Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese American writer based in New York City. He is the New York Times bestselling author of You’ve Reached Sam and When Haru Was Here. Dustin graduated from Amherst College with a BA in Political Science and is currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University.

I had the opportunity to interview Dustin, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Dustin Thao, author of some very sad books (so I’ve been told). I’m also a current PhD student at Northwestern, although I’ve been on a very, very long break. But I plan to finally go back after my international book tour this fall. Until then, you can find me working my way through the NYT’s top 100 restaurants in New York City. 

What can you tell us about your most recent book, You’ve Found Oliver? What was the inspiration for this story?

The newest book takes place in the You’ve Reached Sam universe. It follows Sam’s best friend Oliver a year after Sam’s death. We learn that he’s been texting him all this time, even though he gets no response. When he accidentally calls Sam’s number, someone else answers the phone. But a magical twist prevents them from being together. While both stories are deeply connected, and follow your favorite characters, they can be read in any order. 

The idea came to me in an unusual way. I was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for my friends to arrive. These friends happen to be fellow authors Alex Aster and Chloe Gong. Alex was running late and when she finally arrived, she couldn’t find our table. So I told her to meet me up front. But for some reason, I couldn’t find her either. As we texted each other, we described the exact same place. It was the strangest feeling. Two people standing at the same spot, talking over the phone, but unable to see each other. Turns out, there was a sister restaurant with the same name. But the feeling stayed with me when we finally sat for dinner. At the end of the night, I turned to Alex and Chloe and said, “I know what my next book is about.”

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, particularly young adult fiction?

Since I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I vividly remember hanging out in the library during school lunches when I didn’t have many friends. I think that’s part of my emotional connection to writing young adult and why I believe it’s meant for readers across all age groups. I’m always a little trapped in the past, reflecting on first experiences. Whether that’s first love, first heartbreak, first experience with death. You often look back and think about what could have gone differently, how that’s shaped who we’ve become. That’s what makes young adult stories so universal, whether you’re experiencing it now or fifteen years ago. Even though my stories take place in high school and college, I know older readers can connect with them as well because they’ve been there, too. 

As an author, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

To no surprise, Adam Silvera and John Green are big writing inspirations. For some reason, I’ve always gravitated towards stories that make me cry because they just happen to be the ones I remember the most. I believe that mourning over a character is a sign that you truly loved them. I think that’s the key to why their stories have resonated with so many people. Not because they simply died in the end, but because they felt real. Like a neighbor or friend that you’ve grown to know. 

What’s really cool is the full circle I’ve had with these authors, too. I met Adam Silvera at a book festival when my first book came out. Four years later, he’s going to moderate my Huntington Beach event in October for You’ve Found Oliver! And interestingly, John Green and I share the same Editor at Penguin who truly helped Oliver come to life! 

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

One of my favorite questions I don’t get asked enough is “how do you name your characters?” Because, frankly, my answer is different for every book. For You’ve Found Oliver, I decided to use the names of my exes. There may be more than three, if anyone wants to keep count. I can’t say whether I killed one of them or not, but it was very cathartic. After all, breakups are another form of loss that can hurt just the same. I just hope none of them ever pick up the book and decide to text me about it. 

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers out there?

My advice is to write every single day, even if it’s 25 words. I am a firm believer in achievable goals, and incremental progress is still progress. But you must get into the rhythm and mindset of daily writing or else you’re setting yourself up for failure. No matter how busy you are, everyone can find time to write 25 words. From there, you can slowly increase your word count to 50, then maybe 100 words. It’s all about the momentum. But you have to keep the streak going as if the Duolingo Owl will find you! 

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Yes, I am currently working on my next big project. But I unfortunately have to keep it a secret for now! But keep an eye out on my Instagram 🙂

Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Oh I have a good one. If you’re looking for another magical story that’s full of emotion, I recommend The Yomigaeri Tunnel by Kelly Murashige!