Writing lessons from a Hollywood actress

On creative toolboxes and embracing the outline with Lynn Chen

Maybe you’ve heard Lynn Chen’s voice on the Crazy Rich Asians audiobook.

Or seen her on TV shows like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy; movies like Saving Face; or any of the hundreds of commercials, cartoons, video games she’s been in. Yet despite dabbling in writing since she was a child, it wasn’t until 2018 when Lynn added two other professional credits to her already impressive IMDb resumé—director and writer.

I was curious about how Lynn seamlessly transitions between acting and content creation and filmmaking and newsletter writing (and those are just some of her roles off the top of my head). So she joined me on

The Write-Life Balance

to discuss:

• Going against audience feedback to keep a scene in her directorial debut—garnering praise from critics and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

• How she wrote a script in 5 days (and why this is the exception, not the norm).

• Healing an eating disorder by starting a food blog (now podcast) and subsequently, repairing the fractured relationship with her immigrant parents.

On Creative Toolboxes & Embracing the Outline with Lynn Chen

photo credit Helenna Santos

Note that the sound cuts out between 15:02 and 15:07 and was recorded pre WGA strike.

WRITE 👩🏽‍💻 (4:50)

Even though acting is Lynn’s day job, she also considers herself a filmmaker, content creator, host, and until recently, writer. Even though she found herself (unknowingly) plagiarizing Judy Blume novels as a child and excelling in college classes involving essay work, she shied away from professional writing because of her resistance to outlines.

It wasn’t until Lynn was directing I Will Make You Mine that she learned to get comfortable with rules and structure—going through multiple revisions of the script, generating feedback through test screens, translating that information into the final edits of the film, and sometimes, following her intuition over pleasing the audience.

So I’ve been challenging myself to create honestly and vulnerably, without fear of alienating my audience or saying the wrong thing or pissing off a brand that might not work with me.

LIFE 🏡 (36:31)

Lynn lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her husband and dog. She also considers herself a friend, a sister, and would like to think of herself as a good daughter. When she’s not writing or acting or creating content, she likes to eat good food, play video games, and travel. (At the time of this publication, she’s exploring Japan!)

BALANCE 🧘🏻‍♀️(43:13)

In the past, Lynn has tethered her happiness to certain projects—wanting to give up when nothing’s happening and believing that her career is over. But after a series of traumatizing events earlier this year, she’s realized that even though she enjoys her work, success is not everything.

If I can continue to tell my truth in whatever art form that comes to me, great…
but I must do it on my terms.

PARTING ADVICE 💭

For hobbyist writers with similar fears of outlines and structure, Lynn draws from her experiences in acting to point out that different types of directors have different methods of working; and that the only way to get over the dread of something difficult is to experiment with different habits and rituals.

Think of this less as, “I have to write” and more as,
“How do I build this creative toolbox?”

READING 📚

Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan, which Lynn finds especially fascinating (and infuriating) right now given the recent WGA strike. (Fingers crossed that SAG-AFTRA will finalize a deal soon!)

STREAMING ⏯️

Since discovering the Apple Classical Music app, Lynn is currently listening to a lot of classical music. She like to have it on in the background, going between letting the app show her what's popular/new and also looking up old pieces I am familiar with from her youth. Recent listen: Couperin: Leçons de ténèbres & Motets.

COOKING 👩‍🍳

Ever since the pandemic and getting diagnosed with celiac, Lynn’s big thrill is going to Trader Joe's to see whatever new frozen gluten-free option they have—then heating it up via microwave/air fryer and adding it to rice and veggies or lettuce. Otherwise, she’s mainly snacking, eating oatmeal, or eating out

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To follow Lynn’s journey, you can:

• Subscribe to one of her newsletters:

  • Gen x Taste: A beauty, fashion, and lifestyle newsletter for those who still don’t know what they want to be when they grow up (even if they’re over the age of 40).

  • TRYING SO HARD
    : A monthly newsletter where Lynn explore the ups/downs in her life as an actress, filmmaker, and human.

  • THE YELLOW PAGES
    : A weekly newsletter recommending Asian/Asian-American films, music, writing, and other inspiration.

• Watch I Will Make You Mine, now streaming everywhere.

• Visit her website to follow on your social media platform of choice.
  

Hope you enjoyed this episode,

Sophia :)

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P.S. In case you missed it, here’s last month’s interview with indie author and educator,

Nicci Kadilak

.