The Stand-In(108)

A Conversation with the Author


What was the inspiration for The StandIn? What did you draw on as you developed the story?

I wanted to write a book featuring a biracial main character who has similar experiences as I have. I also wanted to address issues that I think are important, namely questions of identity, love and friendship, and mental health.

On the lighter side, I wanted to create a fun, entertaining story as an escape for readers, like an emotional spa day. The StandIn was written in the early months of the pandemic, so this became increasingly significant as I looked for a place to retreat from reality.

What comes first for you: the plot or the characters? Why?

I usually get a plot idea based on a what-if scenario, and it evolves from there. In this case, I wondered: What if a woman was approached to be a celebrity double? What would she do? What kind of woman would say yes, and what would motivate her to agree? I then create the plot and characters at the same time, which means I go back often to check to see if my characters have had fundamental changes that need to be rethreaded through the draft.

Did anything about the story (characters, plot, etc.) significantly change from your first draft?

Many things changed! I first planned The StandIn with chapters that alternated between Sam and Gracie. The first chapter had Sam on a movie set dealing with his overbearing mother, when a very clueless Gracie walked through as they film. But that didn’t feel right because I wanted more intimacy between the reader and the story. The next version was all from Gracie’s point of view, but Fangli and Sam were there to film a corporate action spy movie instead of acting in a play. But in every draft, the characters remained who they are. They’re the core of the story.

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Of the very many pieces of writing advice I’ve heard over the years, the one that I come back to the most is that there is no such thing as perfect—there’s only the best you can do right now. It’s important to recognize that as you grow and learn, your writing will (hopefully) improve. I try to apply this to my non-writing life as well. Oh, and don’t read reviews. That’s solid advice.

What are some of your favorite moments in the book? Are there any particular characters or situations that you most identify with or that were the most fun to write?

I’m a huge fan of makeover moments, particularly if it’s a montage set to a classic 1980s song. Although it doesn’t have a soundtrack in the book, the most fun scenes to write were the ones where Gracie is exploring her new luxurious world. Even though I dress for comfort (read: sweatpants) I’d kill to have a walk-in closet filled with designer clothes like Gracie has in her hotel room. I’d just stand in the closet and admire them.

What was the hardest scene to write?

Spoiler alert, but I’m going to assume if you’re reading this, you’ve finished the book. The hardest scene to write was Gracie’s confrontation with Todd on the balcony. I personally wanted Todd to get a really brutal comeuppance, like a total knock-out. I also needed it to be realistic to Gracie’s character. Balancing the two to make it emotionally satisfying took multiple rewrites.

On its release as an audio original, there was an amazing response from listeners. What are some things fans of the story enjoyed that you were excited to see?

I was thrilled at the response from readers. I was moved to see how many people resonated with the mental health themes of the book, and how the characters deal with it in their individual ways.

Mental health issues are still stigmatized, hidden or endured in isolation because people are ashamed to ask for help or scared to express their feelings. I’d love to see mental health discussions normalized and as a writer, the way I do this is through my characters. I wanted Gracie, Fangli, and Sam to represent how some people might approach those often incredibly important but difficult conversations.

What was it like to first hear Phillipa Soo narrate the audiobook?

It was extraordinary. A performance like Phillipa’s brings an additional layer of brightness and depth to the characters. I have a huge amount of respect for her performance and gratitude for how careful she was in her interpretation of the text.

You balanced social issues in this novel with humor and heart. Why did you feel it was important to push the boundaries of the traditional love story to include more complexity and nuance?

Good characters have multi-faceted lives. They work, they have friends. They get overwhelmed by big problems and aggravated by small ones. It makes sense to me to reflect that in the story as well, since when we fall in love, we fall in love as whole people, bringing with us all of the intertwined joy and pain and confusion of our lives. Characters should, too.

How did your own experience as a bicultural author inform your characters’ stories? How else has your background and lived experience influenced your work? Are there any scenes that you pulled from real life?

Experiences of racialized people depend on so many factors: family, gender, geography, dominant culture, and ethnic background being only a few. But at the same time, I think there are common moments for many of us. Straddling two cultures shapes how we perceive our identity, the world, and our place in it. There are definitely some elements of real-life reflected in Gracie’s story. Her attempt to learn Chinese is identical to my own. I use an app, too!

What are you hoping readers will walk away from your book thinking about or talking about?