Grace Shim On Writing Family And Drawing On Lived Experiences

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview.

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Grace Shim who writes books with Korean-American protagonists that she wished she had read about as a teen and is the author of The Noh Family.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

 This is quite the question…I’ve written several manuscripts so far and the inspiration for each of them have come from a general period of time in my life, except for The Noh Family. Unlike the others, this one had a very specific origin point, down to the month and day. My sister had recently received her results from a DNA test and in April 2020 she had gotten a message from a complete stranger saying she was related to us. Soon, we found out how we were related to each other and why we had been kept a secret from each other for so long. And I won’t forget how quickly our relationship changed in the blink of an eye. One minute we were strangers, the next, we’re family. The sudden emotional shift is inexplicable and I knew I wanted to explore this further in The Noh Family.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

On more than one occasion, my sister and I marveled at how surreal our experience was, only being able to compare it to something we had seen on a K-drama (Korean Drama). Since it was during the pandemic, I had reignited my interest in K-dramas and binged quite a few while on lockdown. One in particular stood out to me called Hospital Playlist which has been informally dubbed as the Korean Grey’s Anatomy. Several of the episodes dealt with the complexities of liver transplants and the drama around the donors, which then gave me the inspiration for the rest of the plot.

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

Oh definitely. I think it’s because I’m more of a plantster (combination of plotter and pantser) where I have a general idea of how things are going to happen but I don’t really discover things until I start writing the scenes. Which, as you can imagine, leads to some unexpected surprises.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I write contemporary fiction, so most of my story ideas come literally from every day life experiences. I’ll be overhearing an interesting conversation or struggling with something deeply personal and find myself wondering how I can make that into a story.

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I’m always thinking of the next thing while I’m writing one thing, so I usually have something to look forward to. If I have more than one project percolating in my head, it usually comes down to what I’m most excited about.

I have 6 cats and a Dalmation (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

6 cats?! Ack, I’m jealous. During covid we were fostering kittens and they gave me so much joy. It was not, however, the most conducive to my writing process. When it comes to writing, the least amount of distractions, the better. My idea of a writing retreat is being holed up in a room with no tv or wifi. Ah, heaven.

Grace Shim lives with her husband and three children in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Noh Family is her first novel. You can find Grace Shim on Twitter and on Instagram.

Nan Fischer On Writing A Psychic & The Real Work of Writing

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Nan Fischer, the author of the young adult novels When Elephants Fly and The Speed of Falling Objects. Her newest release is Some of It Was Real

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

Definitely!! First, I’m fascinated with psychics. Not only by what they do but the way readings impact people’s lives. I’ve had several experiences with both psychics and tarot card readers. In my early twenties a tarot reader said I’d find true love and told my best friend she’d never marry. Both things came to pass. Was it written in the stars, did we have an active hand in our own fate, or did we allow our future to be subconsciously shaped by that reading?

Writing about a psychic gave me the chance to explore this from her point of view instead of the recipient’s and to delve into the impact psychics can have. It also allowed me to discover whether Sylvie has moments of doubt, regret, or clarity and the emotional toll of a job where the client’s need for hope, closure, or an end to grief can be overwhelming.

The second seed for my novel was that I’ve always felt a bit like an imposter. Creating two characters—Sylvie who doesn’t quite believe in her gifts, and Thomas, who is a journalist trying to prove she’s a fraud for very personal reasons—gave me the opportunity to dig into imposter syndrome—the inability to believe in one’s skills and success.

I think we all feel like imposters at some point in our lives. Sometimes that’s based on clinging to stories from the past, faulty perceptions, or even lies we’ve been told. By giving my characters the chance to face their traumatic pasts and the courage to make different choices that could lead to more authentic lives, I hope readers who might also be struggling with their own version of imposter syndrome are encouraged to take control of their destiny.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

The way I build any plot is to come up with the hook—in this case a psychic unsure of her gift, the cynical journalist determined to prove she’s a fraud for personal reasons and a deadly mystery that brings them together but threatens to tear them apart unless they can determine what’s real.

