iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

“My favorite teacher made me feel…” Seen. My fourth grade teacher-turned-pen pal believed in my writing. I still have Mrs. Vermilyea’s letters; her son kindly returned some of mine after her death in 2009. Thanks for the chance to remember Mrs. V, @womansworldmag.bsky.social!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

In the age of AI that tends to gloss over the creative process in favor of output, the @lucasmuseum.bsky.social (opens Sept. 22) honors the behind-the-scenes work of storytellers across mediums. Of course you’ll see the Cinema exhibition, but don’t skip the Comics and Norman Rockwell rooms!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

The week on Martha’s Vineyard flew by way too quickly. Thank you to the donors who made the Poet & Author Fellowship possible for writers like me. Honored to be part of the MVICW community that’s truly collaborative, not competitive.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

More than 20 writers had us laughing (and crying) with their readings at #MVICW2026 Summer Writers’ Conference. Gotta bring some Kleenex for Part II tomorrow night.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Grateful for today’s gift of unstructured time. After a leisurely morning, I wrote for two hours before exploring Oak Bluffs. Ready to dive back into MVICW classes tomorrow! #memoirwriting #creativewriting #writersconference

A writer sits on a garden patio with a laptop and cup of tea

The sand on a beach in Oak Bluffs, Mass., is etched with “MVICW Day 3”

A writer stands in the water at an Oak Bluffs beach

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Day 2 at MVICW covered some heavy topics. Lots to think about as we head into Day 3, which is a free day to explore Martha’s Vineyard (or write). #memoirwriting #creativewriting #MVICW2026

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Day 1 at #MVICW2026 helped me rediscover the joyful parts of writing through both solo and collaborative sprints. Ready for Day 2! #memoirwriting

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Flight delays and ferry cancellations couldn’t keep me from the opening reception of MVICW’s Summer Writers’ Conference. Ready for Day 1 of classes! #memoirwriting #writersconference

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Spring cleaning uncovered this folder of short stories. I can’t help but laugh at my proclamation: “I, Amy Y. Chen, have an ambition of becoming a writer. At age 11, I realize it may not come true. But I still hope.” With my memoir DON’T TELL MA on submission again, I still hope. #memoirwriting

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Grateful to the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing for supporting my work with a Poet & Author Fellowship! I loved attending my first writing residency last summer. MVICW will be my first writers’ conference—any tips for a newbie? #writing #memoirwriting #writingconference

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

I’m leaving @the-vcca.bsky.social feeling greedy for more—more time and space, more candid advice from those who have gone through the publishing journey. As Robin Tewes used to tell her students: If it feels hard, you’re learning something. I must be learning a lot. #vccafellow #writingresidency

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Six days ago, I arrived for my first writing residency at @the-vcca.bsky.social. Grateful to be part of this community that has shown me a different way of living and creating. #vccafellow #memoirwriting #writing #writingresidency

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Reposted by Amy Chen

VCCA @the-vcca.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

We're one month away from VCCA's next application deadline (May 15, 2025) — an opportune time for the VCCA Fellows Council to host another Artist Residency Application Primer (this Friday, April 18, at Noon ET)! RSVP and bring your questions: www.eventbrite.com/e/april-2025...

eventbrite.com

April 2025 Art Residency Application Primer: An Interactive Conversation

Get insider tips on applying to artist, writer and composer residencies straight from the Fellows and Staff of the VCCA!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

I can’t wait to join this #VCCAFellows community of writers, composers, and visual artists. If you've attended a writing residency or retreat, what worked for you? What should I not forget to pack? What would you do differently? Thx for any tips!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Long before I landed @aliciabrooks.bsky.social as my agent, I applied to writing residencies. Every application required sample pages. What I churned out was rough, but at least the deadlines got me started. I’m delighted to say I’ll be heading to @the-vcca.bsky.social this summer as a #VCCAFellow!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Within months, Bedford would be gone. A few months later, I would transfer those iPhone notes into a Google doc and keep writing until I finished a draft. As my amazing agent @aliciabrooks finds the right home for my book, I’m reminded (and still heartbroken over) how fleeting a year can be.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

