Scoring a perfect 10

> Author Lydia Teh reveals the secret of how she manages to be a published writer in her latest effort, How I Wrote Ten Books

How to Maximise your Chances of Winning Competitions, was published in 2001. It did not sell well, but it was a start.

It was her Honk! If You’re Malaysian book, published in 2007, that put her on the bestselling list.

When asked if she ever wanted to try her hand at fiction, Teh said she would have loved to but it was not her cup of tea.

As to the most valuable lesson she wishes to impart to her readers in How I Wrote Ten Books, Teh said: “I think my book will appeal to those who want to write. Those people who want to see the actual journey of a writer.”

Teh said when she started to write, she read up on plenty of books and articles on how to write. “I didn’t have any mentor. I learned everything through trial and error.”

Teh is a big fan of author Amy Tan ( Joy Luck Club) and local writer Adibah Amin who had a column in a local newspaper Teh used to enjoy reading in her teens.

“In fact, Adibah wrote the foreword for my book, Honk If You’re Malaysian. That is my best-selling book to date.”

Teh had written different types of books throughout her literary career, including her own columns.

“When you write a column, it keeps you on your toes,” she said. “You can’t write unless the inspiration hits you. You really need to have the discipline, sit down and give yourself a deadline.”

Teh applied the same principle to all the books she has written.

Even after 10 books, Teh doesn’t see herself as having arrived as a writer. She still wants to write more books as well as try her hand at writing fiction.

“Writing is a passion for me,” says the mother of four.

Her next plan is to compile all the articles that she’s written for theSun’s Family Ties column, as well as the more devotional type of articles she had previously written for her church bulletin.