Laughing Place: What made you want to write this story?
Stacey Lee: I wanted to write the kind of book you can get lost in and not easily find your way out without a big flashlight. Winston’s a normal kid trying to juggle the life of a busy mid-schooler who gets a chance to choose one of the absurd but intriguing goodies from Mr. Pang’s shelves. Except that all he gets is a dirty broomstick and dustpan, and then he wants to forget it all happened. But he can’t, when magic starts overtaking his life. I love the kind of stories that invite you to climb into your imagination and see where it takes you.
Laughing Place: Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies feels like a very intimate narrative with the primary focus more on the Chu family and Winston’s friends than the grand god-like supporting characters. Was your original intention to make this a very personal story with Winston as our voice in the world, or did that happen organically as you wrote?
Stacey Lee: I definitely intended this to be a personal story focused on Winston. The god-like supporting characters provide more the shifting weather through which Winston must navigate, literally in the case of the Cloud Weavers. For me, relationships are the key to happiness—and friends and family are especially important at Winston’s age. I even get to work in a little tiny crush for Winston.
Laughing Place: Philippa is a very interesting character because when we initially meet her, she has grown distant from Winston. We know Philippa is very involved with Coco, so it never feels like she is completely ignoring her younger brother. How hard was it to keep Philippa cold and distant even though you knew how important she would be to Winston’s success?
Stacey Lee: Philippa was one of my favorite characters to write because she’s so opposite to Winston, she is his foil. From a writing standpoint, a character like her provides contrast—Winston has a tight group of friends who’ve helped him through the loss of his dad. Philippa has more of a loner, personality wise, but also because of the way she is dealing with her grief. She’s cynical, grumpy, and irritable. Winston’s sentimental and generally optimistic. Yet, even though each annoys the other, they are the only ones who understand how it feels to lose their dad. They have shared trauma, and a fierce love for their family, which ultimately brings them closer.
Laughing Place: You set the story in San Francisco, why did you choose this location?
Stacey Lee: I really love the chance to be able to feature Asian Americans in children’s fantasy, a genre in which we’ve historically been absent, and San Francisco is where the first wave of Chinese immigrated to America. It’s also where my mom was born (1942!), and incidentally, she went to Winston’s school, Francisco Middle School. So you could say I chose SF for its relevance to the Chinese American community, and my family. Plus, it has some really cool settings, like the Transamerica Pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower. There are a lot of places for Whimsies to hide in San Francisco.
Laughing Place: Winston seems like a very different lead character. He has friends, he is learning to cope with the death of his father, has a supportive family, and seems genuinely optimistic. Why did you steer away from the lone kid without a friend stereotype for your main character?
Stacey Lee: I wasn’t so much steering away from the lone kid stereotype as I was wanting to show the importance of friendship bonds during this age. Plus, it’s one thing to ride on a flying unicorn pinata by yourself, a completely different experience if you’re riding with your buds. I love the energy that different friends can bring to one’s life, not just singly but together. My son was around Winston’s age when I started writing this book, and I would be lying if I said driving the soccer-carpool didn’t influence some of the conversations between Winston and his buddies.
Laughing Place: Mr. Pang is a tricky villain for the story. At first glance he seems eccentric, then mystical, and then dangerous. Even though we know that he is not to be trusted, I never felt like Mr. Pang was evil. Is there more to Mr. Pang’s story that you held back for a potential follow up book?
Stacey Lee: As much as I try to write completely evil characters, it never quite happens. I think it stems from my eternal hope that everyone has a little good to offer the world, and if they don’t, maybe we at least find something sympathetic about them. And conversely, every good person has a little darkness in them, and exploring those contradictions makes stories interesting. As for Mr. Pang, hold onto your canoes, we’ll definitely be finding out more about him in book 2.
Laughing Place: Monroe is unique. He is not what I would have expected, and it was refreshing to see this supporting character come in as a decent person. Why did you choose to make Monroe so likable?
Stacey Lee: Sometimes characters write themselves, and that was definitely the case with Monroe! His character kicked up his Van sneakers and made himself at home with his chill vibe. Once there, I found he was indispensable to the gang, and not just because he was their chauffeur. He is the healthy older sibling Winston has been craving and ironically, key in nudging Winston’s actual older sibling Philippa out of her grief.
