Ask the Author: Yangsze Choo
Answered Questions (31)
Yangsze Choo
Hi Julie, so lovely to hear from a fellow SE Asian! I'm really honoured and happy that you enjoyed The Night Tiger. Currently, I'm working on a different novel, but I did have some ideas in mind for a sequel (which involves Singapore). In fact, I was poking around the former King Edward VII College of Medicine (now the Ministry of Health) when I was last back, just to see the architecture and imagine what it might have been like in 1931... 🥰
Yangsze Choo
Hi Sharon, I'm so glad that you're enjoying the show! I loved actors they cast as well, and they are indeed very cute (and super charming in real life!). Netflix says that depending on viewership, we'll see if they get a second season. Fingers crossed!❤️
Yangsze Choo
Hi Christine, thank you for reading! I put a small Easter egg into my second novel, The Night Tiger, in which you get a hint of what happened to Li Lan, but one day I would love to write a full sequel!❤️
Yangsze Choo
Hi Charrise, I am currrently working on a different novel, but am open to writing a sequel to The Ghost Bride. In fact, when I wrote the novel I had a whole extra section in mind which I couldn't fit in because the book was already too long. 😅 One day I would love to write it!
Yangsze Choo
Hi Jennifer, I would love to! Right now I'm working on a different novel, but in my mind the story of The Night Tiger could certainly go on to new adventures. 🥰
Yangsze Choo
Hi Paty, yes it is! The storyline is actually different (but very fun). I binge-watched it myself last weekend, and loved the actors they cast! 🥰
Yangsze Choo
Thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, I am indeed working on a third novel (which involves eating lots of chocolate and making soft and fluffy Hokkaido milk bread when I'm feeling stumped... making bread is actually a great way to procrastinate... 😅). But I will try my best to keep writing, and hopefully something that you'll enjoy!
Yangsze Choo
Hi Maggie,
I'm currently working on a different novel, but am open to writing a sequel in future (I did think it would be fun to find out what happens to everyone next!). Thank you so much for reading - I'm so glad it was fun for you!
Best,
Yangsze
I'm currently working on a different novel, but am open to writing a sequel in future (I did think it would be fun to find out what happens to everyone next!). Thank you so much for reading - I'm so glad it was fun for you!
Best,
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Raquel,
I'm so glad you enjoyed listening to THE GHOST BRIDE! And yes, my new book THE NIGHT TIGER will also be on Audible, read by me. I really enjoyed recording the book, and hope that you'll have a fun time listening too! :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed listening to THE GHOST BRIDE! And yes, my new book THE NIGHT TIGER will also be on Audible, read by me. I really enjoyed recording the book, and hope that you'll have a fun time listening too! :)
Yangsze Choo
Hi Max,
Thank you for your lovely encouragement! How nice to hear from a fellow SE Asian :) I've been busy working on novel #2 (not a sequel, I'm afraid, but a murder mystery set in 1930s colonial Malaya), but I hope you'll enjoy it as well. In terms of other books with the same mythology, Lisa See's Peony in Love is also set in the Chinese afterlife, though in China and not in Malaysia. Another book that I enjoyed reading as a collection of Asian ghost stories (set in Japan however), is Miyuki Miyabe's Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo.
Hope that helps, and best wishes!
Yangsze
Thank you for your lovely encouragement! How nice to hear from a fellow SE Asian :) I've been busy working on novel #2 (not a sequel, I'm afraid, but a murder mystery set in 1930s colonial Malaya), but I hope you'll enjoy it as well. In terms of other books with the same mythology, Lisa See's Peony in Love is also set in the Chinese afterlife, though in China and not in Malaysia. Another book that I enjoyed reading as a collection of Asian ghost stories (set in Japan however), is Miyuki Miyabe's Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo.
Hope that helps, and best wishes!
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Salwa,
Oh dear, I must confess that I've been very slow with my second novel but we are almost there! I'm happy to report that it sold at auction last summer, and I have an exciting new publisher and editors. They would like to finalize all edits before making an announcement, but I will update my blog and FB as soon as we get the go ahead. Thank you for being patient, and I hope it will be a tale that you enjoy :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Oh dear, I must confess that I've been very slow with my second novel but we are almost there! I'm happy to report that it sold at auction last summer, and I have an exciting new publisher and editors. They would like to finalize all edits before making an announcement, but I will update my blog and FB as soon as we get the go ahead. Thank you for being patient, and I hope it will be a tale that you enjoy :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Christine,
Thank you so much! I am still working on it but much much closer to being done! My second book was sold at auction in the summer, and I've been working with my new publisher to finish the edits before an announcement is made. I'm so sorry it has taken a long time, but I hope it will be something you enjoy! And yes, it does feature ghosts, shape-shifters, colonial Malaya, and the world of the dead...
Best wishes :)
Yangsze
Thank you so much! I am still working on it but much much closer to being done! My second book was sold at auction in the summer, and I've been working with my new publisher to finish the edits before an announcement is made. I'm so sorry it has taken a long time, but I hope it will be something you enjoy! And yes, it does feature ghosts, shape-shifters, colonial Malaya, and the world of the dead...
