Emiko Jean: On Writing About Complicated Mother-Daughter Relationships
Author Emiko Jean discusses the seed of an idea that became her new novel, Mika in Real Life.
Emiko Jean is the author of Tokyo Ever After, Empress of all Seasons, and We'll Never be Apart. When Emiko is not writing, she is reading. Most of her friends are imaginary. Before she became a writer, she was an entomologist (fancy name for bug catcher), a candle maker, a florist, and most recently a teacher. She lives in Washington with her husband and children (unruly twins). She loves the rain. Follow her on Instagram.
In this post, Emiko discusses the seed of an idea that came her new novel, Mika in Real Life, her advice for other writers, and more!
Name: Emiko Jean
Literary agent: Erin Harris at Folio Literary Agency
Book title: Mika in Real Life
Publisher: William Morrow, HarperCollins
Release date: August 2, 2022
Genre/category: General Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Previous titles: Tokyo Ever After (Flatiron), Tokyo Dreaming (Flatiron)
Elevator pitch for the book: A woman’s long-lost daughter comes back into her life after 16 years and she fabricates her life to impress her; to unexpected consequences. Mika in Real Life is about motherhood, daughterhood, and love—how we find it, keep it, and how it always returns.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I wanted to write a book about the complicated, beautiful, and frequently flawed relationships between mothers and daughters. That is the seed from which the story grew.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
From first draft to publication, Mika in Real Life took around 18 months to complete. The fundamental idea, a story about a woman reuniting with the daughter she placed for adoption 16 years prior, stayed consistent, but the character arcs evolved over the course of the manuscript.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I’ve written books in the young adult space and knew what to expect in the publishing process. Still, I think every book and every publishing/imprint is unique. William Morrow works as a well-oiled machine, and I have been so impressed by the team’s effort to champion Mika.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I wouldn’t say surprises, but there were many challenges. One challenge was that Mika suffered from a bit of inertia early on in the book, and it was difficult to rouse her from that state and make her a character that readers wanted to root for.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope that readers will find whatever they are looking for, whether it be a light read with lots of heart, a more serious discussion on intergenerational trauma, or a heroine that resonates with them.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Write authentically and passionately—find the story only you can tell and make sure you love it. Also, don’t confuse rejection with failure—they are not the same. Rejection is not yet, and failure is never.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
