WEBVTT 1 00:00:50.490 --> 00:00:55.239 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Hello, everybody! Welcome back to our. 2 00:00:55.650 --> 00:01:17.230 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: I think. Fourth session of the day on Wednesday. It is so good to see all of you. Hi, Cindy! Hi, Elizabeth! Good to see you! Here's Elizabeth. I'm hoping you can see and hear me now. I was just screen sharing, and had not started speaking yet, so I think hopefully you should be able to hear me now. It is so great to see all of you. Yes, good to hear that you can hear and see me perfect. 3 00:01:17.230 --> 00:01:27.799 I am so excited to see you. Casey is here with us from California, as we are waiting for everyone to jump in. I would love to hear if you have had 4 00:01:27.800 --> 00:01:39.810 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: any fun, suites or meals for Valentine's Day today. It is actually the day of romance my partner just made an absolutely amazing Italian dinner. So if you see me 5 00:01:40.170 --> 00:01:56.170 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: groaning a little bit because it's a bit late in the day in the UK. It's because I've just had some really amazing handmade pasta. So I'm curious. If anybody else has had good food. Otera had chocolate in Belgium. Oh, Belgium, yeah, that makes sense that it's great. Nicole's going to dinner later. 6 00:01:56.740 --> 00:02:04.190 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Oh, we've got breakfast and pink roses. Yes, it's Ash Wednesday. 7 00:02:04.390 --> 00:02:22.160 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Oh, yeah, I guess everything is kind of coming together. lots of things happening today. Oh, that's lovely, Cindy Fettuccini Alfredo Yem, okay, I'm making myself hungry again. All that's so sweet. Candace, Candace's husband made gluten free cookies and muffins amazing. 8 00:02:22.450 --> 00:02:47.339 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Okay, well, before I get too hungry again, we will go ahead and start this session. As always, we're gonna start with just a little bit of housekeeping before we dive into our interview. So welcome, everybody just a couple of quick bits of housekeeping today. So first, in terms of accessing your replays, as you know, all of the replays are added to the romance writers. Week hub. So if you wanna check out those after the session is done, please go ahead and 9 00:02:47.340 --> 00:03:08.180 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: and check out romance. Dash, week, slash hub! We add those every single day after the event? They might take a little bit of time to process, just depending on how Zoom's recordings are going, and then those replays will be available until March one for everybody. After that date they are only available for pro writing. You aid premium and premium pro members. 10 00:03:08.750 --> 00:03:37.120 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: If you would like for us to attend Friday sessions Friday. Sessions are only for premium and premium pro users that you can have any kind of premium or premium and pro subscription, so you can have monthly, yearly lifetime. It doesn't matter but Friday sessions are workshops. They're a little bit more. A little bit more hands on. We're going to be doing some actual writing together. If you'd like to get access to those you just have to upgrade to a monthly yearly or lifetime offer by 11 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:55.620 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: This Friday, and yes, those sessions are uploaded. If you just go to the very bottom of the hub, so I'll put the link in the chat shortly. But if you just go to the very, very bottom of the hub there are. There are sessions on the schedule, and I'll share my screen in just a second to show you where those are. 12 00:03:56.040 --> 00:04:09.090 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: and but yes, feel free to join us for Friday session. It's going to be a lot of fun, and if you already have an existing premium or premium pro subscription, no need to worry. You'll receive your details for how to log in on Friday. 13 00:04:09.420 --> 00:04:23.330 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: And just as I said, if you want to join us, we are doing a 25% off yearly premium or premium pro offers. So that will get you access to Friday sessions as well as ongoing access to all of the replays. And then all of the premium tools for authors as well. 14 00:04:23.610 --> 00:04:42.489 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: And then, finally, if you would like to continue talking about romance writing after this session, please feel free to visit us in our community. We're having ongoing discussions there. If you have any questions for me about providing aid, or any of your fellow attendees. Please feel free to join that community, the link to that is on the hub, which again, I just put in the chat 15 00:04:42.850 --> 00:05:07.300 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: and then finally, during our session today. If you want to use the queue, please use the QA. Box if you have questions for Suzanne that just helps me keep track of it. As we all know, the chat tends to move really quick, really quickly. So I'll be keeping an eye on that. But the QA. Is where I'm going to be going to look for questions. So use that. QA. Box in the middle of your screen. If you have questions for Suzanne, and if you'd like to just chat with other speakers, you can please use the chat. 16 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:15.039 and then let me just share really quickly where those replays are so that everyone can see, and then we will jump into our interview. 17 00:05:15.190 --> 00:05:25.410 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: So this is what the hub looks like. I put the link in the chat, and then if you scroll down here to the schedule, you'll see all of the replays embedded there, so you should be able to find it that way. 18 00:05:25.770 --> 00:05:48.620 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Okay, with all of that taken care of. I am so pleased to be interviewing Suzanne Park today. Suzanne is a Korean American writer who is born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, Suzanne appeared on Bet, was the winner of the Seattle Seattle. Sierra Myst comedy competition and was a semi finalist and Nbc's stand-up for diversity showcase. 19 00:05:48.620 --> 00:06:13.490 Suzanne graduated from Columbia University and received an Mba degree from Ucla she currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, female offspring, and sneaky rat that creeps around on her back patio. Though Suzanne and I were just chatting. I think we can add a cat a new cat, to that list, and in Suzanne's spare time she procrastinates, which is a hobby that I have as well. Her comedic novels have been featured in best of lists in Npr. 20 00:06:13.490 --> 00:06:27.159 Pop sugar, real, simple country living bustle buzzfeed Marie Claire, Parade, Chandelian, and the Today today show, and it looks like we have some Suzanne fans already in the chat. So welcome, Suzanne. We are so glad to have you today. 21 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:42.930 Suzanne Park: Hi. The timing was okay. 22 00:06:42.990 --> 00:07:09.680 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Great to have you. Yes, and we, as I was just saying, Susan, just have a new cat named Percy, who we are. Maybe we'll get a Percy, we'll see if we get a Percy site during this. I. This is a completely selfish question. But I'm just realizing reading your bio that you grew up in Tennessee. Where in Tennessee did you live? 23 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:22.549 Suzanne Park: I grew up right outside of Nashville and yeah. So I lived there all through growing up and through high school, and I left when I turned, you know, when it was time to go to college. 24 00:07:22.580 --> 00:07:44.340 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: But I go back there about once a year, and it's been nice to kind of go back and visit, and also meet up with old friends, and I just had a high school reunion, so that was also fun. Tennessee is a huge, soft spot in my heart. 25 00:07:44.350 --> 00:07:53.980 Suzanne Park: And just quickly, I think Tara was asking in the chat. You can change your view of the interview, so I think it's set to show speakers. But you can change 26 00:07:53.980 --> 00:08:17.129 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: the view to be gallery so you can. There's like a little button up in the top where you can switch to do speaker or gallery depending on how you'd like it. Okay. So I'd love to just start Suzanne by talking about how you got into the romance genre, how? What was your journey? Like as a writer. How did you transition from stand up, comedian into romance? Writer? 