Best wishes :)
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Kay,
Thank you so much for your kind comments! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it and that it helped you while in the hospital with your son. My second novel has been sold, and I'm still editing it (almost there!). It isn't a sequel to The Ghost Bride, but if you look carefully, you may find some folks that you know in it :)
Wishing you and your family the very best!
Yangsze
Thank you so much for your kind comments! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it and that it helped you while in the hospital with your son. My second novel has been sold, and I'm still editing it (almost there!). It isn't a sequel to The Ghost Bride, but if you look carefully, you may find some folks that you know in it :)
Wishing you and your family the very best!
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Katie,
Yes, I'm afraid a status update is long overdue!! The good news: my second novel was sold last summer at auction, with 6 publishers bidding on it. Very exciting! I have a new publisher and a very cool duo of rather famous editors. However, they have said they'd like to wait to make the official announcement when all the edits are in to their satisfaction. To that end, I have been working on the book and hopefully we are almooooost there (at least, that's what I tell myself as I stuff chocolate into my mouth!). So thank you for being patient, and I hope I will have some specifics to share as soon as it is good to go :)
Yes, I'm afraid a status update is long overdue!! The good news: my second novel was sold last summer at auction, with 6 publishers bidding on it. Very exciting! I have a new publisher and a very cool duo of rather famous editors. However, they have said they'd like to wait to make the official announcement when all the edits are in to their satisfaction. To that end, I have been working on the book and hopefully we are almooooost there (at least, that's what I tell myself as I stuff chocolate into my mouth!). So thank you for being patient, and I hope I will have some specifics to share as soon as it is good to go :)
Yangsze Choo
Hi Austin,
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it (and in class, no less)! I've been working on a different book, but definitely open to writing a sequel one day. Er Lang was such a fun character (plus, you're right that there would probably be lots of havoc if he tried to marry multiple people!). Thanks again, and I wish you many more happy reading hours to come :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it (and in class, no less)! I've been working on a different book, but definitely open to writing a sequel one day. Er Lang was such a fun character (plus, you're right that there would probably be lots of havoc if he tried to marry multiple people!). Thanks again, and I wish you many more happy reading hours to come :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Julie,
Haha! How wonderful to hear that you've traveled in Malaysia and enjoyed the food!! In fact, while editing The Ghost Bride, I had to remove several scenes of banquets and food being eaten because the book was getting too long... The new book definitely has lots of food in it, some of it specific to Ipoh and Perak (where it's set). Thank you so much for reading - I will post on my author FB page https://www.facebook.com/yschooauthor/ when I have further updates on my new novel! :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Haha! How wonderful to hear that you've traveled in Malaysia and enjoyed the food!! In fact, while editing The Ghost Bride, I had to remove several scenes of banquets and food being eaten because the book was getting too long... The new book definitely has lots of food in it, some of it specific to Ipoh and Perak (where it's set). Thank you so much for reading - I will post on my author FB page https://www.facebook.com/yschooauthor/ when I have further updates on my new novel! :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much - I'm delighted you enjoyed it! And yes, I'm definitely open to exploring more of Li Lan and Er Lang's world in future. I'm sure it will be fun to discover his relatives! :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Thank you so much - I'm delighted you enjoyed it! And yes, I'm definitely open to exploring more of Li Lan and Er Lang's world in future. I'm sure it will be fun to discover his relatives! :)
Best wishes,
Yangsze
Yangsze Choo
Hi Jaclyn,
Thank you, I'm delighted that you enjoyed it! Growing up, I heard a lot of ghost stories and eerie tales from relatives and friends, some of which were just fragments of a story - like the pretty woman with no feet who appeared by the side of the road, or the spirit who lives in banana trees. I also read a lot of classic Chinese ghost stories and always wondered "what happened next?". So it was very fun to write "The Ghost Bride", which is set in that peculiar, shifting world of the Chinese afterlife, and explore what might have happened.
Pu Song Ling, who wrote the classic Chinese "Strange Tales of Liaozhai" was definitely a huge influence on me, and in some sense, perhaps I have always been trying to write my own "strange tale". I spent part of my childhood in Japan as well, and one of my favorite writers is Haruki Murakami. I've always loved how he melds the fantastic with the everyday, and how his prose, in an understated way, can lead the reader all the way from how to mow the perfect lawn to a supernatural wild sheep chase in Hokkaido. "Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World" is one of my favourite novels by him.
I'm currently working on my second book, which is also set in colonial Malaya and explores, amongst other things, weretigers and severed fingers, and women who put gold needles in their faces to stay young and beautiful forever... another odd and tantalizing tale that I hope will be fun to read!
Thank you, I'm delighted that you enjoyed it! Growing up, I heard a lot of ghost stories and eerie tales from relatives and friends, some of which were just fragments of a story - like the pretty woman with no feet who appeared by the side of the road, or the spirit who lives in banana trees. I also read a lot of classic Chinese ghost stories and always wondered "what happened next?". So it was very fun to write "The Ghost Bride", which is set in that peculiar, shifting world of the Chinese afterlife, and explore what might have happened.