Laughing Place: Winston’s mom is very much on the fringe of the main story. One would think that she would be able to spot the change in Coco immediately. Is Winston’s mom still dealing with the grief over the loss of her husband, and we don’t see that as much in the story because Winston reflects what most teens might see, the world according to them, or does Winston’s mom reflect the burn out of a single parent who is desperately trying to hold the family together while mourning the loss of her husband?
Stacey Lee: Both. Winston’s mom is definitely still mourning; I’m not sure you ever fully get over the death of someone close. So she’s definitely feeling the burnout of raising teenagers and toddlers in the same house as a single parent. But the story takes place in just over a week and a half. Having been through the toddler-raising stage twice, we all just hope it’s teething…
Laughing Place: Do you see yourself in any characters of your book? How much of Winston’s personality comes from you?
Stacey Lee: Winston’s sentimentality and peacemaking, Philippa’s night-owl tendencies, Mav’s love of thinking deeply, and Coco’s industriousness and sense of fun.
Laughing Place: If you are given the option between an epic two-hour movie version of the book on the big screen, or a lengthy streaming service adaptation, which one would you choose and why?
Stacey Lee: I love going to the movies, not just because of the bad-for-you-popcorn, but because it’s an event! But I also like streaming because of pajamas. So, although I’d be happy either way, since there’s a giant popcorn machine in the book, I’m going to go with the movie.
Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is available in bookstores now.
Interview: Q&A with Stacey Lee About “Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies”
I recently had the chance to ask author Stacey Lee about her book Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies and some valuable insight is provided by the writer about her motivations as well as how she formed some of her story from real life experiences.
Laughing Place: What made you want to write this story?
Stacey Lee: I wanted to write the kind of book you can get lost in and not easily find your way out without a big flashlight. Winston’s a normal kid trying to juggle the life of a busy mid-schooler who gets a chance to choose one of the absurd but intriguing goodies from Mr. Pang’s shelves. Except that all he gets is a dirty broomstick and dustpan, and then he wants to forget it all happened. But he can’t, when magic starts overtaking his life. I love the kind of stories that invite you to climb into your imagination and see where it takes you.
Laughing Place: Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies feels like a very intimate narrative with the primary focus more on the Chu family and Winston’s friends than the grand god-like supporting characters. Was your original intention to make this a very personal story with Winston as our voice in the world, or did that happen organically as you wrote?
Stacey Lee: I definitely intended this to be a personal story focused on Winston. The god-like supporting characters provide more the shifting weather through which Winston must navigate, literally in the case of the Cloud Weavers. For me, relationships are the key to happiness—and friends and family are especially important at Winston’s age. I even get to work in a little tiny crush for Winston.
Laughing Place: Philippa is a very interesting character because when we initially meet her, she has grown distant from Winston. We know Philippa is very involved with Coco, so it never feels like she is completely ignoring her younger brother. How hard was it to keep Philippa cold and distant even though you knew how important she would be to Winston’s success?
Stacey Lee: Philippa was one of my favorite characters to write because she’s so opposite to Winston, she is his foil. From a writing standpoint, a character like her provides contrast—Winston has a tight group of friends who’ve helped him through the loss of his dad. Philippa has more of a loner, personality wise, but also because of the way she is dealing with her grief. She’s cynical, grumpy, and irritable. Winston’s sentimental and generally optimistic. Yet, even though each annoys the other, they are the only ones who understand how it feels to lose their dad. They have shared trauma, and a fierce love for their family, which ultimately brings them closer.
Laughing Place: You set the story in San Francisco, why did you choose this location?
Stacey Lee: I really love the chance to be able to feature Asian Americans in children’s fantasy, a genre in which we’ve historically been absent, and San Francisco is where the first wave of Chinese immigrated to America. It’s also where my mom was born (1942!), and incidentally, she went to Winston’s school, Francisco Middle School. So you could say I chose SF for its relevance to the Chinese American community, and my family. Plus, it has some really cool settings, like the Transamerica Pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower. There are a lot of places for Whimsies to hide in San Francisco.
Laughing Place: Winston seems like a very different lead character. He has friends, he is learning to cope with the death of his father, has a supportive family, and seems genuinely optimistic. Why did you steer away from the lone kid without a friend stereotype for your main character?
