Interview with Melissa Yi

 

Melissa Yi is an emergency physician and award-winning writer. In her latest crime novel, WHITE LIGHTNING, Dr. Hope Sze’s romantic getaway at a Windsor Prohibition hotel morphs into a ghost-ridden historical crime scene with potential links to Al Capone. Previous Hope Sze thrillers were recommended by The Globe and Mail, CBC Books, and The Next Chapter as one of the best Canadian suspense novels. Yi was shortlisted for the Derringer Award for the world’s best short mystery fiction. Under the name Melissa Yuan-Innes, she also writes medical humour and has won speculative fiction awards. http://www.melissayuaninnes.com/

Credit picture and bio : Press Kit Bios - Melissa Yuan-Innes (melissayuaninnes.com)

Questions

How do you handle your life as a writer and being a doctor? Where do you find the time to write?

A tricky question. For me, I struggled to balance the most during medical school and residency and practicing with young children. During my surgical rotations, I'd stand in the operating room with a retractor (giant metal device to hold back the abdominal organs), thinking up a single line of poetry during my 24+ hours of call. I couldn't write it down, because I couldn't move my sterile hands, but I'd try to remember. Also very tough a few years after I graduated, with small children who scream when you leave them at the babysitter.

But I made the difficult decision early on to work part-time so that I could write and spend some time with my children, which makes all the difference. I recognize my privilege in saying this, but doctors struggle with massive amounts of guilt in not working 24/7/365 to save people. Female physicians have over twice the suicide risk of other women. Only recently have those of us in health care begun to say, "I can't set myself on fire to keep others warm."

What do you like the most about writing?

Creating new people, new worlds, and happy endings! I really enjoy challenging myself, like when I dreamed up the idea that Dr. Hope Sze will solve murder based on the seven deadly sins, with ghosts. Or dogs can defeat an alien attack, since I write all genres.

I also love connecting with readers, so writing becomes a conversation. I've started playwriting, with my mystery Terminally Ill scheduled to hit the stage in Ottawa at the undercurrents festival in 2024, and I won Best of Fest in 2019 with I Am The Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World (And Other True Tales from the Emergency Room). Writing and performing brings direct feedback.

I enjoy meeting other authors too and felt lucky to share a booth with yourself and Helga Paxton at Can*Con.

What struggles did you met when you wrote your first novel?

It felt overwhelming. I had to coach myself, "Okay, you know how to write short stories. Think of them like short stories stitched together." I hadn't developed my writing chops as much, since practice really hones your skills. Critiques felt more devastating.

What are your main inspirations?

Reading, dreaming, podcasts, going for walks with my dogs, talking to creative people and relishing their work. I just funded my first Kickstarter, and the top tier goal was "Name Your Character," including a 30 minute interview where I get to know you to flesh out the character. Talking to Jamieson Wolf and Wake Lloire and another backer taught me new things. For example, I'm excited to write a nonbinary character for the first time (have mentioned NB people before but not had one take the main stage, which begs the question, why not?).

I also try new things, which author Julia Cameron calls artist dates. Tomorrow I'll head to O.noir,  a restaurant run by visually impaired staff in a completely dark environment, followed by a theatre  piece called Bien reçu (No Hard Feelings), which combines contemporary dance and reality TV.

I meet new people every shift in the emergency room too.

ABL. Always Be Learning.

What advices will you give to a new author?

Have fun and make friends. For sure, read and write, but try not to forget the golly gee wow of making up something that has never existed except in your own brain. If you make friends and help each other, you're less lonely and can give each other a leg up. You can meet friends at the bookstore, at the library, or how I met you, through organizations (the Ottawa Romance Writers) and cons (Can*Con).

Which one of your books will you recommend to a new reader?

Most either start with Code Blues, the first book in the Hope Sze medical crime series, where she finds a dead doctor in the men's change room, or The Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World (And Other True Tales from the Emergency Room), a book of true stories from the ER. But I encourage you to visit http://melissayuaninnes.com/portfolio/ and click on whatever strikes your fancy. Sexy werewolves? Got 'em! (Wolf Ice). A 40-year-old who celebrates her birthday by falling in love at assassin school? Of course (The Italian School for Assassins). Back pain or dry eyes? Got your covered (The Emergency Doctor's Guide to a Pain-Free Back and The Emergency Doctor’s Guide to Healing Dry Eyes).

What are your future projects?

Hope's Seven Deadly Sins books, which combine medical thrillers with ghosts and other paranormal elements and a bit of romance. One sin down (The Shapes of Wrath debuts Feb 1, 2023), six to go!

I always write short stories, and I'm flirting with the idea of a romance series set across Canada.

I have a series of financial webinars that I'd like to turn into three books on financial independence and retiring early, with a focus on making it dead easy for women to invest.

I'm writing and producing Terminally Ill, the immersive theatre play with aerials, based on my novel where Hope saves an Elvis impersonator/escape artist who drowns.

I'll continue to work part-time in the ER and spend time with my kids, so I can't take on too much right now. Thanks for asking such terrific questions. I really enjoyed sharing a table with you at Can*Con and look forward to getting to know you and your writing better!