I wanted to ask about your inspiration for the character of the Faerie King and his interest in modern human experiences like eating street food and attending fashion events. What first gave you the idea for this story?

This story came about because I have watched waaaay too many xianxia c-dramas. Xianxia c-dramas are a popular genre of Chinese television fantasy dramas centered on “xian,” immortal beings from Daoist tradition and Chinese mythology/folklore. The international hit, “Love Between Fairy and Devil,” is an example. And as that example illustrates, the term “xian” is often translated as “fairy” in English subtitles. These stories also often feature an arc where the immortals visit the human realm for a time. Sometimes they’re completing some type of quest or side-quest; sometimes they’re just there to stroll about a mortal street market and enjoy the sights. These dramas gave me the inspiration for a story about a Faerie King taking a tour of the modern human realm. Food is a big part of tourism—at least for me!—so of course my Faerie King will indulge in all the street food he can. And as a curious traveler, of course he’d soak up as much human culture as he could.

One of the most interesting parts of this story for me was the use of social media as a storytelling device. We experience most of the story through the eyes of online communities as they piece together sightings of the Faerie King and try to find meaning in everything he does. What was it like to write a story through this lens? Did you draw inspiration from any of your experiences with social media?

Writing this story from the perspective of the Faerie King fandom was a total blast. It was, indeed, heavily influenced by what I’ve seen of fandoms online—particularly online fandoms for popular actors of xianxia c-dramas! I don’t actively participate in fandoms, though. I just watch and lurk.

What was the most challenging part of writing this story? Did anything about the Faerie King or other characters surprise you as you wrote?

The most challenging aspect was to concisely convey the narrator’s own personal story alongside her observations of the Faerie King. I wanted to write about what the Faerie King means to her, why she’s so drawn to him. And by extension, I was writing about the fandom itself, why all these people are so wrapped up in him. This is really a story about the very human need to feel part of a story that’s bigger than oneself. And the biggest surprises for me came during the discovery of how and why the narrator—and others—want to be part of that larger story.

You have some beautifully poetic lines that make the story a joy to read. One section that stayed with me was the narrator’s statement that people are drawn to the Faerie King due to their longing for a “rapturous love, love that crazes the mind, love that launches ships and poetry and myths.” Do you have a certain process for making these kinds of lines stand out?

Thank you for those kind words! For that particular passage, I just wrote those words in a “flow” state; I was not consciously deliberating on them. At other times, I might indeed agonize over just the right words, spend a lot of time deliberating and (figuratively) bashing my head over a single sentence. I don’t really have any consistent process for making lines that stand out. If the right words aren’t coming, I try to be patient. I try to describe things precisely. I read poetry.

Are there any projects you are working on currently? If not, are there any ideas you might be exploring in the future?

I’m working on my debut collection of short stories, and in fact just finished a round of copy edits for it last month. The release date hasn’t been determined yet, but it’s titled The House of Illusionists and Other Stories, and it’s forthcoming from Interstellar Flight Press. I’m very excited about it!