Many may know Xiran Jay Zhao as YouTuber and entertainer extraordinaire. Now, Xiran is poised to blow readers’ minds with their highly anticipated YA debut novel Iron Widow. We got to ask Xiran all our burning questions about their writing process, female rage, and so much more!
Hi, Xiran! Thanks for joining us! Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m Xiran, and I write sci-fi and fantasy books and run a YouTube channel where I talk about Chinese history and culture. I was supposed to become a biochemist, but the pandemic led me onto this path instead.
Lightning round! What was the first book you can remember ever reading, one you could not put down and one that inspired you?
The first book I can remember is probably one of Dr. Seuss’ books? (Does that count, LOL)
The first I could not put down AND inspired me though was The Bad Beginning, and the entire A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket. He had such a distinct, tradition-defying style of storytelling that captivated me.
Tell us about Iron Widow! What can readers expect?
Feminist rage, morally gray protagonists, Chinese history Easter eggs, fake marriage for the cameras, childhood friends to lovers, one-sided enemies to lovers where the guy has always loved the girl, the literal smashing of the patriarchy, and mecha battles that read like a bunch of furries engaged in a Dragon Ball Z fight (something I did not realize until I started writing them).
Iron Widow is your debut novel. From drafting to publication, what has been your favorite part so far and what are you looking forward to the most with readers holding this book in their hands soon?
I loved (and honestly) miss the process of writing the first draft, when all I had was an idea I was super excited about and I didn’t have to worry about anything except getting it onto the page. It was a lot of fun, putting the book together. Now, I’m honestly super anxious about the release of the book. Once it’s out there, it’s out of my hands, you know? Of course I’m stoked to think of people enjoying the story and maybe even getting inspired by it, but it’s very nerve wracking!
You have your own YouTube channel where you talk all things Chinese culture, inspiration, and representation. Did your experience as a YouTuber shape or influence your writing process?
Not for Iron Widow or my upcoming middle grade debut Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor, because they were both written and edited before I uploaded my first video. Publishing has long timelines. Now that I’m working on the Iron Widow sequel…maybe I have a better understanding of how fame / infamy affects you? I’ve definitely had some interesting personal revelations, chiefly that I cherish close friendships a lot more.
You offer some (truly hilarious) memes for Iron Widow on your official website. If readers are only going to see one before reading your debut, which one would you want them to see?
The one that’s like “This is my boyfriend, Yizhi. And this is Yizhi’s boyfriend, Shimin.” 😂
Readers are already freaking out about the poly rep teased to come in Iron Widow. What were the highlights and challenges you faced with writing this part of the novel?
The biggest highlight is definitely discovering how FUN it is to write polyamory. You have three people making independent decisions, their feelings playing off each other, without a mandate of how it must end in a two-person het relationship! It was like doing 3 romance arcs in one book, and 3 ship dynamics in 1 OT3!! The challenging part was having to cut some of the romance development out for wordcount reasons : (
There are so many quotable passages in Iron Widow about feminism, female rage and reclaiming your body. Do you have a favorite line you came up with and can you share it with us?
“I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that.”
Which basically describes Zetian’s whole character 😂
If Wu Zetian, Gao Yizhi and Li Shimin each had an anthem to hype themselves up, what songs would those be?
- Zetian – Wreak Havoc by Skylar Gray
- Yizhi – Talk Fast by 5 Seconds of Summer
- Shimin – BattleCry from the Darling in the Franxx soundtrack
With Iron Widow releasing soon, are you already working on other projects, like the sequel? If so, can you share a sneak peek with us of what’s to come?
Yup, I’m currently hustling to get the sequel done. All I can say is…expect Aang meets Hannibal Lecter meets Phantom of the Opera.
Last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for us?
Gonna recommend a few really underrated ones: SLAY by Brittney Morris, Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Wells, Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer, and Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis.
Just read the Iron Widow in a day and absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel! Very much enjoyed the character progression and growth, LOVED THE HEALTHLY POLYAMORY/EMN DEPICTION, and will be checking out the authors recs!