Ask the Author: Amanda Sun
Answered Questions (31)
Amanda Sun
Thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed the trilogy! I hope you visit Japan someday and have wonderful experiences of your own there. ^_^ I definitely want to write more Japan-based stories! I actually have a short story coming out in 2017 about two sisters surviving in a post-apocalyptic Japan. I hope you look forward to it!
Amanda Sun
Hi! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm really interested in the more unknown mythologies, things like Polynesian mythology. Actually Sumerian mythology made its way into HEIR TO THE SKY. They're such interesting stories because they're very different than anything we're used to ^_^
Amanda Sun
Hi! Thanks for your question. ^_^ I'm working on a few different things at the moment, but more details in the future. I can tell you that I have some new short stories coming out next year, and my story "What Harm" is in the anthology STRANGERS AMONG US, which just came out in August. My story is a dark revenge tale of a boy who can't speak, but has a special gift with horses, and who is sold into the service of a warlord.
Amanda Sun
Thanks for asking! It's a stand alone. :)
Amanda Sun
I can't wait to share the info either! I think mid-fall will be the synopsis reveal. Very excited! In the meantime, I can promise floating continents and monster hunters.
Amanda Sun
Oh definitely! That would be the coolest :D I love manga and anime, which shouldn't be a surprise, so it would be a treat to see all the characters drawn in an artistic manga style. Of course, I'm already very lucky that the Paper Gods books contain such gorgeous drawings from Tomo's sketchbooks, and flip animations in the corners so we can see the ink move. ^_^
Amanda Sun
My first instinct would be Yoyogi Park. It's quite a beautiful greenspace near Harajuku and the paths are really lovely to walk through. If you use google maps you can probably see the greener areas of Tokyo that would work for you. Good luck and have fun writing :D
Amanda Sun
What a cool idea ^_^ I don't have any say in the formats, unfortunately, but maybe someday we will see the novellas in paperback. :)
Amanda Sun
Thank you! The cover was designed by Gigi Lau, who also did the cover for INK.
The Paper Gods is currently complete at 2 novellas and 3 novels, but I do have a new YA Fantasy coming out May 2016 called Heir to the Sky. There are floating continents, monster hunters, and a diverse cast that I hope will make Paper Gods readers feel at home. ^_^
The Paper Gods is currently complete at 2 novellas and 3 novels, but I do have a new YA Fantasy coming out May 2016 called Heir to the Sky. There are floating continents, monster hunters, and a diverse cast that I hope will make Paper Gods readers feel at home. ^_^
Amanda Sun
Thank you! Yes, I have a brand new YA Fantasy out May 2016 called HEIR TO THE SKY. It's up on Goodreads so you can already add it to your shelf. More details to come! :D
Amanda Sun
Hi! Are you thinking to post online? There are lots of online zines and different websites you can find an audience at (I'm thinking Wattpad, Figment, Storify). Keep in mind that once you've posted a piece online, many agents and publishers consider it published and so you may not be able to then sell the piece to a publisher.
If you want to sell short stories, that's a great route too. Lots of print and online anthologies to submit your work to. :)
As far as writing mythology and fantasy-based things, what I really like is how unpredictable the stories can be. Read them, and then make them your own. Most fairy tales and mythologies have many different versions, so they thrive on being retold and reimagined. In the case of Japanese mythology, though, I do try to be respectful and reflective of the original culture (so the characters still think in a different way than I may be used to).
Mainly, have fun and see where they lead you! ^_^
If you want to sell short stories, that's a great route too. Lots of print and online anthologies to submit your work to. :)
As far as writing mythology and fantasy-based things, what I really like is how unpredictable the stories can be. Read them, and then make them your own. Most fairy tales and mythologies have many different versions, so they thrive on being retold and reimagined. In the case of Japanese mythology, though, I do try to be respectful and reflective of the original culture (so the characters still think in a different way than I may be used to).
Mainly, have fun and see where they lead you! ^_^
Amanda Sun
Thank you so much! I started self-learning Japanese in high school, oddly enough by comparing the katakana on Sailor Moon trading cards with their English names XD A year later I lived in Osaka on exchange and then took Japanese through university. I'm still learning, of course! I have some lovely friends in Japan who check the Japanese I use in the Paper Gods.
