyond the Bookshelf, I met several other writers beginning their newsletter journeys. One of those was Tiffany Chu. Tiffany and I connected over a shared love of the written word, especially Tolkien's works. The daughter of Taiwanese immigrant parents, she was born and raised in San Diego. Tiffany’s first love was music. She started playing the piano at age five and continued through her first year of college, practicing between 2 and 6 hours daily. She initially enrolled in college as a classical piano performance major before switching to psychology. She and her husband bonded over a shared love of singing. At their wedding, instead of a first dance they sang a first song, “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera. 

She and her husband bought their dream home last year, where they are raising their children. They adopted two sons before the birth of their biological daughter. Their oldest son, Ren, passed away a few years ago from complicated health issues. Tiffany coped with the loss by compiling and publishing Ren’s writing, which also led to sharing her work.

In addition to writing, Tiffany is a professional photographer and works for a nonprofit focused on social justice issues such as human trafficking, homelessness, migrants, and at-risk youth.

Tiffany and the love of her life

Please share with us how reading came into your life.

I can’t remember not reading. My mom is a reader, so she’s always filled my bookshelf with books. I lived in a strict fundamentalist Christian household, which, for me, meant no TV and the kind of media I was exposed to was rigidly controlled. Since my parents deeply distrusted contemporary culture, I ended up reading many books, primarily classics and Christian books, haha. But thanks to all that, I developed a taste and love for classical literature and music. I’m still confused why Wuthering Heights (allowed) was considered more appropriate than Sailor Moon (not allowed; “too violent”), but what do I know? Up until middle school, I listened exclusively to classical music (and then school classmates corrupted me with Backstreet Boys and Avril Lavigne, I guess my parents would say). Anyways…

Would you describe how your reading habits have changed over the years? 

Once upon a time, I had two rules for my reading life: 1) they had to be written by authors dead at least twenty years, and 2) I had to finish a book even if I hated it because otherwise it’s a moral failing on my part. I’ve since abandoned both of those rules. Although I still strongly prefer older books (there’s probably some measure of chronological snobbery there, I confess), I’ve read many contemporary books in recent years and have even (gasp) enjoyed some of them. I also used to primarily reread books I’d read before, so while I’ve always read a lot, I didn’t read widely.

However, I’m still very unlikely to read books that are super popular. I stand by this Murakami quote I highlighted years ago from Norwegian Wood:

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” 

The second rule has been broken several times now because life’s too short for books you don’t enjoy. These days, I give myself 100 pages in a print book, depending on the length, or up to about 20% of a book, to decide if it has captivated me enough for me to finish reading. If not, I set it aside. I’ve come to realize that if I’m not connecting with a book, it’s not always the book’s fault (though sometimes it is); sometimes, it’s where I am in life, my mood, or a number of other factors.

What genres do you prefer to read? 

Is books-by-authors-dead-twenty-plus-years a genre? What about deep-emotional-resonance-with-lyrical-writing-style? I also like whimsical-that-reminds-me-of-childhood-magic-like-Narnia as a genre, if that’s a thing.

I find I don’t tend to stick to a particular genre so long as the writing is beautiful, but I lean toward books with lyrical writing. I love books that have a lot of description (hello, Tolkien; yes, tell me all about the details of that tree and each leaf). The books I love are those with deep characters, poetic writing, and themes around universal human experiences or exploring what makes us human. I also really enjoy memoir for probably the same reason.

What book do you think everyone should read in their lifetime and why? 

My answer to this question will always be Lord of the Rings because it’s a timeless story of hope and resilience in the face of hopeless circumstances (which Tolkien termed “eucatastrophe”). It portrays admirable characters, nuanced characters, and pitiful characters. There is no straightforward happily-ever-after, but the whole thing is tinged with bittersweetness and loss. I’ve been reading it annually since 2008 except for 2021, and every year I still find something that speaks to me at each stage in my life. It’s a book that is relevant no matter what you’re going through. It’s nuanced and multilayered, and I think that’s what gives it such universal appeal.

Can you share with us an underappreciated novel that you love? 

Ooh, I have three in mind.

I don’t think enough people know about The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thornton. It’s the first in a fantasy trilogy with some heavy Celtic influences, but I will say it’s quite hard to get into. The description is heavy, and it’s very dense and slow-paced, but I love the story and writing. The plot twists/reveals are mind-blowing, and the world is so rich.