27 00:08:17.420 --> 00:08:18.910 Suzanne Park: Gosh, so 28 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:28.579 Suzanne Park: it it's such a long story, and every time I tell that's slightly different, so I'll try to. Not dwell too long, but I started out 29 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:51.269 Suzanne Park: trying to when I graduated from high school high school and then college. I didn't know that writing was something that I could do like. I'd seen, you know. Books be published that were nonfiction books or very serious literary works, and especially finding somebody that was Asian American that was writing contemporary fiction. I just didn't see much of that 30 00:08:51.300 --> 00:09:18.959 Suzanne Park: until I graduate from college. And then, when I went to Barnes and noble in midtown, I remember walking in and seeing just a whole section of literature that I hadn't seen before. Yeah, it was a table, you know, with Amy Tan and with Cheng Riley. And I remember flipping through going. Wow! I just have never really seen it all put out this way. And after that 31 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:39.930 Suzanne Park: II knew also that I wanted to be a writer, but not necessarily sure what I wanted to do, and humor writing was something that really interested me. So long. Story short, I ended up like Googling humor writers that were Asian American, and I ended up having very few hits at the time, and one of them was a standup comic, and she 32 00:09:39.930 --> 00:09:59.560 Suzanne Park: turns out that she actually wasn't a writer. She just wrote jokes and then perform jokes and everything that she had in her bio was, I don't say, blown out of proportion. It was definitely not what I was thinking was like what I was looking for. But then I was invited by her to see her perform right after we met. And 33 00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:15.669 Suzanne Park: she was on stage. And she was just basically telling stories of her growing up in Tacoma Washington, and how odd that was for Korean American family to be living in the rural area, and I was like, Wait, I live in a rural area. Wait! I'm American. 34 00:10:15.680 --> 00:10:29.150 Suzanne Park: and I have stories. I have a lot of stories actually, and seeing her perform, and then see the reception of the audience be so warm and welcoming and actually understanding 35 00:10:29.470 --> 00:10:40.030 Suzanne Park: where she was coming from, and what like. What she picked out was funny. I thought maybe I could do something like this. So what I ended up kind of getting distracted for 10 years, doing stand up for 36 00:10:40.130 --> 00:10:59.680 Suzanne Park: gosh! Off and on for a little over 10, and at some point I realized, wait! I wasn't actually supposed to perform. My whole thing was to be a writer. Let me go back to that and see what I if I'm missing anything. So I ended up taking writing classes in essay writing 37 00:10:59.680 --> 00:11:17.799 Suzanne Park: a memoir TV script writing. And I learned through that process that I'm terrible at all of those things. And so I was like, Okay, well, this isn't good. Maybe I'll go back on stage. But I wrote with that series of essays. I remember bundling them together and sending them out to agents. 38 00:11:17.800 --> 00:11:32.010 Suzanne Park: and the reception was pretty positive. It just wasn't what was selling at the time, and one agent said, Well, if you want to take some of these stories and fictionalize them because they sound like hilarious kind of you know, coming of age stories. 39 00:11:32.190 --> 00:11:59.329 Suzanne Park: Romcom, that type of thing. They're all very, you know. They're all the up and up. If you wanna actually write something that's fiction. Maybe I'll take another look, and that was sort of the light bulb that popped into my head, thinking like, Oh, I haven't actually tried that before. Let me let me see if I could do it. And through that I finished my first manuscript and then entered a mentorship program in writing that no longer exists now, but it was really 40 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:05.749 Suzanne Park: It really got my start, and through that I found an agent and was able to get published eventually, so 41 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:16.119 Suzanne Park: started off. Let's say about really that wasn't for me. I would still think about doing it sometimes, though, so II haven't said no, I call myself Semi retired. 42 00:12:16.150 --> 00:12:22.419 Suzanne Park: I have the right to go back. Yeah, exactly. Well, I imagine it's hard to kind of give up something that's so. 43 00:12:22.510 --> 00:12:53.350 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: like audience when you're in. Stand up. I imagine you're getting that audience feedback right away. And writing. There's obviously a relationship with your readers. But it's much further removed like you're not seeing their faces react to your work in real time, you're, you know, engaging with them later on. So I can imagine it might be hard to kind of adjust to that different level of feedback and interaction, but then also just missed that as well. Yes, and joke writing is such a iterative process. So 44 00:12:53.350 --> 00:13:05.349 Suzanne Park: you perform something and it goes, okay. But it doesn't go land like you want. And then you change a thing. And it's almost scientific. So you change the beginning or you change the ending, or you change the punchline 45 00:13:05.350 --> 00:13:16.459 Suzanne Park: and, you're able to tweak your jokes that way. But you're right when it comes to writing things that maybe at best some of your critique partners. 46 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:32.080 Suzanne Park: or just your agent, or just your editor, might see it's fewer people and less people giving feedback. So there's nothing better than you landing a joke and having the whole audience in stitches. That is probably the best feeling in the world. 47 00:13:32.110 --> 00:13:47.620 Suzanne Park: obviously getting a book published. Also, you know, just that instant gratification and then, knowing that, like you really did something and accomplished something. It's it's it's a really wonderful thing when it when it happens. 48 00:13:47.620 --> 00:14:02.290 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, that's so interesting. I guess that's true. I think with, II have not. I'm not a stand up writer, but I imagine, like you say, you kind of get a lot of at bats, so to speak, where you're like presenting material tweaking, as you say, kind of getting that feedback from many, many people. 49 00:14:02.300 --> 00:14:17.169 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: All, you know constantly. And then and then it's not just, I imagine that there's not just the one time you deliver it either, once it's in its perfect form. You have a set that you're continuing to take to new audiences and that type of thing? 50 00:14:17.470 --> 00:14:31.529 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: how have you kind of translate like, what does your feedback process now look like with fiction writing? Are there people that you're kind of doing that iterative work with before you take it to your agent or your editor. How are you? Kind of yeah. Get getting feedback 51 00:14:32.140 --> 00:14:46.149 Suzanne Park: each book is different. So if I have more time, I like to put it in front of more people, I do have a writer's group that has been together probably since I moved to La. So that's about 52 00:14:46.420 --> 00:14:50.040 Suzanne Park: 12 years now. That they've 53 00:14:50.050 --> 00:14:54.379 Suzanne Park: they meet monthly now after the pandemic it's virtually. 