Turning Pages by Penguin Books NZ discussion

Hi everyone!

As some of you may be aware we asked you to send in your questions for author of Gumiho, Kat Cho, and we have her answers below.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more opportunities like this :) A big thank you to Kat Cho for taking the time to answer all the questions.

• Sam: Was there a book/author you read during you childhood/teen years that left a lasting impression? If so, how did it influence your writing style and the types of stories you want to tell?

When I was a kid I loved the Redwall series, I loved the idea of the underdog (or undermouse) who rose up and fought a great evil. I guess that's more of a standard fantasy trope, but the Redwall series was one of the first times I saw it play out in a book. I also just LOVED the food scenes and those definitely directly influenced my own writing. As a pre-teen and teen I loved Nora Roberts, what she did so well that stood out to me was how she gave just as much importance to platonic and familial relationships as she did romantic ones. She shows that our family and friends are what shape us as people through her stories. I adored this because my own family was so important to me. And I wanted to include that feeling into my own writing in GUMIHO: WICKED FOX.

• Caitlin: I’ve heard people who’ve read the book describe Seoul’s importance to the story as so great, it almost feels like a character in its own right. How would you describe the process of bringing such an iconic city from real life into the pages of a fantasy novel?

It wasn't hard to show how beautiful and complex Seoul was because I love the city. Though I didn't grow up there, I visited often as a child and the city held so much importance in how I felt about my family and about my Korean identity. The city holds such interesting aspects of Koreanness. On one had it holds a lot of our history including the palace of some of the final kings of Joseon, but also it's the center of so much of Korean pop culture that is growing and shining now. I love how you can walk through marketplaces where old men will be sitting on a pail making ppopgi, a sugary snack that has been made in Korea for decades, but a store will be playing the latest kpop hit.

• Georgia: My question is, if you could choose another story or myth from Korean mythology that would make an awesome novel, what would you choose?

There are a few that I've been really interested in lately. There are some great variations on the creationist myth (which might be an inspiration to a current Work in Progress right now ;) ) I also love the story of Habaek (a river god) and Haemosu (god of the sun).

• Courtney: Was this story something that formed from wanting to tell a fantasy romance or from wanting to integrate Korean mythology into a YA novel? (Or did is just sprout from nowhere as some ideas do!)

All of the above! I really wanted to tell a fantasy romance and I also loved the myth of the gumiho (partly because it so deeply incorporated Korean culture). The two desires mixed well to become GUMIHO: WICKED FOX.

• Danielle: As well as drawing from Korean mythology, did you draw inspiration from any specific current Korean references, like a specific K-Drama?

I did! I was heavily influenced by the friendships in SCHOOL 2013 and how they're all about us being misunderstood and wanting to connect. I also loved the theme of parents who will do anything (even things that are messy) to protect their kids in ANGRY MOM. ORANGE MARMALADE had some good observations about how hard it is to fit in when you're a man-eating paranormal creature (LOL). Lots of character moments are inspired by K-dramas in general. I love how Korean dramas really concentrate on character moments and relationships (good examples are OH MY GHOSTESS and GOBLIN)