Stacey Lee: I wasn’t so much steering away from the lone kid stereotype as I was wanting to show the importance of friendship bonds during this age. Plus, it’s one thing to ride on a flying unicorn pinata by yourself, a completely different experience if you’re riding with your buds. I love the energy that different friends can bring to one’s life, not just singly but together. My son was around Winston’s age when I started writing this book, and I would be lying if I said driving the soccer-carpool didn’t influence some of the conversations between Winston and his buddies.
Laughing Place: Mr. Pang is a tricky villain for the story. At first glance he seems eccentric, then mystical, and then dangerous. Even though we know that he is not to be trusted, I never felt like Mr. Pang was evil. Is there more to Mr. Pang’s story that you held back for a potential follow up book?
Stacey Lee: As much as I try to write completely evil characters, it never quite happens. I think it stems from my eternal hope that everyone has a little good to offer the world, and if they don’t, maybe we at least find something sympathetic about them. And conversely, every good person has a little darkness in them, and exploring those contradictions makes stories interesting. As for Mr. Pang, hold onto your canoes, we’ll definitely be finding out more about him in book 2.
Laughing Place: Monroe is unique. He is not what I would have expected, and it was refreshing to see this supporting character come in as a decent person. Why did you choose to make Monroe so likable?
Stacey Lee: Sometimes characters write themselves, and that was definitely the case with Monroe! His character kicked up his Van sneakers and made himself at home with his chill vibe. Once there, I found he was indispensable to the gang, and not just because he was their chauffeur. He is the healthy older sibling Winston has been craving and ironically, key in nudging Winston’s actual older sibling Philippa out of her grief.
Laughing Place: Winston’s mom is very much on the fringe of the main story. One would think that she would be able to spot the change in Coco immediately. Is Winston’s mom still dealing with the grief over the loss of her husband, and we don’t see that as much in the story because Winston reflects what most teens might see, the world according to them, or does Winston’s mom reflect the burn out of a single parent who is desperately trying to hold the family together while mourning the loss of her husband?
Stacey Lee: Both. Winston’s mom is definitely still mourning; I’m not sure you ever fully get over the death of someone close. So she’s definitely feeling the burnout of raising teenagers and toddlers in the same house as a single parent. But the story takes place in just over a week and a half. Having been through the toddler-raising stage twice, we all just hope it’s teething…
Laughing Place: Do you see yourself in any characters of your book? How much of Winston’s personality comes from you?
Stacey Lee: Winston’s sentimentality and peacemaking, Philippa’s night-owl tendencies, Mav’s love of thinking deeply, and Coco’s industriousness and sense of fun.
Laughing Place: If you are given the option between an epic two-hour movie version of the book on the big screen, or a lengthy streaming service adaptation, which one would you choose and why?
Stacey Lee: I love going to the movies, not just because of the bad-for-you-popcorn, but because it’s an event! But I also like streaming because of pajamas. So, although I’d be happy either way, since there’s a giant popcorn machine in the book, I’m going to go with the movie.
Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is available in bookstores now.
Laughing Place: What made you want to write this story?
Stacey Lee: I wanted to write the kind of book you can get lost in and not easily find your way out without a big flashlight. Winston’s a normal kid trying to juggle the life of a busy mid-schooler who gets a chance to choose one of the absurd but intriguing goodies from Mr. Pang’s shelves. Except that all he gets is a dirty broomstick and dustpan, and then he wants to forget it all happened. But he can’t, when magic starts overtaking his life. I love the kind of stories that invite you to climb into your imagination and see where it takes you.
Laughing Place: Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies feels like a very intimate narrative with the primary focus more on the Chu family and Winston’s friends than the grand god-like supporting characters. Was your original intention to make this a very personal story with Winston as our voice in the world, or did that happen organically as you wrote?
Stacey Lee: I definitely intended this to be a personal story focused on Winston. The god-like supporting characters provide more the shifting weather through which Winston must navigate, literally in the case of the Cloud Weavers. For me, relationships are the key to happiness—and friends and family are especially important at Winston’s age. I even get to work in a little tiny crush for Winston.
Laughing Place: Philippa is a very interesting character because when we initially meet her, she has grown distant from Winston. We know Philippa is very involved with Coco, so it never feels like she is completely ignoring her younger brother. How hard was it to keep Philippa cold and distant even though you knew how important she would be to Winston’s success?
