For one, I felt a great connection with my agent, Ramona Pina. Somehow, she guessed the plot of my sequel based on the ending of my queried manuscript, which told me that our visions were well aligned! In addition, I love BookEnds’ author advocacy. Not only do they have fantastic online resources for authors, but my agent asked me a question that no other offering agents did: What was my greatest author goal? I got the sense that the agents at BookEnds were truly working to support me.
What genres do you write? Read?
I write a variety of SFF, but my sweet spot is second world (science) fantasy. I also love writing close to home, so my stories are often Asian speculative fiction. In terms of reading, my absolute favorite books can be described as escapist—anything that can transport and immerse me in a world to make me forget my own.
Plotter or pantster?
Religious plotter. I love the potential in a clean and thorough outline, which isn’t to say that I don’t leave room for some improvisation. But, I am famously indecisive when presented with infinite possibilities, so the choice paralysis from the blank page of a blind draft would simply render me useless.
Synopses, love them or hate ‘em?
Hate that I love them. It’s a little daunting to present one to an agent or editor, but they’re rewarding to write after you’ve just finished a manuscript. It’s the culmination of all your hard work on a single page, like a resume for your novel. It’s a nice chance to reflect on the small victories, even as you’re trimming off entire subplots for wordcount.
Do you have a writing playlist or a vision board? If so, what’s on them?
I’ve got a playlist on Spotify and a vision board on Notion for all my projects. I love Notion especially; it’s the perfect bullet journal for those who are afraid of permanence. It’s my favorite way to organize my projects into a single, cohesive workspace.
Drink of choice when writing? When not writing?
I usually don’t snack or drink while writing, but during all other occasions, Arizona Green Tea is my nectar.
Day or Night writer?
I write during both day and night, but I prefer nighttime because there’s a special sweet spot on the knife-point between lucidity and sleepiness where words flow unthinkingly, when I forget the self-consciousness of perfection and just write. I think Hemingway may have used alcohol to the same effect.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
Name: Vanessa Le
What you Write: YA SFF
Agent: Ramona Pina
Why BookEnds?:
For one, I felt a great connection with my agent, Ramona Pina. Somehow, she guessed the plot of my sequel based on the ending of my queried manuscript, which told me that our visions were well aligned! In addition, I love BookEnds’ author advocacy. Not only do they have fantastic online resources for authors, but my agent asked me a question that no other offering agents did: What was my greatest author goal? I got the sense that the agents at BookEnds were truly working to support me.
What genres do you write? Read?
I write a variety of SFF, but my sweet spot is second world (science) fantasy. I also love writing close to home, so my stories are often Asian speculative fiction. In terms of reading, my absolute favorite books can be described as escapist—anything that can transport and immerse me in a world to make me forget my own.
Plotter or pantster?
Religious plotter. I love the potential in a clean and thorough outline, which isn’t to say that I don’t leave room for some improvisation. But, I am famously indecisive when presented with infinite possibilities, so the choice paralysis from the blank page of a blind draft would simply render me useless.
Synopses, love them or hate ‘em?
Hate that I love them. It’s a little daunting to present one to an agent or editor, but they’re rewarding to write after you’ve just finished a manuscript. It’s the culmination of all your hard work on a single page, like a resume for your novel. It’s a nice chance to reflect on the small victories, even as you’re trimming off entire subplots for wordcount.
Do you have a writing playlist or a vision board? If so, what’s on them?
I’ve got a playlist on Spotify and a vision board on Notion for all my projects. I love Notion especially; it’s the perfect bullet journal for those who are afraid of permanence. It’s my favorite way to organize my projects into a single, cohesive workspace.
Drink of choice when writing? When not writing?
I usually don’t snack or drink while writing, but during all other occasions, Arizona Green Tea is my nectar.
Day or Night writer?
I write during both day and night, but I prefer nighttime because there’s a special sweet spot on the knife-point between lucidity and sleepiness where words flow unthinkingly, when I forget the self-consciousness of perfection and just write. I think Hemingway may have used alcohol to the same effect.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
You can find me @vanessalewrites on Twitter or on my author website, vanessa-le.com!
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