Jenna Yoon: On Writing More Representative Middle-Grade Fiction
Jenna Yoon shares how her daughter helped inspire her to believe in her own dream of becoming an author and how that led to her Lia Park series of middle-grade novels.
Jenna Yoon studied Art History at Wellesley College and received her master’s degree in Korean art history from Ewha Womans University. She’s lived about half her life in both Korea and the United States.
When she’s not writing, Jenna loves to travel, find yummy eats, play board games, and take skin care very seriously. Currently, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two kids. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this post, she shares how her Lia Park novel series was inspired by her daughter, her biggest surprise in publishing her second novel, and why stepping away from writing can help increase productivity.
Name: Jenna Yoon
Literary agent: Penny Moore (Aevitas Creative Management)
Book title: Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Release date: May 30, 2023
Genre/category: Middle Grade; Contemporary Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Korean Mythology
Previous titles: Lia Park and the Missing Jewel
Elevator pitch for the book: Perfect for fans of the Gifted Clans and Aru Shah series, this thrilling second book of the middle-grade fantasy Lia Park series sees Lia and Joon on a mission to protect important magical objects—and themselves—from a mysterious enemy.
What prompted you to write this book?
Growing up, I didn’t see main characters in stories that looked like me. I accepted it because I believed that was just how it was. I never thought being an author would be a possible career path for me, and if I really wanted to, I’d have to use a pen name.
Fast forward far too many years, I bought an Elsa dress and wig for my daughter. Since she loved everything Frozen, she was ecstatic at first. But after a few days, she angrily pointed to the Elsa wig on her head and demanded to know how many more sleeps would it take for her hair to look like Elsa’s?
It was that moment that changed my perspective, and I realized I wanted my daughter to grow up in a more diverse and inclusive world, where she saw herself represented in books and media. I started writing this book series for my daughter, so that she could see herself as the hero of her story.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
For Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms, the general idea of the book didn’t change very much, but there were many layers of revisions that were added throughout the process. It took about seven to eight months from idea to the final pass pages!
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
One of the biggest learning moments in the publishing process for Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms was gauging how long each part of the process would take me under contract. I underestimated how long each part would take me.
I really pushed myself to my physical limits while writing this book and learned the hard way that I cannot do that again. There definitely was a learning curve but for the future, I have a handle on how long each part of the process will take me, and can pace myself better.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Normally, I’m a very slow but clean drafter. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to draft the second book in a very short amount of time. So I learned how to fast draft, used timers, and wrote in short sprints.
I ended up drafting this book in a little over a month. It wasn’t as clean and much shorter than any draft I’d ever written, but it felt good knowing I now had something to work with.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope Korean American kids will feel seen, but I also hope all kids would have a fun adventure when reading the book. I blended Korean art, history, mythology, language, food into a fantasy adventure in hopes that it’d create an easily accessible entry point into Korean culture for all kids, and that it’d spark their imagination and curiosity.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
One advice I would give to aspiring writers is that it’s okay not to write every day. Sometimes taking a mental break and finding something else to fill your creative well could do wonders. Also, being able to step away from your work will help give you some perspective.
During the start of the pandemic, I was taking care of two young kids yet I forced myself to write, because I needed to feel productive. This eventually resulted in burning out emotionally, mentally, and physically. I learned my limits, how to manage my time, and most importantly, to let go of needing to write every day.
To fill my creative well, I picked up playing the cello again. Perhaps because playing an instrument is something completely separate from writing, it helped clear and open up my mind.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
