Marissa chats with Axie Oh about her new contemporary romance - XOXO - as well as... K-Pop! The music, the phenomenon, and our personal BTS biases. On the writing front, we talk about using music as inspiration and curating a book's playlist before or after you've written it; why celebrity romances call for a strong protagonist with dreams of their own; choosing to write in genres that you love, and how switching to new genres can help keep us inspired; and the importance of following our intuition when it comes to writing, a.k.a. ignoring the trends and following your passions!
Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer
Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377
Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/
Marissa chats with Axie Oh about her new contemporary romance - XOXO - as well as... K-Pop! The music, the phenomenon, and our personal BTS biases. On the writing front, we talk about using music as inspiration and curating a book's playlist before or after you've written it; why celebrity romances call for a strong protagonist with dreams of their own; choosing to write in genres that you love, and how switching to new genres can help keep us inspired; and the importance of following our intuition when it comes to writing, a.k.a. ignoring the trends and following your passions!
Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer
Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377
Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/
[inaudible]
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to the happy writer. This is a podcast that aims to bring readers, more books, to enjoy and to help authors find more joy in their writing. I'm your host, Marissa Meyer. Thank you so much for joining me today. One thing that's making me happy is this week, there has been Hollywood news, which is so few and far between everyone always wants to know what's happening with TV. What's happening with movies. And I feel like I never have any updates for you guys. Um, however, finally, there's an update. Uh, if you don't know, my book instant karma was optioned by HBO max, and just a couple of days ago, deadline Hollywood announced they have attached a writer. Her name is[inaudible]. She has worked on Grown-ish and high school musical, and I am so excited. I'm so thrilled. And I know it's still like a long ways from being real. Like there's still a lot that could happen. It's definitely not guaranteed, but it's so exciting to see actual progress happening and feel like maybe this time, maybe this time it will actually become a reality. So keep those fingers crossed. Um, I'm, I'm just so happy about it and just gonna ride the happiness wave for as long as I can and not let those pessimistic voices get in my way. And of course I am so happy to be talking to today's guest. She's the author of the Saifai rebel soul series and her brand new contemporary romance. XO, XO just came out last week. Please. Welcome ACCE. Oh, yay. I'm so excited to be here. And congratulations.
Speaker 3:I was grinning ear from ear when you're talking about that, I'm happy to,
Speaker 2:It's such a weird Hollywood stuff is always so weird to talk about. Cause you're just like, yay. It's really exciting. It's probably still not going to happen, but yeah, it's really,
Speaker 3:I'm like, I hope it happens. Fingers crossed. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Me too. Me too. Me too. And you know, I'm an optimist and I'm just, I figure I'll just keep writing books and eventually something has to make it to the screen, right? Like a numbers game. Yeah. Um, okay. For starters, I have to say that I think is the cutest thing in the world that your name matches your book title. I
Speaker 3:Know I get that a lot. I'm like excellent. X is a tongue twister. If you say it like,
Speaker 2:Was that like just happenstance or was it all planned and intentional?
Speaker 3:It wasn't. Um, but after it happened, I was like, this is great.
Speaker 2:Great. It's I don't know. It feels like a really smart, like branding move.
Speaker 3:There's a name it's right there in the title. That's right.
Speaker 2:Okay. Um, why don't we start with you telling listeners what is XO XO about?
Speaker 3:Yes. So excellent. Excellent is about a Korean American girl named Jenny go, who, um, hits it off with them serious boy in her uncle's karaoke bar one night. And they have like a fun night out in LA together. But then when the night is over, he totally doesn't text her back. And then a few months later, she moves to Sol, um, to take care of her grandmother, Seoul, South Korea. And she enrolls in a performing arts school where she discovers the same boy that she met at the karaoke karaoke bar is actually classmate of hers. But not only that, he's the main singer of a popular idol group, XO XO.
