Meet Dyann, Tai-En Chiang

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dyann, Tai-En Chiang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dyann, Tai-En, why did you pursue a creative career?
There’s a quote in the great movie, Dead Poets Society, that I’ll forever hold dearly in my heart, “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Is this quote the screenwriter romanticizing arts? Perhaps. Do the world we live in give poets, painters and writers the credit they deserve? Definitely not. However, to a certain degree, this only makes “creating arts” more fascinating and fun.
I was the lucky few and knew I wanted to be a writer from a very young age. I was even luckier to have unconditional love and support from my parents. I chose this path because when I wrote novels in notebooks and passed it among my classmates in middle school; when I stayed up all night shooting my short film with a bunch of friends; when I went on set and heard the lines I wrote read out loud by actors — I felt alive. My words would shape a world, which I shared with talents of all fields and eventually my readers and audience.
Knowing what I created probably inspired something in someone, or provided someone with a relaxing night, a topic to talk about during lunch, or simply some fun at the moment, is the best feeling ever.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I can’t stress this enough, but I’m one of the lucky few and got to where I am today by doing what’s fun for me. Writing was always more of a game for me when I was young, and the process came rather naturally. That being said, I’ve definitely suffered from writer’s blocks and deadline anxiety, while the perfectionist part of me made the creative process even more challenging at times. In these situations, one thing that really helps me is to travel back the countless office hours I spent chatting with my professors at NYU. As professional, senior writers, they taught me that what seemed like the end of the world (aka deadlines) is just a threshold I’d eventually cross. One of my TV writing professors, James Felder, once told me, “You’re a young writer and you don’t know this yet, but I’m gonna tell you right now — whatever it is and whenever the deadline is, you’ll always finish it in time.” This might sounds void, but I realized he was right. If you’re a real writer, and you care about what you do, you’ll always finish it in time.
As a professional in-house writer at Crazy Maple Studio, I write Reelshort shows that come in minute-long episodes, which lead to 60 to 80-episode-long seasons. They are mostly light-hearted, funny, dramatic stories full of conflicts, schemes and plot-twists. It’s a small universe in which people love, hate, laugh and cry with seconds, emotions are elevated and drama is praised. It is such a fun adventure, and the responds we get from our audience is exhilarating.
When it comes to my creation, I’m most proud of my stories which feature my background, as a Taiwanese, as a woman, as an international personnel working in the US. I know how challenging it is to prove yourself when you’re a foreigner trying to stay in a country that constantly tries to kick you out, despite how hard you work and how talented you are. I’ve written about islanders being persecuted by a powerful regime (Islanders), about friends getting married for visa just to stay by each other’s side (Gay Best Husband), about artists lost in big cities looking for scraps of warmth from strangers (No Peeking). Through my work, I talk about the struggles people around me and myself have been through, and I hope this makes us feel less alone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve always been a beach girl, so California is no doubt a paradise to me. I love driving up to Santa Monica or Will Rogers and just lie on the beach by myself with a book. Food-wise, I love a good-ol’ Asian food hunt in east LA, which makes me feel just at home. Lunasia Dim Sum house and Taiwanese small hot-pot places are my must-go, while Asian dessert and boba places (Jin Tea Shop has the best boba in LA) are just the perfect way to end your day. Finally, my favorite cookie Levine Bakery from New York just opened up their LA branch last year. The 5-dollar heavenly amazing cookies were my salvation whenever I was stressed out by schoolwork and needed to treat myself a little.
When I want to hit a museum, I go to Norton Simon museum, which is particularly nice for students since they get free admission. It is also not far from the famous Huntington Garden. And as a screenwriter, how can I not recommend the Academy Museum? I love how their exhibitions reveal secrets behind the movie-making, and how close you can get to the real artworks — and the cute gift shop is just a cherry on top.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest shoutout, without a doubt, goes to my parents. “Is she gonna be broke and live in our basement forever?” probably had (or has?) been a haunting question in their lives for so long, ever since I announced I wanted to be a writer at the age 13. Some people have told me I was brave to choose this path, and to them I said, my middle-class Asian parents were the truly courageous ones. Without their faith in me, I would perhaps be working in laws or marketing or sales now — which would’ve been fine, but it probably wouldn’t suit me so well. I’d also like to shoutout to my professors at NYU, especially my mentors Robin Epstein and Shinho Lee. As an international student from Taiwan, the care, guidance and confidence they gave me helped me survive the 2-year grad school program. They taught me to be a better writer, while reminding me I was enough when I, every too often, thought I wasn’t.
Finally, a warm shoutout to my husband, Ricky. As an electrical engineer, my career path and his are at the 2 ends of the spectrum. Nonetheless, he’s given me nothing but support and understanding. He reads my scripts, he watches my shows, he gives me advice when I hit a wall and he tells me I can make it when I don’t believe I can. I get to be what I am now, because he never doubts me — and if he does sometimes, well, he loves me enough to never show it.

Instagram: @dyann0302

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyann-chiang/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dyann.jiang