We were lucky to catch up with Ramona Lee Soo-jun recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ramona, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

If you’d asked me this question a few years ago, I would’ve answered that success is all about hard work, believing in yourself, never giving up and putting in the effort.

Over time, I’ve learned that success is something we each measure from our own perspective. We look at where we are and we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others. It’s a cycle—an unhealthy one—where we always feel like we want more, like we need more. It’s not about being ungrateful, but it’s also hard to find peace.

Today, for me success is knowing that I have the opportunity to do what I love, while being surrounded by the people I love. It’s knowing that if I were to draw a line at the end of today and never accomplish another thing again, I could still look back and feel proud of what I’ve done. To me, that’s success.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a German-Romanian novelist currently living in London. Writing has always been a passion of mine and I began my journey at the age of 14 when I completed my first novella, “Destinul unei Flori de Primăvară” (The Destiny of a Spring Flower), in just 28 hours. By the time I was 19, I had published 11 books.

When I started my writing career, I chose the pen name “Lee Soo-Jun” to address the challenges I faced with racial prejudice in the publishing industry. At 18, I legally changed my name to reflect this decision.

In 2015, I was honoured to be recognised as Romania’s first martial arts-action novelist with the release of my first “Agent 00” volume. Since then, I’ve explored various genres, writing not only action novels but also romantic comedies, psychological dramas and fantasy stories. Writing allows me to connect with different aspects of life and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share these worlds with readers.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being an author not only lets me replay arguments in the shower and finally win them, but it also gives me the chance to turn those moments into stories and profit from them.

All jokes aside, I write with the reader in mind. If I didn’t have the potential to share my stories with others, I wouldn’t write at all. While the process brings me joy, it’s the anticipation of someone—whether it’s one person or a thousand—reading the words I’ve written that truly fuels me. I don’t write for myself, I write for the connection with others.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Finding joy in something that is essentially work, without the expectation of making money from it, is something only someone with a true urge to express their thoughts and feelings, whether through words or any other artistic form, would do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ramonaleesoojun.com
• Instagram: ramona_sj.lee
• Facebook: Ramona Lee Soo-Jun

Image Credits

photo: Jason Cheung