As a seasoned writer for animated series across multiple networks, how has your experience as a screenwriter shaped your approach to novel writing? How has that process evolved across your books: from Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend, to The Crossbow of Destiny, and most recently, Minecraft: One Last Quest?
With the screenwriting, you really have to be mindful of your page count. Every line has to be scrutinized and revised to be the best it can be in order to keep that page count down. Writing for television forces you to really tighten things up and keep that pacing tight. I think this is especially true when writing for children. The first fifty pages (maybe even less) have to really be enticing enough so that your young readers can’t put that book down! You’ll notice my books don’t have a heavy word count. I try to keep things very tight.
Writing for animation specifically, you have to think visually so I’m always storyboarding sequences in my head when writing out scenes. That practice has served me well!
In Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend, Gary Võ navigates the challenges of being a teenager, including identity, toxic masculinity, and friendships. To what extent were your own experiences reflected in shaping this story? I also noticed that you created a curated playlist for the novel. Is the playlist tied to particular moments in the book, meant to capture what the characters might listen to day to day, or is it a personal selection that reflects your own teenage years?
The idea for Gloria came from when I was cleaning out an old steamer trunk and I came across a box of handwritten notes I’d kept from middle school. The notes were exchanges I had with a close friend of mine (who was the “Gloria” of my school and the inspiration to that character) who was going through a rough time regarding boys and how she was perceived by all of our classmates – her beauty was almost like a curse to her because often times that’s the only characteristic people would attribute to her. I thought this was a compelling enough of an idea to explore a larger story, especially in terms of toxic masculinity, first love, and friendship. I drew a lot of my own teenage insecurities regarding crushes, feeling undesirable as a Vietnamese teen boy, and the complexities of heartbreak to craft this story.
When my editor asked me to come up with a playlist for the paperback edition of Gloria, I was delighted. The selected tracks are both a mix of moments in the book (e.g. Gloria and Gary making tamales to Elvis Crespo’s “Suavamente”), to capturing the general vibes of a teenage summer fling (Brett Dennen’s “Little Cosmic Girl”), to actual songs I listened to that helped me get in the right mindset (e.g. Bob Seger’s “We Got Tonight”).
In The Crossbow of Destiny, Freddie returns to Vietnam to spend her summer with family, only to find herself swept into an unexpected adventure. Among the many Vietnamese legends and folktales, what drew you to the story of Cao Lỗ and his legendary crossbow? As a Vietnamese American protagonist, Freddie and her companions journey through diverse settings. They went from a bustling outdoor market to hiding in a cave in the jungle to the Marble Mountains of central Vietnam. How did you decide which elements of Vietnamese culture, history, and landscapes to highlight in the novel?
When setting out to write Crossbow, I needed to find an object of Vietnamese legend that my heroine had to track down. There were quite a few options to choose from such as Lê Lợi’s magical sword or even the magic salt grinder that caused sea water to be salty. But the crossbow with the power to decimate entire armies made the most sense as a device you wouldn’t want a bad guy to get a hold of! Plus you have the tragic love story of Trọng Thủy and Mỵ Châu (lovingly referred to as Vietnam’s answer to Romeo and Juliet) added another juicy layer to play with.
In early development, I originally had Freddie and her friends travel all over Vietnam, but when I seriously began drafting, I quickly discovered that scope was too ambitious. It was only when I booked my own research trip to Vietnam that I decided to whittle the locations down to only what I could travel and experience myself.
When I visited the Marble Mountains, I was so inspired by its history and beauty that I knew I wanted the final scene to take place there. The remote jungle setting was a request from my publisher so I had that added guardrail. Everything sort of fell into place after that. If I had more time I would have loved to add more locations for Freddie’s journey… alas!
Minecraft is one of the most iconic games for this generation of players. What was your thought process when writing an official Minecraft novel featuring Lam Đặng, a Vietnamese protagonist, in Minecraft: One Last Quest? Did you immerse yourself in the world of Minecraft to shape the adventure that Lam and his crew experience throughout the story?
As long as I am lucky enough to continue writing books, all of my protagonists will be Vietnamese. While we’ve certainly come a long way with more Vietnamese stories being published, we aren’t anywhere close to balancing the scales so I’m doing my part to include Vietnamese characters in as many stories as I can. There’s nothing inherently Vietnamese about Minecraft (and vice versa), but that didn’t stop me from having a Vietnamese boy star in a Minecraft story. The simple answer is: why not?
I accepted the project without knowing much about the game, so there was a delicate balancing act of doing research and actually writing the manuscript (against a fairly aggressive deadline). If it wasn’t for the help of some dedicated Minecraft fans and the Minecraft wiki, I would have been sunk!
Between Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend and The Crossbow of Destiny, which novel would you most like to see adapted into an animated series? Who would you imagine voicing the characters in each story? And if either were adapted into a live-action project, which actors would you love to see bring your characters to life?
It’s hard for me to see a world where Gloria would be adapted as an animated series, but a live action series makes so much sense. I could see a take as an updated, modern tone and style in the vein of The Wonder Years. Because the story centers on teens, I’d prefer to cast the net wide and open auditions up to fresh faces. Of course I’d be very lucky to even get to that point!
I could easily see Crossbow being a limited animated series or even an animated feature. There are some board artists who would have a blast boarding out some of the intense action sequences in the book. As far as live-action, I could see this as well. It would be a dream to shoot on location and show the world incredible set pieces taking place in settings like The Marble Mountains or a thrilling moped chase scene through an authentic Vietnamese outdoor market. Animated or live-action, it would be a lot of fun!
Brandon Hoàng is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend, and the middle grade books The Crossbow of Destiny and Minecraft: One Last Quest. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brandon grew up coveting The Baby-Sitters Club books and slurping phở noodles. Before he was a writer, Brandon was as an animation executive. Now a television writer by day and novelist by night, he currently resides in the PNW with his wife and their two daughters.
This interview was conducted by Alan Trinh, Viet Book Fest’s Program Manager, as part of the Author Spotlight series. All featured authors participated in Viet Book Fest 2026, a literary event presented by the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA).
Join us on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 10 AM to 5 PM at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California for a full day honoring Vietnamese storytelling and culture in literature.
Viet Book Fest 2026 offers a full day of programming focused on Vietnamese literature, storytelling, and culture. Attendees can participate in five panel discussions, enjoy interactive activities for children, and experience youth performances that showcase Vietnamese traditions and creativity. The festival also provides a space for community collaborations, where participants can create their own art and engage in hands-on projects.