Another one I don’t hear about is Ruby by Cynthia Bond, which has some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read. To give a taste, here’s one of my favorite quotes: “He wanted to tell her that he had seen a part of the night sky resting in her eyes and that he knew it because it lived in him as well. He wanted to tell her about the knot corded about his heart and how he needed her help to loose the binding.” It’s set in the rural South and is about a man fighting to protect a woman he loves from a town determined to destroy her. Fair warning: it’s a brutal story of insanity, prejudice, sexual assault and rape.

Last is The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. This historical fiction novel combines the stories of two highly intellectual women from different periods who fight to make their mark on a world dominated by men. This is another one that’s pretty dense and deserves a slow read, but it's well worth the time. The writing is gorgeous in this one, too.

Look at that; I listed three authors who are still alive!

How do you pick the next book you want to read? 

I’m very much a mood reader. Keeping a TBR doesn’t work for me at all because as soon as I’m told what to read (even by myself), I don’t want to read it. My reading life is chaotic, as is my writing life. Which is actually very strange, considering I’m a very structured and disciplined person in all other areas of my life. 

What book are you reading right now? 

I’m currently re-reading Ruby, mentioned above. 

How did you decide to start writing? 

My fourth-grade teacher gave me no choice when it was a weekly assignment to write a short story. By the end of the year, I had a purple spiral notebook filled with stories. It’s such a shame I’ve lost it since it would be fascinating to read (and cringe at). I also wrote an ongoing series about my stuffed bear’s royal family. That was hilarious. My godsiblings and I had matching stuffed bears when we were young, and I made up a whole world and royal family drama series featuring them. It was great.

Something that really stuck with me was when I took a creative writing class during a summer camp in middle school, during which I learned about writing character arcs, plotting, and setting. By the end, I had about half a story written, and the instructor wrote on the feedback page that I had a gift and should keep writing. I no longer remember that teacher’s name, but she was the first person to see something in me and encourage it.

As for my nonfiction reading, my grandma bought a purple journal for me in fourth grade (I guess that was a magical year for me). I wrote in it every single day and unlocked the healing power of writing. Through the years, I religiously kept a journal up until a few years ago. It’s how I process. When online blogging like Xanga and Livejournal came along, I started putting my nonfiction on there under pseudonyms. I wasn’t allowed to talk about family issues outside of the family, so journaling and blogging were my only outlets. I had to hide my online writing behind fake names so my parents wouldn’t find it. But I discovered the healing power of writing through this lifelong journey, and I still remember some of the kind comments from those early days that encouraged me.

Because I’m soft-spoken and reserved in person, it can be hard to voice my thoughts and feelings over others, so writing has always been my outlet and way of expressing myself. It’s something I can’t ever imagine not doing in some form.

What do you consider the most challenging part of the writing process?

You know, Thomas Harris is famous for talking about how painful the writing process is. He was quoted saying, “I'm doing one of three things: I'm writing. I'm staring out the window. Or I'm writhing on the floor,” and, “Writing novels is the hardest thing I've ever done, including digging irrigation ditches.”

That’s me.

Once, I took four hours to write 300 words. First drafts are agonizing for me, especially since I’m a discovery writer and figure out the story as I go. I’ve scrapped 25k words of my novel three times now (for a grand total of about 75k words) because the characters keep rebelling against my plans. They’re like uncooperative coworkers who don’t care what you want and just do their own thing. I love doing it though, and it’s so rewarding in and of itself.

Note: That novel now has 40k words, and I’m finally satisfied with how it’s going. There are times I lament that I could probably have finished it by now, but alas, we mustn’t linger in the past.

I find writing to be such a painful process, so maybe I’m a masochist because I keep doing it anyway. When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. Or I’m talking about writing, usually to my poor husband who has to read all my first drafts and listen to how much I love-hate my characters and then praise me anyway, lest I throw myself into my pit of despair (I’m not dramatic; you’re dramatic).

All that aside, the most challenging part of the writing process is coming up with a plot. I’m an atmospheric writer; I will usually have an emotion and/or themes first, then I can attach them to characters. But then I have to come up with a plot, and like, why do things have to happen?? Many of my short stories are snapshots of a moment in time, but that doesn’t work well for longer works, alas.

Also, dialogue. Is it because I don’t talk much so writing it feels stilted and awkward? I have no idea, but if you could have a story with just vibes, I’d be the greatest writer in the world.

Please share with us what you have written and what you have in the works. 

