Name: June Hur
Website: junehur.com

Asian background: Korean

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write?

For most of my life, I’ve known very little about Korean history, even though my parents are “very” Korean and even though I lived in Korea when I was a teen. Then in 2015, out of sheer curiosity, I read further into Korean history – and fell madly in love with it. I was fascinated by everything and was gripped by a terrifying desperation to write a Korean historical mystery. I hesitated for a while, wondering if I, a Korean-Canadian ‘diasporan’, even had the right to write about Korea, and afraid that no one would be interested in a mystery set in a non-western country. It was the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement that finally gave me the courage to write.

At the very heart of this book is a more personal story inspired by my family, a family dispersed. I spent nearly half my life living with my siblings in Canada, far away from my parents, far away from my relatives. And so, while I was writing this book, I found myself wrestling with two questions that always haunted me: What will it cost to keep family together when things are falling apart? And where is home when you live far away from those who have loved you for all of your life?

Name 3 authors and 3 books
Little Fires Everywhere, A Grief Observe, Persuasion.

Shveta Thakrar, Diana Urban, Kat Cho

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have?
Perseverance, because the journey to publication is a long one. But also discipline: to work hard on your writing, while also knowing when to step to practice self-care.

Any last words? (Fun facts, comments, something you’d like to share with the world, etc.)

For those super ambitious folks out there, we sometimes work so hard and put our life on hold, telling ourselves that we’ll begin living again once we “land on the stars.” But if you don’t land on the stars, redefine what it means to be among the stars. Redefine your definition of success. If things aren’t working out, remember there is a whole galaxy out there.

Challenge: Write a one-sentence story!

There was once an author who could write 90k long books, but when asked to write a one sentence story–she stared at her computer screen, and stared, unable to think of a single thing to write.

Name: Joanne Machin

Website: www.joannemachin.com

Asian background: Chinese-American

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write? 

I didn’t see very many stories in the media related to being an immigrant or being Chinese-American in the United States. I want to see more of these narratives brought up in the books I read, the TV shows and movies I watched, and more. Romance is my favorite genre–so I started there. I’d love to see more Chinese-Americans, and Asian people in general, get their happily-ever-afters!

Name 3 authors and 3 books: 

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee

Faker by Sarah Smith

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have? 

Always being open to learning something new! 

Any last words? 

I’m currently obsessed Animal Crossing: New Horizon, so if anybody wants to be friends… hit me up. 

Challenge: Write a one-sentence story! 

Once I paid off Tom Nook, it was time for him to pay me back. 

Name: Joyce Chng

Website: https//awolfstale.wordpress.com

Asian background: I am 3rd generation Singaporean Chinese – my forebears came from Shanghai, Guandong and Fujian to work and settle in Singapore. I am Hokkien (Fujian ren).

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write?

I see myself as Singaporean Chinese and Southeast Asian. Southeast Asia itself is such a diverse place with rich mythologies and cultures. I am also inspired by Chinese myths and folklore. After studying and living in Australia for 7 years, I became more appreciative of my Chineseness and started writing stories with Chinese or Asian characters.

Name 3 authors and 3 books

Eeleen Lee, Liquid Crystal Nightingale

Zen Cho, Sorcerer to The Crown

J. Yang, the Tensorate series.

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have?

Tenacity and the refusal to give up.

Any last words? (Fun facts, comments, something you’d like to share with the world, etc.)

Hi Asian authors and creators, I know this is a difficult period for us. We are hard pressed to create, to produce something. Yet, because it’s such a challenging time, we do not need to blame ourselves for not being able to create or write . Cut yourself some slack, go do something else. It’s OK not to be OK during this time.

Challenge: Write a one-sentence story!

Casting off her chains, she became a dragon and soared into the sky.

Name: Ken Liu

Website: https://kenliu.name

Asian background: American of Chinese descent

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write?
I grew up in a house full of books shelved haphazardly, with no regard to genre or any other means of classification. As a result, I have very little patience with genre boundaries or labels, and prefer to write stories that defy them.
However, I’ve always gravitated toward stories that literalize some aspect of reality we normally understand as metaphor. This is usually described as the province of magic realism, but I think it taps into some deep feature of how we process reality as human beings. We grasp the abstract by embodying them in tangible metaphors and reify cherished values in stories.

Name 3 authors and 3 books
Tochi Onyebuchi — Riot Baby
Peter Tieryas — United States of Japan
S.L. Huang — Zero Sum Game

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have?
A unique voice and vision, conjuring forth stories no one else could have told.

Any last words? (Fun facts, comments, something you’d like to share with the world, etc.)
Being a slow writer is not a problem. It took me more than a decade to write my first
series, and I couldn’t be happier. Go at your own pace and tell the stories you want to tell.

Challenge: Write a one-sentence story!
Missed Connections: “Unless you return and rescue me from April 30, 2020, I’ll make
sure that your timeline never comes to be.”

Name: Lori M. Lee

Website: https://lorimlee.com/

Asian background: Hmong American

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write?

I wish I had a more exciting answer for this haha. But writing and reading were always an escape for me when I was younger. My real life was kind of a downer, so fantasy books and stories became my refuge. Since I never saw myself in any of those fantastical places I loved so much, I wrote myself into them. Of course, I wrote myself as white because that’s what everything around me told me I should want, and it took years and years to dismantle the self-hatred. But it was definitely during those early years when I really discovered my passion for writing and how much it meant to me. So I guess I’m grateful for that 🙂

Name 3 authors and 3 books

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones.

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have?

Persistence. Writing for publication means coming up again so many obstacles, and it can really wear you down if you’re not mentally prepared. But the good thing is that publishing is a long game, and if you stick with it, eventually your book will find its readers ❤

Any last words? (Fun facts, comments, something you’d like to share with the world, etc.)

In addition to being an author, I also wanted to be a paleontologist, a historian, an English college professor, a mermaid, a witch, and a fairy. I still want those last two tbh.

Name: Roselle Lim

Website: http://www.rosellelim.com

Asian background: Chinese-Filipino

What is it about your experience and upbringing that inspired you the most to write?

The food! I’m such a foodie and am always suffering from one craving or another. My father is the best cook I know and his cooking evokes so many memories. His specialty in cuisine ranged from Chinese, Filipino, to western dishes. First, I wanted to write about how food made me feel and then I found a story and a plot to match these emotions. To this day, I continue to delve into my back catalogue of favorite meals to find inspiration for future novels.

Name 3 authors and 3 books.

Suzanne Park – The Perfect Escape, Loathe at First Sight

Helen Hoang – The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test

Tif Marcelo – The Key to Happily Ever After, Once Upon a Sunset

What do you think is the best quality a writer can have?

Resilience. As a writer, you have many battles to fight. While the publishing industry is tough and rife with rejections, you also have to contend with self-doubt. Surviving all these hurdles with your mental health intact is as important as writing the words down on the page. Keep going, be kind to yourself, and know that I’m cheering you on.

Any last words? (Fun facts, comments, something you’d like to share with the world, etc.)

This is a dark time right now and finding comfort and joy in the little things shouldn’t cause anyone guilt. Take good care of yourself so you can take better care of those you love.

Challenge: Write a one-sentence story!

She picked up the knife and couldn’t decide what to stab it into- her husband or the slab of venison on the counter.