Speaker 2:It is so cute. It's really, really fun. K-pop inspired romantic comedy drama, and it's a really, really fun one. Um, and I was so excited to talk to you about it. I first have to mention it. So obviously a podcast, this is an audio format, but I want everyone to go look up the cover and see the cover of this book because it is probably the cutest cover in all of history.
Speaker 3:You know, I love the cover, the artist. Um, she goes by zip C, um, CIPC BLI and she's actually a Korean artist based in Seoul. So I was so excited. Yeah. I didn't have like, no, um, besides like putting together, um, covers that I loved, I didn't, I didn't know who they were going to choose for the artist. And then they, like, my publisher sent me the photo or the illustration, the first draft and then told me who the artist was. And I was like, oh my gosh, I've been a fan. So, um, I really loved specifically the architectural designs on the cover. She does like the beautiful, like Korean architecture. Um, and so it's a beautiful cover. I agree.
Speaker 2:It is. It's absolutely beautiful. It's super romantic. The colors are so pretty. Um, it's funny. Cause I first heard about this book, um, a number of months ago and part of the reason why I got really excited about it, it was because my mom has recently gone into K-pop and like I, myself, I only know about BTS. Like I cannot call myself a K-pop fan. Like they are like, that's all I know is BTS. Um, but my mom has been getting into BTS and into the music and even into like Korean culture now, like she's starting to learn the language and eat the food and drink. Is it Bosu I think? Or do you, so do you think, and so when I saw your book, I was like, yes, I'm going to get this and share it with my mom. And we'll have a book that we can both gush about back together. Gosh, I love that so much. It's awesome. It's yeah, it's really cute. Um, her, her obsession with BTS and yeah, I love it so much. There's just so much joy. Um, I think
Speaker 3:That's why a K-pop is so popular and why people love it and it, because it can, it's like for all age ranges, like, like all my nieces and nephews love it. Um, and then like your mom and then, you know, obviously my mom, like, I feel like, um, that's one of the joys about K-pop is it can be enjoyed, enjoyed by everyone cause it's just so accessible.
Speaker 2:No, it's really approachable music. It's fun for the most part. It's very happy. Yeah. Yeah. Again, I'm no expert here, but what I've heard, I love, I mean, it's such just feel good music and the dance moves. Holy cow. I know. Um, anyway, what, what kind of sparked that tangent was that I gave the book, I finished it over the weekend and I gave it to my mom and she looks at this beautiful cover and goes, it looks like they could be in Seoul. It was like, guess what, mom, I'm super excited for her to read it and to get to talk about it. Um, so obviously I am fairly new to the phenomenon of K-pop. I doubt that you are, you seem like you're fairly ingrained into the pop culture at this point.
Speaker 3:Yes. I would say how did you become a fan? Yeah, um, it started w I mean, my origin story is that when I was 11, my, um, my mom's brother gave me like six albums of a popular girl group at the time they're called Finkel. Um, and she gave me like, their first album was called blue rain. So I could say that my first album I ever owned it was blue rain, Anthony spirits. Um, and so that was by first album. But even before that, my mom listened to Korean music. I don't even know if it was K-pop back then. We're talking like nineties. Um, and then my brother older brother also listens to Korean music. So, you know, it's always been in my life. Um, but K-pop, I think really became a phenomenon during that time, like that album that my uncle gave me, um, thinkable they're first-generation K-pop so like nowadays, I don't know what generation, yeah. Okay. Um, I'm not sure, but, um, uh, that that's so I can actually, I know what groups I loved in elementary school, like groups I loved in middle school and what groups I loved in high school and college. Like I can track my life through K-pop I love that
Speaker 2:Music is one of those things that, I mean, it can just take you right back, you know, you hear a song and you're like, oh, I loved this. I heard, um, just a few days ago, randomly love rollercoaster. Um, by red hot chili peppers came on and I was right back in seventh grade, like memories of listening to this in the seventh grade cafeteria. And it's so funny how music does that? It's
Speaker 3:Ingrained. I know. Yeah. I mean, I have memories of like, cause I lived in New Jersey and we take, we took the school bus to school. I mean, nowadays I'm not sure. I mean, in Las Vegas, um, do people, do
Speaker 2:I still see them driving around? Sometimes,
Speaker 3:Always the first kid picked up and the last kid picked up, so I would be on the bus for like an hour. So I just had, I have memories of just listening to my disc man. Like I would just listen to K-pop. Yeah. Cool.
