My Jakarta: Melody, Teenlit Writer and Fullbright Recipient to Teach Bahasa in …

Azalia Primadita Muchransyah, also known as Melody, is an author of teen literature whose passion for writing comes from her father’s reading habits and her mother’s writing talent. She learned about Indonesian teenage life, the subject of her writings, firsthand, although more recently she’s learned the importance of research in character development.

The undergraduate has had several of her works published. She is studying psychology — and keeping up with current events in Indonesia — at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, to which she received a prestigious Fulbright scholarship.

Melody is a rather unusual name. Is it a pen name?

Lots of people think Melody is an alias or a pseudonym, but actually it’s the nickname my parents gave me when I was still a little girl. ‘Melo’ means ‘follow’ in Palembang while ‘d’ and ‘y’ are the initials of my parents’ nicknames. I consider it my parent’s prayer for me.

What is it with writers and pen names?

For me, it’s for practicality. At first, I tried using my full name, which is Azalia Primadita Muchransyah, but it was too long and not catchy enough to be remembered. So I decided to use my nickname with my father’s surname.

What differentiates your work from that of other writers of teenage literature?

I cannot describe it myself, but my friends always tell me my writing style is different from other writers in terms of how real my characters are. I always write what I know best. If I don’t know what I’m about to write, I do background research. I personally think it’s necessary to make the story as real as possible. I also always try to inspire my readers by giving them some underlying messages in my stories.

Is teen-lit is good for teenagers?

Definitely, reading is healthy food for the soul. A good reader can always find something worth learning from any kind of book he or she reads, including teen-lit. Besides, reading something close to their life, with all its ups and downs, may give teenagers a better perspective on their life.

What about the common perception that teen-lit is filled with nothing but teenage love?

The fact is that romance is inevitable in any good story — even mystery and sci-fi books have romance. And if we looked back at our own experiences, we would realize that the teen years are the time when love blossoms for the first time. That is what we remember the most about that particular time of our life.

You published your first article when you were 14 and your first novel when you were 17. What made you realize your passion and eventual career in writing?

I didn’t realize it at first. As a teenager, I always pushed myself to try new things just to know where my interests really were. My father’s reading habits and my mother’s knack for writing very much jump-started my passion. I wrote my first stories when I was a teenager so I mostly captured Indonesian teenage life, which is what I knew best, so it was quite easy at the time. But now, as my writing develops, I conduct background research to enrich my stories, a process that I enjoy very much.

What do you think it takes to write a best-selling teen-lit novel?

I have always told myself to do my best without setting expectations. So when I write, I don’t think about a ‘best-seller’ stamp. Instead, I just try to enjoy the process so that I can write my best without too much pressure. But as a reader, I always like stories with strong characters and twisted endings.

Do you want to stay in teen-lit?

I always motivate myself to be better and to experience new things and to accomplish many things in life. I plan to write a more serious piece of literature in the future.

Why did you choose psychology instead of literature for your undergraduate studies?

I actually fell in love with psychology after I learned how to write strong and believable characters. Psychology turned out to be the right decision. It also helps me in knowing myself and my passion better and has given me a better understanding of my family and friends.

Tell us about your study at Johns Hopkins University.

I received a Fulbright FLTA (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant) scholarship to promote foreign languages and culture in the US and became a youth ambassador for Indonesia at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

I primarily teach Bahasa to SAIS students concentrating in Southeast Asian Studies. They have a great deal of interest in Indonesian politics and culture, which is why I have to keep myself updated on Indonesia’s current issues. I also conduct tutorials and Indonesian roundtables and hold an Indonesian movie night monthly.

How does Washington, DC, compare to Jakarta?

DC is such an international city. Around 40 percent of the people I meet here are Americans and the rest are from different cultures and backgrounds. That is why the tolerance level is very high. Jakarta is more like a national city. Nearly everyone in Jakarta is Indonesian. But DC is as crowded as Jakarta, along with its traffic, although the metro subway and pedestrian walkways make DC a friendlier city for commuters.

Melody Muchransyah was talking to Edison Lestari.

Share and Enjoy