#356 Lost, Then Found with A. Y. Chao

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with A. Y. Chao! This contest’s winner will not only be awarded $250 — they’ll also receive personal feedback from Alice herself! Here's what Alice has to say about their takeover:

Hello, fellow writers! I’m A. Y. Chao, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal and Paris Celestial. I write speculative fiction inspired by Chinese folklore about women claiming space as their truest, unfiltered selves… which usually entails a fair amount of chaos. My Substack Notes After Midnight shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of my writing life, works-in-progress, and sources of inspiration.

Recently, I’ve been obsessively riding the Pursuit of Jade train. This C-drama follows Changyu, a warm-hearted pig butcher’s daughter, and Xie Zheng, the powerful but cold-hearted marquis she saves. The heart of the story is its slow-burn romance, beautifully built over the show’s forty episodes. There’s also a nuanced and heartbreaking exploration of sacrifice: for a child, a loved one, family, power, and community.

The show excels with its story props in particular, from environmental elements such as light to highly symbolic color choices. The cinematography is masterfully sensorial; haloing light and warm colors, for example, reveal moments of raw trust and connection — like the sun breaking through the clouds. Falling snow is used as a leitmotif for change and the redressing of injustices, while gentle breezes add movement and tension when the characters are motionless.

In the vein of Changyu and Xie Zheng’s love story, this week’s prompts invite you to experiment with props and explore raw-hearted truths, sacrifice, and treasures lost then found.

Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Special Update: The Results 🏆

The top pick for this takeover was "The Key" by Maria Odessky Rosen. Here's what our guest judge had to say about the winning story:

This love letter of a story starts with a small ordinary thing and ends with the key unlocking and confirming a huge truth. I enjoyed how the author uses the key as a prop to introduce the reader to the narrator and his partner, as well as build mystery and tension through the question of the key’s purpose. Using carefully chosen details and second person POV narrative, the author creates a devastatingly tender emotional arc, connecting the narrator with both their partner and the reader. I reread the story a few times and cried every time!

Thank you to everyone who shared their work and trusted me with their words.

Congratulations to contest winner Maria Odessky Rosen and the runners-up, Jessica Fisher and Aleksandra M!