Speaker 2:Did you, when you were writing this book, uh, which is obviously very K-pop focused, it's a huge theme. Did you listen to music while you were writing? Do you have a specific playlist? Like how much did it music, the actual music inspire this book?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Um, I definitely listen to music when I draft I'm not purposeful with choosing music. Um, but I do, I usually just listen to whatever Jeff came out on repeat. So when I was listening to XXO, um, actually, um, BTS his album map of the soul had just come out as last year. Um, and I was just listening to it on repeat, I forgot how many songs were on that album. So those songs, uh, like over and over and over again. And then like if a new song came out, I would just like also add that to it. Um, but then after I finished a book, I always curated playlist. Um, and so actually I did that. I curated playlist where like I put a K-pop song and mashed it into a chapter and I put it on my Spotify for readers. So I do things like that. Um, but when I'm drafting, it's not purposeful. It's just, it's just whatever just came out and then I'm really into at the time. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I have to ask, I feel like it's the question that every K-pop fan gets asked. Um, and again, BTS is like my only entry point of this at this time you have a bias.
Speaker 3:I do. My bias is the Monday, the youngest member,
Speaker 2:The golden boy.
Speaker 3:Yeah. That's one of the reasons I like him. I usually, when I buy biases for every group is usually probably someone who's really good at all. Different things, really attracted to that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Good luck. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but mine is a J ho just,
Speaker 2:I love a goofball. My mom's is gin. She'll want me to point out that hers is gin. Okay. I guess we can actually talk about the book for awhile. Um, obviously in this story XOX oh, she meets this boy. She has no idea who he is. And then months later in soul turns out he is an idol, he's a celebrity, he's got fan clubs, all of this. And when I was reading it, um, at some point I'm like really into romance tropes. I'm fascinated by just like, why are these still popular? Why do you the same kind of, um, skeleton stories continue to get redone and why do readers love them so much? Why do I love them so much? And I realized that there is like a very strong kind of like secret royalty slash secret billionaire trope happening here, but it's even better because it's a K-pop star, like the modern twist on it. What do you think it is about that trope that is so appealing?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's, um, the character who seems, uh, what's the word impossible or, uh, like what the millionaire or the prince, or even the vampire, someone who is someone who is, uh, what's the word, like impossible to reach it. Yeah. Unreachable unreachable. And I think there's, um, glamor and romance in that, especially with like, uh, some of the Roman, the other love interests or the main character is just a normal person. So there's like a fun, um, fantasy element in that. And I think that's the trope that I was playing with. Um, and cause I actually don't necessarily love celebrity romance books just because I get anxious, not like, sorry to everyone who's like me and read this book. Um, but, uh, I really loved, um, K-pop and I loved, um, trying to ground a character where he is a K-pop star, but he's also like a regular high school student. Um, that's why I said in a boarding school. So that even though there is that fun fantasy element, there's also like, he's a real kind of element to know.
