Long Author Bio: Feedback & Vent

As per Thomas’s About page suggestions, I’ve drafted a longer, story-structured version of my author bio.

Vent: It was really hard and took me the whole day. My life has been nobledark and that’s supposedly compelling, but the dark is really dark and I don’t like talking about it, nor does it need to be shared in detail to strangers. I’d already carefully crafted my short bio to be safe and not reveal too much and had originally intended to keep it that way. “But you don’t have to tell everyone everything!”—I know this already, and yet it’s easier said than done to try and convey the essence of your story while glossing over very significant chunks of it, while being compelling, without sounding too vague.

I have two versions below and would appreciate feedback before I send in the final one to my web dev. Would you choose one over the other, or are there any parts from one version that you would add onto the other? (FYI: Some of these details, such as cultural, vocational, and spiritual background, are included because they are pertinent to the themes and format of my upcoming novel.)

Option A

A self-proclaimed former-Slytherin-turned-Gryffindor, L. J. Long knew she wanted to tell stories when she tried reenacting the dragon-slaying scene from Sleeping Beauty at the age of three, armed with only a plastic butter knife and a window curtain. Growing up, writing and performing in stories became a way to counter and escape the darkness of a broken world around her. 

As a second-generation Chinese-American and recovering overachiever, L was an honor student, Junior Olympic swimmer, and attended Chinese school religiously. But, finally cracking under the pressure, she rebelled and bucked cultural norms by attending New York University to earn her B.F.A. in Drama (yes, that was the actual word on the diploma). While in NYC, she honed her craft of storytelling, studied scriptwriting, and performed in indie film and theater. Meanwhile, she steadily lost her Chinese vocabulary, as well as herself to a personal hell of never quite feeling accepted or good enough.

When God first took hold of her life, L had an identity crisis and ran in the opposite direction. Stepping away from the world of performance and storytelling, she wandered and was lost for many years until—like Frodo hanging over the edge of Mount Doom before grabbing onto Sam’s hand—she finally chose to take Christ’s hand and walk out His redemption arc for her.

Since then, she has: reclaimed her role as a writer, returned to the world of professional acting, met and traveled the world with her husband, and rediscovered the joys of both Chinese culture and being in the water. 

And she hasn’t looked back since.

Option B

A self-proclaimed former-Slytherin-turned-Gryffindor, L. J. Long knew she wanted to tell stories the moment she tried reenacting the dragon-slaying scene from Sleeping Beauty at the age of three—armed with only a plastic butter knife and a window curtain. 

Growing up, writing and performing became both her escape and her armor against the darkness of a broken world. As a second-generation Chinese-American and recovering overachiever, L. J. Long was an honor student and Junior Olympic swimmer who attended Chinese school religiously. But under the crushing weight of perfectionism, she eventually cracked and broke away from cultural norms to attend New York University, where she earned her B.F.A. in Drama and dove into the world of indie film & theater. 

In the urban jungle of NYC, she honed her storytelling craft but slowly lost her heritage…and herself, drifting into a personal hell of never quite feeling accepted or good enough. When God first reached down into that darkness, L ran the opposite way. Stepping away from the world of performance entirely, she wandered and was lost “in the wilderness” for years until—like Frodo hanging over the edge of Mount Doom before grabbing onto Sam’s hand—she finally chose to take Christ’s hand and let Him lead her through the redemption arc she never could’ve scripted for herself.

Today, L. J. Long has reclaimed her role as a writer and professional actor. Having met her husband and traveled the world together, she has rediscovered both the joy of her Chinese culture and her love of the water. She’s finally living and telling the stories she was born to tell—and she hasn’t looked back since.