“How did you start writing your book?” A year ago, I sat on these Adirondack chairs unaware that Bedford’s limp was due to bone cancer. I read in this chair while Bedford rested. When I finished my book, I started jotting down memories in the Notes app. Within months, Bedford would be gone.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

I never got a chance to enjoy the community aspect of Nanowrimo so I’m a bit disappointed to hear that the site is shutting down… but I’ll always be grateful for the role that it played in tracking my progress and celebrating milestones along the way.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

I’ve attempted #Nanowrimo many times over the past decade and always stopped around 10K words. I logged back in last June and used the tracker to help me hit my goal of 50K words, then 60K. I stopped tracking after that, and my memoir ended up at more than 88K.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Eight months ago, I said goodbye to Bedford, my 11-year-old dog. I ended up channeling my grief into a memoir about my father who died in 2014. I recently stumbled on this “manuscript” from high school. My teenage self can’t believe I’m represented by Alicia Brooks at Martin Literary Management!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Congrats to the entire MISTRESS DISPELLER team on being named an official selection of the #SBIFF!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Thanks to @goldhouseco.bsky.social for inviting me to tonight’s reception honoring filmmaker Elizabeth Lo. Not only was it a treat to meet Elizabeth and the MISTRESS DISPELLER team, I loved hearing SFFilm’s Penelope Wong remind us why these voices matter now more than ever.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

As the window for recording oral histories narrows, I’m so grateful for all the people who have shared their memories of using my father’s dictionary and other language books to learn English. While filling in the gaps, I’d love to collect more memories of growing up in #Taiwan in the ‘50s-‘70s. TY!

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Like many immigrants, my parents never volunteered much about their life in Taiwan. The more I uncover, the more I respect their sacrifices. As humbling as it is to realize how much can be gained—and lost—in a generation, I hope my quest inspires more to ask their parents before it’s too late.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Every family has secrets. In my case, the headline in this Taipei Times article captures my initial disbelief after learning about my parents’ life and business in Taiwan about a decade before I was born:

taipeitimes.com

What! Dad made a fortune selling English in Taiwan? - Taipei Times

Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Kicking off 2025 by finishing my first MasterClass by the incomparable @amytan.bsky.social. She is why I believed that I could ever become a writer. I especially loved the part where she shared some rejection letters with the reminder that they aren’t “a rejection of who you are.”

A bulletin board covered with Amy Tan’s rejection letters from The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and publishing companies.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Just finished @mjuhae.bsky.social ‘s brilliant memoir about her grandfather Lee Chul Ha who was imprisoned in 1929 for protesting Japan’s colonization of Korea; decades later, he was posthumously recognized as a patriot of S. Korea. Surreal to now see the headlines out of S. Korea over the last 24h…

The cover of Margaret Juhae Lee’s STARRY FIELD memoir in front of a fireplace

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

go.bsky.app/PeChxU4 Just started this one!

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Reposted by Amy Chen

Stephen Merrill @stephenmerrill.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

It’s got a butterfly for a logo. If you really want to piss Musk off, name this thing Flitter.

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Amy Chen @amychenwrites.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Loved returning to Evanston for our 20th #NUReunion (and my first time on campus since graduating). From visiting our freshman dorm to chatting on the Lakefill, the weekend felt like old times. Grateful for lifelong friendships and all the doors opened by being a @medillschool.bsky.social alum!

A female stands in front of a Medill School of Journalism sign

A female stands in front of a Northwestern University sign in 2000.

Medill School of Journalism Dean Charles Whitaker hosted an alumni reception during Reunion Weekend 2024.

Holding a photo from 2004 in front of McCormick Journalism Center, Northwestern University

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