Speaker 2:And I think that that's, that's kind of part of the allure too, is that, you know, you see these celebrities or these musicians or whoever, and of course they are whoever they are on screen. Like there's a persona there, but you know that there's something more behind it and you know, that they're a real person, but that person, you don't get to meet that person. You don't get to know that person. Um, and so I think that's a lot of it is like peeling back that exterior layer, getting behind just the showmanship and the razzle dazzle of it all and you know, being the, the girl or the boy that gets to, to see inside this person's heart and figure out what they really are all about that. Um, I also think, I mean, I love between the two characters, our two main characters, Jenny and Jay Ru. There's such a great dynamic. And I think part of that is because Jenny herself is such a strong character. What was, what was the catalyst for designing her? How did you go about thinking of, of her character as it relates to now falling into this celebrity? Almost forbidden romance.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Um, so I always do, like, the hook would be that the love interest was a K-pop star and an idol group. So I was like, I don't want readers to, um, I was like worried about it. I was worried about my Jenny. I was like, I want, I want them to respect her. I want them to want her to like, I think like, um, she's on the same level in terms of her artistry, her passion as well. And so I was like, I need to give her something outside of falling in love, falling in love. And it sounds like, okay, so she's going to be a challenge. And I was like, because actually there's a, there's a, there is a Telus I really love watching and I kind of fashioned her off of this. Tell her name is Nana. And she was like a Taiwanese Telus. Um, but I was like, oh my gosh, I've got to give her this passion that she has outside of before even meeting JetBlue that she has this whole thing that she's got, that she has, um, that she's striving toward. And so I kind of wanted even to do a con uh, not a compare and contrast so much as showing that someone's passionate for like classical music is, is as important as someone's passion for, um, like idol becoming an idol. Like it's even, I think even Johnny says it in the book where she's like, oh, it's when her friends are telling her why they want to become idol. She's like, oh, it's similar to how I want to join an orchestra. Um, and perform it's like similar. And I was like, yeah, that's what I want. I wanted it to be an equal relationship, but they have a similar passion in that it's music oriented, but it's different genres, but they're both as important. Um, and so yeah, I want to Jenny to be as cool as to,
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I love that. And I, one of the parts of the book that stands out really strongly to me is one part where Jenny is like, consciously thinking about like, is this, I don't think she uses the word weird, but like, he's literally a celebrity. Like what, what is this life that I'm falling into here? Um, but then she very quickly like reminds herself like, but I deserve him. Like, it's not what I I'm, you know, there's just like, oh my gosh. Like she absolutely puts herself on that same level and has that same, you know, confidence in those goals. Um, and I thought that was a really powerful moment for the romance, you know, to show that like they are on equal footing, even if they're, you know, chosen career paths are very different, but also like just speaking to teen girls everywhere, like find the boy that you deserve. Yes, I have heard, and I don't really know much about it, but I've heard that in reality in real life K-pop idols are like forbidden from dating. Is that true? As far as you know, or, I mean, you kind of touched on it a little bit in the book, but I'm wondering if that like caused any plot problems for you. Um, as you're trying to figure out, like, how do I continue this roommates and continue to build this romance and keep it secret, but also like show realistically that there is a potential happy future here.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Um, so I knew that, I know that, um, idols, I mean, there's a good infamous thing where I don't have to sign a contract where they can't date, but I don't think that's for everyone. I think it's more frowned upon. Um, just because of a reason that, uh, one of the side characters gives them the book, which is just that, um, idols they've trained for so long, they try so hard that they give their whole like self to their fans that if they date, um, fans might think that they're not trying so hard because they're focusing on someone else and they, their priorities aren't on. Um, there are other idol, if they're an idol, there are other members they're prioritizing someone else besides their members and their company and their fans, which is, you know, frowned upon. Um, so that's kind of like the culture of like, why you, can't not maybe can lots of idols do date. Um, but that's just why there's scandals. Well, they're considered scandals, then that's what the tabloids say. Um, but it's just not their day with another human being. So I definitely knew that that would be a thing in the book. Um, so I definitely, that was definitely, um, the conflict. Um, one of the conflicts and I kind of had another relationship that, uh, in the book to mirror Jenny and Jay was relationship so that Jenny could see what, what would happen if she did date an idol. And, um, people found out like the negative consequences of that. And so, um, yeah, so I definitely had that in the book as a conflict. Um, and it, it helped with the plot. It helped give tension to the plot because they always had to like be secretive. Yeah. No, and
Speaker 2:I love that all of the ducking into closets and what, what girl doesn't want to get pulled into a broom closet. Yeah. Did you have to do a lot of research on becoming an idol and what is the, the lifelike, what is the promotion light? Like how much did you make up versus how much were you really researching? Like the business side of things.
