Interview with June Hur
The WRITE Prompt had the great opportunity to speak with June Hur, a historical mystery author whose debut novel, The Silence of Bones, received the 2020 Gold Standard Selection from the Junior Library Guild.
June was born in South Korea and raised in Canada. She returned to Korea for a short stint in High School.
She published her first book, The Silence of Bones, a young adult mystery set in 1800 Joseon, Korea, this year. She is set to release her next book, The Forest of Stolen Girls, in April of 2021 and her third, The Red Palace, in January of 2022.
The Silence of Bones
(taken from junehur.wordpress.com)
I HAVE A MOUTH, BUT I MUSTN’T SPEAK;
EARS, BUT I MUSTN’T HEAR;
EYES, BUT I MUSTN’T SEE.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.”
Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
TWP: When did you first decide you wanted to be an author?
June Hur: When I was a teen, I moved to Korea and attended school there, but I wasn’t too fluent then in the Korean language, so I’d spend most of my time in class writing stories.
But I never really considered pursuing a career in writing until I started querying, which was around the time I started university. Behind this dream were two books that really made me fall in love with storytelling: Pride and Prejudice, and Jane Eyre!
TWP: I know you had quite the querying journey. Can you tell our readers a little about what that was like and what ended up working and not working for you?
June Hur: My querying journey lasted for around 8 years, and this included two failed rounds of querying.
During this time, I focused so much on getting published that I put life on hold, neglecting my social life, my mental and physical health.
This did not make for a sustainable querying journey, and I ended up depressed, and it took a while before I could get back to querying, let alone writing. So I definitely do NOT recommend putting life on hold as you query.
One thing I learned is that the road to publication isn’t a race, but a marathon.
What DID end up working for me was learning to write things that slightly scared me. As in, pushing myself to write outside my comfort zone. This mentality pushed me to write the Korean historical, and that’s why I’m published today.
TWP: How did you finally land your agent and did you learn anything from that experience that you want to share with our readers?
June Hur: After 8 years of querying for one book, I put aside that book and decided to work on a new project (which would end up getting published).
I didn’t think anyone would be interested in a police drama set in 1800s Korea, but I didn’t care at this point and just wrote the book for myself.
Fortunately, as I was browsing through Manuscript Wish List, I found an agent who was passionate about diverse literature, and so I decided to send a query her way. I didn’t think Amy Bishop would actually offer. But then on September 20, Amy emailed me with an offer and shared that my debut was a book she wished had existed when she was a teen.
One thing I learned is that the road to publication isn’t a race, but a marathon. It’s so important to focus on your own paper. And it’s so important to embrace your journey, especially if it’s turning out to be a long one.
TWP: How did your publishing journey continue once you had an agent contract signed?
June Hur: Once I signed with my agent, we revised the manuscript one more time before sending it out to editors. Then, a few weeks later, an editor expressed interest, but noted that she didn’t think it was ready to acquire and so requested a revise-and-resubmit.
Her revision request was the most difficult thing I’d ever had to tackle, and I’ve done many R&R requests in my querying lifetime, but never one this panic-inducing, never one that required a ginormous rewrite.
What DID end up working for me was learning to write things that slightly scared me.
It took me one month of brooding to realize that I could tackle the requested changes and still share the same exact story I wanted to tell. So with an open mind, I rewrote several chapters and scenes, and once it was ready, the revised manuscript was sent off to the editor.
And she loved the changes!
My manuscript then went through an acquisitions meeting, and in the end, Feiwel & Friends offered me a two-book deal.
TWP: Where do your ideas for stories usually come from?
June Hur: I usually come up with ideas for my books through history.
While reading about Korea’s past, if there’s anything I want to learn more about, I’ll use novel-writing as my reason to do a deep dive into research, and from the research, I’ll weave a story around it.
TWP: What do you do when you are struggling to write?
June Hur: When I reach a dead-end in my writing, I’ve come to realize that this means (for me, personally) that I’m writing a scene I find boring.
Deadends signal to me that something is off about my writing. And so I’ll usually print out the chapter and go over it by hand. I’ll find the right soundtrack to listen to, to really get into the scene.
And if I still can’t get into the chapter, it tells me that I’m probably just burnt out and need to take some time off writing in general. Breaks do wonders!
TWP: Do you have any advice you can share with the aspiring writers of the world?
June Hur: Don’t put your life on hold for the sake of getting published. Don’t hold so tightly onto your dream of publication that you neglect your relationships with others and your mental/physical health.
Do be kind to yourself. Do have hobbies and goals outside of writing.
Life will only get busier once you get published, and there will always be a new milestone to achieve, so it’s very important to have that discipline early on—the ability to have a healthy work-life balance.
Are you a published author or industry professional? Our readers would love to hear your story! Please reach out to us today.
