Why I Wrote White Pearl and I

Welcome to my new blog, and thank you for visiting! My name is Svetlana Kim, or ‘Lana’ for short, and I look forward to sharing more with you through my blog. I have recently published my first book, White Pearl and I, and it is with great enthusiasm that I begin this dialogue with you, my readers, about who I am, where I came from, and how I came to write this book.

Many people that I meet ask me that question: “How did you come to write this book?” The answer to that question belies another question, and another, until you find you are wandering down the very path that I took when I wrote White Pearl and I. I wrote this book because, to put it simply, I simply had to. Life is full of many turns, and we have many choices given to us. In my case, the odds were against me. But as my loving babushka, my beloved Grandmother, White Pearl, used to say, “doing nothing is a risk.” A dramatic statement, that, and a tidbit of her wisdom on which I’ve come to rely. Her spirit guided me through all my journeys, near and far, and continues to do so, even now.

And so, dear readers, I will come to share with you the why, my story and where it led me; the writing process itself: creative and artistic methods I employ to actually write, including what kept me going daily! Small stories about my inspiration, finding my voice, and keeping it strong. And of course, the how.. the business of writing itself. In a competitive environment, how did I accomplish the very feat of getting a book published, against so many odds?

I will share all of that, and more. Come with me as we journey through the tales of my writing, the tales of my grandmother, the trials and tribulations I encountered along the way. Through this blog, you will begin to understand the Journey Behind the Book. I welcome your comments, and look forward to an ongoing dialogue.

Come back often, as I will update the blog regularly. Don’t forget to bookmark this page!

– Lana