Speaker 3:Yeah, actually didn't do you do any active research in that? I didn't before writing the book, I didn't like go research anything, but like I said, I've been a fan for so long, but I just, I knew a lot of that stuff. Like I knew about the dating stuff. I know about the idols who, you know, who have had scandals or, you know, just came out as dating. Um, and, uh, I know about some of their life because I've just watched a lot of variety shows. I've watched, um, some idols of Cub crews who come out of it, who, who have YouTube channels, um, things like that. Just not like even before I read the book, just, just to, just for my own interest or not read the book where I wrote the book. Um, so when I went into writing the book, I kind of just, um, wrote the story, wanting to write. And then when I came upon something that wasn't sure about, that's when I did research. So there's like, like idol terminology, like I wasn't positive about. So I would like go, you know, look at blogs and stuff just to see, um, what the terminology was and things like that. But no, like active research. Yeah. Um, because it's
Speaker 2:Quite a process becoming an idol. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I didn't want it so too much into that. Um, because I felt like it, well, Jenny is not an idol first of all. So it's not like she would go through it. Um, so that was actually easier for me. Cause I'd have to, I didn't have to research too much into like the training process because Jenny's not an idol and it's from her point of view. Right. So that's how, that's how I circumvented that. Yeah. Well,
Speaker 2:And it works because then you kind of, we get a nice like summary because there's enough people in her life that are going through it or have been through it. And so like, you get a touch of that. Um, just enough to like, you know, ease some of that curiosity into that life. Um, but at the same time, like you say, that's not without making it the focus. Um, at the same time though, I mean, she also tried to become a concert cellist, a professional cellist. I mean that also of course takes a ton of study and practice and, you know, do different auditions and stuff like that. Where you at all knowledgeable about that world or was that kind of a, a new thing that you had to learn about?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Um, I definitely had to learn more about that. That's actually probably what I was the least familiar with. Um, I did play instruments, so I, I understood what it was like to perform, um, and to do competition than auditions, auditions, I guess, competitions. Um, so I know what it's like to practice and perform and that all the, you know, dedication with buildings, but obviously I never want it to be a concert cellist or a content purpose because I played the harp. Um, but, uh, my grandma bought it for me. I was like, okay, I guess I'll play it now. Um, so yeah, I definitely did a lot of research on that end, so yeah, I did watch a lot of YouTube videos, uh, cellist performing, and I actually bought a book on cello player. Oh, wow. Yeah. Um, and I tried to read some books where the characters were cellists, but they, it was always just like a side thing. It was never the focus. Um, yeah. So, um, so then I did do his research there and then I, I, I looked at applications to schools, like what, what was the required? That kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's one of those things where it's like, you, you do all this research. Like I, you know, I read an entire book about how to be a cellist and like maybe one sentence out of the book ends up being like, related to what you're writing. Just like the tip of the iceberg in that way. Yeah. Uh, speaking of research I saw on your Instagram that you got to go to Seoul a couple years ago. Yes. I was wondering if that, if you had already been working on this book beforehand or did that trip kind of inspire the book?
Speaker 3:Um, I actually go to Seoul every two, three years. Yeah. I have family there. Um, my mom's sister lives there, so we stay with her, but also like my dad's extended family's there. So we go and I just love the city. Like I should be loved to eat and shop and just have a great time, um, and actually want to go back because my uncle recently moved to the countryside and he like lives like two hours outside Seoul and like in the middle of nowhere. And I'm like, I want to go, how fun? Yeah. I think it's when I was there. No, I actually hadn't, hadn't written this book yet. Um, but every time I go to Saul, I always pick up inspiration because I love that city so much. It's my favorite city for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I have never been. Um, but I want to go so bad and I especially want to go after reading this book largely because of all the food you talk about, which is like, I just want to go, I have no idea what these things are that you're talking about, but I eat them all constantly snacking on really?
