Hello, fellow disciples! We've been searching far and wide for individuals who have cultivated for a long time. This month, we bring to you an interview with Amymarshmallow, the author of The Princess Hex.

To read some of Amy's stories, check out the links in the in-line comments here ➟➜

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Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi! I'm a Malaysian college student who practices synchronized swimming by day and (attempts to) write at night. I write stories that I want my younger self to read and feel represented so that no little Asian girl or boy would feel misrepresented again. 

What is your writing process? Do you outline everything or write as things come to mind? Why?

I'm definitely a pantser. I have a rough outline in my head, and I write chronologically as my characters surprise me by what they do next. I have an idea of how to begin and how to end, but I let the middle be up to my characters and any inspiration I hit along the way. And often, this process makes my story so much better! 

What are some things that influenced your story?

I think about what books I want to read and write those because who better to write what I want than me? I want to write stories I've never read before that will represent the non-western culture and introduce audiences to new worlds and cultures they might not have known about before. 

Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

My main character is Donelle. She's the Southeast Asian princess I never seen before in mainstream media. She's the compilation of my childhood dreams to be a badass warrior princess who doesn't sit by and let men rescue her. 

What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

Other than the challenge of me procrastinating, the challenges I faced were the research to properly represent and find the history of my culture. I also faced editing so much that I'm afraid I just changed my entire story plot, but there is a time when you tell yourself that enough is enough, and you need to stop rewriting. 

What message do you hope your story will tell your readers?

I came up with this quote that I like to tell myself once in a while to feel powerful and legendary, so everyone should try it. Tell yourself, "I am the maker of my own legend, and I won't let anyone else write over my fate." I want people to feel empowered by Donelle's journey and know that own-voices stories are rising, and we will be heard.

If you woke up in a time or place that was very different from reality, what would you do?

I would panic and then think to myself, "How cool would my autobiography be?" But seriously though, I'm such a wimp. Hopefully I will survive long enough and return to reality to write all the books in my head!  

If there was something you could learn (i.e., some spell, some martial arts, etc.) like the main character in your book, what would it be?

Possible spoiler ahead! But I wouldn't mind harnessing the power of my animal zodiac! I drew inspiration from the mythological creature Qiongqi, a legendary winged Tiger. 

Would you rather go through a lifetime of never finding love or be willing to go through several lifetimes of hardships just to save your love? Why?

Love! Always fight for love. I would go through several lifetimes to find true love because love is worth fighting for, and life would be so colourless, so bland, without ever finding love. 

What is your favorite creature from Asian mythology or folklore? Why?

I'm bias but my favorite creature from Asian mythology is the Nian, hence the inspiration for my book. The Nian is the history behind the Lunar New Year, something I celebrate every year with my family (except when covid hit, sadly). 

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

My favorite Asian myth is the Red String of Fate. I'm just so enamoured by the idea of true love and the invisible string that ties our fingers--and our souls--to one another. 

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, amymarshmallow! We wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors.

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!