Q&A With Axie Oh

I’m delighted to be doing this Q&A with New York Times Bestselling Author Axie Oh. Axie is the author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, XOXO, ASAP, The Rebel Seoul Duology & a new series The Floating World. The books in The Floating World Series so far are The Floating World & the second book The Demon and the Light which came out on October 21^st and is available wherever you get your books!  

Q: Axie, would you please give a brief description of your work beginning with your new series The Floating World?

A: The Floating World, and the sequel, The Demon and the Light, are part of a romantic fantasy series following Ren, a troupe performer with celestial magic and Sunho, a swordfighter with demon powers who must uncover the secrets of their pasts in order to defeat an evil taking over their world. 

I’ve also written a YA romantic fantasy retelling of a classic Korean folktale called The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, K-pop romances, XOXO and ASAP, and a YA mecha sci-fi series, Rebel Seoul and Rogue Heart. 

Q: Axie, when you were younger, did you always know that writing was what you were called to do in life? What drew you into writing fantasy and fiction? 

A: I’ve always been a voracious reader, but I didn’t start writing until I was in university. I thought, because of my love of reading, I’d be a teacher or librarian. It wasn’t until I started writing short stories during college, as well as going to book events at my local indie bookstore and meeting authors, that I started to wonder if I could be an author. I wrote my first novel after I graduated, and then two more before I found my first agent. I started writing fantasy because that was my favorite genre to read. I love how fantasy allows for heightened stakes and unique worlds. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than letting my imagination run wild and falling in love with a story and its characters. 

Q: Where do your ideas for your books come from? How long does it take you to write your books?

A: My book ideas come from everywhere: experiences, photos, music, history, and art; I’m inspired by other books, films, and television. I gather bits and pieces of inspiration and either write them down into a notebook or put them into my Notes app on my phone.

As for how long it takes to write a book, that entirely depends on lots of different factors; for example, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea took only a few months to draft, but five years to revise, while XOXO took around four months to draft and two months to revise. Meanwhile, since I was drafting both The Floating World and ASAP in the same calendar year, it took longer to draft and revise both of those books. I think it’s fine for a book to take as much time as it needs.  

Q: Who were your biggest supporters when it came to your writing career? 

A: My biggest supporters are my family members, my parents and sister. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is dedicated to my mother, The Floating World to my father, and XOXO to my sister. My parents have read every single one of my books—they prefer the audiobook format! 

Q: What do you hope readers come away with once they finish reading your books whether it’s learning something meaningful, resonating with characters and enjoying a great story bringing out all their emotions?

A: Definitely all three of those things, especially “bringing out all their emotions.” I want readers to feel swept away and immersed in the story, the same as how I feel when I read books that I resonate with.

Q: How many books do you intend to have in The Floating World series? If you are not currently writing book 3, can you reveal any details about what your next book will be about? 

A: The Floating World series is a duology and ends with The Demon and the Light! I’m not sure what my next published book will be yet, but I’m currently cooking up a few stories that I hope to share with my readers soon. 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? The entertainment industry needs original content again. I also could see some great fantasy series with The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea & The Floating World series!

A: That would be amazing! Hollywood does *not* have the rights to my fantasy works. Bring it on, Hollywood! I would love it if my books were animated. 

 Q: What wisdom have you learned as an author that would help future authors out there, whether it’s creating a story, dealing with self-doubt and/or dealing with those in their lives who aren’t supportive of their dreams? 

A: I agree with the advice that you can’t edit a blank page. It’s better to finish and reach the end of a book or a story so that you can then revise it. Don’t worry about making it perfect but get the story onto the page. As for self-doubt, this is a feeling all writers experience. Just remember that your first reader is yourself. Aim to please yourself first; protecting your vision and relationship to your writing should always be your priority. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself! 

Q: First, congratulations on your books being on the New York Times Bestsellers List! Does it feel so surreal knowing your books are New York Times Bestsellers?

A: Thank you!! I’m just so happy and honored that my books have made bestseller lists because that signals to me that people *are* interested in books inspired by Korean folktales and culture. And it’s also so incredible that books with characters wearing Korean traditional outfits have also made it onto lists since visibility is so important for BIPOC authors. 

Thank you for having me!!