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

Hello and thank you for having me! I’m Michelle Wong, a writer and artist from Hong Kong who worked on the Legend of Korra and Goosebumps graphic novels.

What can you tell us about your most recent project, House of the Beast?

House of the Beast is my first ever prose novel, and it’s about a young woman seeking revenge on her aristocratic family after making a pact with an elder god. I’ve crammed as many of my favorite things in there as possible: cool sword fights, eldritch horror, and a manipulative pretty boy love interest.

As an author, what drew you to writing, especially speculative fiction?

I’m sure you get this answer a lot, but I’ve loved telling stories since I was little, whether it was through art or writing. I grew up with fantasy and my mind has always been drawn to its endless possibilities. Even when I was working as a comic book artist, I spent a lot of time daydreaming about different worlds and the characters who would populate them. Since drawing was kind of my ‘day job’, I decided to take up writing as a hobby to work off some of that excess creative energy, and ended up falling in love with it.

In addition to writing House of the Beast, you also illustrated your own book. What was that process like?

The illustrations were done after the manuscript was mostly finalized. But while I was writing, I would note down elements that would make for a cool drawing, like a stained glass window or a bloodied hand. It allowed me to process the story through a much more visual lens, which I enjoyed very much as an artist.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing and illustrating? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

My favorite element of writing is that I can do it anywhere. I spent many years chained to my tablet for long hours, which was terrible for my back, but now I can go to a cafe or the library for a change of scenery whenever I feel like it. The most frustrating part is how many times I have to then read through my own book to make sure it’s any good. I grew extremely tired of copyedits—which don’t exist in art, so I’d say that’s my favorite element of illustration!

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

I’m deeply influenced by all the manga I consumed in my formative teenage years—Fullmetal Alchemist, D.Gray-man, lots of CLAMP. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to separate my work from those influences. I’m also crazy about the Soulsborne games, which have such interesting lore that it’s sent my brain into a creative frenzy multiple times.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

I’m addicted to League of Legends, and I’ve gotten to Master rank in Teamfight Tactics.

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)?

I have not been asked what my favorite horror movie is! The answer is I can’t decide on one because there are too many good options, but I am partial to the first Conjuring movie.

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

Do it for yourself. There will be ups and downs in any creative industry, and sadly you will have little control over those. The only thing you can control is the process of creating. Don’t let go of the joy that it brings you.

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

I have an MM DnD-esque fantasy romp currently under consideration with HarperVoyager, but have to stay quiet about the rest of my work for now!

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

I think my all-time favorite book to recommend is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. It’s weird and crazy and I have not been able to find anything like it since.