54 00:14:54.430 --> 00:15:15.469 Suzanne Park: and the group is, consists of playwrights to memoir writers to people who are aspiring screenwriters. So it's actually interesting to get their feedback, because it's almost like a reader is reading it, but they also know enough about the act structure so they can give you some feedback on that 55 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:26.939 Suzanne Park: I do have some critique partners that when I end up kind of switching genres or doing something a little bit different, that I'm is outside of my comfort zone. I do run some things by them as well. 56 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:38.000 Suzanne Park: So it's it's a it is good to have people to bounce ideas off of, and sometimes when I get stuck, I'll message my agent, and we'll pop on the phone. If there's something 57 00:15:38.000 --> 00:16:02.380 Suzanne Park: that needs to be said. And then my editors have always. All of them have always offered to hop on the phone. If there's something that in their feedback is confusing or need some you know, needs some explanation. And you know, the editors are of all types. So one of my editors, my young adult editor, she's very my former young adult editor. She was great in that 58 00:16:02.820 --> 00:16:32.109 Suzanne Park: she would have a comment, and then she would give me a few different ideas that popped into her head as solutions. Usually I wouldn't really go with any of them, but they give you good springboards for other ideas. Whereas other ones might give you very specific feedback, and it's just easy to change. But if it's more open, ended sometimes that like leading kind of like, here's some solutions that are very vastly different. Can help you kind of work through what you're trying to do, and see if you can come up with something better. 59 00:16:32.250 --> 00:16:43.549 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, I have so many questions about the feedback process, because I feel like this is something I feel like people really struggle to find people to give them quality feedback, and then also struggle to know 60 00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:49.839 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: even when to take their work to get feedback, and then also how to apply it. So I guess the first question I have is 61 00:16:50.190 --> 00:17:10.809 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: when it comes to your writing groups. Since you said you have people who are in that group who are not necessarily romance readers, but our writers of all different types, I guess. How do you? How do you decide what feedback to apply and what feedback you're like? Okay, thank you. But you know, I'm not. Actually, I'm just gonna take this kind of with a grain of salt and and move on. How? Yeah, how can you kind of discern between the 2. 62 00:17:11.510 --> 00:17:18.429 Suzanne Park: Well, there's regulars that show up all the time, and then other people that kind of pop in and out, and 63 00:17:18.490 --> 00:17:47.140 Suzanne Park: what I've discovered about those folks is you kind of have to know what their strengths are and also what their challenges are. So if they do give feedback. It's probably, you know, you can decide if you wanna take it or not. But just a good example of the 3 that come to mind is one person is actually in my target audience. So when she gives feedback as somebody that is reading it, things that trip her up, things that she found confusing. Things that I think 64 00:17:47.140 --> 00:18:06.970 Suzanne Park: could use more description or something like that. She will convey what tripped her up. And in that kind of situation. I can go back and go. Okay. Here's where I need to fix that. Or I need to set that thing up earlier. So she gives feedback, but not necessarily. Sarah Lee. The way to solve it. 65 00:18:06.970 --> 00:18:20.829 Suzanne Park: And it's you. So I know what type of feedback she gives, and it's very helpful in in that I do usually use what she says and figure out like where I can solve it. So it's not as confusing in certain areas. 66 00:18:20.830 --> 00:18:29.419 Suzanne Park: Another person. He is great at dialogue and cleverness, and that sort of thing. So when he gives feedback. 67 00:18:29.420 --> 00:18:50.210 Suzanne Park: it's usually we actually are very aligned in our feedback like. But when I read his thing and I, he reads mine, we get what the other person is doing so, knowing that you have that person that actually is getting what you're doing. And then when he gives feedback, it's like, Okay, if this part could use punching up, or this part was kind of fell flat. 68 00:18:50.310 --> 00:19:15.879 Suzanne Park: I know something went wrong with the pic cause he's a pacing action, strong dialogue, Guy, right. So if that is something that he says slow down, or whatever, then I do know that those are the things I need to look for. The last guy is really great about structure and trying to come up with compelling stakes and make sure that conflict is ongoing throughout the story. 69 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:25.289 Suzanne Park: So when he gets bored, you know something is, I was bored here, and you know, but I do know what he means, because I'm used to his feedback. So 70 00:19:25.370 --> 00:19:44.030 Suzanne Park: overall, though this is the group that I've stuck with the longest and I think it's because of that that I know them well enough to know what type of feedback they're giving, and it's still very different than what my editor might give me feedback on. But at least it's helpful in that. I can do some certain things. And then the editors left with the things that she's great at. 71 00:19:44.030 --> 00:20:01.569 Suzanne Park: Hmm! That's really oh, sorry! Go ahead. I was just gonna say, I and I've been in and out of other writers groups as well. And sometimes you know, we actually, I have joked with my current writing group that some of us ended up where we are because some writing groups were just terrible fits. 72 00:20:01.570 --> 00:20:10.100 So you know whether they just didn't get for me humor. You have to at least understand my humor, even if you don't like the humor. 73 00:20:10.100 --> 00:20:32.969 Suzanne Park: Some of them just didn't get it at all, and thought I should cut all of it out, because it was kind of like to them, not as essential to a plot, for example. And then another person was just kind of cruel with how they do feedback. And you don't want that person either. You know the one that's just always negative and doesn't see what you know, what the positive and anything. And so, yeah, there's some people in the chats that are 74 00:20:32.970 --> 00:20:56.460 Suzanne Park: talking about their writers group. You. It really is like you know, a a friend group, right? You have to entrust them with what you're writing. They have to trust you with their words. And you know you can't have just all negative people in the group. Otherwise it's just like everybody will be depressed and never write again. So you do need the encouragement as well. And you also need people who are just sort of on it to keep 75 00:20:56.700 --> 00:21:01.260 Suzanne Park: the writers group going, cause that is a thing that is true. A lot of them kind of fizzle out. 76 00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:27.119 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah. And I think that's such great advice, because I feel like a lot of writers I speak to are like, you know, I I can't find anybody who reads fantasy or can't find anybody like I know writers, or I know people who would read my work, but they're not romance readers, or they're not this. And I think this is such great advice that it's not necessarily about finding people who are widely read in your genre. Of course, if you can, that's great. But also it's just knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the reader as well as 77 00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:31.749 their preferences, so that you can kind of contextualize that feedback. 78 00:21:31.780 --> 00:21:37.019 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: I'm also curious at what point in your process do you start showing your work to people. 79 00:21:37.800 --> 00:21:39.539 Suzanne Park: Oh, man, 80 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:46.670 Suzanne Park: With my current writers group, I know that I can show them something that's still in a very much a draft stage. 81 00:21:46.760 --> 00:21:54.309 Suzanne Park: Usually I give them a chunk that is a whole seen or a whole 82 00:21:54.690 --> 00:22:09.480 Suzanne Park: section that they need. I need feedback on whether it's the start of the book and is like, is this, pull you in? And that's and I usually when I email out my material. And I say, this is when I'm looking for this type of feedback, and if I forget 83 00:22:09.600 --> 00:22:30.780 Suzanne Park: again, there's always somebody that is on top of things, they said, what are you trying to get out of this feedback because we can talk about anything? So it's great when people are able to kind of have that type of group where they say, What are you working on? And we will try to help you. So in this case it's usually I get feedback on my first chapter. 