Walk Into Another World: A Guest Post by C.B. Lee

Expansive, exciting and full of heart, this fantasy’s world-building is just as rich as its cast of characters and emotional beats. Read on for an exclusive essay from C.B. Lee on writing Our Monthly Pick, Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe.

I have always loved fantasy as a kid, and growing up I’d often get lost in daydreams of what it would be like to just walk into another world. The idea of two worlds, almost similar enough where one wouldn’t notice at first, but then dramatically different—was something that was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to write these two universes and a love story between two girls who find the best in each other, and in turn bring out what is missing in each world.

Kat is a Chosen One in who is determined to run from her destiny, and Brenda is an overachiever who can’t let go of her own expectations. They find each other in a coffeeshop and although while Brenda’s talking about D&D and Kat’s talking about real magic, sparks fly and they set up a date. One of my favorite things is meet cutes and this novel is in many ways, my love letter to fandom and fanfiction. Coffeeshop AU’s are a constant, a staple in any fandom, any genre of media. It’s transformative and fun, and at the core of it a kernel of creativity. What started as a way to explore your favorite characters and ship dynamics in a cozy setting has become a platform for so many ways for people to fall in love, people exploring anything from fluff to trauma to comfort and every trope in between.

There’s something really unique about young adult fiction that you can’t do in any other genre; it’s magical, tapping into this time of possibility. There’s so many wonderful things – and terrifying – about figuring out who you are, and this genre is such a great place to tell a story that can really transport you, inspire you, and even ground you.

This novel is really an alternate universe of itself, and I filled it with my favorite tropes, from meetcutes to chosen ones to fictional magic meeting real magic and more. I really had fun with it, because I think joy is important. Especially in our world where it’s so easy to get overwhelmed by terrible things happening, and a world that tells you that you don’t matter – having that joy, pursuing it, reveling in it—is revolutionary.