Wrapped up my first year as a fully freelance writer last week with my final writers' room of 2021 💖⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Still figuring out the not-so-glam parts of freelancing (how to not starve, burn out, let the capitalists gain from my trauma)...The hardest part has been navigating the voice that tells me that there can "only be one Chinese writer" on TV. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 'Cause the industry has a tick box mentality when it comes to commissioning POC writers, that turns people who should be championing each other against each other. Recently I realised I had absorbed this mindset (I’M NOT PERFECT LOL). Wasn't sure whether I should share but I am, in case it's useful for fellow EA artists who follow me...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I'm proud of my culture. TRUST, when I get a show greenlit the 'Chineseness' of it will smack you in the face. But this year I've had MANY meetings where producers/broadcasters suggest they're looking for for a 'Chinese' story. 'Chinese' is not a story. Feel free to challenge me but I feel like it's similar to how 'Black' or 'LGBTQIA' as categories on Netflix can be othering. These categories help me find stuff to watch, but what would be better is if these amazing stories were seen as 'stories' in their own right. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It feels like the industry are looking for a very specific type of show; have a limited view of the 'sort' of story they want us to tell. Their way of thinking can seep into ours and subconsciously encourage us to write stuff that feels safe. But if those stories are the ones that get made then we aren't truly pushing the boundaries of representation: we are writing through their eyes; and rewriting stereotypes that will continue to limit us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My 2022 resolution is to constantly remind myself and others: I'm not writing 'Chinese' stories. I'm writing AWESOME stories that ft. awesome Chinese protagonists. I hope you all stay safe this Xmas! But whatever you do, DON'T PLAY IT SAFE IN THE NEW YEAR 🙌