This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tse Hao Guang, a 38-year-old researcher and writer based in Singapore. It has been edited for length and clarity. I started a creative publishing project to spotlight emerging writers, with the goal of not losing money doing it. My journey in literature began when I was young, traveling to meet my dad's side of the family in suburban Canada during the holidays. There was nothing to do, and I'd beg my uncle to drive all the way to the library,