Speaker 3:I think I've mentioned food, at least in every chapter
Speaker 2:Is it feels like it is a constant, I would always, always hungry. So your first series, um, rebel soul was science fiction. Um, so you started with a couple of scifi books and now of course you've switched over to contemporary. What was that like going from one to the other? Um, and what did you think maybe was easier about contemporary and what did you feel like was maybe more challenging?
Speaker 3:Um, so what by Saifai series, even then when I was writing those series, I would get, um, comments from people saying like, oh, your voice seems very contemporary. So yeah, I was always in the back of my mind that like, oh, maybe I should try a contemporary. If my voice is like really suited to that genre. And I've always been a huge contemporary reader. Um, I'm a, I'm a big reader in general, but, um, Saifai fantasy and contemporary. I read probably equally across the board. It wasn't like I liked Saifai more than contemporary. It just so happens. My debut was a Saifai. Um, so, so in the switch, I definitely think it felt easier to me just because I drafted it so quickly. Um, so I don't know if that makes it easier enough, but I felt that way. Um, but something that was harder was that all of the, uh, elements in the book did have to be somewhat realistic. Okay. Falling in love with K-pop started. Maybe not as realistic. I'm ready. That's true. Um, everything else, uh, had to be realistic and, um, beside five there's a, there's like a excuse. I don't know an excuse or there's like a feeling that it doesn't necessarily have to be completely accurate because things could change in the future from now until then. I mean, that book is like a dystopia, so it's like very it's like darker. Um, but with XO, XO, um, I definitely was, uh, definitely wanted to make sure all of the factual things were correct because they exist as they are now. Right. Right.
Speaker 2:People can call you out if it's not,
Speaker 3:You'd be like, that's not true. It's on the east side, not the west side. Right.
Speaker 2:Paying attention. Come on, read the story. Yeah. I also, like, I feel like for a lot of writers who make the switch, um, myself included comes up a lot that like, you know, in scifi or fantasy, a lot of times you have like, almost built in obstacles or plot devices. Like there's magic, there's a war, there's characters running for their lives all the time. Whereas with CA contemporary, like you still need to find ways to have that tension, but it's in a quieter way. Like things aren't exploding, there's no big battles. Was that difficult for you? Or was that refreshing for you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it was refreshing. Um, and also I kind of had that anyway because there is like a fantasy element in a way because of the K-pop I know they're all like pretty much magic. Right. So there's like, built-in obstacles with that. Like the, you know, they can't afford a bit in dating trope and things like that. There's like built enough and it's a study abroad book where it's like a fish out of water book or the character she's created, but she's creative Americans and she's never lived. She's never been to soul. So it's like, she's discovering the city for the first time she's meeting her grandmother for the first time. Um, so I feel like there were, there were within the contemporary, there were tropes to work with that already have conflict within them. So that helped. Um, but yeah, definitely Jenny's like main problem is like, do I date a K-pop star? Do I go to school
Speaker 2:Hard to be Jenny? Yeah. You mentioned that you drafted it really quickly. I'm curious to you, like what, what does that mean? How quickly did you draft it and why, what do you credit toward this one kind of coming together so fast?
Speaker 3:Um, I drafted it quickly to me in like three months. That's fast. Yeah. Um, and I guess I'm just comparing it to, so actually I have a fantasy cup coming out next year. Um, so C5, contemporary fantasy, um, and my fantasy, I just, it took so long like drafting and revising it. So I guess I'm just comparing it to that, which took like years. So, um, yeah. Well, excellent. So it just came out so fast. I don't even know why I think just because I'm a huge K-pop fan and also I wanted to finish it fast. Um, I had a deadline as well, so that's a very encouraging. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I definitely, I wanted to talk about your fantasy coming up. Um, so I'm glad that you brought it up because I noticed that we are going to be publishing sisters, both friends. So, so yes. You know, you've done side by, you've done contemporary now you're moving into fantasy. What's that been like?
