Novelist: Writing and Reading are Interconnected

Khmer Times/Va Sonyka

 

Wednesday, 06 January 2016

 

Novelist Kim Dyna received her third prize in short-story writing.Supplied

At just 25, Kim Dyna is a novelist who passionately believes that writing skills can be enhanced by reading regularly. Her interest in reading started in high school, and Ms. Dyna has now developed a reputation as a novelist on the rise gaining recognition from readers across the Kingdom. To date, she has published more than 20 short stories and novels. 

Reflecting on the origins of her literary ambitions, Ms. Dyna said that it all began when she read a novel by senior novelist Kong Bun Chhoeun. Later, her interest spurred her on to get involved in the organization of a number of social events related to reading and writing, such as the ‘Khmer Novel Reading Contest’ and ‘Cambodian Book Fair’. 

Although she regrets that she missed out on the benefit of formal training, Ms. Dyna said that she has continually improved her writing skills by reading numerous articles and novels. 

“I started writing novels when I was in grade 10 around 2008 and my first achievement was ‘Unplanned Love’ or ‘Besdong Eth Preng Tok’ in Khmer,” said Ms. Dyna. 

“The reason that I write is because I read a lot of novels and have created a reading habit. When I read what I love to read, it makes me want to read more and it isn’t boring. Also I don’t feel good with some storylines in novels I read, so I think that if I am a writer I will not write the story like that and I will create a story based on my imagination,” she added.

She said that for her, the title of writer conjures up images of fabulous people. A writer has the freedom to explore a world of imagination that she believes can lead to inner happiness, she said. 

“I think that they [writers] are very talented because they can write a story based on their imagination and can attract readers to feel what they write. Seeing the name of the writer that is printed on the book also makes me think that they are fabulous,” she said. 

As she writes more and more each day, Ms. Dyna has found that the process of writing can unlock many benefits. She believes that writing can release stress, raise issues that need discussion and can also serve as an outlet to share knowledge with readers. 

She says by getting involved in reading and writing, people can advance their education, knowledge, and self-awareness.

“Through writing, we can help preserve Khmer literature, culture and we can write on issues that reflect society. Sometimes we can also give advice through our thoughts or sometimes we can urge readers to think of solutions to a problem,” she said. 

Even though Cambodian readers of Khmer novels are small in number, there are a growing number of young novelists in the Kingdom who write their novels for free. Ms. Dyna feels that the amount of talented writers in Cambodia is still limited however. 

“When I organized a novel-reading contest in 2013, I asked many participants whether they like to read Khmer novels or not. Many of them responded that they don’t like to read these novels because most of them are quite similar to Thai dramas, and only focus on love [stories]. Sometimes they can predict the end as soon as they read the begining of the story, therefore they say reading a Khmer novel is such a waste of time,” she said. 

She added that because there are less fans of Khmer novels, many writers lack the motivation to write in their native language. 

To write a novel, Ms. Dyna explained that writers should conduct extensive research and use creativity to flesh out their ideas. She implored Khmer writers not to copy ideas and themes from foreign films or dramas, but rather come up with their own original stories. 

The young novelist said that in the meantime, in order for young authors to develop and improve their skills, the government or relevant institutions should sponsor and organize writing contests and other programs to encourage and promote novel-writing to more of the Kingdom’s readers and writers.