Hello, fellow disciples! We've been searching far and wide for individuals who have cultivated for a long time. This month, we bring to you an interview with AllyCwrites, the author of 2022 Wattys Shortlister, Princess Snow and the Empress and its sequel, The Fox Princess And Her White Dog.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I'm a 30-something Malaysian mommy living in sunny Singapore. I grew up on English books and shows, Hong Kong TVB dramas, anime and manga, K-dramas and Bollywood movies. Like all Malaysians, I'm a foodie and will travel for food, be it Penang char kuey teow, khao soi in Chiang Mai, or pho in Hanoi. When I'm not writing, I'm babying my Monstera Deliciosa or working out at the gym. 

What is your writing process? Do you outline everything or write as things come to mind? Why?

I'm a plantser! I have the plot and key scenes in mind, and generally follow the road map I've created beforehand, but I adapt when completely unplanned scenarios and characters pop up.

First, I put on paper a very rough outline of the story structure, then I research as much as I can to build my setting and characters. I know other writers have very detailed character sheets and plot outlines but I don't, because if I overthink it, I'll never get to writing it. Having said that, I jot down character traits, motivations and relationships when I'm trying to form my characters, and I don't start writing until I've thought of all the possible endings.

While writing, I'd consider other plausible scenarios, and sometimes I'd pause and think, "Hang on, this is out of character," or "What if this happened?" and I adjust as I go along, whilst being careful not to paint myself into a corner. A lot of times, the results surprise me.

So, you can say that I plan somewhat in order to have a solid plot, but at the same time, I allow the story to develop organically. Writing is more fun (and sometimes more frustrating) that way 😁

What are some things that influenced your story?

Looking back, I can name three things that influenced Princess Snow and the Empress. Firstly, the reimagined Snow White in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series, in the form of Renfri. Unlike the docile Snow White we know from Disney, Renfri was deadly with a sword. She had a whole brutal backstory on how she escaped the huntsman and became a bandit, and I loved that about her. Secondly, the Chinese period drama Ruyi in the Palace gave me the mental imagery and details needed to create a Qing Dynasty Snow White retelling. Last but not least, the popular web novel Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and its adaptations gave me the idea to include xianxia elements into my story.

I can also count Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Peony in Love by Lisa See as books that influenced the writing of my story. 

Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

I was first inspired to write Princess Snow when I saw an art collection of reimagined fairy tales by Korean illustrator Na Young Wu. Snow White was drawn wearing a yellow and blue hanbok with a red bow, and that image remained with me till today. I thought it was fitting to have a Snow White from ancient China, considering she has fair skin, red lips and black hair, which are considered desirable by East Asian beauty standards.

Although the original Snow White had little to no agency, I didn't want my Snow to be a 'flower vase' – beautiful on the outside but empty within. She was actually very quiet and weepy in my earliest drafts, and I didn't like that at all. My male characters were proactive and had meaty dialogue, but she said nothing! I had to take a good look at my manuscript and reflect on why, on a subconscious level, I had created a submissive main character who did not drive the story forward, as a protagonist should.

Snow White is a tragic character who experienced horrible things, but I did not want my version to have a victim mentality. By the time I finished my first draft, I decided that I wanted a Snow who would fight tooth and nail for survival. In my subsequent drafts, I imparted as much spunk and rebelliousness into her – which is something unexpected of a Qing Dynasty princess – but also made her compassionate with a sense of humor. Clever too, thanks to my bootcampmentors mentor am-prabeswar. To me, that was a relatable character I would root for. 

What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

I've always loved Chinese culture, history and action movies, but my grasp of the language was poor and I read English books only. I'm what people call a banana – yellow on the outside but white on the inside. At the moment, I'm relearning the language when I go through Chinese homework with my kid, but I'm still at a rudimentary level.

Because I don't have a deep understanding of the literature, I was worried my story lacked the nuance native speakers have. I researched as much as I could about the time period to be as historically accurate as possible, but my source materials were in English. When it comes to names, I have to scour the web or ask friends whether certain names or phrases are acceptable. That was the biggest challenge.

Another challenge I faced was not knowing where my book fitted in. It's not a translation of a transmigration novel (that is immensely popular on Wattpad), nor was it a true blue fairy tale. It really was an East meets West story, and for a long time, I was floating around on Wattpad, trying to look for my niche. Thankfully, I came across The Wandering God by greydaygirl, who showed me that anybody can write a compelling Asian story so long as it is well-researched. From this profile, I found other Asian fantasy works like A Sliver of Frost by Moyun_ZJ and TL_Nonoke's Water Mirrored Moon, and Asian fantasy writers like Ghost_Lord, ericalaurie, and lavenderstar.

What message do you hope your story will tell your readers?

That women are stronger than they appear, it is okay for men to show emotions, and that revenge will lead to destruction.

If you woke up in a time or place that was very different from reality, what would you do?

Panic and question everything.

If there was something you could learn (i.e., some spell, some martial arts, etc.) like the main character in your book, what would it be?

The only thing Snow learned in this book was identifying medicinal herbs – not a bad thing, she's an amateur herbalist now! This was during her stay with the dwarves, who eke out an existence picking herbs from the mountains. It sounds like a useful skill to have.

Would you rather go through a lifetime of never finding love or be willing to go through several lifetimes of hardships just to save your love? Why?

I've actually written a side character who had undergone tremendous suffering for his beloved, who doesn't even know that he loves her.

As a Pig according to the Chinese zodiac, I'm loyal and generous to a fault (though my patience these days is not as infinite as it used to be). I'll go the distance for my loved ones, for sure.

What is your favorite creature from Asian mythology or folklore? Why?

I like the Qilin very much! Other than the fact it is a chimera with its dragon-like head and deer's body, the thing I love most about the Qilin is its benevolent nature. According to lore, it floats over the ground so as not to harm even a single blade of grass. Yet, it is capable of incinerating evil-doers when defending innocent people.

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

I love the Cowherd Boy and Weaver Girl the most, because although the cow herder was a bit of a pervert when he peeped at the bathing fairies, he undertook the insurmountable task of traveling to the heavens to find his wife. Plus, he brought their two children along, like the good husband and father that he is. It's such a romantic and enduring tale.

Thank you so much for the interview!   

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, AllyCwrites! We wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors.

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!