Pu Song Ling, who wrote the classic Chinese "Strange Tales of Liaozhai" was definitely a huge influence on me, and in some sense, perhaps I have always been trying to write my own "strange tale". I spent part of my childhood in Japan as well, and one of my favorite writers is Haruki Murakami. I've always loved how he melds the fantastic with the everyday, and how his prose, in an understated way, can lead the reader all the way from how to mow the perfect lawn to a supernatural wild sheep chase in Hokkaido. "Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World" is one of my favourite novels by him.
I'm currently working on my second book, which is also set in colonial Malaya and explores, amongst other things, weretigers and severed fingers, and women who put gold needles in their faces to stay young and beautiful forever... another odd and tantalizing tale that I hope will be fun to read!
Yangsze Choo
Hi Paperkite,
Thank you for reading The Ghost Bride - I'm glad you enjoyed Er Lang! He was lots of fun to write about, mostly because he kept taking over more and more of the book...
I try to write whenever I can squeeze in the time, which can be all sorts of odd hours. What has been helpful, however, is having a word count to aim for. I try to write at least 500 words a day and though there are many (many, many) days when absolutely nothing gets done, it does keep me guiltily chugging along.
If you're trying to get published for the first time, I'd encourage you to write, write, and write some more. Write what you like; what you're truly and deeply interested in. When I was younger, I wrote a number of rather high-minded stories that I thought sounded literary but were actually deadly boring (I also wrote a thesis about industrial townships in China that made me want to run screaming out of the library). None of these attempts were very successful, until I started to write about things that mattered to me. So I'd encourage you to write whatever you feel is most interesting to you. And don't stop, even if you are stricken by doubts that nobody will ever, for example, want to read a book about a bizarre marriage to the dead set in a small S.E. Asian country.
The other thing about publishing is that in my experience, it's not necessary to have special contacts or qualifications to write fiction. My manuscript happened to be picked up out of the slush pile by my literary agent, and I know many other authors who were also published in the same way. "It Came Out of the Slush Pile" sounds like some sort of horror movie, but is actually quite a heartening experience! :)
Thank you for reading The Ghost Bride - I'm glad you enjoyed Er Lang! He was lots of fun to write about, mostly because he kept taking over more and more of the book...
I try to write whenever I can squeeze in the time, which can be all sorts of odd hours. What has been helpful, however, is having a word count to aim for. I try to write at least 500 words a day and though there are many (many, many) days when absolutely nothing gets done, it does keep me guiltily chugging along.
If you're trying to get published for the first time, I'd encourage you to write, write, and write some more. Write what you like; what you're truly and deeply interested in. When I was younger, I wrote a number of rather high-minded stories that I thought sounded literary but were actually deadly boring (I also wrote a thesis about industrial townships in China that made me want to run screaming out of the library). None of these attempts were very successful, until I started to write about things that mattered to me. So I'd encourage you to write whatever you feel is most interesting to you. And don't stop, even if you are stricken by doubts that nobody will ever, for example, want to read a book about a bizarre marriage to the dead set in a small S.E. Asian country.
The other thing about publishing is that in my experience, it's not necessary to have special contacts or qualifications to write fiction. My manuscript happened to be picked up out of the slush pile by my literary agent, and I know many other authors who were also published in the same way. "It Came Out of the Slush Pile" sounds like some sort of horror movie, but is actually quite a heartening experience! :)
Yangsze Choo
Hi Cynthia,
I get most of my writing done sitting on the floor, at a low coffee table. This rather unglamorous desk allows me to roll around on the floor when I'm feeling frustrated or have writer's block! In addition, the coffee table is foldable, so when guests come over I can pick it up and scurry off to another corner, though sometimes I come back to find that my kids have used it to stage Lego battles on...
In an ideal world, I'd prefer to write in the morning, but that isn't always possible; in fact, large chunks of "The Ghost Bride" were written late at night when all those Lego-building children were asleep. But I think when it comes to writing, most of us will take whatever time we can find. I'm currently working on my second novel and I try to write at least 500 words a day. Some days I'll come up with barely anything, and others, scenes will just fly by.
Coffee or tea? Well, I'd say both, but not together - although there is in fact a Malaysian drink called "chum", which is a mixture of coffee and tea served with lots of condensed milk!
I get most of my writing done sitting on the floor, at a low coffee table. This rather unglamorous desk allows me to roll around on the floor when I'm feeling frustrated or have writer's block! In addition, the coffee table is foldable, so when guests come over I can pick it up and scurry off to another corner, though sometimes I come back to find that my kids have used it to stage Lego battles on...
In an ideal world, I'd prefer to write in the morning, but that isn't always possible; in fact, large chunks of "The Ghost Bride" were written late at night when all those Lego-building children were asleep. But I think when it comes to writing, most of us will take whatever time we can find. I'm currently working on my second novel and I try to write at least 500 words a day. Some days I'll come up with barely anything, and others, scenes will just fly by.
Coffee or tea? Well, I'd say both, but not together - although there is in fact a Malaysian drink called "chum", which is a mixture of coffee and tea served with lots of condensed milk!
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