Let’s talk about Bold.
How would you define the word “Bold”? Fearless, confident and brave, striking, daring, audacious, beyond the usual boundaries, in bold.
“Bold” is a multifaceted word, just as everyone’s interpretation of “Bold” differs.
BBOLD, BE BOLD — Instead of us telling you how to Be Bold, let’s leave it to you to define.BBOLD has invited six women from diverse backgrounds to share their thoughts on Bold, starting from their own experiences.
The next one is Shum Cheuk Yi.
Writing fiction allows me to express myself freely, I can write about anything.
Shum Cheuk Yi
While everyone calls her Shum Cheuk Yi, the character name from her book, her online forum username boldly reads “Yu Yum Hotline”. Yes, she presents herself unabashedly. In alignment with her chosen theme, stories of moral decadence, she has a penchant for delving into the lives of marginalised groups and revealing the vulnerable aspects of human nature. “When two people bare their souls, it’s often the most honest moment.” Although sex is a commonplace element in male-female relationships, it’s not a subject everyone openly addresses. Shum magnifies these fragments of emotion. As she discovered her niche in writing, her work expanded beyond ‘sweet stories’ and evolved into a distinctive “Shum’s style”.
Engaging with Shum, you’ll sense an inherent spirit of rebellion. Planning meticulously isn’t her forte. While mainstream authors set their sights on ‘one book a year,’ she takes an unconventional path. “Transferring words to paper holds no meaning for me.” Her work, (almost) a love story, defies convention, from its choice of paper to its creative design. She places importance not just on the narrative but on the entire reading experience. Bolstered by an unexplainable courage, she printed a significant number of copies and set a relatively high price. You might not find her books on the shelves of chain bookstores, but those interested can procure them online. It’s been two years since her last work, and she has amassed ample material for another book, but she’s in no hurry. Instead of adhering to a set schedule for book releases (if she even has one), she savors her current state of being, constantly influenced and inspired by new experiences. Case in point, she has ventured into scriptwriting, an entirely uncharted territory for her, a realm she hasn’t been formally trained in or familiar with. She’s embarking on a fresh approach to her creative expression.
For Shen Zhuoyi, words serve as her conduit for emotional release. She harbours a profound desire to share, yearning to convey the emotions of this city and the sentiments of this young generation, and so, she writes. Even within scenes that involve intimate encounters, each one is unique. As long as there are readers, she’ll continue to write. Will she persist even if there comes a day when no one reads her work? According to Shen Zhuoyi’s disposition, she’ll cross that bridge when she gets there.
“Doing something uncertain, or something where you can’t predict the outcome, not caring whether it succeeds or fails, having no certainty, that, to me, is a delightful surprise.” This is how Shum defines “boldness” in her world.
