Four Questions with Author/Illustrator Stan Yan

Stan Yan is coming to The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop Author Signing Fair from 12-1 on December 4! He is a first generation American-born-Chinese, Denver-based writer, illustrator, caricature artist and instructor. His titles include There's a Zombie in the Basement and the Peter Cadaver comic series. Get to know Stan with these fun interview questions, check out his website, and stop by the store to say hi and snag a copy of his books!

1. What got you into writing and what genres inspired you in your early writing career?

My sister and the newspaper comics page is what got me into writing. My earliest memories of drawing were of me drawing stick figures doing different things in boxes I later found out were called "panel borders". I'm certain that the newspaper comic strips were what influenced this. My older sister used to rope me into making our own newspaper, mainly so we could get to drawing the comics page and for me the automotive classifieds and the sports page. So, I've always been a visual storyteller. The things I always loved drawing were cars, football players, and monsters. I'm guessing the monsters thing is the thing that stuck with me, and to this day, I'm fascinated by anything spooky or creepy.

2. What was the greatest challenge you dealt with while writing your book and what advice would you give to young writers?

My greatest challenge was really production and marketing. My advice is to create what inspires you first and worry about finding your audience later.

3. What purpose do you find in your writing? In other words, why do you write?

When a stranger reads my book and lets me know via review or at an event what my book meant to them or their kids, that gives me life. I write because I'm addicted to feedback like this. I write to positively affect people. That's why I adore school visits over everything else, because that gets me both.

4. What is the question you wish people would ask during interviews?

"Are you happy with the casting of the characters in your book's movie musical adaptation."

‍BONUS LIGHTNING ROUND‍‍‍

Favorite procrastination snack and/or activity?

Coffee

Would you rather write in a secluded lighthouse or in a cabin in the woods?

Both sound awesome, but I'm guessing while the lighthouse would have a better view, the temperature fluctuations would make it less comfortable.

Book or movie you could read or watch repeatedly?

I'm a slow reader, so I typically don't read them more than once, but among a very small list of movies, I could watch Coco over and over.

Pen, pencil, typewriter, or computer?

Computer and iPad/Apple Pencil 5.

What’s your favorite One-True-Pairing (favorite fictional romantic relationship)?

Jake Epping & Sadie Dunhill in 11/22/63 by Stephen King‍