Name: Jaewon Yoo
Age: 19
University: New York University Abu Dhabi
Nationality: South Korea
TEMPO: Who is Jaewon Yoo?
Jaewon: A traveller, a writer, a singer, and an athlete
TEMPO: How and when did you first learn of your love and passion for writing? How long have you been writing stories?
Jaewon: I have years of experience with essays and articles, but I have never written fiction before. “Eternal Separation” is my first fictional piece.
TEMPO: How were you able to come up with your piece? What inspired you to write it?
Jaewon: Last year, while reading a book about quantum mechanics, I came across the information that a pair of photons created by a union of an electron and an anti-electron moves and disappears in the same manner and direction, no matter how far apart the photons are from each other. I was very intrigued by this phenomenon, and was inspired to personify this pair of photons and write about their relationship.
TEMPO: Name top 5 traits that each aspiring writer should have.
Jaewon: Confidence, patience, creativity, time management, and diligence
TEMPO: For sure you have experienced what they call a “writing slump” where you get stuck for hours, not knowing how to continue… how did you manage to overcome this situation? What tips could you provide to get over that phase?
Jaewon: I overcome a writing slump by taking a break to do things that I enjoy but do not require much thinking, like singing and playing sports. Sometimes it is better to get your mind off of the work, because otherwise the pressure will continue to stress you out. After a while, a sparkling idea will naturally come to you.
TEMPO: Which writers inspire you and why?
Jaewon: I have loved reading detective/mystery stories ever since I was a little girl. My favorite mystery writer is Agatha Christie. I love her simply because her plots are original and brilliant, and weaved in such a clever way that every time I read them, I gasp at her genius. I would like to try writing a mystery piece in the near future.
TEMPO: Describe a normal day in the life of Jaewon Yoo.
Jaewon: I am a normal university student, so my life isn’t really that interesting. I go to classes, get work done, and spend the rest of the day doing what I want. Sometimes I cook Korean food for friends, so that usually takes about an hour. I go swimming or play in the volleyball team. I like discovering new music and listening to songs that are pleasant to my ears. At night, I am usually in the library, reading and writing for classes.
TEMPO: How can people get in touch with you? Any websites and/or social media platforms you’re into?
Jaewon: I use Facebook, so you can search me by my email (yjw5790@gmail.com) or my name, or you can just send an e-mail to my university account, which is jy1899@nyu.edu.
TEMPO: Finally, what’s your message to aspiring writers out there?
Jaewon: I am a novice myself, so I don’t have that much experience or insight, but all I can say is that the more you write, the better you get. I feel like many people around me are afraid of writing because they don’t consider themselves as “writers”. But your skills and imagination will be stationary unless you go through trial and error and discover your own interest and style of writing. An advice I would give is to just write.
Check out Jaewon’s winning entry: “Eternal Separation”