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, I wrote the fantasy before the contemporary, um, it just sold later
Speaker 2:Funny how that happens, the timeline of everything. I
Speaker 3:Know. Um, and so it's like the same thing is I think it's just that I'm a huge, like a huge reader. Like you've written all the different genres. It's, it's probably just because we love those genres, you know, it's kind of like when you read so much in the genre, you love, it doesn't seem, it doesn't seem wild to me to write in those different genres just because I have read them for so long.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I definitely agree. And know what you're saying? It's like, you, you don't know where inspiration's going to come from. And I feel like being able to kind of jump around to different genres, it helps keep me inspired. It helps keep my creativity humming, you know,
Speaker 3:Too. That's definitely, that's definitely the biggest reason I feel like I do that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Any genres that you still want to tackle?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Um, historical. So I was actually a history major in school.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Do you know what era are you drawn to?
Speaker 3:I will specifically Asian history major. Um, and so I would probably be drawn to historical Korea and Korean as, um, like the chosen period. Have you read June, June her's books?
Speaker 2:She was like one of my very, very first podcast guests. I can't even believe that was like what? That was like way over a year ago. Now. I probably listened to that. Maybe like my third or fourth guest, I think.
Speaker 3:Um, but like, yeah, like, do you know how June writes? Um, during that time period? I love, I love, I love her books. I've read all her books. Um, that even the one she's also yes. Um, we have the same editors, so, um, I actually like, you know, did the contact and I was like, can I read your one that comes out next year? And she's like, yeah, I got to read it.
Speaker 2:It's networking thing. It really benefited us.
Speaker 3:Um, so I'm a big fan of her work and she, her books so far have all been set during the chosen period, but what that's all very long period in Korean history. So yeah, yeah. A lot you can do with it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Awesome. I would also like to try historical at one point, but I also find it incredibly intimidating. Um, you know, you talking about like contemporary being challenging because you have to get right. I feel like you also have to get things right. But now you have to like deep dive research. You can't just, you know, go on Google maps and see, is there a Cornerstore there? Is there not a corner store?
Speaker 3:Exactly. Yeah. I think it's, it's it sounds fun, but it's probably so hard.
Speaker 2:Right. I don't fun but hard, but you know, that's writing, that's like writing hard. I just tried that. Yes. We are now going to wrap this up with our happy writer bonus round.
Speaker 3:What book makes you happy? Um, all books. So my, my favorite book of all time, which is actually kind of a sad book, it's the little prince. Um, yeah, but I just, it just makes me happy. Cause it's so cute. And it's so, um, thoughtful. And you, you, it rides me of my childhood. Think any book I wrote, read it during childhood makes me happy. Like LN chanted, the golden compass. Any of those books make me happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah. No, I, I know kind of like we were talking about music, taking you back. Some books are just, they put you in that mindset when books were new and magical and you're first learning that you pick up a book and you can go anywhere and be anyone. And there's an enchantment to that. Yes. I hear you. What is your personal mantra, uh,
Speaker 3:To trust my gut? Why are you laughing at that? Yeah, I'm actually, I'm pretty, uh, well, I don't know if this is either stubborn or confident. It could be a mixture of both, but, um, I, I always, I want to listen to other people first before thinking what I want to do, um, sometimes, but really I should just trust what I want to do first and then get other people's opinions and then, you know, have an informed decision. But usually, um, when it comes to any kind of decision, I should just trust my guy. That's usually even in writing too. Um, I think for me it's less Calcutta calculative and more just whatever natural comes out. That's sort of the writing style that actually really, that's why I love writing just because it feels so it's so much fun and it feels so natural to me.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Have you ever had an experience where maybe you received some input or feedback on writing that you didn't listen to your gut and later regretted it or, or?
