One of my favourite conversations with my editor for The Quiet is Loud went something like this: Me: So, we’re not italicizing the Filipino words, right? Amazing Editor Bryan Ibeas of Invisible Publishing: Fuck no we’re not. I know that the conversation would have gone the same way if anyone else at Invisible were my […]
Italicized words, and not othering myself in The Quiet is Loud Read More »
I’m looking forward to sharing a short reading from my work-in-progress at the Draft Reading Series once again! I had a great time reading at Draft in February 2021, and once again it’ll be a great event with many talented writers. This will be a virtual event happening on Monday, May 6, 2024 from 6:15
Event alert! Draft Reading Series on May 6 Read More »
To celebrate crossing the midpoint in my science-fantasy novella, I’m sharing the Filipino & Finnish mythology & folklore I’ve incorporated in my work so far, including The Quiet is Loud. Folklore/mythology from the Philippines: ✦ Nuno sa punso, a nature spirit who takes the form of an old man living in a mound of earth
Filipino & Finnish mythology & folklore in my recent work Read More »
In writing my historically-inspired sci-fi/fantasy novels, I’ve noticed a few resources I return to often. These resources might be useful for other SF/F authors, so I thought I’d share them. Let me know if there are any that you use that aren’t on this list! 1) Wiktionary Because so many of the names (both for
The top 5 resources I use in writing SF/F novels Read More »
Today is Peter Gabriel’s 74th birthday, and it’s good timing. Lately I’ve been thinking about the way his Genesis years influenced my writing. Ed. note: This post was updated with more content in September 2025. It might not be obvious mainly because he’s a singer and I’m a writer. Of course, though, in Genesis he
The inevitability of Peter Gabriel: creative inspiration Read More »
Twist the Branch (formerly Seeker of the Lost Song) is a historically-inspired fantasy novel merging medieval Finnish & pre-colonial Filipino elements, and I wanted to share two elements of Filipino history I included. Dulang, a low table One of my favourite tidbits from my research is that pre-colonial Filipinos ate at a low table, sitting
Historical inspiration for my fantasy novel: Pre-colonial Philippines Read More »
⫸ (AKA If you like one or more of them you’ll probably find something you like in my work):⫷ ⌯ Robin Hobb: Thoughtful examinations of character and a wide range of relationships. Major events happen in the world but her books feel somehow intimate. Her “Fitz” books were a major inspiration for the tone and
My 5 most influential authors Read More »
You may have heard that Substack recently came under scrutiny (to say the least) for its position on platforming/making money off Nazis – namely, they don’t see a problem with it. So I want to get out of the Nazi bar. I’ve spent the past few days trying out alternatives to Substack, and I’ve settled
Why I left Substack Read More »
Why do we need older protagonists in fantasy, sci-fi, and other forms of speculative fiction? I recently wrote an essay for All Lit Up about the value of north-of-25 protagonists in speculative fiction (and beyond). An excerpt: I do enjoy books where the protagonist saves the day at the age of 19, but it doesn’t
Essay in All Lit Up about older protagonists in speculative fiction Read More »
Say hello to the German-language edition of The Quiet is Loud, published by Piper Verlag and translated by Diana Bürgel! As I’ve mentioned before, I have family in Germany and so this is very special to me. I’m excited for the opportunity for Freya’s story to reach German speakers. You can read more about it
The Quiet is Loud – German edition! Read More »
