why I’m an editor.

If I’m being honest, the profession snuck up on me. In 2016, I first started editing and critiquing essays as a part of a course at the University of British Columbia. Giving and receiving constructive criticism was gruelling, but I gained strong writing and critical thinking skills—and, most importantly, a love for editing. I genuinely enjoyed helping other people present the best versions of their ideas, and I started editing my peers’ papers between course assignments and shifts at Whole Foods. It all snowballed from there.

a short history.

Here’s a summary of my experience and milestones so far:

what’s a bolpen?

“Bolpen” is the Philippine English word for “ballpoint pen”—my favourite tool for writing and drawing! My bolpen of choice is Pilot’s fine-point BP-S in black.

we need stories, messages and knowledge from underrepresented writers.

Growing up as a Filipino kid in Canada, I saw few positive repesentations of Asian people in Western media.

This is far from a unique experience. Scroll through posts in subtle asian traits on Facebook and at least a third of them start with the exact same sentiment. Diversify your search and you’ll find even more. “When I was a kid, I didn’t have any queer role models.” “I wish disability was better represented in books and movies.” “As an Asian Canadian, I wish I could tell my younger self . . .”

If that sounds familiar to you, and that’s the exact reason you write whatever you’re writing today—regardless of genre, medium or format, and regardless of whichever community you claim as your own—then you’re in the right place. We need diverse stories to help our communities flourish and grow. That’s why I made underrepresented writers the focus of Bolpen Book Help.