Once I have a hook, I do a deep dive into my subject matter while also continuing to pursue subjects that I find interesting. For example, I wanted to write about a psychic, but I live in a small town in Oregon with an orchard community. The legacy of farming and the pressure put on future generations to continue in the family business is fascinating so that ended up being a part of my story as it tied in with the theme of imposter syndrome.

More importantly, to build this specific plot I needed a second protagonist in the story that would push my psychic, Sylvie, to face her past, her gifts, and weigh her future. Thomas, a cynical journalist with his own secrets, was the right fit. The trick was to also give Thomas a complex storyline so that he had his own emotional arc and Sylvie and Thomas’s journey could be more powerful. Then I added beloved pets exhibiting unconditional love, a cat and mouse game between Sylvie and Thomas, a slow-burn romance, and kissing;-).

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

While I tend to know the beginning and end of my stories, the plot definitely does shift as the characters become more fully realized and lead me in different directions. I actually never know, in the case of a romance, whether the characters will be together in the end. I usually wait to see whether that’s vital to the story. And in terms of who lives or dies… that’s always up in the air in service to the bigger picture! That’s what keeps writing novels so interesting—it’s an adventure for me, too.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I have story ideas every day, but for me that’s the easy part. The hard part is putting my butt in a chair for countless hours, days, weeks, months and even years to turn an idea into a fully realized novel. And sometimes I discover that what seemed like a great idea actually doesn’t have the legs to stand on its own and I have to go back to page one. That can be frustrating, but it’s all part of the process and if I hadn’t shelved some of my manuscripts I wouldn’t have ended up eventually writing Some of It Was Real.

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

For me, that’s where a talented agent comes in. I’m super lucky that my agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan, is willing to take the time to discuss my ideas, ask hard questions, and brainstorm. She’s shot down some of my ideas (gently) but much in the same way that I appreciate the editing process, I enjoy figuring out what to write next and Steph’s input really helps.

In my partnership with Berkley, my brilliant editor, Kerry Donovan, is also willing to listen to my ideas and when needed help me shape them in a way that will create a better story for the reader. Kerry was integral in making Some of It Was Real shine and for my next novel with Berkley, she’s provided amazing feedback and direction. When authors say in their acknowledgements that it takes a village to produce a novel, it’s really true!

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I love imagining you surrounded by your cats! My writing buddy is my 13-year-old Vizsla, Boone. He’s always snoozing beneath my desk when I write, and also drags me outside for much needed exercise! Having a dog reminds me how important it is to live in the moment. Secret fact… Boone shows up in every novel I write.

Nan Fischer is a graduate of Cornell University and former Traveling Writer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Senior Campaign Writer for The University of California, San Francisco.

Tessa Arlen on The Inspiration for A Dress of Violet Taffeta

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Tessa Arlen, author of A Dress of Violet Taffeta, a sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique designs.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon has been with me for the last thirteen years: since I wrote my first published book, the Lady Montfort mystery series, set in Edwardian England. In Vita Sackville-West’s novel The Edwardians Lucy was mentioned obliquely as “That woman who owns a shop.” She was also referred to as a social climber because she married “up” an unforgiveable sin in England’s rigid class divide; criticized by haughty society hostesses for her scandalous divorce; and later, when she became a success, was branded as the woman who refused to go back to help the drowning Titanic survivors by the British press. She sounded like the average arrogant aristocrat’s wife. How wrong I was!

All this changed when I saw an exhibition of Lucy’s label: Lucile Ltd. at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Coming in from a cold and dreary February afternoon Lucy’s stunning gowns lit up the day! They gleamed in such an extraordinary way that it wasn’t until I was up close that I realized that Lucy’s gauzy silk layers were delicately embellished with tiny, beaded embroidery, cobwebs of lace, true lovers’ knots and garlands of minute handmade silk flowers. Her use of color was so subtle that the delicacy of the detail could scarcely be seen at a distance, though the effect was a faint shimmer. Each dress of alive with color! Lucy even gave names to her favorites: Passion Flower’s First Kiss; The Sigh of Lips Unsatisfied and a glorious dress designed for a debutante: Happiness. These were not the grand gowns of the House of Worth or Paquin. They were every bit as elegant, but gloriously feminine. There was wit and playfulness in Lucy’s designs—they were both sophisticated and light-hearted. They whisked me away from the burdens of our speedy high-tech lives back to a time when the rich led a life of leisure, and women changed their ‘costumes’ four or five times a day. Of course, I had to write about this woman.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

I had the V&A’s illustrated book Lucile Ltd which detailed the way she made her clothes and her slow progression to success, and it was in her journey to become a top couturiere that I formed the beginning of a plot. 