Speaker 3:Um, not necessarily, but I've had experiences where someone tried to convince me to do something. I stuck to my gun and it worked out to my, what I wanted. Yeah. So I've had those experiences. Yeah. Um, yeah,
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I think being able to listen to your own intuition is yes, it's not easy. Like, I feel like you have to exercise that muscle. Um, and it kind of comes with maybe some age and some wisdom, but I think it's really important. Yeah. What advice would you give to help someone be a happier writer?
Speaker 3:Oh, just the right. What do you love? Never write to trends. Um, but think about what you loved in childhood and what you loved in those sort of things. And, um, when you write a book channel that sort of happiness, don't don't think like, oh, well this is really popular right now. So I'm going to, I'm going to write this or like I have, you know, I have to write my trauma or something like that. Just write whatever makes what right. What makes you happy? It seems pretty simple.
Speaker 2:It is. But it's like the best advice I completely concur. What is the top song when you're writing platelets?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh. Is this the worst question for a K-pop
Speaker 2:Or I will also give you, um, an option. XO, XO had a theme song. What would it be?
Speaker 3:Uh, so there's this, that just came out recently by, um, TXT that, um, it's like, how do you say it in English? It's like zero equals one love song. Um, and it's just, is there a type of love song? And it's just like this beautiful, like rock Anthem and I'm like, I love it. What I think of it. I think that's what the song like Ex-Lax and at least the song in the book, the idol group, they released a song called don't look back in the book. That's like the energy that song is. So I would say that song by TXT love song. Yeah.
Speaker 2:What is your favorite writing? Snack or beverage?
Speaker 3:Um, uh, coffee without milk and honey and sediment and such so hot right now. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Uh, I know we talked a little bit about your fantasy, the girl who fell beneath the sea coming out next year. Um, but can you tell us anything about what else you might be working on?
Speaker 3:Uh, just another fantasy. Um, yeah, another Y fantasy that that's very new and I'm excited about it. All I have right now is a Pinterest board. Okay.
Speaker 2:That's where mine always usually begins. Um, and then can you tell us anything about the girl who fell beneath the sea? All I know is that it's based on a fairytale, so, you know, I'm excited. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, it's based on, um, the legend of shin tone, which is like a, actually a Korean folktale. Um, and it was it's about, uh, well in the folk tale, it's about a girl who gets sacrificed to the local sea God for three, three bags of rice. Um, but my, my, my book is about, um, the issue that my main character Mina lives in a village by the sea where every summer there's like off like terrible storms that like sleep away, you know, people. And, um, they have to sacrifice a see God's bride is what they're called every year. And so that see God's bride for that year. Her name was Jim Chung, which is like the connection to the folk tale. But Mina's older, brother's in love with the Chung. So like the day that she supposed to be sacrificed, the brother goes with her and he, he gets like, things happen and he, uh, he's in dangerous and she has to go save him. And then it ends up where she becomes the see God's bride. So it's like, she, she goes, she travels to the sea gods and she has to figure out why these storms are happening and break the curse kind of thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I love it. It's like a quest story. A girl going. Yes. So awesome. Lastly, where can people find you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm pretty much X, C O X, a X I E H everywhere on Instagram, Twitter, my email, not my email, my instant via a website is ACCE o.com. So my by very easy name everywhere
Speaker 2:Because it's right there in the title. Folks. Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you. This was so much fun. I had a lot of fun too. Yeah. And I'm
Speaker 3:Like, I'm a little star struck because I've been here 10 years now, I guess
Speaker 2:Be sure to check out axes newest XOX oh, is available. Now of course, we always encourage you to support your local indie bookstore. If you can, if you don't have a local indie, you can also check out our affiliate store at bookshop.org/shop/marissa Meyer. Next week, I am excited to be welcoming one of my all time. Favorite graphic, novel authors and illustrators Kazuki booshie creator of amulet. So please stay tuned for that. If you're enjoying these conversations, I would love it. If you subscribe and please leave us a review, you can follow us on Instagram at Marissa Meyer author, happy writer podcast until next time stay healthy and cozy and whatever life throws at you today. I do hope that now you're feeling a little bit[inaudible].