It was through Social Media that I could console others and be encouraged myself

2020.06.01

There is a writer that utilizes Social Media as a medium to empathize with followers. His writings are composed of delicate words, and are not lengthy with a spectacular storyline. They are just consoling and empathizing short sentences that warm the souls of people. Let’s take a deeper look at Heungeul, a sentimental writer on Social Media, blowing a new wind of poems with 300 thousand followers.

It is an honor to have you here. Could you please introduce yourself to all our subscribers?

Hi, hello. Nice to meet you. I am Heungeul (Cho Seong-Yong) never stops writing even in this moment. It is my honor to be meeting you all through this webzine.

We would like to talk about your book <I hugged myself as I would hug others (RH Korea)>. What is the topic of the book, and what made you write it? Can you tell us more about it?

<I hugged myself as I would hug others> talks about self-esteem from the broad perspective, while in detail it helps readers to find their true selves and love themselves. As the title implies, I had been prioritizing others’ feelings more than those of my own. And I realized that I was being too neglectful of how I was doing. This made me take up the pen; I wanted to tell readers that changing the way we live and how we think can actually make your life easier to an extent.

The first thing on my bucket list was “writing a book.”
To achieve this goal, I began posting writings on Social Media.

Do you have a special method of “hugging yourself”? And, if you could give a tip to readers on how to “hug themselves” in real life, what would it be?

My way of “hugging myself” is enjoying a dish I like at least once a week. It may sound trivial, but it was a refreshing point for me who was exhausted from living the days in this world. It actually reinvigorated my life. So, what I suggest readers is to take out a sheet of paper and write a list of things you like. For example, if you like autumn, then write “I like autumn,” and if you like the dawn, then write “I like the empty air of dawn.” Now, if you have filled out the list, post it to somewhere that can be easily seen, and try to do one thing you like once a week. It is never difficult but will be of great help to you. If there is anyone that wants to hug themselves, try this out. It will be good.

The major readership of <K-Book Trends> is overseas readers. As a writer with 300 thousand followers, have you ever tried to communicate with overseas followers? If you haven’t, what would you do to do so?

In fact, I haven’t had decent interactions with them. I would just leave a thank you message through direct message (DM) or leave comments to theirs. If I decide to properly interact with them, I would choose to advertise my writings through translation. I think I should think about a better way of doing it.

For <Do Not Fall (Kyunghyang BP)>, you published the first copies by yourself through a publishing platform. What motivated you to do self-publishing?

Well, first of all, I’ve had many dreams since I was young. As it was difficult to achieve every single one of those dreams, I made a bucket list to fulfill little bits of them. The first thing among them was “writing a book”, and this is why I began posting on Social Media. Many followers liked my posts, but as I did not know much about the book publishing procedure, I got to think of self-publishing.

You also wrote lyrics for <Walking in the Starlight (music by Lee Min-Hyuk)> and <The Night With You (music by Lee Min-Hyuk)>. What inspired you to write songs? Also, what do you think that lyrics and sentimental posts you upload have in common, and what would be their difference?

There was a songwriter that I personally really liked. We got close through Instagram, and one day I got offered to write a song. As I have been wanting to write lyrics and as a music lover, there was no reason to refuse it. I was so thankful for the offer. The difference between lyrics and Social Media would be the structure; you have unlimited space on Social Media to deliver a message, but in terms of lyrics, you have to reflect the intention and topic into a limited number of words. The thing they have in common is that they are both good media to express me.

If there is no-one reading my writing, it would not have existed in this world.

When I am reading your posts, I find myself empathizing with them without notice. I also feel like consoling and encouraging you and the readers. What made you upload such writings on Social Media? And, what is the reaction like from your subscribers?

As I mentioned earlier, I began writing on Social Media for my dream. To be more honest, I think I began uploading posts when I needed something that could divert my attention after I broke up with my girlfriend. I thought that Social Media was a good choice as I could disclose my feelings without limitation, and some people empathized with me. Nowadays, I have some readers constantly leaving comments on my works. “It helped me a lot today again. Thank you.” These comments may sound like nothing, but each and every word of it greatly supports me.

Many writers say that with time you lack a source for writing sentimental sentences. Is there a way that you find the source for your posts?

As people encounter multiple lovers in life, I feel less stressed about sources as I can take a different approach to them. I tend to think often about things. I worry about many things and have many concerns. When I scribble them on a notepad, they sometimes form sentences themselves. Yet, I get to write the best when I get sources from conversations.

Do you have plans for 2020? Could you please share with us your future plans and send a message to the readers?

I was actually thinking of finishing the manuscript early this year, have a long trip, and leave what I felt in letters, but due to COVID-19, I could not go on a trip. So I don’t have big plans at the moment. Writing new lyrics, thinking about my next book, and keeping fit would be it. It is a globally difficult time now, and I hope you all stay in good health. If there weren’t all the readers that read my writings, they would not have existed in this world. Thank you always for reading and loving my work, and I will keep on working up to your expectations.

* Instagram – @heungeul

Organized by Kim Moon-Soo