Write to Transform Readers: Author Interview with R.F. Wong

What inspired you to write that first novel? How long did it take to write? How many revisions did you do?
I’m a biochemist by training. In my career, I’ve published 120+ scientific papers and books. After I shut down my lab in 2019, I no longer had data to write about. I missed writing so much that I switched to creative writing. My husband is a retired pastor. During his last sabbatical a few years ago, we worked as volunteers at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem for about two months. I decided to incorporate my experiences there into my first novel, Love at the Garden Tomb. It took me three months to complete the first draft and another three months to revise it.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 
When I submitted my first two chapters to a critique group, one comment was: “Well written but devoid of emotion. It reads like a clinical report.” Since then, I bought The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression and have worked hard to improve my writing style. Nowadays, my critique group says my submissions make them cry. 

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I’m married to my wonderful husband, a retired pastor who encourages me to pursue my dreams. We served together at three different churches from 1987 to 2020.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Just like “Location! Location! Location!” in real estate, “Emotions! Emotions! Emotions!” is the key to creative writing. If my story can’t connect with readers at a deep emotional level, then I’ve failed as a writer.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Develop your own voice.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Don’t write only to entertain. Write to transform people.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
So far, I’ve completed five books. The two fiction ones are Love at the Garden Tomb and The Way We Forgive. I've also written a non-fiction book entitled, Are Your Health and Finances Linked.

 

Later this year I will be releasing a two-book family saga. The first book is called Blazing China, and its sequel, Detour to Agape.

Here's a blurb for Blazing China:

What do ordinary Christians do when their belief is under siege and they face conflicts within?
Identical twin sisters, Ann-Ann and May-May, their mother, Leesan, and grandmother, Su-Ann, journey through the Cultural Revolution in China. They and their friends, Duan and Yao, hold on to their Christian faith under tremendous pressure. As the persecution intensifies, Red Guards murder Yao’s father because of his Christian faith, and the survivors are scattered in different directions like dust in the blasting wind. From Beijing to Inner Mongolia, from Hong Kong to California, hardship and the clash between different ideologies challenge them into serious reflections on life, love, and loyalty.
Should they choose survival over God?

Blurb for Detour to Agape:
A self-made business executive with everything except a trophy wife. A thirty-one-year-old woman with her life falling apart. A shared past they can’t forget and a future they fear.
Years earlier, Yao and Ann-Ann dated and broke up over a bitter fight. Now they are both Christians and attend the same church, but Ann-Ann steers clear of Yao. Yao is dating a lovely girl with all the right connections to expand his conglomerate. The problem? He doesn’t love her. Meanwhile, Ann-Ann’s fiancé learned about her wild past and called off their wedding, and she is jobless after her company’s bankruptcy.
News reaches them that their friends who work in Turkey vanish. Thrown together on a trip to Egypt, the Holy Land, and beyond, Ann-Ann and Yao share their innermost thoughts about their troubled pasts. With so much in common, their old flame reignites. Yet in Istanbul, human traffickers kidnap Yao and demand a ransom of one million dollars. Can Ann-Ann work with others in the tour group to free Yao and solve the mystery of their friends’ disappearance? Will they find their way back to each other’s hearts?

Lastly, what links would you like to be added at the end?
Her Blog:https://ruthforchrist.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ruth.wuwong
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWuwong
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-wu-wong/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthwuwong/
Fiction books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R-F-Whong/author/B0B3TXBKWP
Non-fiction on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5JXFYY

Take a few minutes to read Ruth's blog  and check out the freebies she's offering. https://ruthforchrist.com/blog-free-gifts-books/