I started off with a chapter-by-chapter outline, but I found that things changed as I actually started writing. Sarah: I was surprised by how much the characters ended up guiding the plot and showing me what the story was meant to be. Ricepaper: What surprised you most about the process of writing and publishing Made in Korea? Valerie and Wes were very familiar to me in that way. A look that says, “I see you and I get it” without having to say anything out loud.

Writing these characters was like making eye contact with someone across a crowded room and sharing a look of understanding. For example, the feeling of being caught between multiple worlds and wondering where you belong, struggling to feel understood by your parents who come from a very different walk of life, and the experience of growing up in North America with Korean values and culture and interests. While neither of them are meant to be direct representations of myself, I definitely drew inspiration from my own life in shaping parts of theirs. Sarah: I really loved writing all the characters in Made in Korea, particularly the main duo, Valerie Kwon and Wes Jung. What was it like writing these characters and did you draw inspiration from your own lived experience? Ricepaper: Your novel, Made in Korea, is a romantic comedy that also deals with the characters’ identities as the children of Korean immigrants. LiterASIAN’s Sophie Munk interviews Grace Eiko Thomson as part of a series of profiles of this year’s lineup of authors.

When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. Sarah Suk lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains.

Made in korea sarah suk