Interview by Shannon Barnes
Tell us about your latest book or a project you are working on.
I am currently working on my middle-grade debut, The Gravedigger’s Apprentice, pitched as Tomb Raider meets Ghostbusters in 1930s China, where a young graverobber must team up with her rival to plunder a haunted tomb, releasing summer 2027 from Simon & Schuster. I’m so excited to branch out from YA and write for the middle grade crowd!
Tell us about your writing process.
Most writers fall somewhere on the ‘plotter’ (lots of pre-planning and outlines) or ‘pantser’ (discovery writing) spectrum, and I am definitely solidly in the plotter camp! I make extensive chapter-by-chapter outlines before I dive into drafting, often starting with the ending of the story and working backwards until I have a full outline. I don’t always stick to that first outline, though, and usually do heavy rewrites during the revision process, where I create a new outline. Even with the planning, I still give myself room and permission to wipe it all and start from scratch when needed.
How did you first get published?
My first publishing credit was a short story on the online platform FORESHADOW, created by authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma to showcase underrepresented voices and boost emerging writers. The anthology was then published in print, and that really gave me the confidence and motivation to seek publication for my novel. From there, I began to query literary agents and started my journey toward becoming a traditionally published author.
What do you like about writing for young people?
I absolutely love writing coming-of-age stories that explore all the big emotions, big moments, and big mistakes of a young person’s life. As a new immigrant to Canada, middle-grade and young-adult books inspired me a lot, made me feel less alone, and were absolutely crucial in helping me learn the language. So being able to write books featuring characters who look like me for young people is such a full-circle, fulfilling experience.
Tell us about writers who inspire you.
I owe a lot to R.L Stine’s Goosebumps series for kickstarting my love of reading and my horror obsession, as well as Judy Blume’s coming-of-age books. Currently, I’m loving the iconoclast YA queer fiction by writers like Trang Thanh Tran, Andrew Joseph White, and C.G. Drews.
For more information on Linda Cheng, visit lychengwrites.com or follow her on Instagram @lychengwrites.