19 Sep 2021
After graduating, Rose Lu wrote software for microcontrollers for a wheelchair company in Christchurch for two years. But she says the role “was extremely not my vibe and I considered leaving the tech industry at that point”. Things turned around after she got involved with the web framework community Ruby on Rails when she moved to Wellington, and she’s worked as a web developer ever since
Her current role is making developer tooling at software company Buildkite. In addition to being a software engineer, Rose is a writer and she released her debut collection of essays in 2019.
What first sparked your interest in writing?
I have always loved reading and writing, but I never really considered it as a serious option because it didn’t seem like a “job”, per se. In 2016, I travelled through China and East Asia and got back into writing then. I was sending several thousand word emails to friends back home, and one of them suggested that I do the Victoria University creative writing programme.
How did you juggle your Master of Arts with your software engineering work?
The MA is unique in that it’s entry by portfolio, so it didn’t matter that my undergrad was irrelevant. I dropped down to two days a week at my job while I did the full-time masters. I was very lucky to have supportive employers and a supportive partner, as it was quite full on.
What do you credit as the springboard to your writing success?
The MA at Victoria University has a very close relationship with Victoria University Press, so if they like your work they will publish it. My book was an essay collection about growing up in Aotearoa as a Chinese-New Zealander, and there was a paucity of writing about this, which I think contributed to its success.
What inspires your writing?
Life! Weird and interesting things are happening constantly if you keep your eyes open and are engaged in the world. Also, other Chinese-New Zealanders – this community keeps me motivated to keep writing.
When do you write and for how long?
I try and take a week off work every few months and get a good chunk of something done. I work at home because I can’t use the inbuilt keyboard on my laptop without my hands hurting and I would feel like a huge dork taking my external keyboard to a cafe with me.
What do you love about writing?
I like that it engages with a part of myself that feels quite intrinsic, rather than something that I’ve learned to do because it’s useful to others. I also love that in contrast to software development, there are never any right or wrong answers.
What written work are you most proud of?
All Who Live on Islands, the essay collection I published in 2019.
You’re building a profile as a writer, what has surprised you most about your success?
I don’t think I was ready for the impact that the book has had on the Chinese-New Zealand community. I’ve had so many heartfelt messages and tears and made new friends because of this book, it’s been much bigger than I thought it would be.
How would you describe your writing style?
Terse, honest, warm. What’s your advice for other engineers in any field who think they might “have a book in them”? Do it! The writing community loves to have different voices as so many creative writers have read the same canon of literature.
How does being an engineer affect the way you approach your writing – do you approach your work and your writing in the same way?
I think my engineering work has had a big impact on the level of clarity and precision in my writing.
Do you know any other engineers in New Zealand who are also published writers?
Not in my circles! There are a few scientists who are writers, like Rebecca Priestley.
Tell us something about your writing that will surprise most people.
In my experience, engineers are way more pedantic about spelling and grammar than writers are. That’s what editors are for, folks!
What impact has Covid-19 had on your writing?
A big part of book promotion is writers' festivals and public events and a lot of these events were cancelled in 2020, or organisers had to figure out how to run them online. It’s mostly back to normal now, and in some ways it’s been good for New Zealand authors as international authors can’t get into the country easily.
