Mae Coyiuto blazes trail for PH-based authors
The 28-year-old is the first PH-based writer to have a YA title published by the world’s biggest publishing house.
New York or California. Blonde or auburn. Blue- or green-eyed. Fair-skinned.
For the longest time, Young Adult or YA literature fans read stories with these settings and had characters with said physical attributes, usually with four changing seasons as backdrop. For the longest time — from Sweet Valley High to Sweet Dreams — most novels had white cheerleaders and white jocks. Sure, some included people of color, but usually these characters are relegated to supporting roles, sometimes as the class clown, the protagonist’s funny best friend, or the batch nerd.
Recent years, thankfully, have given rise to more representation, especially in literature, with books written by authors from a wide range of ethnicities, with characters from a wide spectrum of skin colors filling the spaces of bookshelves the world over.
Authors of Filipino descent, particularly the younger ones, have also been steadily making a mark in the literary world, giving brown-skinned, snub-nosed characters a room to breathe on the printed page. We have Mia Manansala and her quirky crime/romance novels; Randy Ribay and his gripping Patron Saints of Nothing; Rin Chupeco and her fantastical worlds; Gail Villanueva and her inspiring coming-of-age stories.
Another young author, one that is based in good ol’ hot and humid Manila, is making a name for herself in the world of YA literature—Filipino-Chinese Mae Coyiuto.
A young kind with stories running through her head
Mae’s love for both reading and writing had been nurtured at a young age. She could trace back her earliest memory of writing to when she was about seven or eight years old. “I was a weird kid who was always in my own world walking in circles around our living room with a story running through my head. I liked doodling on scrap paper and creating my own comic strips or I would sneak into my mom’s work area and use her laptop to create stories from PowerPoint clip art,” she recounted in an interview with The Philippine STAR.
The 28-year-old writer shared that she grew up in a family of readers where, as the beloved bunso, she would be on the lookout for what her siblings were reading or watching. It was they who introduced her to stories she still considers her favorites to this day.
She cited her mom as a huge influence when it comes to her love for the written word. “My mom also majored in literature in college and always brought us to bookstores and encouraged me from the very first moment I showed interest in writing. Even when I preferred reading ‘Archie’ comics over her recommended Anne of Green Gables, my mom always allowed me to find the stories I’d love reading.”
Born and raised in the Philippines, Mae earned her BA in Psychology from Pomona College in California and her master’s degree in Writing for Young Adults/Children from The New School in New York. She is currently based in Manila.
The road to publication
Mae got published at a young age. She was only 16 when her first book, Flight to the Stars, a collection of stories about young adults, was published by Anvil Publishing Inc. In 2015, she released her first novel, The Year We Became Invincible, also through Anvil. The story follows the adventures of a young woman and her experiences with friendship and love.
This year, her second novel, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was published by Penguin Random House, a huge feat given that she is the first Philippine-based author to have a YA title published by what is the world’s biggest publishing company.
“I wrote Flight to the Stars when I was around 15/16 and Chloe and the Kaishao Boys in my early 20s. It’s funny how when I was in high school, I wanted to write older and feel more ‘literary.’ Now, I’ve fully embraced that I love kilig high school love stories—or maybe my brain’s maturity level is stuck when I was 17––who knows? Both were really different journeys, but I do think it’s cool how I’ve experienced having stories in my head get shared with other people,” Mae said when asked about her journey to being a published author.
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is a rom-com novel set not in New York, not in California, but in crazy, traffic-choked Manila. The protagonist Chloe Liang is a Filipino-Chinese teenager who knows exactly what it takes to be the perfect daughter—stay in Manila, study business management, and join the family company. But when she unexpectedly gets off the waitlist for USC, her dream of becoming an animator in the United States gets within reach.
“I first started writing Chloe and the Kaishao Boy because of an assignment during my first semester at the New School. Sarah Weeks, our professor at the time, gave us picture prompts and instructed us to write the beginning of a YA fantasy,” recounted Mae.
Describing herself as a “not-so-obedient” student, she submitted a chapter set in prom instead of a fantasy. “That chapter was actually the first time that I ever wrote anything that featured Chinese-Filipino characters living in Manila. Even though that was my own background, I always felt that identity was too niche and maybe ‘too different’ for a main character in a YA novel. But the experience of having it workshopped––and hearing my classmates engage with the story, gave such wonderful insight––inspired me to keep going with these characters.”
The self-confessed Beyoncé fangirl said that she started with the novel’s first draft back in September 2017 and the book was published March of this year.
Six years after that class, Mae finally got to share Chloe’s story with the rest of the world.
On Filipino writers being recognized on the global stage
“Filipino writers have always written and told great stories, and I’m so happy that international publishing is finally catching on,” Mae said when asked to share her thoughts on Filipinos being given the chance to be published by international publishing houses.
The former editor of PhilSTAR Lifestyle Section’s Young Star shared how when she was first pitching Chloe and the Kaishao Boys to people in the US, the timing “worked out so well” since that was the same year the movie adaptations of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Crazy Rich Asians came out.
“I think those two movies made a lot of people abroad realize that people want Asian stories. I remember feeling like I had to hurry because I was so worried this ‘diversity thing' was going to be a short trend,” Mae added.
“Thankfully, publishers have continued to take chances on Filipino stories and we have authors like Gail Villanueva, Caris Avendaño Cruz, Rin Chupeco, Erin Entrada Kelly. I know my book would’ve never been possible without the Filipino authors who came before me and paved the way.”
Tips for aspiring ya authors
The Philippines is teeming with talented writers. With the right opportunity and timing, more and more aspiring authors would have better chances of being published.
Despite her success, Mae is quite reluctant to give advice to budding writers who would like to follow in her footsteps, saying, “I never felt like an authority to give advice on this since I’ve been blessed with both timing and opportunities.” She has, nonetheless, shared a few tips that helped her in her journey toward being a published author.
First is to work on something you love. “I worked on ‘Chloe and the Kaishao Boys’ for so many years and read it so many times that there was a point that they just felt like words on my computer screen.” She thinks she couldn’t have lasted through the whole publication process and the rejections if she didn’t love the story and the characters.
Second is to sit with your revisions for a while before reacting. “Since I’m a very stubborn person, I always get defensive when I first get feedback. When my editor sent me long notes on how to change the story, my immediate reaction was to resist.” She shared that after she took a day to process and read through the notes she was able to accept that the changes would make the story better.
Mae’s third advice is to know your non-negotiables. She recalled how years ago, she heard back from an agent who said they liked her initial manuscript but wished it were set in the US instead of Manila. “I was honestly tempted and at that time, I think I would’ve done anything for representation. If you’re a writer who’s historically been underrepresented in this industry, I think it’s important to not lose sight of the heart and soul of your story in the chaos of deals and negotiations. It might take more time but finding the right advocates for your work is so, so worth it,” she shared.
Lastly, Mae emphasized how you “sadly can’t fix a story that hasn’t been written yet.” She admitted to “hate” writing first drafts, saying how she gets “stuck, confused, and so, so impatient.” “But sadly, nothing happens if you don’t get that first draft on the page. Keep writing, don’t worry if it’s messy, and your best writing is to come,” she advised with a smile.
Mae said that she is now working on something new but could not share much about it because it hasn’t been announced yet. “It’s still a YA novel set in Manila but starring different characters from the ones we’ve seen in “Chloe.”
***
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is available for P595 (trade paperback) in select National Book Store branches, online on www.nationalbookstore.com, and on their official stores on Lazada and Shopee.
