‘The Red Palace’ and Q&A
Hello friends!
I have some thrilling news for those who haven't yet had the opportunity to read The Red Palace but have been wanting to! Today, for ONE day only, you have the chance to download the ebook of "The Red Palace" for just $2.99!
Ok, book promo aside, I hope you're all doing well! I haven't sent out a newsletter in so long mainly because I'm still recovering from burnout, and I feel like all my creative energy has been poured into my upcoming book, A CRANE AMONG WOLVES (2024). So I was wondering what to include in this newsletter when I remembered how many wonderful questions I often receive in my AMA's so I thought.... why not do one for my newsletter?
Q&A
I recently held an Ask Me Anything on Instagram (@junehwrites) and promised to answer some of your questions in this newsletter. I received such wonderful questions, but due to time constraint, I've selected only seven to answer! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions, and I'll do my best to answer the rest in my next newsletter!
1. How do you know where to start when researching for a story?
When I was writing my debut novel, THE SILENCE OF BONES, I researched for years, learning as much as I could about the Joseon Dynasty period, and this allowed me to build a foundational knowledge of the era (mainly the latter half of the dynasty). Now, when I begin researching for a new project set in Joseon Korea, I begin by studying what I find to be the most uniquely different in every Joseon time period, which is the political climate. From there, I gradually expand my understanding of the society under the reign of the specific king I'm writing about. Once I have a comfortable grasp of the time period, I begin rough drafting. I research around the scenes I write, and the writing itself informs what I need to further explore research-wise. I also end up reading random scholarly resources about the period, which sometimes leads to me writing up new scenes or doing major revisions based on the newfound information.
2. How do you cope with writing and motherhood?
I am super lucky to have support from my in-laws, otherwise it’d SUPER hard to balance writing and parenting without their assistance, especially when I was writing a book per year. That was a struggle. Basically, I felt like I was always on deadline, and when I wasn’t, I’d still be researching and brainstorming ways to improve the manuscript. So this writing and revising cycle typically spanned over half a year, followed by the marketing phase leading up to publication. As soon as my book released, I’d dive back into writing the next one, and the process repeated itself. While many writers can handle such a timeline, I personally felt myself burning out. I felt like I didn't have time to do anything else outside of writing, including spending time with my kids during the busiest of deadlines. Historical novels also require additional time due to my reliance on Korean resources and the need for thorough research—so this slowed me down even more. Marketing also takes an emotional toll as I usually get too invested in it, sometimes even entangling my self-worth with how well my books do.
THEN the turning point came for me when my toddler asked me to put down my phone (I was frantically brainstorming a scene I was stuck on in my manuscript) and play with her. It struck me that she'd been asking me this quite frequently, almost every day, every moment I spent with her.
This realization made me question what my priorities were—what is it that I truly, truly cherish? When I'm older, will I regret not having stayed "relevant" enough in the book world? Or will I regret not being present in life and not spending enough time with those I love? The answer was pretty obvious to me, so after talking with my husband and realizing that we were financially ok enough for me to slow down, I set a firm career boundary form myself (for now at least).
I communicated with my agent and editor, expressing my decision to slow down and write a book every two years. I half expected some kind of backlash because the publishing industry gives off this vibe that authors MUST write a book a year, or you'll fall behind and everyone will forget you and your publisher will be disappointed. I'm not the only author who assumed this (I get messages from authors sharing this sentiment, as they struggle to write a book a year while balancing a full-time job).
Thankfully!!! Both my agent and editor were both SUPER supportive. And honestly... I’ve been so so happy with this new pace, both as a creative and as a parent.
I know this isn't a decision *all* parent-writers will feel the need to make, and that's totally ok! Every writer is different.
3. Is there a reason why you don't italicize Korean terms like "Nauri"?
Great question, this is something I wondered myself when I first entered into the publishing world. There's this whole discourse on whether or not to italicize "foreign" words and based on what I learned I decided not to italicize. In this article, it mentioned writer Daniel José Older's argument that italicizing non-English words misrepresents a fundamental aspect of bilingualism (and in the case of my books, the characters are technically speaking Korean, so it would be inauthentic to italicize). Older argues (via a funny video): “When a native speaker speaks and switches back and forth between languages, it does not sound like this: ‘I needed some groceries so I went over to—” The video cuts to Older wearing bangles and a Havana hat, with a popped collar and visible chest hair. He says with an exaggerated accent, “El super mercado.” The video then cuts back to him in his regular clothes, and he continues speaking conversationally.
4. Can you tell us more about you Secret project?
I can't say much about it yet....except this: Another historical set in the Joseon Dynasty era, with a Jane Austen-esque love story, forbidden books, family secrets. And this time there will be no gore and I don't think there will be any dead bodies.........????
5. When is the paperback edition of "THE RED PALACE" coming out?
Funny story. Sometime in Spring 2024, I'll have THREE books released in ONE day. The paperback edition of The Red Palace AND The Forest of Stolen Girls AND the hardcover of A Crane Among Wolves. Yes, friends, I’ll have three book released in one day, unless things change. We'll see!
6. How do you keep track of all your research when writing?
I use Scrivener, a writing software that allows me to draft and organize my research. I create a file called "Research" and have separate documents for each interesting piece of information I come across. Subheadings help me categorize different aspects of the research.
7. Favorite historical detail/research you’ve discovered of ACAW?
Oh, so many, and many of them are favorites in the sense that they're shocking to me. The one that comes to mind is that King Yeonsangun made his government officials wear a sign around their neck, which was essentially a poetic way of saying "SHUT UP”. This sign was called a shineonpae / 신언패, and it read:
"A mouth is a door that brings in disaster;
a tongue is a sword that cuts off a head.
A body will be in peace as long as its mouth is closed and its tongue is deep within"
(口是禍之門 舌是斬身刀 閉口深藏舌 安身處處牢)*
*This is classical Chinese (called hanja by us Koreans), which was the official government script back in Joseon KoreaBefore I end this newsletter, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me and my writing. I still have planned giveaways as a token of my appreciation! As a newsletter subscriber, you’re automatically entered for a chance to win a copy of A CRANE AMONG WOLVES when copies become available (this could happen as soon as this year with digital advance reader copies, or as late as next year with the release of hardcovers). Also, you can now find the official synopsis here!
Anyway! Your support has opened doors for me (!!!SCREAMS!!!), providing me with opportunities I NEVER thought possible. I am incredibly excited to share some thrilling news with you in the future, once I am able to do so! So I truly meant it when I say: thank you, thank you, thank you <3
Bye for now!
June