84 00:22:30.790 --> 00:23:00.369 Suzanne Park: Kind of a scene that I think is kind of a big scene for the book and I usually, if I meet them often enough. I usually give them little chunks of the book at a time, cause I'm not a super fast writer, so I can. You know if I submit it 10 to 25 pages every time I see them. By the time you know I'm done with that within a year I have, you know, the book kind of sorted out? Yeah. So I think that is really it is just 85 00:23:00.420 --> 00:23:21.490 Suzanne Park: finding the key things that I really need feedback on. Usually it is the opening scene, and then, you know, romantic scene. If I'm having some trouble with it, do they feel like they have chemistry, or there's a scene where it is supposed to be a touching scene that I deliver on that emotion. Sometimes, without all the other 86 00:23:21.590 --> 00:23:33.409 Suzanne Park: background material, they might not be able to answer it exactly as you want, but usually in the context of the scene, people can give feedback saying like, Oh, I was moved by this part, or Oh, this part they II liked how they 87 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:59.710 Suzanne Park: weren't kissing right away. They were kind of the woody banter was really great at the beginning, you know. So it's it's it helps when you ask them what you're looking for and in what you actually have challenges with showing versus telling is always something that I ask for help on, and they just know that that's something that to look out for with me. 88 00:23:59.780 --> 00:24:02.130 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: I feel like it's such a 89 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:07.589 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Romance is such a an interesting and fun genre to write because 90 00:24:07.650 --> 00:24:20.900 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: it's so interior. I feel like a lot of it is so interior to like how the characters are experiencing their emotions and processing their growth, and the fact that they're falling in love with each other, and that I feel like, because 91 00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:42.390 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: it's so. Interior is very easy to fall into the trap of telling of just being like. Yes, now I feel I feel nervous about this conversation, or I feel so like having to demonstrate that through interiority is really difficult. I wanna ask more about that. But I wanna go back to the idea of the opening scene first. So for you. What makes a great opening scene? What are you looking to accomplish in that first 92 00:24:42.390 --> 00:24:43.609 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: moment of the book. 93 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:48.270 Suzanne Park: It depends on the book again. And also 94 00:24:48.330 --> 00:24:54.320 Suzanne Park: and every time I try, okay, I'll I'll be honest. And about 50% of the books that have been published. 95 00:24:54.700 --> 00:25:16.039 Suzanne Park: 50 of them have started off with a different scene that I either cut or I had to put another scene ahead of it because it wasn't. It didn't drop you in the right place. So I'm guessing the answer is to drop you in the right place. And I'm and what I mean by that is, you know. What can you? What does that start where you see where the character is 96 00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:28.079 Suzanne Park: that will get you to that point where the story takes a turn. Usually it's and I think it's Lisa Chrome in her books. I somebody asked a craft book question, and I think writing for story and wired for 97 00:25:28.210 --> 00:25:41.430 Suzanne Park: story, wired story genius, and wired for story. Those are the 2 that I highly recommend. They talk about this type of thing like, you know, setting up conflict, setting up stakes, but dropping you into the characters. Life? 98 00:25:41.570 --> 00:25:56.419 Suzanne Park: It kind of in their normal life. And then the story starts when the inciting incident happens, and then you see how everything is flipped and everything's gone wrong, or, you know, has just changed significantly so 99 00:25:56.600 --> 00:25:58.540 Suzanne Park: doing. That 100 00:25:58.770 --> 00:26:16.229 Suzanne Park: is, it's to me it's hard to find the right place, because I usually start where I'm inspired, and then the editor will let me know if they feel like there could be a different scene, or maybe I can do something a little different. That's punch it up, or in one case 101 00:26:16.370 --> 00:26:27.800 Suzanne Park: I had. This is when I was selling my book. 2 editors give me completely different feedback. Actually, on the opening scene. I'd written it based on a revision. One of the editors, while I was trying to sell the book 102 00:26:27.890 --> 00:26:30.159 Suzanne Park: gave me. They said, oh, I wanna see her 103 00:26:30.190 --> 00:26:43.199 Suzanne Park: trying to get the job, like we already know that she's a going to be a fish out of water. But if she's, you know, applying for the job, we can see how she interacts and how the company is a mismatch and that sort of thing. So I wrote a whole scene. That was 104 00:26:43.300 --> 00:26:54.879 Suzanne Park: the opening scene, and that was like kind of the placeholder, for when I was trying to sell the book and when I got offers back both editors. Then we're like 105 00:26:54.930 --> 00:27:16.979 Suzanne Park: you should cut that scene because it's kind of it doesn't get you exactly to where you want to go to get the story to propel it forward. So it's subjective to some, I would say and I understood why that editor wanted me to put that seat in because she herself was not familiar with the industry and the type of company this was. 106 00:27:16.990 --> 00:27:43.839 Suzanne Park: But for the other 2, they said, it doesn't matter. We just want to see the character who she is, get a snapshot of her, and then dive into what is about to happen to her. So not the best answer, probably, but it depends. But II think it depends on what type of story that you're trying to tell. And you know, if you feel like that kind of background is necessary. II also, upon thinking about it, II think that that was a good idea to cut that scene. 107 00:27:43.910 --> 00:28:00.100 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, I guess. Yeah, it's really interesting to think about. Like, if the inciting incident is the moment where things kick off, it's like, how far back do you rewind from that? To like, yeah, to figure out where to drop people in. And I like you say, I guess it likely is subjective. I think everybody 108 00:28:00.100 --> 00:28:17.200 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: wants a different, a varying amount of back story, and some people, I think, could read tons of backstory like, I think, particularly in fantasy genres. People are like, you know, pages and pages of world building depending on the book, and things like that. And people have a real appetite. So I guess it can just depend. But I think that's also 109 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:39.590 Suzanne Park: I know personally for myself in my writing. I'm always very worried about that opening scene, and we'll we'll think about it a lot. So it's also just heartening to know that you can come back and change it like throughout the process. And I would just had a I just had a virtual event yesterday where I was trying to explain to somebody that a lot of people get stuck with writing, because they want that first 110 00:28:39.890 --> 00:28:50.489 Suzanne Park: few pages to be perfect, because they say that's the first, you know, that's the first few pages that somebody else give a no on or a Yes on just to get more pages from like an agent or an editor. 