Exclusive Interview: Abigail Hing Wen Chats Loveboat, Reunion, Representation, and the Film Adaptation of Loveboat, Taipei

Abigail Hing Wen has emerged as one of the voices of her generation. The author, screenwriter, producer, and tech leader is creating much-needed narratives that represent a community that is often unseen.

Her debut novel, Loveboat, Taipei, became a New York Times bestseller, receiving praise from publications including Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Seventeen Magazine. This January she follows that success with the highly-anticipated release of Loveboat, Reunion.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Abigail about her journey as a writer, Loveboat, Reunion, and the upcoming film adaptation of Loveboat, Taipei.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Abigail: I have always told stories. I used to tell my brother and sister what I called “group stories,” which were about a group of friends that included ourselves, our cousins, and some kids from church. We would go on adventures in these worlds without grownups. But I didn’t know that I could take storytelling seriously until I graduated from law school. I was thinking about either becoming a law professor or writing this fantasy novel that was swimming around in my head. My husband was like, “You’re so excited about this novel. Why don’t you just try it?”

It seemed like such a big, daunting thing, but I did it. The novel came pouring out of me. My friends read it in two days. I was like, “Wow. I guess there really is something there.” That’s when I realized, “Okay, maybe this is worth exploring.” I have since had a ten-year journey growing in my craft. But it’s been a good one.

PC: Speaking of that ten-year journey, when you look at your career, who or what’s had the biggest influence?
Abigail: I’ve had a number of wonderful mentors over the years. Judge Rogers on the DC Circuit. I look to her often for so many life lessons. She told me very early on, “Look, I’ve got two little dogs. You’ve got two little kids. Those are the most important things in your life. Make sure you keep that in front of you.” She also said to me things like, “You and your friends will help each other get to the places you need to get to.” She once told me that I had a mind that was as smart as they come. I didn’t know that. I was like, “Oh, good to hear.” She wrote that in a letter to Stanford as well. It was instances of encouragement like that that shored me up over the years. My kids joke that I talk about my judge all the time.

The other person that was really influential was one of my mentors at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Amanda Jenkins. She publishes under A.M. Jenkins. She taught me to get to the emotional core of my stories. When I came to her, I knew how to polish a piece because I’d been an editor with the Law Review at Columbia.

I learned how to write incredibly well by working with the judge on writing opinions to the court. But those were really different from writing fiction. Amanda taught me how to deconstruct all my scenes and really find the emotional kernel of each one and write towards that. I now plot only according to emotional arcs thanks to her.

PC: You’ve talked in the past about the adversity you faced trying to get your first novel published. During those more challenging times, how were you able to persevere?
Abigail: My community around me. I had wonderful critique partners: Sabaa Tahir, Stacey Lee, Sonya Mukherjee, and Kelly Loy Gilbert, as well as Stephanie Garber. All of them came around me. They were still reading my material even though I was the only one not published. They would continue to do so. I was like, “Why are you still reading my stuff?” They said, “Your stuff is good. There’s a reason you’re not getting through the gates.”

When Loveboat, Taipei was rejected at draft 26, that’s when I had hit rock bottom with my writing. Because that was my fifth novel, 26 drafts. I didn’t know what to do to get better. But again, Sabaa read it and was like, “Okay, you need to do this to fix it.” I scrapped the entire novel and rewrote it from the ground up from one point of view. I realized there was too much story for one novel.

That draft went on to become the book that’s now on the shelves. It was a matter of having that encouragement from people who believe in you, people around you who know what you’re trying to do and know that you know how to get better. That is really important.

PC: Loveboat, Taipei has meant a lot to various communities that have often felt unseen, and it’s been incredibly well received. What has that response meant to you? Did that bring any pressure heading into Loveboat, Reunion?
Abigail: It has been amazing to hear from so many readers that they feel so seen. I felt that again when I came out to Taipei to film. I met a production crew of 30 people on my first day. When they introduced me as the author, everyone started applauding. The first words out of my mouth were, “I’m so grateful for all of you.” I realized when they were applauding that, “Wow, this movie means so much to them. Not only do they have a job, they get to work on a film about themselves.” I’ve had that experience over and over and over with Book One.