Lucy would never have designed a single solitary dress as a professional if she had not been abandoned by her alcoholic husband (he ran off with a pantomime dancer) leaving her almost destitute with a five year old daughter. She had made doll’s clothes when she was a little girl—the envy of her playmates. And she had designed and made her sister’s wedding dress and her own clothes, but she was from the upper-middle class so there was no reason at all for her to make her own living. Trade was for the lower classes and the upper-middles were flawless at aping their betters, so when she became destitute her life changed completely.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a riches-to-rags-to-riches story. I saw Lucy’s supposed ruthless ambition (a woman’s success must have stuck very hard in the Edwardian craw) as the driven need to support her child; her so-called arrogance as the confidence of a woman who has pulled off her plan to survive and who found joy and purpose in her originality and creativity. I imagined how a woman in 1893 might begin to achieve building a business in the cut-throat male dominated world of fashion when it was Paris that rich Americans flocked to for their wardrobes. Lucy had the courage to be inventive, to give women the clothes they wanted for a new, modern 20th century. 

The story is shown from two POVs, that of Lucy and her scullery maid, Celia (the only servant Lucy could afford to keep) who represents a young woman in her career whose practicality and ability to do math, helped Lucile Ltd. achieve such massive success.  Celia provides us with insights into the sweat labor of the ‘rag-trade’ and the plight of the many have-nots in Edwardian society, and Lucy shows us the truly sad dilemma of uneducated women ill-prepared for independence or a useful life.

Lucy reaches dizzying success: opening salons in London, New York and finally Paris, marries again this time to a man who adores and supports her, and then it all comes crashing down with the sinking of the Titanic and the British Board of Trade Inquiry that followed it. I wanted to show Lucy’s resilience, loyalty and spirit under public criticism and false accusations, so the denouement is about recovery. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

The plots usually stay put once I have mapped them out. It’s how we get there that changes. If I am writing about a real life person I try to keep the facts available to me accurate. But the way my characters interact, the power they have to impact the plot often changes. I hope that the reader will see my characters develop over the arc of the story.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

My agent would tell you that I am teaming with ideas! I am always ready with several when we have our what’s-next chats. It is my job to have the ideas and it is Kevan Lyon’s, job to tell me which ones will appeal. I am fascinated by British history, love to read and there are so many women who did so many remarkable things (for their time) that I don’t have enough years to write their stories. 

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I just choose my favorite ideas and pitch to my wonderful agent, and then she helps me decide which way to go! I take my time when I write, so I am only comfortable writing one book at a time. As I wait for edits that is when I mull over what’s next.

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

Wow—six cats! I bet your Dalmatian is well behaved and respectful! 

I have two corgis. Corgis are a herding breed so they are bossy and opinionated. They are with me all the time I am at home and in the garden, so I have to put up with a lot of instructions (barking) enthusiastic love (jumping on my lap) and demands for walks (intense staring). Sometime they alert bar:, sharp, loud and long, which jumps me out of my inner world, and I would truly love to strangle them. But I can’t imagine my life without my dog-companions. The writer, Edith Wharton, referred to her little dog as “The heartbeat at my feet.”

Tessa Arlen is the author of the critically acclaimed Lady Montfort mystery series—Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman was a finalist for the 2016 Agatha Award Best First Novel. She is also the author of Poppy Redfern: A Woman of World War II mystery series. And the author of the historical fictions; In Royal Service to the Queen and A Dress of Violet Taffeta. Tessa lives in the Southwest with her family and two corgis where she gardens in summer and writes in winter.