Author Q&A with Susan L. Lin

Susan L. Lin is a Taiwanese American storyteller who hails from southeast Texas and holds an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. Her novella GOODBYE TO THE OCEAN won the 2022 Etchings Press novella prize, and her literary/visual art has appeared in nearly a hundred publications. She loves to dance. Her flash piece, Taco Bell Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire, appears in Issue #19.

Tell us about yourself.

I always struggle when asked to describe myself in only a few short sentences. People are so complex! Where to even begin? I guess the most important thing to know about me is that I love to dance. In my opinion, it’s the most instinctive creative activity. Rarely do I find myself overthinking when I improv or freestyle. Instead, I simply let the music guide my body. It’s liberating! It also motivates me to keep going when I’m having a rough time.

What unique or surprising detail can you tell us about the origin, revision process, and/or final version of your piece appearing in this issue?

It probably won’t surprise anyone to know that I originally wrote this piece for Taco Bell Quarterly. Literary rejections typically don’t bother me at all, but I’ll admit to being kind of crushed when my dream journal ultimately passed. I am, however, thrilled that the story eventually found a perfect home at The Good Life Review, another publication I’ve long admired.

In terms of process, I had the most fun writing the robot deterrent math question because I’ve always thought the word problems on algebra tests introduced the most ridiculous scenarios that no real person would ever find themselves in, so I relished putting my own humorous-but-heartbreaking spin on it. Drafting the entire piece was an endlessly entertaining adventure though. I love playing with hermit crab forms, and blending a customer service survey with a school exam felt very natural and satisfying.

What did you learn (about yourself or craft or life in general) through writing and revising it?

I wrote a lot of silly stories as a kid but stopped as I got older because I thought I wanted to be a “serious” writer. In grad school, I slowly began returning back to humor (or at least absurdity), but this is probably one of the most overtly comedic pieces I’ve written. I had such a blast remixing pop culture nostalgia within a post-apocalyptic landscape that I’m now writing a futuristic murder mystery comedy novel set inside the film industry.

What do you hope readers take from the piece?

I never write anything hoping to elicit a certain reaction or emotion. That’s not why I make art. And once something is published, I no longer have control over the response. But even though this piece is based on my own personal memories, experiences, and obsessions, I do hope that other people will find it relatable in some visceral way. Maybe it will make them nostalgic. Maybe it’ll make them laugh. Maybe it’ll make them sweat. Maybe it’ll make them hungry. Or sad. Or angry. Maybe even all those things at once? That’s up to the individual reader.

What fuels your desire to write (or engage in other creative outlets)? Or what have been the biggest influences in your writing?

I write (and create) for many reasons. My motivation differs depending on the project. On the most basic level, however, I’m most likely trying to externalize or immortalize a story, character, relationship, image, or mood. Some of my biggest influences are science, everyday objects, or other art forms. I’m as inspired by clocks, clouds, nightmares, and architecture, as I am by cinematography, choreography, fashion, and synth music. You can find structure in the most unexpected ingredients.

How do you make expression a part of your daily life? Or how do you find a balance between your writing and other responsibilities?

I have my laptop programmed to say, “It’s ## o’clock. Time for a dance break,” at the top of every hour. And then I take a dance break! I will dance to anything and everything. Different music genres help me access and express different emotions, so I never feel bored.

Summoning the mental energy required to write can unfortunately be more difficult, especially when I’m not feeling well. I try not to be too hard on myself if I don’t write regularly. My body knows its limits, so I’ve learned to listen to it. When I was younger, I used to get so upset when I didn’t live up to my own high expectations. I thought laziness must be to blame when the truth was I had unresolved trauma and an undiagnosed chronic illness. If there are words I absolutely must get on the page, I’m sure I’ll find a way to get them there. In the meantime, even when my pen is not physically moving, worlds are still being constructed inside my head. I know now that writing for the sake of filling a quota is not always a good use of my time.

What do you think when you hear, “the good life”?

To be honest, I’ve never put much thought into what other people meant when they said those words. In my youth, I didn’t really understand the phrase. But after surviving multiple health scares in the past five years, I’ve spent a lot of time pondering my mortality. I suppose for me “the good life” has become synonymous with life in general. The life I’ve lived. When you’re really going through it, so much of life feels terrible, but then you look back and realize how much the ugly parts shaped you as a human being and as an artist.

---

Thank you, Susan, for trusting us with your quirky flash piece (we are also TBQ fans, but glad it worked out the way it did)! We appreciate you being a part of our growing literary community and also for spending extra time with us on this Q&A. We wish you the best with writing, dancing, and whatever else strikes your fancy!