“The essence of art is taking life’s randomness and shaping it into something meaningful.” — Lina Chern
Lina Chern’s debut mystery Play the Fool earned major acclaim, winning the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Now she’s back with Tricks of Fortune, a darker, more nuanced follow-up inspired by a real-life incident in her community. In this candid conversation, Lina and Mike talk about the writer’s true superpower (curiosity), the difference between myth and reality, and how life experience shapes better storytelling. If you’re a fan of crime fiction, writing craft, or simply love hearing about the creative process, this episode is for you.
Writing is a skill, not a lightning strike: Lina shares how persistence and practice mattered far more than innate talent in becoming a successful author. The author’s true superpower: It’s not stringing pretty sentences together — it’s following deep curiosity wherever it leads. Turning fact into fiction: Tricks of Fortune draws emotional truth from a real crime, but is highly fictionalized to respect the complexity of the story. Myth vs. Reality: The story explores how public figures (especially law enforcement) often cultivate myths that later unravel — rich territory for fiction. Writing with life experience: Lina feels her later-in-life writing career has benefited from deeper insight into people and the world. The pressure of book two: Success brings new expectations — from balancing new and returning readers to writing on deadline. The joy of writing community: Conventions, author events, and connecting with fellow writers has become a huge source of inspiration and camaraderie.
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