111 00:28:50.590 --> 00:28:58.469 Suzanne Park: And while that is true again, because I know that 50% audio books have started in the wrong place, and I end up having to edit that or change it. 112 00:28:58.500 --> 00:29:20.689 Suzanne Park: that I don't think people should be too precious with that first section when they're drafting that first chapter that first seen because in the end it might change, and that, I think was a wake up. Call to some of the people I was on the you know, on the zoom with yesterday that they have those folks who are perfectionists who sit there, and Wordsmith 113 00:29:20.690 --> 00:29:29.529 Suzanne Park: the first chapter to death, and they're terrified that the rest of it won't be as good as that first chapter, and I'm just here to tell you that sometimes the first chapter doesn't stay. 114 00:29:29.530 --> 00:29:50.150 Suzanne Park: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always say to myself, I guess. But I'm giving myself. Pep talks that the only thing that guarantees that I won't be publish is, I never have a completed manuscript. So that's like you need to move forward. You need to finish the manuscript. That's the only thing that will guarantee that it won't get into the world. Otherwise everything is a shot. 115 00:29:50.150 --> 00:29:59.990 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah. So when you're writing, do you? Are you? Do you identify as kind of a planner? Do you have your whole outline, or you just kind of following an idea and seeing it where it takes you. 116 00:30:01.090 --> 00:30:18.310 Suzanne Park: each book is different. I'm gonna keep saying that earlier on, I was more of a cancer, which is somebody who just flies by the seat of their pants and just writes what what they're feeling and and what interests them at that time. 117 00:30:18.310 --> 00:30:32.679 Suzanne Park: And II do think that that is, that has merit, because sometimes you just don't know where the story will go, and then you discover something along the way that makes a better story than what you had in your head, and it's only through discoverability that that can happen. 118 00:30:33.190 --> 00:30:49.179 Suzanne Park: But later on, when I have projects, and I'm selling on proposal or pitches. I usually have a synopsis and use that as sort of the foundation of what a quasi outline might be, and my stop sees are usually 2 to 4 pages 119 00:30:49.210 --> 00:30:59.090 Suzanne Park: and sometimes less detail, more detail depending on what if I'm feeling how strong I am feeling with each the, you know, with the book itself. 120 00:30:59.120 --> 00:31:05.269 Suzanne Park: And then I start writing based on the synopsis. Some people say that that's 121 00:31:05.650 --> 00:31:29.599 Suzanne Park: planning, but I should show you how badly you're like. Wait, nothing doesn't tell you anything. And then sometimes you know you just you know, II lighting some twists and turns in my story, and those I always find along the way. Sometimes I have a big idea, and I don't know what the ideas. But I can continue writing until I figure it out. 122 00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:39.939 Suzanne Park: So A good example of that is for my young adult book, The Christmas Clash. It was based on. I, my publisher, wanted me to write a holiday, Romcom 123 00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:59.050 Suzanne Park: holiday, themed Romcom. It didn't have to be like a holiday romance, or like play by the strict rules of what a holiday romance is just had to take place in the holiday. So I said, Oh, that sounds right up my alley. So I wrote the proposal, wrote some sample pages, wrote the Synopsis Synopsis, and I turned it in. 124 00:31:59.580 --> 00:32:05.859 Suzanne Park: and then in that I have a place called it says. And then they discovered this family secret that has been 125 00:32:05.870 --> 00:32:21.110 Suzanne Park: burdening them for years, and nobody asked me what the family secret was, and honestly, I didn't know at the time. But when I wrote the book I realized what I wanted to do and maybe about 20% in. I knew what was possible. 126 00:32:21.110 --> 00:32:37.480 Suzanne Park: given the family structures and their likelihood of having interactions in the past, the 2 families. So it all worked out, and it was exactly what I wanted to do, but I also didn't know if I it would have made sense to try to pre plan that because I wanted it to be a surprise 127 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:43.299 Suzanne Park: to the reader as well. It was like a surprise to me. 128 00:32:43.310 --> 00:33:04.929 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Oh, that's so funny. Yeah, I love the kind of discover ability of just like, Oh, I didn't know this. I think people who are saying in one of the sessions I was leading yesterday. Sometimes your characters are just doing things on the page that you had no idea. Like they're they're just. They have minds of their own. They're taking us in this direction or that it's like a fun process of creation alongside that. And 129 00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:18.120 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: I'm curious. How do you go about developing your characters to make sure that they're resonating with readers, and and that they're really kind of forming connections, especially with the romantic leads, because they're so important to this genre. 130 00:33:19.370 --> 00:33:35.790 Suzanne Park: I do have to think through what type of characters I want from the start. So while again back to the point of whether in pants or flutter, I do have to kind of carve out who I want these characters to be and how they interact, and when they what their meet queue might be. 131 00:33:35.830 --> 00:33:37.100 Suzanne Park: Because 132 00:33:37.370 --> 00:34:04.059 Suzanne Park: and this is, I think specifically about marginalized creators is, I can't have every single type of person to me, in my opinion. Be this cookie cutter like template that I keep going back to. I want all of my characters to be different from one another, and that's across book, and that's including you know, the sub. The secondary characters. I try to make a lot of different, because I want 133 00:34:04.060 --> 00:34:10.399 Suzanne Park: to do the best I can with representing the diaspora of Asian Americans. So in that 134 00:34:10.420 --> 00:34:18.510 Suzanne Park: sense, each character. You know each main character that I pick the main character plus their love interest. 135 00:34:18.610 --> 00:34:35.870 Suzanne Park: I do think through deeply kind of how I want to have them interact. But also, I mean, I know you'll probably hear a lot about tropes. But for me, I don't really write to tropes, I write to themes. 136 00:34:35.870 --> 00:34:52.200 Suzanne Park: and so I had to make sure that the characters make sense. Given the themes that I'll probably uncover in the book. So if it can't be like a very cinnamon roll type character in a cutthroat work environment, right? So it has to have some aspect of thought 137 00:34:52.477 --> 00:35:14.370 Suzanne Park: where I have to pre plan some of it so that it makes sense where I drop them into the story. And then I also wanna make sure that the characters go through some sort of growth as well, and so having to start at Point A and then end up at Point B, that also has to take some thought whether it's a small arc or a big arc. I definitely think all of that through. 138 00:35:14.370 --> 00:35:35.429 Suzanne Park: But that being said, sometimes you have the academic thing of okay. I want this person to be a banker. I want this person to be you know, very type a or whatever, and then it's not until you put them on the page that you realize if it's right or wrong, and that's and that could be part of why people kind of get tripped up when they're just rewriting and writing 139 00:35:35.450 --> 00:35:51.479 Suzanne Park: only to delete everything again is they can't get that right. But sometimes it's magical where they're just on page, and they have whitty banter, and they're just having a great time. And you see where their conflict is gonna come up. And other times it's more of a struggle because 140 00:35:51.510 --> 00:36:06.350 Suzanne Park: they're too much alike, or they have backgrounds or the way they interact wouldn't be, it's more stilted. And then I have to make sure. Go back and make sure that you know. What is it that doesn't make sense and edit that or decide I'm going to change. 141 00:36:06.490 --> 00:36:25.700 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, I'm curious about dialog. So what tips do you have for making dialogue really kind of jump off the page? Because I feel like that woody banter. So key to developing rope romances. And even if it's not woody banter, but just that, that back and forth, that kind of chemistry that's leaping off the page is such a 142 00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:29.870 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: a key part of the romance genre, and I think it's it's so hard to get right. 143 00:36:31.050 --> 00:36:39.789 Suzanne Park: You know I will, say II feel that I this is where my comedy background does come into play, and it is a little bit easier for me to 144 00:36:39.940 --> 00:36:53.879 Suzanne Park: have that sort of interaction where I tend to lean toward the absurd. So when 2 characters interact. And there's some absurd thing, it's usually me setting that up immediately for on purpose, for reason. 