The Future is Fiction: Advice for the Next Wave of Hawaiian Writers

Here are some stats about publishing…

·      Rejection is far more common than acceptance with agents receiving between 5k-20k manuscripts every year

·      The odds of getting an agent is about 1 in 1000, as a general rule of thumb

·      It takes an average of 2+ years to go from signing a deal to getting your book on shelves

Considering these hard facts, it’s not surprising that Pacific Islanders make up an estimated 0.2% of all published authors across all genres—and that figure is only estimated. (Because of the way that data agregation works, we can’t be 100% sure on that number.)

The point in outlining these statistics isn’t to scare aspiring writers, but to make clear the kind of world they’re entering into. Publishing is not built for us, which is why we have to build something for ourselves.

When I started my journey to publication, I knew nothing. It was a confusing mess of where to start, what to do, and it felt like there was all this secret information that people understood, but didn’t talk about. This gatekeeping of the industry was incredibly disheartening—but then I met Pacific Islanders in Publishing. This group not only kept track of Pacific Islander books as they came out, creating a live directory of titles for easy browsing, but they also provided a resource for writers. Through their community I’ve been able to get vital questions answered, and I hope to continue that passing of knowledge through any means that I can.

You are more talented than you know, and together, we’re moving that needle forward.

“Publishing is not built for us, which is why we have to build something for ourselves.”

Q&A

1. How do you balance Hawaiian traditional culture with fictional elements?

I think it’s important to remember that when we’re writing fiction, we’re not writing a cultural guide. These aren’t how-to books. We’re telling stories, and storytelling is its own craft with its own purpose.

Ask yourself: What is the larger goal of this story? Why am I telling it? If you can answer those questions while aligning your work with your kuleana as a Kanaka writer to the larger lāhui, I think you’re heading in the right direction.

2. How do you incorporate Hawaiian cultural concepts into your writing?

Personally, I begin every story with an ʻōlelo noʻeau as its piko. That foundation influences everything else in the work, from the setting and characters to the magic system and themes.

Kealani mentioned on the panel that she uses a four-act structure instead of the traditional Western three-act structure, which I found especially inspiring because the number four is sacred in Hawaiian culture. There are also many other ways to weave Hawaiian perspectives into a story, whether that’s playing with time, experimenting with structure, or drawing inspiration from oral histories.

None of these are hard-and-fast rules. They’re simply different strategies to explore. No two writing processes are the same, so finding the approach that works for you is what matters most.

3. How do you deal with critique from within the Hawaiian community?

Writing is often sold as a solitary process—but I don’t actually believe that. Books are collective efforts. They’re shaped by writing communities: friends, family, critique partners, agents, editors, and so many others. Because of that, I think our communities should feel empowered to question our decisions early in the writing process, especially if they believe we’re approaching sacred knowledge or closed cultural practices in ways that may cross a line.

Personally, I’m drawn to writing about Hawaiian cultural concepts that I believe have been misunderstood or misrepresented by the broader world. I see fiction as an opportunity to challenge those false narratives and assert a deeper truth. At the same time, I think every Hawaiian writer needs to decide for themselves where their own boundaries lie and what they are and are not willing to write about.

Critique will happen regardless. There’s really no avoiding it as a storyteller. But I see critique, especially from the community we claim and that claims us, as an act of care. The intention in giving that critique is always improvement. Sometimes it comes too late to change the work that’s already out in the world, but it gives us the opportunity to do better in the next one. As a writer, I think that’s an incredible gift.

3. How do you choose an agent?

Build the writing community that surrounds you carefully. For example, are a lot of people out there who say that they are interested in “Diverse Stories” but I’d encourage you take that a step further. Check their client lists. See the kinds of books they’ve already helped to get published. Do their actions mirror their words? Agents are selective, but you should be just as selective, if not more. Develop an eye to seek out those who are pono when deciding who you want to work with so that you can find the right champion for your stories.