An intimate conversation with 'I Decided to Live as Me' author Soo-Hyun Kim

South Korean culture has captured the world's attention with its music and entertainment shows, and gradually, we are discovering the hidden gems of South Korean literary works. Thanks to the hard work of different publication companies, these books are now accessible to different cultures and languages.

One of the South Korean writers who is carving her name in the international literary scene is Soo-Hyun Kim, the author of the best-selling self-help book “I Decided to Live as Me.” Soo-Hyun Kim recently visited the Philippines for the first time, thanks to the local publishing house APop.

During her book signing event with Fully Booked, Manila Bulletin Lifestyle took the opportunity to get to know the writer who touched thousands of lives through her relatable books, made more digestible with her compelling illustrations.     
        
Please share with us the story behind your name (She has the same name as superstar Kim Soo-hyun of “My Love from the Star” and “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”).
Most Korean names are composed of Chinese characters. The ‘Soo’ in my name means ‘excellent’ and ‘Hyun’ means ‘to appear.’ Thus, my name means ‘excellence appears.’ I actually thought about using a pen name because there’s a really popular drama writer in Korea with the same name. But I couldn’t think of another name to use, so I just used my real name.

What inspired you to become a writer?
It’s actually life itself that inspired me to write. In my experience, being a writer felt like it happened naturally. Of course, I also thought about my life path when I was younger, and I did have doubts about becoming a writer. But I ‘just’ had this certainty that I should write. I wanted to express my thoughts, and I believed that it would help someone. The moment I decided “I shall become a writer” was full of uncertainty. Still, I felt like I had finally arrived on the path that’s made for me. The biggest inspiration came from my heart, from my intuition.    

Who are the writers who influenced you, and in what ways?
When it comes to books, so far, I don’t think there’s a writer who influenced me directly. But these days, I think the works of the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung influence me. In my next book, I want to write about his thoughts in an easily understandable way. When I was younger, I also really enjoyed reading books like “Anne of Green Gables” and “Daddy Long Legs.” After publishing my next book, I want to try writing a piece with a girl as the main character.

How did you find your style or color as a writer? When did you decide that this is the genre you want to focus on?
I found my style while thinking, ‘How can I make my readers enjoy reading my book?’ That’s also the reason why I used illustrations. The thoughts and emotions from my observation of people’s daily lives were the main topics of my books. I just naturally got to write an essay. But I also want to try writing in another genre. My focus is not on the genre of ‘essay,’ but more on ‘which genre to write so my message reaches the readers well.’        

What is the most challenging part of being a writer? Why?
This profession is full of freedom. Since I’m also not the type of person who’s strictly following a routine, I find it most challenging to keep myself hard-working. I want to do my best in writing and show my readers a good book. But when I couldn’t do it, I think I also encountered a sense of shame.    

        
What's your favorite part of being a writer?
Even if I already have 100 billion won, I would still be a writer. I really love this job. But the best part of being a writer is being of help to someone. I think it’s a great thing to share consolation and support through my books, even without meeting my readers personally.

Your books have been translated into several languages. How do you make sure that this will be translated well?
I can’t personally check each translation. I believe that my translators did their best in translating the books and that the translations were done well. And when international readers also send me positive reviews after reading my books, I think, ‘Indeed, it was translated well!’

How does the process of working with a Filipino publication company differ from other foreign countries?
Actually, literary agents work as a middleman when it comes to publishing overseas. So I think the work process is more or less no different. More than the differences between countries, I think each publishing company has distinct characteristics. APop book is young, active, and willing to try new challenges. As I finally met the people behind this team, I thought it was a ‘great publishing house of great people.’    

As a best-selling author, is there pressure for you to hit the same perception from people every time you write a new book?
For sure, there's pressure. But I think that I can’t please everyone anyway. I just simply do my best. I always think of the phrase, “Man proposes God disposes” – human beings do all that they can, and wait for the will of heaven. I simply want to write better books. I believe that’s my part.
                    
Can you give three tips to every aspiring writer? 
First of all, read a lot, write a lot, and experience many things. And think on your own. In this process, you have to look for ‘originality,’ for your own message.

Secondly, love your readers. Show your love to readers and try to give them something good. Only by doing that your readers will also love you back.

Lastly, enjoy writing. Although most writers start writing because of their love of creation, I think they forget this fact once pressure sets in. Please go back to that initial feeling of love. You can do your best when you love what you’re doing. And then you will also become happy. Don’t forget that your own happiness matters too.