Stacey Lee: Philippa was one of my favorite characters to write because she’s so opposite to Winston, she is his foil. From a writing standpoint, a character like her provides contrast—Winston has a tight group of friends who’ve helped him through the loss of his dad. Philippa has more of a loner, personality wise, but also because of the way she is dealing with her grief. She’s cynical, grumpy, and irritable. Winston’s sentimental and generally optimistic. Yet, even though each annoys the other, they are the only ones who understand how it feels to lose their dad. They have shared trauma, and a fierce love for their family, which ultimately brings them closer.
Laughing Place: You set the story in San Francisco, why did you choose this location?
Stacey Lee: I really love the chance to be able to feature Asian Americans in children’s fantasy, a genre in which we’ve historically been absent, and San Francisco is where the first wave of Chinese immigrated to America. It’s also where my mom was born (1942!), and incidentally, she went to Winston’s school, Francisco Middle School. So you could say I chose SF for its relevance to the Chinese American community, and my family. Plus, it has some really cool settings, like the Transamerica Pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower. There are a lot of places for Whimsies to hide in San Francisco.
Laughing Place: Winston seems like a very different lead character. He has friends, he is learning to cope with the death of his father, has a supportive family, and seems genuinely optimistic. Why did you steer away from the lone kid without a friend stereotype for your main character?
Stacey Lee: I wasn’t so much steering away from the lone kid stereotype as I was wanting to show the importance of friendship bonds during this age. Plus, it’s one thing to ride on a flying unicorn pinata by yourself, a completely different experience if you’re riding with your buds. I love the energy that different friends can bring to one’s life, not just singly but together. My son was around Winston’s age when I started writing this book, and I would be lying if I said driving the soccer-carpool didn’t influence some of the conversations between Winston and his buddies.
Laughing Place: Mr. Pang is a tricky villain for the story. At first glance he seems eccentric, then mystical, and then dangerous. Even though we know that he is not to be trusted, I never felt like Mr. Pang was evil. Is there more to Mr. Pang’s story that you held back for a potential follow up book?
Stacey Lee: As much as I try to write completely evil characters, it never quite happens. I think it stems from my eternal hope that everyone has a little good to offer the world, and if they don’t, maybe we at least find something sympathetic about them. And conversely, every good person has a little darkness in them, and exploring those contradictions makes stories interesting. As for Mr. Pang, hold onto your canoes, we’ll definitely be finding out more about him in book 2.
Laughing Place: Monroe is unique. He is not what I would have expected, and it was refreshing to see this supporting character come in as a decent person. Why did you choose to make Monroe so likable?
Stacey Lee: Sometimes characters write themselves, and that was definitely the case with Monroe! His character kicked up his Van sneakers and made himself at home with his chill vibe. Once there, I found he was indispensable to the gang, and not just because he was their chauffeur. He is the healthy older sibling Winston has been craving and ironically, key in nudging Winston’s actual older sibling Philippa out of her grief.
Laughing Place: Winston’s mom is very much on the fringe of the main story. One would think that she would be able to spot the change in Coco immediately. Is Winston’s mom still dealing with the grief over the loss of her husband, and we don’t see that as much in the story because Winston reflects what most teens might see, the world according to them, or does Winston’s mom reflect the burn out of a single parent who is desperately trying to hold the family together while mourning the loss of her husband?
Stacey Lee: Both. Winston’s mom is definitely still mourning; I’m not sure you ever fully get over the death of someone close. So she’s definitely feeling the burnout of raising teenagers and toddlers in the same house as a single parent. But the story takes place in just over a week and a half. Having been through the toddler-raising stage twice, we all just hope it’s teething…
Laughing Place: Do you see yourself in any characters of your book? How much of Winston’s personality comes from you?
Stacey Lee: Winston’s sentimentality and peacemaking, Philippa’s night-owl tendencies, Mav’s love of thinking deeply, and Coco’s industriousness and sense of fun.
Laughing Place: If you are given the option between an epic two-hour movie version of the book on the big screen, or a lengthy streaming service adaptation, which one would you choose and why?
Stacey Lee: I love going to the movies, not just because of the bad-for-you-popcorn, but because it’s an event! But I also like streaming because of pajamas. So, although I’d be happy either way, since there’s a giant popcorn machine in the book, I’m going to go with the movie.
Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is available in bookstores now.