Flora Ahn’s Inspiration Behind A BRUSH WITH MAGIC
A Brush with Magic goes on sale October 22, 2024!
A Brush with Magic was born from the ashes of a tossed out story I wrote a few years ago. It was originally set in an alternate world where artists used special pens to bring drawings to life. In this story, the main character entered a magical school for such artists and uncovered the mysteries hidden inside the pens. But no matter how hard I tried with my own ordinary pen, I couldn’t bring the story to life. There was something about the world that was lacking. It had no soul.
Frustrated, I took a break and set aside my writing to focus on other plans. With many travel restrictions from the pandemic lifting, my mom and I decided it was finally time to make a trip to South Korea. Having been born and raised in the United States, I was looking forward to immersing myself in a different but somewhat familiar culture. Seoul would not be like the small Koreatowns in American cities I often frequented; it would be a whole sprawling city of its own.
However, in the drive from the airport to the city, I was a little disappointed at first glance because the city felt similar to any other major metropolitan city with its wide streets, tall buildings, congested traffic, and busy commuters. But in the cracks of the polished modern city were glimmers of something different. There I found a world filled with narrow streets enticing people with the aromas of hearty stews and sizzling meat grilled right at the table. Outside of those restaurants were often people talking and laughing as they ate crouched over low stools and tables filled with numerous dishes. Small shops alternated between traditional Korean crafts and flashy K-pop or cute cartoon merchandise. After 10 days there, Seoul captured all of my senses and stole my heart.
Coming back home was a reverse culture shock; instead of navigating through an exciting new city, I settled back into my usual routine. But something still tugged at me, making me repeatedly look through the photos and souvenirs from my trip. I wanted to share Seoul with others. I wanted my readers to experience the wide array of Korean food beyond the well known barbecue and bibimbap. I wanted them to burn their tongues on piping hot hotteok and slurp up thin noodles in an icy broth seasoned with mustard and vinegar. I wanted to walk them along Cheonggyecheon so that they could marvel at a stream cutting through the heart of a city. I wanted to point out the sloped roofs of traditional hanok homes peeking out behind stone walls and help them push through the crowds at street markets packed with small stalls and loud vendors.
So I moved Yumi out of her fantastical but cold world to the welcoming arms of a Seoul buzzing with life. I took the pen out of her hand and gave her a wood-handled brush and ink stone instead. I searched for Korean folk tales and asked my mom to dust off her childhood memories for old stories and superstitions. Some of them were a little hard to put into story form, like ghosts that were shaped like eggs that lurked in outhouses or a woodsman who is rewarded by a mountain god with gold and silver axes. Many folk tales were short and centered around male characters. The few that were about women usually focused on how filial and loyal they were to their family. But upon further analysis, I saw the strength and resilience in the women from these folk tales. Their heroics were just a little different from the ones I’m used to in the modern world. So instead of writing a close but mild adaptation, I stretched the bounds of these old tales and characters to fit the themes I wanted to emphasize. I turned the traditionally male goblin dokkaebi into a girl. Instead of a magic club and hat of invisibility, she had a special paintbrush and the ability to change her appearance. In lieu of a judging mountain god, I added a kind grandfather to guide and support Yumi. And instead of the common stories of brothers competing for fortunes, the heart of my story had the complex themes of identity and sisterhood.
Being the youngest in my family with two older sisters I knew all too well the desire to emulate an older sibling and the frustration when they grew up and away from the childhood dreams and games we once shared. So I gave Yumi an older sister, Minji, and explored the push and pull of their relationship when separated from the safety of their home and parents. I dropped in a handful of aunts and uncles, a trio of cousins, and of course two adorable pugs.
With the help of some magic and a brush, I tried my best to bring not only Yumi and the other characters to life but also the city of Seoul.
