First Moment [ENG Version]

Special Bonus: Author's Interview

Special Bonus: Author's Interview

by Editor N

We're celebrating this release with a special bonus interview for Lok LalLaa's readers! The team feels it would be fun to grill the author a little bit and see what else she has in store for everyone. (Spoiler alert; there may or may not be spoilers for her upcoming works.) We hope we've covered the grounds, (as representatives of her readers, of course), if not, feel free to ask anything else on any of our author's social media or publishing platforms. ^^

Translations & Reader Responses

Q: Congratulations on your 4th English-translated e-book! We know how eager your English readers are for your translated books, but before we discuss that, what motivated you to translate your Thai novels?

Lok: Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing the response for this book.

Now, to answer this question, we need to start with why I became an author, which is similar to Mo, the protagonist in First Moment. I simply loved writing and creating imaginary worlds, and I was happy to share that passion with as many readers as possible.

However, since I only wrote in Thai, my stories could only reach a limited audience. That's when I thought, "Why not translate my books into English?" This way, I could share my novels with readers around the world. In short, my desire to share my stories with as many people as possible, no matter their language, is what inspired me to translate my Thai novels.

Q: Talk us through your translating process with your team.

Lok: Basically, as the author, I first translate a chapter into a 'raw' draft, which is a mix of direct and proper translation. Then, I work with my translation editor to refine the language. We even sit in multiple call sessions to discuss the details to ensure the translation stays true to the original while making it easy for readers to understand.

One of the things we learned during our process was that direct translation wasn't the best option to deliver the stories. We wanted our readers to immerse themselves in these stories, so we worked very hard to improve our work and reader experience with each publication.

Q: What do you think of the response from your English version readers as compared to your Thai version readers?

Lok: In my genre, which is mostly BL (Boy's Love), I've noticed that my Thai readers really enjoy romantic scenes like flirting, kissing, or even more mature moments. On the other hand, my English readers seem to prefer scenes that dive into the characters' perspectives, or scenes with deeper reflections or motivational messages. I found this difference quite intriguing! Anyway, please note that my answer is based on my personal experience and observations only, so it shouldn't be taken as fact for all novels and all readers.

Q: We hear that you have other international readers requesting for your books to be translated into their languages, how are you addressing that?

Lok: For now, the official translated version of my books is only available in English. However, I'm also lucky to have readers who approached me for permission and volunteered to translate my books into their own languages as fan translations (and strictly non-commercial). I've compiled the approved list of these fan translations and their links, so readers can check them out on my X (twitter) account. Thank you so much to all the volunteer translators who support me!

I do need to remind readers that the fan translations are limited to the free chapters of my English and Thai versions. The paid chapters are not available in other languages as I need to be fair to my readers (both Thai and English readers). I may collaborate with translators for other languages in the future, however, as it involves multiple factors, I can't promise anything at this point.

Q: This is your 4th English-translated e-book, will you continue to translate the rest of your Thai original collection? And do you have any plans to release an English original?

Lok: Of course! I plan to translate all of my Thai novels into English. Since the translation and editing process takes time, I may only be able to publish a few books per year, but I'm determined to finish them all someday. I'm also interested in publishing original English works, and I'm currently learning and improving my English proficiency through translation. I really hope that one day, I'll be able to write stories directly in English. Please wish me luck!

Stories & Characters

Q: Let's talk about First Moment, you mentioned in your 'Afterword' about the challenges you faced in your writing career, was that what inspired you to write about Mo and Ferst?

Lok: Yeah! The idea behind First Moment was to share my journey as an author and my love for books, films, and games that inspired me. Just like Mo, I started from zero. I had no readers and faced rejections from publishers before, but now I'm still writing and even translating my own books! I even have readers like you supporting me — Hooray! (I'm really happy, thank you so much!). I also wanted to share the challenges I faced, hoping that this book can help other writers who might be facing similar issues.

Q: We noticed that your character designs tend to be a combination of direct or eager but patient semes and clueless ukes. Was this intentional, and are all of them like that?

Lok: Oh, do they seem similar? LOL Well, it might be my personal preference too. I love gentle and loyal semes with cute and innocent ukes hehehe. But some characters in my other novels will be completely different from my usual type, so you can discover them in my future works! Wink Wink

Q: How did you manage to write characters like Wayu (in Half Moon)? Are you also a fan of those lame jokes?

Lok: Hahaha, to be honest, I'm not a fan of lame jokes either. Sometimes, when I go back to review Half Moon, I think, "What? What is he even trying to say? I can't understand these lame jokes!" Hahaha. But I created Wayu in the UNISTAR universe because I thought it would be fun to have a character like him. Don't you think so too? Even though writing lame jokes isn't an easy task for me, it was actually fun to write about him! ^ ^

Q: The stories you've translated so far are light-hearted and contain powerful and motivating messages. Is this your brand, or will we see different colours in your next publications?

Lok: Well, I tend to write mostly light-hearted, happy, and motivational works. Since my pen name is 'Lok LalLaa' (Did you notice that?), 'Lok' means 'Earth' in Thai, which is my nickname, and 'LalLaa' represents the sound of a happy vibe — Lalalaa~. However, not all of my works are lighthearted, like UNISTAR: Beautiful Moon. Happiness from reading can come in many forms, and sometimes, even heavier themes can bring joy too, right? Haha!

Q: We love to see snippets or partial cameos of characters from your other books in your stories, but are all your novels set in the same universe?

Lok: Oh, thank you! I really enjoy bringing main characters from different stories together too! To answer the question, all my current contemporary BL novels are set in the same universe, including First Moment, the entire UNISTAR series, Future From Me, and Unknown Romance. And there might be more in the future! (Who else wants to see P'Aek's story? Hehe.) However, some of my other novels take place in a different universe, but they haven't been translated into English yet. You'll get to see more of them in the future!

Q: Last one to wrap this up; are you planning to adapt this or your other books into TV series?

Lok: Well, I'm always open to new opportunities! But for now, I'm focusing on writing more novels and translating all my works into English. If you're interested in seeing them being adapted and have a favourite media company, don't forget to recommend my novel(s) to them~ >_<