Cat Dellosa is the author of The Summer of Letting Go, For the Win, and many other books. Her contemporary works are famous for their ability to draw tears of both laughter and deep emotion from her readers. Ex Libris Philippines interviewed her about her biggest literary influences.

You started out as a games journalist before getting into writing. Can you tell us more about your path from video games to author?

I’ve actually been writing since I was eight LOL! Or at least, I told myself I was a writer at eight. I stapled pieces of paper together to make my own “book” and never looked back.

On a more “professional” note, I’ve been indie publishing since 2017. But if you mean traditionally published, then yes, I was a games journalist first before becoming a traditionally published author. I’ve always been an avid gamer ever since I was a teeny tiny kid, even back during the MS-DOS days. So landing a job combining both my love for writing and my love for video games is a dream come true – one that I hope never to wake up from. Imagine writing news, features, guides, and reviews on video games on a daily basis, and scoring freebies to boot – I do mean it when I say I love my job!

In your two most recent works, the computer game Mitolohiya features quite prominently. Can you tell us more about the game, and whether there’s a possible future that it becomes a reality? (Also, would you be on Team Aswang or Team Diwata?)

Mitolohiya is very much inspired by StarCraft, a classic RTS or real-time strategy game from game dev giant Blizzard Entertainment. I was obsessed with that game way back when, so Mitolohiya is basically a wish I’ve sent out into the universe that someone would actually make a strategy game based on Filipino mythological creatures. I wish I could do a collab with a company to make it a reality, though – maybe I need to level up my wish-making skills…

Oh, and I’m on Team Aswang 100%! It’s based on the Zerg faction in StarCraft, which is my absolute favourite class to play. As I referenced in ‘For The Win,’ the Zerg are feral beasts that can overwhelm opponents by their sheer numbers – plus the creatures look hella cool too!

What criteria do you have for yourself, when writing a novel? Are there any standards or do you have a checklist for yourself, before submitting it for publication? Likewise, do these same standards apply for when you choose to buy or read a book written by someone else?

I don’t really have specific criteria for writing a novel – it just has to be something I’m very interested in, or a character’s voice in my head nagging me to write. As for whipping a manuscript into shape, I need to make sure I go through several passes after the first draft to check for repetitive words, stronger verbs, loopholes, and word count among others (I often fall short of the required word count – it’s so hard for me to prolong stories!). 

I also make sure I take month-long breaks between passes to keep my mind fresh, and then, of course, rely on peers to help shape the story via beta reader feedback, etc. It really does take a village, and you have to return the favour in whatever way you’re capable of to keep the community going. An author’s support group peeps are the real heroes here – because despite all the ups and downs in a writer’s solitary journey, your support group is what will make you believe that life’s somehow going to be okay. Shoutout to my RomanceClass and Penguin SEA fam!

For publication, it’s always worth checking the requirements for a particular publisher – it might seem like such a mundane thing to do, but it can spell the difference between acceptance and rejection. It’s important to do tons of research depending on each publisher – there’s really no way around it.

As a reader though, my mind flips completely. I do get attracted by the cover first before the back cover blurb, but it’s the reviews/recommendations that make the final decision for me.

Tell us how your interest in literature developed. Which books and authors have had the biggest impact on you?

Like a lot of authors my age, Sweet Valley was a huge influence when I was a young reader, even though I couldn’t relate to the Western experiences in the book. Representation is extremely important, which is why I’m so glad we get more and more #ownvoices stories out in the world now. 

In my teenage years, I was also very much into fanfiction – anime, Harry Potter, comic books, you name it. That was a safe space where I felt I was free to experiment with my writing and learn about my own styles/voice/preferences along the way. Writing fanfiction is such a liberating experience!

That said, when I was a younger and more inexperienced writer, I thought I had to read and write highbrow books and literary works just so people would take me seriously. I would force myself to stay away from commercial fiction and just stick to the “classics” because it looked cool from the outside, but deep down, I wasn’t having any fun at all. I learned that the best way to write your best is just to enjoy what you’re reading and what you’re writing – you don’t have to be anyone else but your best self! Don’t let any condescending naysayers tell you any different. 

There are those who say that writing is one of the most endangered jobs because of the rise of AI. What are your thoughts?

I do agree completely, but at least for the moment, AI-generated writing still lacks that particular flavour, that special oomph, that gives colour to creative fiction. Every author has his or her own style and voice that’s a product of a lifetime of experiences as a human being, and it’s hard for something that collates information and combines it into one monolithic thing to be able to capture those nuances.

The real question is how long it’ll take AI to get to that point, of course – it’s unfortunately only a matter of time.

What do you think Filipino writers bring to contemporary lit written in English, that is different from other Penguin SEA authors from other nations?

The English language is very much second nature to us Filipinos most of the time, so both Filipino authors and readers, I believe, can wield that knowledge with flair when needed. The sense of family is incredibly strong as well, fused into the local scenery and made more vibrant with the experiences we’ve had along the way. The chaos that is life in crowded train stations, a sidestreet snack shared with a friend in the sweltering summer heat, the memory of a smile that’s just out of reach when night falls.

We all have very specific and equally colourful flavours that we bring to the table though, so I wouldn’t say we’re all that different from our neighbours in the region. We’re all yearning for that often-overlooked representation when it comes to contemporary lit – and that hunger to be heard is, I believe, what makes SEA stories brighter, bolder, and more beautiful.

Would you agree that, more often than not, your protagonists are around college age? Why is that?

Haha, you got me! I’m very much eager to write about older teens in the YA category. I just feel like they’re old enough to make their own decisions but still young enough to feel lost and insecure. They’re still trying to find their place in this world, whether it’s about friendship and love or about saving the world in their own way – and that always makes for interesting stories to tell. Besides, we’ve all been through that once before, so it certainly ups the relatability for both teens and adults alike.

And again, write what you want to write! It’s the only way you can craft tales you’ll actually want to read when it’s done. It’s also the best way to conjure up characters who, despite going through the wringer, will be somebody you’ll want to root for. 

Which of your books do you relate to the most, and why?

‘For The Win’ might be told from the POV of a boy, but that’s actually the story I relate to the most because I poured out my full gaming geekiness on that one, so much so that I had to tone down the geekiness a few notches based on beta reader feedback, haha. It was just an incredibly fun story to write despite the heartbreak of unrequited love.

Plus, I was told once that the book was too Filipino and would be a difficult sell, so it gives me great pride that I was able to let it out into the world and that the oddball of a story is actually resonating with some people, even if just a few. Again, representation matters so darn much – and if I can make even the tiniest connection with anyone out there, then it would be well worth the effort.

(Image from Penguin SEA)

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Catherine Dellosa will be at SM Podium this Saturday for a book talk along with fellow Penguin SEA author Claire Betita. Their books are available for purchase in National Bookstore and Fully Booked.