How did the historical research for your story influence the rest of the world (the magic, the characters, the plot)?

For many people, the words, “epic fantasy” immediately conjure a sprawling saga set in a world that vaguely resembles medieval Northern European. But these days, fantasy is a rich, broad genre that draws inspiration from far more human culture and history. In order to write an “Asian gangster family saga” I had to evoke a very different setting, time period and aesthetic. After all, what is a gangster saga without machine guns, muscle cars, and men smoking in dark alleyways?

My vision for the Green Bone Saga meant that I was depicting a modern, urban metropolis reminiscent of a place like Hong Kong, Tokyo or Taipei in the late 20th century. Much of my research was centered on the economic resurgence of the Four Asian Tigers—Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan—post World War II and the Cold War politics that affected that region of the world. I also researched the history of organized crime—the Triads, the yakuza, the Italian-American mafia—as well as jade mining, the drug trade, and many other topics, from the growth of the Hong Kong movie industry to the introduction of acupuncture in the United States.

Research and worldbuilding go hand in hand; they are part of an iterative process. I’ll make a worldbuilding decision (say, jade having supernatural properties), then dive into research (about gemstone mining), learn something through my research (about the diamond monopoly established and held by De Beers during the 20th century) that will inform another bit of the story and the world I’ve created (the state cartel of my fictional nation of Kekon controls all mining and distribution of jade). And that’s just one example.

How did you choose what historical elements to incorporate? Why were those moments important?

Every decision on what to include comes back to whether it serves the story I’m trying to tell. Does it advance the plot, enrich and complicate the story’s conflicts, or play a part in the character’s journeys? There are elements from our time and world that I chose to completely ignore, such as the nuclear arms race, because they didn’t have a place or serve a narrative purpose—they would’ve merely detracted from the focus of my story. And there are other elements, such as the proxy wars between superpowers and the rise of private military companies, for example, that were very extremely relevant vehicles for me to advance the characters and the themes.

What does research look like for your writing? What are some of your favorite sources?

I start every project with a new Scrivener file loaded with research folders, and I conduct research and development for a few months before writing anything. I develop an outline that gets me started drafting but that usually changes several times during the process. As I’m writing, I’ll run into sections where more research is needed. If it’s a significant aspect of the story, I’ll pause and do the research before continuing, but if it’s relatively minor, I’ll add it to a list to tackle later, put in a placeholder, and keep going, so as not to lose momentum.

Some of my favorite sources are YouTube (there’s so much stuff on there; if you can’t physically visit a place for research, video of it from the Internet is dead useful) as well as memoirs and autobiography. Reading memoir is the best way to gain insight into the kind of character you’re writing and the little, authentic details of their lives. To write a character who was a soldier, I read several military memoirs. To depict a prizefighter, I read autobiographies of famous boxers and MMA fighters.

 Is there a part of history that you wish was written about more or that you’d ever write about yourself?

 It’s usually not the specific period of history that draws me, but the premise and characters—and the history comes as part of the package. I’m interested in stories about migration and cultural diaspora, as well as stories that examine economics and industrialization. So, I can envision myself taking inspiration from say, the Gold Rush, or the Printing Revolution.

If you could time travel, with the knowledge you have right now, when do you think you would go back to?

If I could time travel, I don’t think I’d be able to resist the temptation to take a peek into the future. But if I were to go back in time, I’d want to go way back to a prehistoric era. What can I say? Jurassic Park had an effect on me, and I want to see a dinosaur.

Is there a book that you can pinpoint as truly inspiring in your path to becoming an author? If so, what do you think you learned or took from it?

I grew up a voracious reader and have wanted to write ever since I was a child, so I can’t pinpoint one book as being most influential. I developed a love for science fiction and fantasy through many of the greats—Isaac Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, Ray Bradbury, and others.

When it comes to historical fiction, I have to credit novelist Margaret George. When I was in my teens, in advance of going on a trip to Scotland, I read Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles and that led me to the rest of her books, and to other authors such as James Clavell and Ken Follet. Even though I’ve never written a straight-up historical fiction novel, I learned from them that visiting our own past can be as intriguing and transportive as any magic world or far off planet. 

 How do you choose when to fictionalize elements versus taking them straight from history?

I fictionalize everything. I have the luxury of doing so because my stories are often set in a secondary fantasy world, so I’m under no obligation whatsoever to be faithful to reality. When I insert elements from history, I want them to be clearly recognizable to readers in concept but not in specific detail, so I always have the freedom to change them to serve the narrative.

Do you try to keep within a genre when you write, or do you find yourself writing whatever you think will tell the story best and let the story ‘label’ itself?

I’ve always gravitated toward speculative fiction, and fortunately, it provides me with a very large umbrella under which to tell all sorts of stories. Just about every idea that captures me can be explored through a speculative lens, and while all my work has been science fiction or fantasy, I regularly blend them with other genres—crime fiction, military thriller, historical, sports drama, to name a few.

Is there such a thing as the “right” person to tell a story?

Yes, although I don’t believe the “right” person to tell a story is solely or even primarily defined by characteristics such as gender, age, race, nationality and so on. We writers bring our own particular blend of experience, knowledge, intellect and emotion to a project. We create our best work when we draw upon our own unique well of inspiration to tell the stories we’re best positioned to tell. And of course we do our research.

What is your greatest joy in writing? 

Being done. I’m always deeply relieved and happy when the book is finally finished and sitting on the shelf.

About the Author

Fonda Lee is the acclaimed author of the Green Bone Saga and winner of prestigious awards like the World Fantasy Award. She has penned multiple novels and short stories. Her work, including Jade City, has earned international recognition and is being adapted for television. A black belt and former corporate strategist, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest.