1. I know you’ve been writing since childhood, but what drew you to YA fantasy?
I actually wound up writing YA fantasy sort of by accident. When I wrote Ash I initially intended it to be an adult novel, but by the time I finished it I realized it fit much better within the young adult category. Since then I’ve been happily reading a ton of YA fantasy, and I love it.
2. What inspired you to take on a retelling of the popular story, Cinderella?
Cinderella was my favorite fairy tale as a child, and I always wished Robin McKinley, my favorite author, would do a retelling of it. She never did, so I decided to do it myself.
3. How would you describe Ash ?
It’s a retelling of Cinderella with a lesbian twist.
4. Did you find it difficult to get Ash published because the main character is a lesbian?
Nope.
5. What has been the most surprising aspect of your journey since Ash was first published?
I don’t know if this is surprising, exactly, but it’s something I never expected: The YA community is so incredibly welcoming. I came into it knowing nobody, having barely read any contemporary YA fantasy, but I was amazed by how friendly and supportive other YA authors were, even hugely successful bestselling authors like Meg Cabot and Cassandra Clare, who were kind enough to blurb Ash . I think it’s just a great community of writers and I’m very happy to be part of it.
6. Can you give us a sneak peek into Huntress?
In Huntress , two girls are called on a journey to the land of the Fairy Queen in order to save their Kingdom. It’s about discovering your place in the world, and about the power of love. It’s basically my take on a hero’s quest.
Huntress is set in the same world as Ash but several centuries earlier, so there are some big cultural differences between the time periods. You don’t have to have read Ash before you read Huntress ; you can read them in either order.
7. What will be your next writing project after the promotions for Huntress?
I’m working on my next YA novel, currently titled Adaptation , which is due out in fall 2012. It’s sci-fi-ish, and it begins when bird strikes cause so many planes to crash that the United States grounds all flights, leaving two teens stranded in Phoenix after a debate tournament. They have to get back home to San Francisco, and on the way, they crash onto a top-secret military base, leading to life-changing repercussions.
8. Do you have any book tours/signings scheduled?
I keep my events/appearances updated here: http://www.malindalo.com/events/
9. Where can our readers find updates on your upcoming projects?
I blog regularly on my website: www.malindalo.com
10. What writing advice would you offer an aspiring YA fantasy writer?
I wrote my first fantasy novel when I was 13 years old, and I wrote another two when I was in high school. They weren’t very good, but they were great practice in imagining new worlds and coming up with all sorts of crazy, fantastical ideas. Most importantly, I finished them. Finishing is very, very important. You have to prove to yourself that you can do it, for one thing. But also, no book can be improved until the first draft is finished.
Malinda Lo was born in China and moved to the United States as a child. Ash, her first novel, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Lambda Literary Award for Children’s/Young Adult, and was a Kirkus 2009 Best Book for Children and Teens. Formerly, she was an entertainment reporter, and was awarded the 2006 Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Journalism by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and has master’s degrees from Harvard and Stanford Universities. She now lives in Northern California with her partner and their dog.