145 00:36:54.090 --> 00:36:55.330 Suzanne Park: And 146 00:36:55.790 --> 00:37:18.720 Suzanne Park: so it's hard to for me to say. Oh, this is how you write XY. And Z. But what I do know is that it helps when you're always reading, and you're always watching the. And you're just picking up from other mediums like what how people are and how they interact on screen and on the book, just to see what feels natural or what feels kind of 147 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:25.610 Suzanne Park: opposite of that I guess just something that just doesn't feel like it's really moving the story in any direction. 148 00:37:25.650 --> 00:37:44.990 Suzanne Park: And then also listening and overhearing real conversations. II tell everybody, just be an eavesdropper like you will learn so much from how people interact, whether it's just the language they use. The fact that some people don't use language, and they get their point across. Other people are rude. Other people are hilarious. 149 00:37:44.990 --> 00:37:56.130 Suzanne Park: You, if you just are a world observer, you will naturally see how people you can use that from your outside world and bring it into your story. The parts that you feel that belong in your story. 150 00:37:56.160 --> 00:37:57.130 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah. 151 00:37:57.180 --> 00:38:24.369 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: I just switch curious a little bit and talk. Well, actually, this is a question. The the concept of the do over is like the worst nightmare come to life for that book? Did you start with the idea of like, well, what will happen if you just wake up? And do you have to go back to college? Was that something that's been haunting you forever? Or did you have the characters in mind kind of where did that particular novel start? And in general, do you start with the idea, or do you start with characters, or is it a bit of both? 152 00:38:24.860 --> 00:38:46.750 Suzanne Park: It's usually the idea that will come first for me. So the do over came from that nightmare during the pandemic especially, I had this Heidi nightmare where I am suddenly in a classroom, taking an exam of a class that I either have not taken or did you know I signed up for? And I'm panicking, and I waked up. 153 00:38:46.750 --> 00:39:06.580 Suzanne Park: stressed out and thinking, oh, gosh! Thank goodness, that was a dream, and I think I had that every day, and I was like, what is the stream? I mean? II have had that I, and we can see if anybody in the chat has had that same dream. But when I pulled people when I was doing a book event a series of book events for that particular book. 154 00:39:06.580 --> 00:39:35.849 Suzanne Park: I think every time I ask the audience. 90% of people had had some sort of anxiety dream whether it was that school one or they're about to give a presentation at work. And they actually don't have slides prepared, or they're asked to speak on stage. And they actually don't know what they're supposed to say. Just some variation of that is something that a lot of people experience. And so I was like, I need to figure out more about this room. So I did some research and realized it was a very common dream. And then. 155 00:39:36.580 --> 00:40:01.789 Suzanne Park: as I was going through that I was talking to people about it, and there are people who didn't graduate from college. Either. Because of some clerical error. And putting that together, I realize, oh, I can have this setup where this woman who is a career, consultant and author about finding, you know living your best career. 156 00:40:02.420 --> 00:40:13.310 Suzanne Park: This person is going through a background check because she's trying to land the job so that she can write her next book and find out through the background check process that she didn't actually complete her degree. 157 00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:42.140 Suzanne Park: And at that point I'm like, Oh, how do I make this worse for the character? Oh, I can make the ta her ex boyfriend from college! And then that sort of naturally led into you. Okay, then how was it gonna play out? Is this gonna be all you know present day past tense, you know. Is it gonna be dual timeline? And I ended up deciding set of a complete dual line to do a present day story with glimpses of the past and 158 00:40:42.220 --> 00:40:51.789 Suzanne Park: that unfold. At the same time, you see that past relationship unfold alongside the current relationship. And how that that trajectory is going. 159 00:40:51.810 --> 00:41:15.259 Suzanne Park: Yeah, I. This is like, truly it was as I started reading it. I was like, this is my actual nightmare. I had that dream. So that's very this exact setup of like have missing a couple of courses. And so it was like, Oh, my gosh! So they must have been haunted by this as well, because it's so. 160 00:41:15.260 --> 00:41:29.760 Suzanne Park: What's funny is, I learned something new almost every time I have a group. You know, like a an event in in the audience. There's always somebody that stops me while I'm signing a book, and they say something that's like interesting. That's related to the story. In this case 161 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:34.749 Suzanne Park: a woman raises her hand and says, by the way, I'm a person who does background checks. 162 00:41:34.810 --> 00:41:49.129 Suzanne Park: and you would be surprised by all the red flags that I've come across, and she said, it's so common, and people don't even know that. And she started rattling off people that she I mean, not names, but the types of people that you would not expect 163 00:41:49.270 --> 00:42:13.410 Suzanne Park: cause. I think a lot of people assume. It's a, you know, bachelor's degree, and and that's it. But some people, she said. There are. She says there are judges. There are doctors. There are people like that who didn't complete their education and 164 00:42:13.410 --> 00:42:28.380 Suzanne Park: having to go back to biology, you know, or you know, do a lab, you know other people? Oh, I don't know but she said, that people get flag now all the time. And 165 00:42:28.380 --> 00:42:54.610 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: yeah, phone number 166 00:42:54.610 --> 00:43:04.399 in both. Is there anything that you have kind of done differently? Why have you? You know what's made you decide to kind of explore both of those facets of the romance genre. 167 00:43:05.720 --> 00:43:08.290 Suzanne Park: When I was writing 168 00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:32.239 Suzanne Park: my first book, and then I tried to get an agent. I did want to find someone that handles both adult and adult, because I knew I adult and young adults. I knew I wanted to write in both of those genres. So that was very important to me from the start. And one of the things that I think about when I am trying to write for the different age groups. And that really is what it comes down to, because I think there are. 169 00:43:32.240 --> 00:43:45.029 Suzanne Park: you know, important themes that might work well in adulthood, like the adult books and young adult. And it just depends on how you talk about it in the story. 170 00:43:45.030 --> 00:44:06.100 Suzanne Park: So there's you know, there's the themes of imposter syndrome in Dover. That could very well also be in my young adult books or parental expectations that usually comes up in both of my young adult and adult books. But with young adults, what I have to make sure, and I think I could take more great care into 171 00:44:06.100 --> 00:44:29.170 Suzanne Park: making sure this is true where I have to make sure the voice is authentic, authentically teen, and in addition to that, to make sure their life experiences are realistic. So a lot of people say, Oh, this doesn't seem like what he should have done. And I'm like, really, what a 14 year old boy really think about. You know the long term consequences of XY. Or Z. 172 00:44:29.170 --> 00:44:39.870 Suzanne Park: And you know they if you really think about that, there's more room for making errors and mistakes, and maybe not learning the same lessons as you would from an adult perspective. 173 00:44:39.870 --> 00:45:03.809 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: So II tried to make sure that I just keep things realistic when it comes to what a teen is experiencing and how they might react to it. Given their life experiences. Yeah. And how do you handle kind of the happily ever after with teens, because I feel like that's such a big part of the romance genre. But I feel like it's also like, oh, we don't necessarily want to marry off our 14 year old, you know. What does that kind of look like when you're reaching that conclusion in a young adult novel. 