We chat with debut author Alice Lin about Fireworks, which is a pitch-perfect K-pop rom com, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Alice! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Certainly! My name is Alice, and I’m the author of Fireworks. I was a teen librarian for six years before I moved on to a different profession. I like guinea pigs, cats, bubble tea, and, of course, books! You can find me on Instagram @miss_alicelin and Twitter @miss_bopeeps.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with writing. That said, I first discovered my love for it in sixth grade. My English teacher assigned numerous creative writing assignments throughout the year, and it was in her class that I learned how to write descriptively. Most important though, she made writing fun and exploratory.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book I remember reading: Two Crazy Pigs by Karen Berman Nagel. I loved that book as a kid!
Book that made me want to become an author: Oh, that’s hard…There are plenty of books that made me go, “I wish I could write like this!” But the dream all began with Sailor Moon. The original anime was a huge inspiration to me and fueled my imagination as a kid.
Book I can’t stop thinking about: A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos. I wish I could reexperience all the emotions I felt the first time I read it.
Your debut novel, Fireworks, is out June 7th 2022! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
- Sweet
- Funny (at least I think so)
- Refreshing
- Summery
- Cats?
What can readers expect?
A light, heartwarming summer romance with all the joys and comfort that friendship, music, and food have to deliver (seriously, food is mentioned a lot in this book). While the book does highlight and explore certain aspects of fan culture and the K-pop industry, Fireworks is first and foremost Lulu’s story.
Where did the inspiration for Fireworks come from?
Fireworks is my debut, but it is also the third book I’ve written. My second book dealt with heavy themes and issues that were deeply personal to me. So for my third book, I wanted to write something that was, for the most part, playful and fluffy—something feelgood. Around that time, I had a renewed interest in K-pop, specifically in the boy group SEVENTEEN, which helped Fireworks take shape.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I’m not a romantic person, so writing a young adult romance was altogether quite challenging. When it comes to building romantic tension or crafting swoon-worthy moments, I can’t really draw from my own experience. In the end, reading other YA romances helped me plot out my own story, and listening to K-pop helped me write those heartfelt moments.
Were there any favorite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
My favorite moments include any scene where Lulu embarrasses herself in front of Kite, like when she barges into her own house after a bad date and screams, “Heeeere’s Johnny!” Everyone remembers a time in their life where they did something silly or stupid in front of a crush, and as an onlooker, I find those times to be endearing.
And no offense to Lulu and Kite, Ester was my favorite character to write. She’s just so much fun! She’s quirky, loyal, overdramatic, and I wish she were my friend!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best writing advice is to read. You hear it all the time for a reason.
Giving up is the worst advice I’ve ever received—and it came from me.
What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Like many authors, the road was long and arduous. I wrote my first book in 2011 but didn’t seriously pursue traditional publishing at the time. I wrote my second book in 2017, queried it in 2018, and shelved it in 2019.
I started Fireworks in 2018 and couldn’t bring myself to write the ending until early 2020 (I am a painstakingly slow writer). I started querying Fireworks in July 2020 and landed a literary agent in May 2021. The book sold the following month. Then came the revisions, the copyediting, and proofreading. So much time, effort, and help went into Fireworks, and as of June 7, 2022, I can finally call myself a published author.
What’s next for you?
I completed a draft of my next YA contemporary romance that I now need to edit. I can’t say much, but it contains asexual rep, otome games, two leading ladies, and an unlikeable protagonist.
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I am extremely behind on my 2022 reading list. Here are some books that I’m looking forward to and would recommend to fans of K-pop and K-dramas: Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho, I Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn, The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim, and Flip the Script by Lyla Lee.
