Tiffany Wang: I Can Only Write in Complete Silence
Tiffany Wang hails from a town in North Texas and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, although she’s currently wandering her way through New York City. In her spare time, she enjoys browsing bookstores, hunting for a quiet place to write, and snacking on a questionable amount of Cheetos. Follow her on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
Tiffany Wang
In this interview, Tiffany discusses inverting tropes with her debut YA fantasy, Inferno’s Heir, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Tiffany Wang
Literary agent: Kelly Van Sant, KT Literary.
Book title: Inferno’s Heir
Publisher: Bindery Books
Release date: October 15, 2024
Genre/category: Young adult fantasy
Elevator pitch: For fans of Six of Crows and Little Thieves, Inferno’s Heir is an elemental fantasy in which an outcast princess with a vendetta against the throne must choose: survival, love, or revenge?
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What prompted you to write this book?
A couple things!
The first was I’d just finished reading Six of Crows and was inspired to write a story where the main character is an anti-hero—devious, ruthless, and morally unsound. That’s really where I began fleshing out Teia Carthan, my main character, and she was so, so much fun to write.
The second reason I wrote Inferno’s Heir is that I’d been interested in flipping the royal/rebel trope for a while. Instead of the rebel infiltrating the palace, my story centers around a scorned princess who joins the rebellion … in order to betray them. It was really cool and interesting to invert a familiar trope, and I especially liked building out my main character’s relationships with the rebels—including her dynamic with the rebellion’s champion, who fits much more neatly into the “chosen one” archetype.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
About three years, which is actually very quick by publishing standards (although it certainly didn’t feel that way in the moment)! I began writing Inferno’s Heir in 2021, became agented in 2022, and am now being published in 2024!
The fundamental idea—a princess who infiltrates the rebels to betray them—didn’t change, but the characters did become clearer to me. For instance, Teia’s background was always set from the beginning, but it wasn’t until later that I began refining her motivations.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I think one of the best surprises (in a good way!) was seeing the cover. I’d never really been able to envision what my cover would look like before, and when I saw it for the first time, my jaw absolutely dropped. There are so many Easter eggs, down to the design that’s meant to emulate a playing card. Absolutely stunning, 11/10, no notes—I’ll forever be in awe of Dan Funderburgh for his incredible work.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Not exactly a surprise, but I realized how particular I am about my writing process. I can only write in complete silence—if there’s any music or sound, my productivity drops by at least 50 percent.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope they’ll fall in love with the characters as I have—and feel the sting of every betrayal (in a loving sort of way).
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Distract yourself! I genuinely feel like the hardest part about publishing is all the waiting—as soon as I’m done writing one book, I begin working on the next.
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