We chat with author Wesley Chu about The Art of Destiny, which is the sequel to The Art of Prophecy, an epic fantasy ode to martial arts and magic.
Hi, Wesley! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
When I was five years old, I got sent home because I bit the principal’s son’s nose. The guy stole my toy, and in the rural jungles of kindergarten in Taiwan back during the 70s, a kid can’t let that slide.
My grandfather, who raised me while my parents were studying in the States, picked me up in his moped. The only thing he said was he asked why I didn’t let go. The biting wasn’t good, but it was the clamping down like a snapping turtle for a whole two minutes that got me in trouble.
When I was my nine-year-old’s age, I had a yellow bike with a banana seat with pink streamers. It was all my teaching assistant parents could afford. Floor a glorious summer, I zoomed through dirt tracks hidden in the cornfields and jumped ramps on that glittering thing like gawd damn Evel Knievel. I may also have thrown self-smithed metal ninja stars from the back of that bike.
When I was twelve, my sixth-grade class had set up a monetary system where kids can earn scholar dollars for doing good deeds and getting good grades, which they could use to buy silly perks and trinkets. I was voted the class banker and proceeded to create the most sophisticated racketeering ring in the history of elementary schools.
Since then, I was a member of the Screen Actors guild, a stuntman, and an underwear model (kinda kidding, kinda not). I have a computer science degree and once worked as a corporate exec. I trained in several schools of Kung Fu, was once a raid officer in a top World of Warcraft guild, and have summited Kilimanjaro.
I also write books.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Like every author, it all started when I was kid. Seriously, I do not know any author who did not love to read at a young age. We should nurture that practice in our children. Parents, get your kids hooked on books! That habit will pay so many dividends over a lifetime.
The seed of becoming a writer was not planted until the second grade. I wrote a short story for class. It was about all the planets in our solar system always running into each other, which was why they all had crater marks. The King Sun got so annoyed with all their accidents, so he enforced their gravitational rotation upon them. My English professor father read it and said—and I will never forget— “Son, this doesn’t suck.”
In the old country, that is a big compliment to a kid.
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!
I learned my first English word at age five on my first day of kindergarten at Lincoln Nebraska, and I said “no” to everything for the next three weeks. My father, who was getting his PhD in English, was worried that I wasn’t picking up the language. He took me to the university bookstore to buy workbooks, and then led me to the Shakespeare aisle to get reading material. You know, because Early Modern English and Beowulf are exactly what a little islander kid needed to integrate into the 1980s Midwest playground life.
I ended up fleeing A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ended up at other end of the store ogling the books with the shiny swords and dragons. I ended up choosing two books, The Misenchanted Sword by Lawrence Watt-Evans, and A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony. Technically it was manticore, not a dragon. Those two fine authors are responsible for sparking my lifelong passion for reading that led a career writing novels.
That and I also hated my day job. Like really, really hated my day job.
What can readers expect from your new book The Art of Destiny?
Wesley Chu books are known for their humor and worldbuilding. My plotting is considered high concept, and my writing style cinematic. Action scenes are often my happy place. I’m a heavy plotter but am a big fan of my characters’ free will, so expect some unexpected. Fun and cinematic are common descriptions for my work.
My characters are often stupidly honest veering toward stupid, but dang you will swear you know someone just like that in real life.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
I would love to introduce my debut novel’s main character, Roen Tan from The Lives of Tao, to my newest favorite character, Ling Taishi from The Art of Prophecy. The two are in most ways complete opposites and occupy very specific slices of my psyche.
When my English professor father read an early draft of The Lives of Tao, he called me, “Son. I read your book.” Long pause. “It doesn’t suck, but there’s something off about it. Your main character… He’s a bit likable, but mostly not that likable, which may be a problem.” Another long pause. “Was he modelled after you?”
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced whilst writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Novel writing is a strange beast. In most professions, people become more confident the more experienced they are in a field. They understand the nuances. They can engage quicker. They can solution problems quicker because they’ve seen it before. That confidence doesn’t work with storytelling. Every book I wrote was the hardest book I ever written, and I *never* feel better about it. I’m a dang newborn foal every time I start working on a new book.
The one difference however—the one skill—that I’ve developed and can consistently rely on, is that while writing never gets easier, I know when something doesn’t work. I don’t know when something is good, but I absolutely know when something is bad, or isn’t working. That makes a big difference.
Yet another stunning cover! Were you involved in the process of what the cover would look like?
The final product for The Art of Prophecy and the upcoming The Art of Destiny is a beautiful and amazing product.
I would like to say I was involved with this knockout cover and the general art direction, but I feel that a ‘yes’ is an exaggerated description of my contribution. Yes, absolutely Del Rey solicited extensive feedback during the cover design process, but all glory and praise should go to the cover artist Tran Nguyen, the map illustrator Sunga Park, the art director Cassie Gonzales, and my incredible editor Tricia Narwani. Every aspect of both books’ production was a joy, and it shows in the final product.
What’s next for you?
My wife wants to climb Matterhorn. I’m also currently working on book 3 of the War Arts Saga. Between these two, I told her we don’t have enough life insurance.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Robert Jackson Bennett’s upcoming The Tainted Cup is an amazing and creative weird mystery thriller everyone should read. It’s a fun trippy adventure that will sink roots into your head for a long time.