Amanda Sun
There's lots more of everything this time--more mythology, more dangerous ink creatures, more sights and tastes of Japan, and yes, more romance.
I have no idea if you'll find it better than others. I always try my best to write a better book each time. I hope you'll enjoy it!
I have no idea if you'll find it better than others. I always try my best to write a better book each time. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Amanda Sun
I didn't have an agent yet when I submitted short stories for Tesseracts Fifteen and for Playthings of the Gods. Usually for short story or anthology submissions you can submit directly without representation.
Tesseracts was recommended to me by a friend--she was on their mailing list and heard they were doing a YA anthology, so sent me the call for submissions. I honestly can't remember how I found the now closed small press Drollerie. I think because they published a lot of mythology-based work, I'd been intrigued by them earlier on.
I do recommend Writer's Digest's Short Story Writer's Market, which I believe is updated every year. There are also lots of places you can search online for lists of anthologies accepting work.
Thanks for your question! :)
Tesseracts was recommended to me by a friend--she was on their mailing list and heard they were doing a YA anthology, so sent me the call for submissions. I honestly can't remember how I found the now closed small press Drollerie. I think because they published a lot of mythology-based work, I'd been intrigued by them earlier on.
I do recommend Writer's Digest's Short Story Writer's Market, which I believe is updated every year. There are also lots of places you can search online for lists of anthologies accepting work.
Thanks for your question! :)
Amanda Sun
I love world mythologies! Other than Japanese I'm particularly interested in Polynesian, Icelandic, and Welsh mythologies. I may write about them sometime :) I also wrote a retelling of Icarus once--the anthology it was published in is no longer available, but if there's interest I may make this story available again sometime. ^_^
Amanda Sun
Thanks for asking! I have a new book coming in 2016, but I'm afraid that's all I can divulge at the moment ^_^
Amanda Sun
When I was little I had a book of myths, and one of the stories was about Amaterasu and the cave. From that moment I was fascinated by the kami and the myths surrounding them.
I also learned that kanji were originally developed to communicate with the spirit world, and so I liked the connection between writing with ink and the power of the kami. The imperial family of Japan has always traditionally been descended from Amaterasu, so this was history-turned-myth that I could use in my books. :)
I also learned that kanji were originally developed to communicate with the spirit world, and so I liked the connection between writing with ink and the power of the kami. The imperial family of Japan has always traditionally been descended from Amaterasu, so this was history-turned-myth that I could use in my books. :)
Amanda Sun
I'm pretty partial to all the adorable mascots in Japan. Almost everything has a cartoon mascot--malls, foods, banks, even jello cups!
I also absolutely love conbini, the convenience stores everywhere in Japan. They aren't like western convenience stores. They have delicious bentos, juices and teas, cool anime collectables...just about anything.
And my other favorite thing is how polite Japan is. It's very much a culture of putting others first and thinking of their needs, which results in a really safe, really clean, and really pleasant environment.
That said, Japan has its pros and cons like any country, but these are some of the things I really enjoy when I'm there. :)
I also absolutely love conbini, the convenience stores everywhere in Japan. They aren't like western convenience stores. They have delicious bentos, juices and teas, cool anime collectables...just about anything.
And my other favorite thing is how polite Japan is. It's very much a culture of putting others first and thinking of their needs, which results in a really safe, really clean, and really pleasant environment.
That said, Japan has its pros and cons like any country, but these are some of the things I really enjoy when I'm there. :)
Amanda Sun
Thank you! I love the illustrations so much too. I feel like they give Tomo a very personal voice in the story. I hope there will be illustrations in Book 3 as well, but the design of the book is up to the Art team at my publisher. They've always done a great job, though, so I'm sure Book 3 will be beautiful as well ^_^
Amanda Sun
Good question! Usually my editor reads my book, and then we brainstorm together for the right title. With INK, I discussed with my agent, and we submitted it as INK WASH, for the type of painting Tomo does. When Harlequin TEEN bought the book, my editor suggested changing it to INK. It has a nicer sound, doesn't it? :)
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