Sophie Wan: There’s More Than One Road to Happiness

Sophie Wan is a Bay Area native who is now battling the winters in Philadelphia. She graduated from UC Berkeley and spends far too much time drafting emails and drinking tea. Follow her on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Sophie Wan

Photo by Albert Xu

In this post, Sophie discusses the inspiration behind her debut novel, Women of Good Fortune, her advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Sophie Wan
Literary agent: Michaela Whatnall
Book title: Women of Good Fortune
Publisher: Graydon House
Release date: March 5, 2024
Genre/category: Women’s Fiction
Elevator pitch A reluctant bride and her two best friends devise a daring heist to steal the red envelopes on the day of her high-society Shanghai wedding.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I’d heard and read a lot about “the leftover woman” in China. In fact, based on the definition—a woman over 27 who is still unmarried—my friends and I were basically all leftover women. I wanted to explore how being “leftover” might be a point of pride, not a burden. At the same time, my friend had just attended a Chinese wedding where red envelopes were collected in a glass safe, and I latched onto the idea of setting something in Shanghai, which felt like an adventure while I was trapped at home during COVID.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I started writing the book back in 2021. The concept—a heist at a wedding—has remained the same throughout, and so have the core desires of the three protagonists. It wasn’t until the third and fourth drafts that the heist started becoming fully formed, and I really began fleshing out what would happen on the actual day of the wedding. I don’t think the idea changed much, but during the process it became much more alive as I added detail and backstory.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

The revision process for Women of Good Fortune taught me a lot about pulling a story apart and tightening it piece by piece. When I dove into edits with my editor, the book had already been revised so many times that I thought there wouldn’t be all that much left to do. How wrong I was! I also learned that there are so many teams behind the publication of a book, and it’s made me appreciate everything it takes to get books onto shelves. I’m so grateful to all the people whose hard work has helped my book along its journey.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Some of my characters actually went in different directions than I initially imagined. The prime example of this is Zihao, Jane’s husband. As I developed him further, I realized that there was a lot to explore in their marriage. I ended up devoting more of the story to their relationship and how it grows.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

First of all, that there’s more than one road to happiness out there. Second, that friendships can break, but the strongest ones are the ones you fight for.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

For me, finishing a book is a combination of discipline and magic. Magic lies in your desire to put your own spin on tales and tropes, to bring a story to life in a way that nobody else can. Discipline will put the words on the page. Believe in magic and exercise discipline, and you will get to the end.

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