Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dan Bi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dan, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
My biggest writer’s block came from my novel. Five years ago, I drafted the outline, including the relationship between the characters and their endings; I was also very happy to witness that those characters in my writing had come to life little by little and accompanied me forward.
But two years later, the problem appeared – all the characters said to me: “The path you arranged is not for me.” And no matter how I wrote, it was not right. I spent a long time negotiating with them, since changing the blueprint would be so frustrating. But later I gave in – because they should follow their own wishes, not my control. Then I put it aside for two years, quietly observing their respective directions. And when I finally finished the novel, I even discovered something from their choices that I had never realized in my real life.
This sounds like it has nothing to do with the question. But what I want to say is: if you encounter writer’s block, try to listen, watch, and respect. If you are sincere enough in your writing, the story itself can breathe. Give it all the freedom and love, then let it grow – it has its own vitality to break through the blocks beyond your ability.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve loved reading and making up stories since I was a kid, and I felt so happy whenever I was immersed in the world in my head. So I got into the film academy, and chose to be a development supervisor in a Film & TV studio, writing coverage and notes for scripts. But after working for five years, I realized that I was far from satisfied with just assisting other people’s works. So I wrote my first original musical libretto, and then came to study at the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU.
After graduating in May of this year, I have been ready to officially re-enter the industry as a creative writer. I write about musicals, movies, dramas, novels, articles, and any other text-related content. I just finished my full-length occult vampire musical FANGS!!, which tells the story that the heroine Alice, who is betrayed by her fiancé Arthur and accepts the “help” from the vampire ancestor Lilith, tries to punish bad guys in her own way, build a better world, and fight the NYPD.
What I feel most excited about in writing is connecting with people. As a woman and an international artist, in FANGS!!, I explore with the audience about how to deal with the boundaries in intimate relationships, between desire and reason, and between good and evil. I’m also looking forward to the audience giving me something that I don’t realize myself. So if you are interested in this story, or my writing style, feel free to reach out to me! I look forward to going further with you.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First, honesty. I’m not talking about something on a moral level – I’m talking about the connection between people and their true selves. Skills can be trained, but what ultimately determines is what kind of core you convey through the skills. The essence of creation is a communication across time and space – the creator puts part of his soul into a container and radiates it into the world, while the audience picks up that container and tries to resonate with his own soul (I sound a bit like Voldemort lol.) If you are not honest enough, you are selling fakes. But yes, honesty also requires deep self-awareness.
Second, trust. Writing is a very risky thing because its feedback is not immediate and direct. When you choose to deliver a piece of your own emotions, you must face the possibility that you might never get a response. If a person does not have a solid trust in himself and the world, escape is an easy option. But when you choose to write, it means that you are saying: “I always believe that there are souls similar to me in the world, waiting to receive my signals. Even if there is only one, or even after my death, there must be one. Therefore, I will not stop. I must write.”
Third, love. I hesitated for a while between the two words love and respect, and finally felt that true love must lead to respect, so I chose the former. I am not only saying loving the profession, but saying that you must love the world you create. I don’t have children at present, but I conceive my characters in the process of writing. From that, I learned what it means that I don’t control you, and I just stand here, loving you. Writing, similar to a child, like a mirror, reflects ourselves. And growing up with our own works and career is the luckiest thing for people who choose the profession of writers or artists.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
In addition to my parents and best friends, I would like to write about the chair of our department at NYU, Robert Lee.
Robert is a wise and powerful person. When tutoring my thesis musical, he could always understand what I wrote, and even what I didn’t realize I wanted to write. He also pointed out the issues which I might not see clearly when I was stuck on in my life, in an empathy way. When I was full of anxiety about the future, he told me, “Don’t try to control your life.” I said: “But I feel insecure”. He said: “No one in our industry feels secure. Me too. But the more we do now, the more possibilities we will have in the future.” In our communication, I never felt being treated as a young wayward student – he treated me as an equal soul.
In the conversation that impressed me the most and changed my life:
He: Actually, you are very daring in your writing, since you never try to hide the dark side in your humanity.
I: Me? I don’t think so. I’m not confident. I just write what I want, honestly, I’m scared.
He: You feel scared, but you still only write what you really believe. Actually you are not afraid of no one liking you, and this is your confidence in yourself and the world. Deep in your soul, you are daring and honest, which is important in art.
I: But isn’t that what artists are supposed to do? If we also disguise ourselves in our pieces, why do we choose to be artists?
He: Yes. Precisely because that’s what artists are supposed to do, but many of them fail to do, then you understand why you have to be an artist, and a writer, in this world.
When I am typing this, I still can’t hold back my tears. Since that moment, I’ve been no longer afraid to call myself – “writer”.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: dan.bi.0118
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danbi0118
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