We chat with debut author Corey Liu about He’s So Possessed With Me, which is a terrifying, tender, and bitingly hilarious supernatural horror about a boy who must save his best friend from a demon that wants to steal his heart—literally, think Jennifer’s Body meets Heartstopper!
Hi, Corey! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hullo! I’m a writer based in Vancouver, or — sorry! — “The Pacific Northwest.”
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I had this weird tendency as a child where — after watching Sailor Moon or Batman: The Animated Series or Buffy the Vampire Slayer — I’d have all this pent-up energy and re-enact the fight scenes or make up new ones, so I’d run around the house, making explosion sounds, and I’d do it while flipping a pen. I would throw a pen in the air while running and exploding, watch it twirl in the air for a beat, like a cheerleader-flyer or Black Widow doing a back-flip scissor-kick, then catch it. And I could do this for hours. My sisters thought I was bananas, but I really needed to get those action scenes out, because those shows I watched were never long enough. I wanted to keep these characters fighting and being superheroes, and I wanted to imagine them in new situations. Looking back, I could’ve just used action figures but no, I preferred the pen, and eventually I started using it to write.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I’ll Love You Forever and The Giving Tree. I highly recommend both if you’re ever in the mood to feel guilty about growing up.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: At the moment, I’m not thinking about a book. I guess ten minutes ago I was thinking about Eleanor and Park.
Your debut novel, He’s So Possessed with Me, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Can friendship beat bad monster?
What can readers expect?
Bad Monster weaponizes teen angst, and glitter.
Where did the inspiration for He’s So Possessed with Me come from?
My best friend in high school. He’s an accountant now.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing about Colin and Ren’s history, how they met. I guess because I like knowing where characters come from, why they are they way they are.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Sometimes I over-outline my stories. I’ll plan every teeny detail in a scene, then when I have to execute it there’s no fun, no surprises, because every step was planned. It helps to take a break from the outline, or remind yourself it’s just an outline, not a contract. You can swerve and make things up, it’s one hundred per cent fine to continue being surprised.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I guess it helps my day job is related to novel-writing. I’m a television writer, so I’m always thinking about story and character and plot. So just being lucky enough to think about all that professionally was tremendous exercise for writing the book. But I was also aware of the differences between screenwriting and prose so I enrolled in a part-time graduate program where I could learn more about fiction writing. I wanted to be intentional about setting aside time to learn the craft, to write the book.
What’s next for you?
Chris Stuckman has a movie coming out called Shelby Oaks, to play at the Rio. I love the Rio because their popcorn is really buttery and they make these awesome grilled cheese sandwiches.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I loved V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. And before that, Snap by Susin Nielsen got me out of a huge reading slump. I also read this picture book called Barnaby Unboxed by the Fan Brothers. It teared me up.
