Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
Pintip Dunn: I’ve had so many conversations with other Thai Americans and Asian Americans, whose parents seemed to change their minds in an instant about their children not dating and settling down. One moment, the parents wanted their children to focus on their studies, and the next, all the parents asked about were relationship statuses and grandbabies. That magic moment might happen during college or grad school or a first job, but all these instances were characterized by an abrupt and sudden switch.
I thought it would be fun to turn this phenomenon on its head. What if the parents realized that their stringent rules about dating backfired? What if they had to completely backtrack and require their youngest to date in high school, for relationship practice? What if they had no experience dating in America and had to rely on classic rom coms to draw inspiration for the fake dates?
Presto. Dating Makes Perfect was born.
What character in this novel do you most relate to and why?
I most relate to Winnie, since I occupied her mind and her heart so thoroughly in writing this book. On the one hand, she’s a lot like me. She’s a little awkward and clumsy, and she’s obsessed with food. She yearns to be the perfect Thai daughter but finds herself lacking. These were all things that characterized my childhood.
At the same time, however, she’s the opposite of me, as I am the oldest sister in my family, while she is the youngest. Winnie’s feelings of never being able to live up to her beautiful and talented older sisters come directly from my own sister, Lana. Lana is twelve years younger than me. From that distant perspective, of course she saw me — and continues to see me — as the older sister who can do no wrong, no matter how much I’ve tried to explain that I’m as much a mess as anyone else!
The relationship between Winnie and her sisters was inspired directly by my own relationship with Lana. Strong family bonds are at the core of all my books, and Dating Makes Perfect is no exception.
Why do you feel novels with powerful and unique characters are so popular and have such a voice right now?
So many voices have been excluded from or not featured in the past publication of books, and people are hungry for these new perspectives. To be sure, these perspectives have always existed. But they haven’t always been valued or embraced. They haven’t always been ranked highly (by publishers) when evaluating a reader’s hierarchy of interests and tastes. The world we live in is made up of many voices, each as valid and worthy as the next, and I think publishing is finally catching up to this reality.
Please describe the content of your latest read and what can readers expect from it.
I just finished I’ll Be the One, by Lyla Lee. Skye Shin is a plus-sized Korean-American singer and dancer who auditions for a K-pop competition — and makes it, in spite of the beauty standards of the judges and the general K-pop industry. The fat-phobic comments from one of the judges and Skye’s mom are truly awful, but this book is brimming with body positivity. Skye is fierce and lovable, making it easy to root for her. Oh, and there’s also a cute romance with super swoony Henry Cho. Overall, I’ll Be the One spoke to me in a very real and genuine way.
What’s next for you in the bookish world?
I’m playing around with a couple projects, vastly different from each other. Both challenge me in a new, exciting way – which is always what I seek – and I’m greatly looking forward to seeing what happens. I also have a co-authored project in the works that I’m very excited about.
Who is your current favorite writer? Why?
Tough question. I have my long-time favorites — Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer, Gillian Flynn — whose books have made a big impact on my writing career. As for current favorite, I’ve been reading so many phenomenal books lately that it’s difficult to pick just one. But in the interest of answering the question: Elizabeth Acevedo. Her latest book, Clap When You Land, simply blew me away. I read it because Kirkus Reviews gave it “a standing ovation,” and you know what? I have to agree. It is that powerful. The amount of emotion Acevedo packs into a sparse amount of words is both staggering and inspiring. That’s how an author becomes one of my favorites — when their words touch my soul and push me to become a better writer.
Any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Know who you are. Understand, at a very deep level, why you want to write. Over the years, before and after I was published, I wasted so much time doubting myself. “Am I good enough?” was a constant refrain. “Should I put my time and energy into something else?” was another favorite. And then one day, I realized that writing wasn’t something I did. It is who I am. My passion for writing is just as much a part of me as my Thai heritage; it is as central to my identity as being a mother. I can no sooner change my burning desire to write than I can change the color of my skin. This revelation put many of my doubts to rest.
Publishing is a rough, rough road, riddled with nasty bumps of insecurity and ugly potholes of rejection. I’ve been able to travel it only because of a very steady sense of who I am and why I write.
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