174 00:45:04.540 --> 00:45:06.250 Suzanne Park: Well, most of my books. 175 00:45:06.440 --> 00:45:17.079 Suzanne Park: both adult and young adult, are about marginalized nerds falling in love. And so I think if I go in there, knowing that that is kind of what I like to write 176 00:45:17.440 --> 00:45:41.370 Suzanne Park: in in the young adult space, it really comes down to it being about people who are experiencing firsts or seconds of of a certain thing, whether it's love. First kiss that sort of thing in in the adult side, it's usually past that point. Although there might be some awkwardness so just understanding kind of where there are and what they find 177 00:45:41.510 --> 00:45:55.700 Suzanne Park: to be what their goals are and what they really want out of a certain like as their outcome. So if somebody is going on a first date, maybe they all they wanted as a first kiss at the end, and then, as long as you have that 178 00:45:56.200 --> 00:46:18.469 Suzanne Park: you have done what you're set out to do, and it's realistic. I believe that that would work on the teenage in a teenage story. But to your point of like making sure it has happily ever after. Sometimes, you know, there are teenagers that are maybe not as like. They see things through a different lens than an adult, and I think it's 179 00:46:18.610 --> 00:46:44.660 Suzanne Park: for at least sunny song. I think all the the other 2 books, too. It's not necessarily this pure, happily ever after. It's usually like we'll see where this goes, and we're in a good place right now. And I think for me that feels more realistic than yes, we're we're holding hands, and we're about to get married at age 18. And we've already decided for the rest of our lives. You all are my soul, mate? Yeah, exactly. 180 00:46:44.710 --> 00:47:03.439 Okay. Well, we've got about 50 min left. So I'm gonna dive into some of the audience questions, I guess. Continuing on this theme of ya. So one of our attendees asked, what are your thoughts on underage? Sex both in a contemporary romance or a Ya, is it taboo? If it's important? And it's important to the story. 181 00:47:04.290 --> 00:47:16.919 Suzanne Park: I think that's it. What you just said at the end. Is it important to the story? Some books have it, I think, just because they think that the market is looking for spicy books. 182 00:47:16.960 --> 00:47:20.860 Suzanne Park: and sometimes it just doesn't belong. And to throw in a 183 00:47:21.190 --> 00:47:39.739 Suzanne Park: you know, or raunchy scene, or a a scene that there's no emotional attachment just to do it. I think that's where stories can end up being a little bit more challenging as a reader, because it you just jump that you have to make this jump in this leap 184 00:47:39.790 --> 00:47:43.330 Suzanne Park: that might not be earned. So I think, as long as 185 00:47:43.340 --> 00:48:05.150 Suzanne Park: whatever you're setting up, and it makes sense for the characters. I think that that is usually the you know what people are looking for editors and agents as well. II do think that you know. Be mindful of age as well, and when you're talking about these stories, and then I personally write. 186 00:48:05.240 --> 00:48:15.230 Suzanne Park: I think one of my 2, my books, The Sunny Song and Christmas Clash. There are romantic scenes they are making out, but because I fade to black so soon. 187 00:48:15.700 --> 00:48:37.230 Suzanne Park: Some people interpret that as Oh, they just kiss to oh, my God! What happened behind that I don't know. What do you think so. II think you just have to be comfortable with the decisions you make, and then make sure it feels authentic to the character. And I think at that point, then you'll be able to know if it makes sense for your story. Yeah. 188 00:48:37.360 --> 00:48:53.120 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Okay. Cameron asks. I'm doing a Harem Book series about romance, mystery, sci-fi. So big mixture of things. Do you have any advice for how to create epic surprise endings for the romance part? I know you've talked a little bit today about twists and things like that. How do you 189 00:48:53.180 --> 00:48:54.550 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: incorporate those? 190 00:48:55.240 --> 00:48:58.019 Suzanne Park: Oh, my gosh, it's it is hard, because 191 00:48:58.760 --> 00:49:13.219 Suzanne Park: romances there's a series of expectations meaning like, you know, people wanna happily ever after. They want certain tropes in a half staff tropes in your story. 192 00:49:13.280 --> 00:49:24.269 Suzanne Park: So sometimes a big twist can be great. But also we can also be problematic, depending on the reader. So I think for 193 00:49:24.520 --> 00:49:44.560 Suzanne Park: my advice would be. Just tell the story that you want to tell, whether it's romance heavy or it's a mystery heavy, and see if you are genuinely happy with the way the story is unfolding, because if you tried to think too hard about tropes and too hard, yeah, to follow the rules, and sometimes it ends up being a very 194 00:49:44.640 --> 00:49:56.510 Suzanne Park: kind of like a cookie cutter story that somebody has seen before. As far as advice on things that are twist the attorney, I would just say, 195 00:49:57.440 --> 00:49:59.410 Suzanne Park: for that. Yeah. 196 00:49:59.520 --> 00:50:27.170 Suzanne Park: you can go in there like I did when I was like, I want a big family secret. This last book. That's coming out. One last word in April. That has a twist in it of the love interest of why, he's emotionally unattached, and you realize that at the end? Because I and I think I've planted enough seeds there to so you could see where the reveal. Isn't that big of a real feel. But I've heard that it has surprised people. 197 00:50:27.350 --> 00:50:37.279 Suzanne Park: And I knew that going in so part of it is planning ahead of time on certain things or in. If you're a discovery person, you kind of figure it out. 198 00:50:37.410 --> 00:50:42.380 Suzanne Park: You can also just read on right? I mean, so read and watch a lot of 199 00:50:42.490 --> 00:51:00.760 Suzanne Park: things that are similar in your genre, or the types of genres that you like, and see what types of twists and turns they end up doing, and when they fall into the story, and use that as sort of a roadmap, for when that should happen for your story, and go from there and see if you can one up that story that you're watching. 200 00:51:00.840 --> 00:51:18.059 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Oh, that's yeah. It's such a great advice to kind of think about. Yeah, what? What do other people do? That's that's great. Okay. So an anonymous attendee asks, is it okay to have a story where young adult goes from the last year school into college and then into adulthood. It would be a women's fiction romance. 201 00:51:19.110 --> 00:51:31.970 Suzanne Park: I, you know, I've heard some podcasts about stories like this that it's either it's multi-generational. So there's actually 3 points of view, or somebody that has flashbacks from the past. So as long as the 202 00:51:32.010 --> 00:51:46.969 Suzanne Park: adult side is the predominant point of view. I would guess that that is perfectly okay. If that's the question. I think it just if it's equal parts. For example, it might be hard for an agent or an editor to say yes, because they don't know how to place it. 203 00:51:46.980 --> 00:52:04.940 Suzanne Park: But I do believe, if it's clearly, predominantly more of the adult story. But it's also targeting an adult audience, then that would probably be the best way to, you know that would that would be not common. But it is. I've seen that before. 204 00:52:05.220 --> 00:52:07.180 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah. 205 00:52:07.490 --> 00:52:16.899 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: okay, yeah. Another T asks. I'm looking for courses in romantic comedy. Do you have any suggestions? 206 00:52:18.690 --> 00:52:37.849 Suzanne Park: That is tough, because I don't know if I can think of any on the top of my off the top of my head. One of the things that has happened in publishing, and probably everybody here has seen this happen is that people are mixing romantic comedy with contemporary romance 207 00:52:37.850 --> 00:52:49.800 Suzanne Park: and acute contemporary romance, and it might not necessarily to be be considered romantically outside of the publishing space. But in publishing cute contemporary romance is romantic comedy. 