As you may know we will feature one ESL author every month with a special theme. For this September, we emphasize on Young Adult and New Adult genre and it is a pleasure to have such a hidden gem on Wattpad to join us this month - CShiauJing with her some of her NA stories today!

C is an ESL author with some of her undiscovered New Adult stories. Meanwhile English is her second language, C is also competent in Malay, Cantonese, Mandarin, Basic German. Such an amazing ESL user, so it is now we want to give her a little spotlight! Scroll down to read more about this talented author.

About her: Writing has always been my passion since I was young. I used to write my ideas on books and papers till I began typing them out. My favourite genre to write is fantasy, but I am continuously challenging myself to write other genres like romance. It was hard to form bubbly sentences when I started writing. However, with practice, time, application and support from multiple personals, I began to learn more, and it continuously helps me enhance my skills. Coffee is the beverage I choose to accompany my writing times. When I am not writing, I mostly listen to songs or music and do water colour paintings of sceneries of graphics.

About her New Adult stories:

1) The Devil's Love (NA) Ansel Ru, a college student who is still sorting her life out while indulging in an illegal group. Her life changes when she met Angelo, an angel in disguise who constantly stayed by her side. With her friends and Angelo around her, Ansel learns that there are more in the world that she has to learn more about trusts and promises, including the secrets that lived within her family.

2) An Angel's Playlist (NA) Cast down on Earth, Lithius is forced to live his life as Felix, a college student who faces difficulty in classes and his lover who is always missing. He is also tossed into a world where he is obliged to continue his day regardless of the worst situations. Lithius learnt the meaning of life through Felix's lifestyle that helps prepare him for his upcoming duties.

3) Kristal (NA) Harold Ye, a long-forgotten dancer decide to pursue his dream of dancing with the support and guide of his best friend, Tiberius. He learns to find and love himself along with the progress while becoming a tutor a junior dancer.

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What makes you start writing on Wattpad?

I found Wattpad during my journey in searching for a permanent platform to post my works. I needed a platform that allows two-way communication between readers and writers, and Wattpad was the best. Wattpad has features that allow writers and readers to interact chapter by chapter. I want to learn more to improve on my writing, so through the comments and feedback provided by my readers, I correct those mistakes and restructure my sentences into a better ones. Besides, it allows to me read the works of other authors and interact with them through the process.

What are the challenges you faced when writing in English?
One of the main challenges when writing in English is the repetition of words I would use in my stories. I felt unsatisfied with the idea of words being repeated multiple times as I read on, so I will search for the synonyms of words and learn from them. Through this process, I also learn new words that help me improve my vocabulary. 

In your opinion, how to brush up on English vocabulary and writing?
I would say reading and writing more. Practice writing is the best way to learn more vocabulary. I would note down the new vocabularies I have seen in a column on my phone or my book, then review them from time to time. Using these new vocabularies in my stories also helps a lot. When in doubt, always search for the meaning or ask.

When you write, how do you try to update? How do you stay motivated?
My readers and my continuous wave of imagination are the ones who motivate me to write. I feel the excitement rushing in me each time I have a new chapter imagined in my head, so I would draft them out and read it multiple times because updating it. When I received feedbacks, I always read through them and take note of those who point out places that I need to improve. Then, I would make sure that the upcoming chapters of my story are satisfying to read by ensuring that I do not repeat the same mistakes. I would say my ultimate motivation are my readers.

What do you like most about YA/NA genre?
YA/NA genres always give me the boost in living my life. I always dreamt of becoming the hero of the universe, and when I submerge myself into these genres, they gave me the comfort zone I needed. Stories in these genres are relatable, adaptable in our current lives and allow the idea of reminiscing the past. The portrayal of characters that struggle to find themselves, and love themselves along the process makes the read more enjoyable.

What are your most commonly used figures of speech? And why so?
Simile is most commonly used in my stories because it allows me to merge concepts openly, and compares the differences between what I imagine and what is real.

You joined ONC two times with NA stories, what inspire you to write these stories?
The biggest inspiration to writing these stories are the messages and quotes that I have learnt to live by over my years. I want to share a part of my story with the world, even if it is in fictional form. It gives me a way to express myself freely without the idea of being judged. It is also because I want to challenge myself and my abilities in writing a genre that resonates to the real world. My books always lean towards the fantasy genre, so the idea of wanting to incorporate reality and surreality helps me to complete these two stories.

Do you have any favorite YA/NA story? Wattpad one or published one?
My all-time favourite is The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien and The Maze Runner by James Dashner. On Wattpad, I do not have a favourite because I really enjoy reading all the stories written by the writers. They each have their specialities in weaving the stories perfectly based on their style and personalities.

Any favorite tv shows or movies?
There is an endless list to this. My favourite movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and my favourite TV shows are The Dark Materials, Siren and Shadowhunters.

What languages are you interested in learning after you master English?
This is a very hard question for me to answer. I always love exploring different languages. If I had to choose chronologically, it would be Thai, Greek, French and Spanish.

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She has written many stories and joined the ONC three years in a row. Her efforts on writing as an ESL writer should be given much spotlight on! Check out her stories on CShiauJing now! 

Do you have any ESL authors that you want us to check out? Comment below! More is coming!