Most of us struggle to fulfill our dreams. Whether it is a small or big dream, it’s always easy to say that we’ll get round to it eventually and then one day, realise that we’re nowhere close to achieving them.
If you’re looking for some inspiration to get yourself moving towards your dream NOW, then you really need to meet Phedora Lynn, who goes by her pen name Nori Ryoko.
At only 22, she has gone out and done what quite a few people wish they would do. She’s gone ahead and self-published her very own book. Titled #ShittyPoetry, it is a collection of 40 selected poems that explores different topics.
Photo courtesy of Phedora Lynn
Phedora who’s currently studying human resources at IUMW shares that she took the self-publishing route because she found it difficult when looking for publishers in Malaysia who would accept poetry for submission.
Not wanting to just wait around and hope for a miracle to happen, she took things into her own hands.
It didn’t come without its challenges though. Like other authors looking to self-publish, she had money issues and even had a bit of trouble finding the right sort of paper to print on.
Photo courtesy of Phedora Lynn
Luckily, she didn’t have to do everything on her own. She had quite a bit of help and support from the people around her: her boyfriend (who is quite well-read and studies law) to be her editor and proofreader; her friends and her sister to offer constructive criticism.
When asked about what writing poetry has taught her about herself, she responds:
“I didn’t start writing until just recently, I started actively writing. As much as I write about love poems, life is not all about love. There’s a much more bigger focus rather than me just talking about love and loving this boy…”
She also mentions that, “It’s taught me that when you put your mind to something that you want to achieve, you can actually get it done.”
At first, she only printed out 30 copies to see what the reception would be like. She didn’t even tell her parents about this big project of hers! Later, she found out that people actually liked her book, and that’s when she got the courage to tell her parents that she had actually published a book. All by herself too!
She was hesitant at first but eventually showed them her work and they were unexpectedly accepting. She recounts,
“2 days after I told them, my dad bought cake and then we celebrated. Then, he told me that he used to write poems.”
Guess writing poetry runs in the family.
Photo courtesy of Phedora Lynn
If you’re a poet or writer looking to self-publish, Phedora has some advice…
“Make time for your dreams whether it’s 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins, etc. If you want something, persistence and commitment is key. What I do is set a timeline for when I should achieve something, cause it breaks tasks into tinnier bits. If I go past the timeline, I go back to the review board and get myself to produce immediately.”
And this is just the beginning for her, as she’s got bigger dreams in mind. At some point, she does hope to write a best-selling novel in the future and to publish another book of poetry in 3 years under an actual publisher.
Check out her awesome writing on WordPress and Instagram, which she updates regularly. If you want to show your support and get her book, you can get it at MPH outlets or Kinokuniya!
Also read: Meet the 24-year-old M’sian Filmmaker Who’s Worked on 100 Films in the US