I’ve published an anthology of short stories I co-wrote with my son, Ren. However, last year I removed it from retail stores to revise and re-release it in the future on Kickstarter. I’m also revising his collection of autobiographical poems and essays, adding my voice to give it more context, though that is going to be a very slow project because of all the grief and emotions attached to it.

As for my project, I’ve been working on a fantasy novel since 2020–that same one I’ve rewritten four times. Here's a short blurb: A past shrouded in mystery, Nathaniel has known little beyond life inside Lord Leo’s grand estate, only vaguely aware of the immortal history behind sealed doors blocking magic from the mortal realm. But when Nathaniel discovers his foster father’s bloody treachery, he rejects his gentle foster brother, Geoffrey, and launches a righteous crusade to avenge his stolen destiny, blind to the sorrow it will reap. Only Elorie, an empath bound by her gift (or curse) to relive human anguish, sees Nathaniel’s path of retaliation will not sow justice in their now-mundane world of closed doors. Drawn together by this broken magical age, raging convictions, and secrets, each navigates a world mired in falsehoods with destiny hanging in the balance and time running out for forbidden affections to heal, or vengeance to destroy.

At some point, I plan on serializing it here on Substack. Maybe? I haven’t fully decided yet. The pressure might force me to finish it, which would be an inherent benefit, but it might also drive me nuts.

Can you share a little about your writing process with us? What does your day look like when you are writing? Do you have a particular space you prefer to be in while writing? 

Well, I recently had to leave my job, so I may get more writing time soon. However, I left it to homeschool my son, so maybe I’ll have even less time and energy than before. We’re going to have to see how it all goes. I often have to decide whether to work on my fiction or personal essays since I don’t have time to do both in a day, in between parenting a six-year-old and a ten-month-old (why is every other week a sleep regression?? And can we talk about teething? 😭). If I’m lucky, I can write for up to an hour at night or, if I get up early enough, a bit in the morning. I like having little writing rituals to signal to my brain it’s time to write, so for me that looks like lighting a candle and putting on the Medici soundtrack.

What risks have you taken with your writing that have paid off? 

Honestly, the scariest thing for me was sharing my writing publicly under my real name. I’d kept a number of regular blogs and I’ve published some fiction since middle school (does anyone remember fictionpress.com?), but always under a pseudonym. I’m a very private person and hated the idea of being known or seen, or God forbid, someone I know in real life finding my writing.

I did it initially only for Ren’s sake because one of his last wishes was for me to publish our anthology. I knew nothing about self-publishing, so I relied heavily on crowdfunding and getting early reviews from people we knew; and of course, I had to explain what had happened to our family to do that. It required a level of vulnerability I wasn’t used to showing, but in the process, I found it wasn’t as catastrophic as I anticipated for friends and family to read my writing. In fact, most of them told me it touched them deeply. Through that journey, I gained the courage to eventually start writing under my real name toward the end of 2022 and sharing it more widely. I grew in confidence.

It’s still terrifying. Whenever I hit publish, especially on a more personal piece, I swear my heart skips a few beats. I always schedule posts for when I’m still asleep so I can’t take it back or be there when it hits everyone’s inboxes. It makes it a little more manageable.

But it’s been worth it. The people who have reached out to me and told me how my writing helped them feel less alone have made it all worth it because they’re echoing the same desire I had when I felt alone all those years ago. And that’s what keeps me going and pushing past the fear each time, because I know what it’s like to think I’m the only one who feels out of place, or thinks a certain way. And in those moments, if only someone had told me, “You’re not crazy; I’ve felt like that too,” what a difference that would have made.

Who do you consider to be your literary influences? 

Until quite recently, I read classic literature almost exclusively. I think that has played into how I write, because I don’t seem to follow any of the rules writers are supposed to follow these days. That said, some of my biggest influences are Tolkien (surprise, surprise), Emily Brontë, and Susanna Clarke.

What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? 

Don’t be a perfectionist like me. Keep writing and don’t stop to edit. Get the draft out. I’ve heard from seasoned authors that it takes at least 3-5 books before you really know what kind of writer you are, so in the beginning, it’s important just to get it out. And another thing to remember is that every author gets stuck; it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, and it doesn’t necessarily mean your story isn’t working. It’s just a very normal part of the process. If you love it, keep going.

Where can people connect with you online? 

Nowadays, I’m only on Substack:

As a bonus for all of you, Tiffany has graciously provided a cover she and her husband sang as a birthday and welcome-home gift for Ren. Her brother played all the background instrumentals: 

Until next time…

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