Bio
Hi SmoochPit! I’m Chezza, and I’m a biracial Chinese-English SFF writer from the UK, currently living in Canada. My writing often incorporates Chinese mythology, feminism, and musings on the mixed-race identity crisis. I hold a master’s degree in Renaissance Literature, and my short fiction can be found in Heartlines Spec, Luna Station Quarterly, and All Worlds Wayfarer: Into the Dark.
I’m a huge gamer (anything from BG3 and Persona/Metaphor to Genshin, Stardew, and Valheim), I love anime, and I’m always binging the latest xianxia Cdrama. I love LOVE, in all its forms, and I read a ton of BIPOC fantasy, usually with romance as a primary or subplot. I’m an SFWA Associate Member, a former SmoochPit mentee, and I’m represented by Alex Land at Mad Woman Literary!
Manuscript
Wishlist
(MSWL)
I’m looking for books that tug at the heartstrings. I’m a sucker for angst in all its forms, and I’m an even bigger sucker for strong women-identified characters. Yearning and spice are fine, but I also tend to prefer my romance with a side of identity struggle, commentary on the patriarchy, strong female friendships, or male characters who defy traditional gender roles. I prefer queernormative worlds, where applicable.
My tastes lean speculative: fantasy (grounded/epic/high), magical realism, paranormal, non-western mythology retellings/reimaginings, and non-western fantastical alternate histories. I like stories that approach these genres from a fresh angle and have something bigger to say about the world alongside all the romance. I’m open to romantasy, romantic fantasy, and fantasy with a strong romantic subplot.
While I mainly read speculative, I can completely fall in love with a contemporary romance if it contains: depictions of BIPOC culture from a writer who belongs to that culture, gaming, or pop culture elements, like cosplay/streaming/anime. Also, food—if your story heavily features food, I’m here for it.
I’m pickier with sci-fi, but would still love to see soft sci-fi, science fantasy, and cyberpunk stories! Especially if they contain some of the elements above/below.
Things I love:
- Cdrama/xianxia/wuxia vibes (also, martial arts in general)
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Miscommunication/misunderstanding tropes
- Love triangles (give me 2ML syndrome!)
- Mixed-race characters
- Multiple realms/worlds
- Strong women who don’t need a man to save them
- Sapphic romance/BL
- Female friendships
- Non-western historical settings
- Non-western myths and mythical creatures
- Pirates
- Female revenge
This is just to give an idea of my tastes, but if you have something angsty, that celebrates love, or is quirky with a unique take to the genre, please feel free to send it my way! While I lean speculative, I also read widely across genres (except for horror), and enjoy many, many things!
I have no limits when it comes to spice, gore, or violence, as long as it makes sense for the plot and isn’t included purely for shock value.
I’m not the best fit for: horror (especially if insects are involved—actually, please don’t send me anything with a lot of insects); hard sci-fi; stories with a lot of sexism/misogyny that don’t address it as problematic (if it’s addressed/recognized, then that’s totally fine); drug use; dragon training; and post-apocalyptic stories.
Mentoring Style
As a reader, I’m very analytical when it comes to plot—I like to look at the big picture. I will consider things such as whether the plot makes sense overall, whether there are any holes that need closing or character arcs that need a more satisfying conclusion, and whether the rationale behind actions makes sense from beginning to end. I’m also an editor at my day job, and that experience will be beneficial when considering the manuscript at the line level. My goal is to help you make this manuscript the best it can be!
At our initial meeting, I would mainly like to get a sense of your goals for the project and any pain points you might want to discuss (and also take the opportunity to tell you everything I loved about the manuscript). After that, I will send you an edit letter with suggested revisions. Once developmental edits are done, I can assist with suggestions at the line level. And then, when you’re happy with the manuscript revisions, I will help you refine your query package. We will have a handful of official meetings throughout the mentorship, but I will always be available to chat and brainstorm as things come up!
Applications
from Connections
Please do not apply to me if we’ve ever exchanged materials, if I’ve previously provided feedback on your writing, or if we’ve had extensive conversations online.