Reading time: About 2 minutes
Writer Beni Xiao urges writers not to adopt the voice of previous generations, but to write so that current-day audiences can understand what they are saying.
Beni Xiao is an artist and author of Bad Egg (2017, Rahila’s Ghost Press). They are queer, trans, disabled, and Chinese. These identities provide a crucial context for their work. Beni lives in Vancouver, on the traditional and unceded territories of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish First Nations people. They are often asleep, but you can find them on the internet @verysmallbear.
I was excited to talk to Beni about how they approach writing.
Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
I have no self-discipline, so my writing practices are entirely vibes-based. I’ll spend anywhere from zero seconds to eight hours a day writing.
What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?
Experiencing emotions such as joy!
What interferes with your writing?
Life.
How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
See question 1: I don’t.
Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
Not a motto or saying but a belief that the following two statements coexist as a complementary and powerful duo: (1) most of what I say is a joke, and (2) I am deeply worth listening to.
Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?
I can get pretty sucked into research and lose total sight of my objectives. I overthink editing, so writing is the most enjoyable part because it’s fun and comes easily to me.
What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non-) in the last five years?
Celebrate Pride with Lockheed Martin by Jake Byrne.
What book are you reading right now?
I’m actually not reading any books at the moment, but I am in the middle of roughly 60 different manhwas [Korean comics or graphic novels] and man huas [Chinese comics) right now. I think everyone should read Omniscient Reader Viewpoint. I’ve previously read the web novel, and am now reading the official web comic. It’s fun, and it goes hard.
What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?
That good writing should sound like writing from centuries ago. I’m not discounting the importance of historical work; I’m referring to people who think “good” literature is about mimicry: why are you, in the year 2025, trying to speak to modern people in outdated tongues? It makes no sense. Don’t overthink it. You are alive now and writing for an audience that is alive now. Write in a way they understand.