208 00:52:49.900 --> 00:53:03.179 Suzanne Park: And there seems to be a lot of those types of classes that are for romance writers who are just trying to finish their book. But when it's specifically romantic companies. 209 00:53:03.300 --> 00:53:16.400 Suzanne Park: I've seen a lot more romance conventions coming up like steamy Litcon. And there's also one Lovecom, and there's another one in the 210 00:53:16.460 --> 00:53:19.000 Suzanne Park: Romancecon. I believe that's in the Midwest. 211 00:53:19.020 --> 00:53:46.100 Suzanne Park: They are starting to pop up, and a lot of them come with a workshops and talks, and I would just see if there's you know, like check out their schedules to see if they have this offered. I could also recommend possibly that you might see that on the TV writing side. So you should also consider researching TV writing and specifically romantic comedy classes in in that in that field. 212 00:53:46.150 --> 00:54:00.739 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, that's great. I think it's always so good to like step outside of exactly what you're saying. And I think. We were speaking about tropes before TV. Tropes is one of my favorite resources of just like places where you can look for just so many different. 213 00:54:01.160 --> 00:54:11.420 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: just things to learn that are applicable to novel writing as well. Okay, we have a couple of more questions. So we just talked about romantic comedy resources. 214 00:54:11.600 --> 00:54:19.550 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: we have. I believe history and chemistry are important. But what is your advice to make sure that characters have romantic chemistry between them. 215 00:54:21.570 --> 00:54:23.329 Oh, that is a tough one. 216 00:54:23.880 --> 00:54:35.009 Suzanne Park: cause it's a lot of it has to do with instinct. It's like, you know, even when you meet a person, if you can be friends with them or not. You know there's some hesitation sometimes your instant friends. 217 00:54:35.450 --> 00:54:42.899 Suzanne Park: sometimes you're takes a while to get warmed up. I think it's the same type of thing when you're meeting 2 characters or meeting on page. 218 00:54:42.970 --> 00:54:52.360 Suzanne Park: they have that same sort of thing is like, are we connected, or is it gonna take some time? I think. 219 00:54:52.470 --> 00:54:57.250 Suzanne Park: to make sure they have some sort of chemistry. You could. Just. 220 00:54:57.520 --> 00:55:12.120 Suzanne Park: I know I keep saying, go back to reading and writing, but it really does help to see how other authors and are are handling that sort of thing, and what you know. Just know what type of books that you love and where they have the chemistry that you thought. 221 00:55:12.500 --> 00:55:23.299 Suzanne Park: worked, and tried to see how that happened like, was it this funny meet queues that made you be drawn into this situation? Was it that fact that what the woman 222 00:55:23.420 --> 00:55:31.980 Suzanne Park: man, whoever says something funny, and somebody reacts to it. Is it? Is it the setup, or is it the actual 223 00:55:32.000 --> 00:55:48.330 Suzanne Park: banter that brings you? You know I know Emily Henry's known for her banter. And it's literally the back and forth ping, ponging that makes you just go. Okay. These guys get each other. And you know that they're meant for each other long term, because they just get it. 224 00:55:48.570 --> 00:56:14.000 Suzanne Park: it's that sort of thing where you just have to rely on your instinct, but also just see what works for you, and I know what you want to put on the page. It is hard. It's not easy. Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes sometimes it is for me, but other times I have to rewrite scenes because it's just. He said this. She said this and this. She's talking puppets, and I was like, well, that's not that's boring, you know, and then delete delete, and then I have to kind of rethink this whole thing. 225 00:56:14.060 --> 00:56:32.929 Suzanne Park: but it's it's trial and error. I would go with the Greats and people who you love and see what they do magically, and see how that works. But TV is also good. If you know that you have a good chemistry, I mean people with chemistry on screen to figure out why, that is as well. 226 00:56:32.940 --> 00:56:58.089 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, it's just a good reminder that not all chemist like a lot of chemistry, of course, will be through that kind of popping dialogue, but it's not all, and like there are many real life romances where it's not like the popping dialogue back and forth like people express love and affection and attraction through so many different ways. So it doesn't always have to be the Emily Henry style woody banter as great as that is like. There's many ways to demonstrate that love. 227 00:56:58.170 --> 00:57:09.329 Okay. Our final question from Jules is, is there any advice you can give to other Asian inspiring aspiring authors, and the best way to incorporate their own cultural heritage and romance stories and writing. 228 00:57:12.070 --> 00:57:14.020 Suzanne Park: Let's see. 229 00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:29.509 Suzanne Park: Sorry. Try to read it before. Yes, I'll read it one more time. Is there any advice you can give to other Asian aspiring authors, and the best way to incorporate their own cultural heritage and romance stories and writing. 230 00:57:29.780 --> 00:57:55.320 Suzanne Park: Okay, as far as encouragement. The the nice thing right now is that I do see editors and agents interested in stories that feature Asian American characters. So that is very promising. It's it's it was so different 5 years ago. When I was trying to start out. It was like, cause you're always comp titles, and you're like. No, I there's nobody 231 00:57:55.380 --> 00:58:08.579 Suzanne Park: now, there's plenty more, and so it's it's a little bit easier for somebody to see. What kind of story you're trying to write as far as incorporating. What's culturally meaningful? 232 00:58:08.620 --> 00:58:11.690 Suzanne Park: I think it comes down to 233 00:58:12.010 --> 00:58:16.380 Suzanne Park: what kind of characters and 234 00:58:16.780 --> 00:58:28.789 Suzanne Park: what kind of characters that you want, and what will authentic to the character. I know I talk about authenticity a lot, but if you have somebody that you know, isn't is 235 00:58:28.860 --> 00:58:47.199 Suzanne Park: just not focused on their family and their they don't have any siblings or something like that, and they don't really have that connection to their heritage, then it doesn't make sense necessarily to just throw things in just because of that. 236 00:58:47.200 --> 00:58:59.410 Suzanne Park: So I think it's just making sure that whoever your character is that what you incorporate is realistic, and seems like you are being authentic to your character. 237 00:58:59.580 --> 00:59:23.369 Suzanne Park: There are a lot of readers who are interested in Asian culture and you know, Asian heritage, and there are plenty of certain stories out there that do cover that even more deeply than probably a contemporary story would. So if you write contemporary, you might think about you know how much you want the reader to know, too. 238 00:59:23.370 --> 00:59:44.349 Suzanne Park: To give context, so it won't be like I don't know what she's talking about. This makes no sense at all. And just keep that balance in mind that you know, somebody might not actually know anything that's reading your story, and making sure that it's clear to whoever is reading that what you're trying to express. 239 00:59:44.730 --> 01:00:10.379 Hayley @ ProWritingAid: Amazing. Yes, yeah, it is. It really was. And thank you so much for all of the amazing advice you've given. I'm sure you can see in the chat that everyone was saying. It's very encouraging. That you've just that they've just really loved this session, and that it's flown by. So thank you so much for taking time out of your day so much. It's been fun to read along the side. I actually kind of got the little distracted. I was like, Wow! 240 01:00:10.380 --> 01:00:20.910 Suzanne Park: All these folks engage. Just keep writing and finish your book. 241 01:00:20.910 --> 01:00:42.650 Suzanne Park: One thing all authors have in common is that they finished a book? Yes, exactly and Suzanne speaking to finishing book. Suzanne has another book coming out in this April it is called one last word. I'm putting her website in the chat. If you would like to check that out and pre order that book or order any of the others. And yeah, thank you, Suzanne, so much. This has been great. 242 01:00:43.040 --> 01:00:45.499 Suzanne Park: Thank you so much. Have a good day.