Definitely with Book Two, I think it’s more of the same. These characters continue to have lives that are story-worthy. They’re worth audiences’ attention because they’re about cognitive differences.

Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh are two leads in this one. Both of them have qualities that may not always be so appealing on the surface. Sophie’s a bit of a wild card. She’s running in every direction, has a lot of energy, and tends to overwhelm people around her. Xavier has learning differences that keep him from actually being able to read, even though he’s in a very high-performing culture.

But they’re both able to learn over the course of the novel how they can harness these seemingly negative qualities and actually understand what their superpowers are and what strengths come with them.

PC: What has that process been like bringing Loveboat, Taipei from the page to the screen? Is there a particular moment that you’re really excited for fans to see brought to life in a different medium?
Abigail: I have described it as Loki coming face-to-face with another Loki. It’s like experiencing a multiverse over and over again, from the screenplay being written to each take of the film, each scene being filmed over and over. Because you do about eight takes from different angles with different emotions and trying out different approaches to the dialogue, and every time it’s the same. Of course, the cast know their characters as well as I know them. To be able to talk with them about the characters has been so rewarding. I’m excited for what people will get to see on the screen. It’s an amazing movie already, even though it’s still in pieces. That’s the next part: we’re going to be stitching it together.

I think that the most exciting parts of the film medium for me are the views of Taipei and the dance sequences. Those are things that you can’t capture in words the same way that you can on film.

PC: Loveboat, Reunion drops on January 25th. What can fans expect? Did the fan response to Loveboat, Taipei affect the story that we’ll see unfold?
Abigail: Good question. So, Sophie Ha has not been a fan favorite across the board. I have had friends tell me, “Am I weird that I relate more to Sophie than Ever?” I’ve also had fans that really hate Sophie. They don’t think she’s forgivable. I think I did have fans say, “I don’t want to read a book about Sophie.” On the other hand, everyone loves Xavier. There’s a hashtag, #justiceforXavier. Some people are like, “Why did Ever choose Rick over Xavier?” So here it is! This book is largely Xavier’s story because it’s about Xavier’s family. Sophie’s journey is intertwined with Xavier’s family as readers will find out.

I think the feedback I’ve gotten already from readers who have read the second one is, “Wow. Now I understand where Sophie is coming from.” They understand her. I’m excited. That’s really part of what I do: try to showcase the humanity in everyone. Sometimes what we see on the surface concerning another person isn’t really what’s going on underneath. That’s the case with Sophie and Xavier.

Sometimes what we see on the surface about another person isn’t really what’s going on underneath. That’s the case with Sophie and Xavier.

PC: What is the biggest lesson you learned writing Loveboat, Taipei that you’ve now brought over to Loveboat, Reunion?
Abigail: Good question. I think to probably keep the story tighter. With Loveboat, Taipei, I had too much story. I had four different narratives going on. Sometimes it was five because I was writing from Jenna’s point of view at times. The more books that I write, the more I realize, “Okay, not everything needs to go into this book. This can go into something else.” I start to recognize tangents more easily and realize, “Okay, that might actually be a fourth book or maybe it can go into a TV series or something else that I’m working on.” That’s helping me keep the story more streamlined.

PC: Both novels tackle so many timely and relevant themes. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Abigail: The theme of family is really strong in both of them. Ever has a really fraught relationship with her parents where she’s not able to tell them how much dancing means to her. But Xavier’s relationship with his father is even worse. His father was abusive as he was growing up and did not understand that Xavier needed help. Above all, he needed support for his learning differences. In some ways, his father would rather it just be wished away somehow.

So his father has failed him in a lot of ways. His family is very complicated. It’s a wealthy Taiwanese business family with an empire structure where family’s business and business is family. There are politics within the family that Xavier has to navigate. That is inspired somewhat by my mom’s family. She came from a wealthy family in the Philippines with thirteen brothers and sisters. But it’s also the story of a son and a father and how they can come to understand each other better.

To keep up with Abigail, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up Loveboat, Reunion at Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, or Target.