Trinity Nguyen is a Vietnamese American author and a recent graduate of Franklin & Marshall College. She writes messy diaspora kids and queer girls with big smiles and big hearts and currently lives in Southern California with her cats. A Bánh Mì for Two is her debut novel.
I had the opportunity to interview Trinity, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you! I’m thrilled to be connected. As a Vietnamese American, I gravitate toward stories featuring diasporic themes at the forefront—and bonus points if there’s also an element of queerness within the complex web of identity and belonging. I was born in Viet Nam and grew up in bustling Little Saigon, California, so I draw tons of inspiration from the places where I’ve lived, learned, and loved.
What can you tell us about your debut book, A Banh Mi for Two? What was the inspiration for this story?
My debut came to me at a time when I felt isolated from Viet Nam the most. Since immigrating to the States when I was young, I frequented Viet Nam often most summers. There are vivid memories of biking through the streets with my cousins, of building sandcastles in Da Nang, and of the rich avocado ice cream found in Da Lat. With the worldwide pandemic and border closure, I missed Viet Nam and all of my family still residing there. Then it hit me: instead of physically journeying there, I could recreate those scents and memories in words! A Banh Mi for Two started as a short story that took flight into a young adult novel featuring two girls falling in love with Sai Gon, or Ho Chi Minh City, and each other. It’s about the meaning of home, the electrifying feeling of first love, and learning to hold onto that love dearly. At its core, it’s a love letter to Sai Gon—the very city that inspired me to write this story.
As an author, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically young adult fiction and romance?
I’ve always loved all things romance! There were too many nights in middle school when I’d sneakily read fanfics of my favorite canon or non-canon ships under the covers, kicking my feet and giggling at the “fluff.” Young adult fiction and romance are such versatile genres and allow me to figure out why these characters are even attracted to each other in the first place. But that’s the fun thing: you’re the creator of the romance-magnet and get to develop characters that ultimately help each other grow. Romance may be about the attachment between two characters, but to me, the genre helps me explore how the individual background of each person contributes to the growing tension between them. As for young adult, it’s so fun to write coming-of-age stories because the world seems much smaller when you are a teenager. I really enjoy writing characters at the cusp of adulthood, delving into their fears and sheer determination to take on the world.
How would you describe your writing process?
I start with themes, usually. Sometimes they would come to me in a song and I’d scramble to put it into my NotesApp. But I always think first about the themes I want to include in my book (much less what readers would take away from) and build my characters from there. For A Banh Mi for Two, I knew right away I wanted the themes of family history and diasporic grief. At the same time, I tend to know how I’d end my books so the middle sections are where I tend to get a little lost as I fully flesh out the story.
Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in?
I was obsessed with A Series of Unfortunate Events and saw myself in the Baudelaire orphans. Having just immigrated to a new country, being put in ESL classes, and unable to communicate with my classmates, I saw myself as a pariah just like the orphans. I also loved portal fantasy books, or contemporary fantasy books that offer the protagonist an adventure beyond the world they thought they knew like Percy Jackson, Magic Tree House, and The Sisters Grimm.
Yes, and featuring a diverse cast! For Middle Grade, I recommend Christina Li’s Clues to the Universe and Ruby Lost and Found, Julie Abe’s Eva Evergreen and Tessa Miyata, Linh Nguyen’s No Place Like Home, and Dhonielle Clayton’s The Marvellers.
As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?
My friends, for sure. Whether they are authors or not, they subconsciously help me develop characters and plot by simply existing. Whenever I’m in a creative rut, I’d ask myself: what would xyz do? and get my answer. Even for romance, I’d imagine my friends giving my protagonist advice on what to do.
Was there any media (i.e. books, films, TV shows, music, etc.) that influenced A Banh Mi for Two specifically?
Totally! Netflix’s Street Food Asia: Ho Chi Minh City episode inspired Lan, the banh mi seller in A Banh Mi for Two. A Pho Love Story and Not Here to Be Liked gave me the validation I needed to write my own Vietnamese Young Adult book. Jenny Han and Netflix’s To All the Boys influenced the quirkiness of the book. Books like Darius the Great is Not Okay, Yolk, Ophelia After All, The Best We Could Do, and The Magic Fish helped me nail down the emotional arcs of A Banh Mi for Two.
What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging?
I love exploring the ways my characters think and how they fall in love. In the same vein, though, it is incredibly challenging to get two characters who had just met to fall in love and convince everyone that they’re actually in love. Maybe that’s why I’m a friends-to-lovers truther.
Many authors would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helped you accomplish this?
Set deadlines for yourself. Try to write something every day–doesn’t have to be your WIP and can be a newsletter, a poem, a snippet of a scene that came to you. Walking away and reading something else helps tremendously, especially when you’ve come back to the story with fresh eyes. When I’m stuck at a scene, I like to write quick bullet points of things I want the plot toward as a reminder for when I’d eventually come back.
Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?
I’m really into music and making playlists (I have one for every single WIP). My goal is to see my top Spotify artists in concert!
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I’d love to get on a panel about all things food one day. Funnily enough, I did get questions about whether or not I went to culinary school or was a restaurant kid… and the answer is no! I’m just fascinated by the way food shapes our culture and identity.
What advice might you have to give for other aspiring writers?
Work on your craft on your own timeline. Sometimes it’s not about the competition and about who in your circle got an agent or sold a book. Everyone’s journey is different.
Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?
I can’t say anything yet, but I do have something in the pipeline that’s completely different from A Banh Mi for Two. I’m really excited for this pivot! At the same time, I’m working on another Young Adult project that may or may not involve food… again.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Wen-Yi Lee’s The Dark We Know, Trang Thanh Tran’s She Is a Haunting, Hayley Dennings’ This Ravenous Fate, Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Faridah Abike-Iyimide’s Ace of Spades, C.B Lee’s A Clash of Steel.
Header Photo Credit Long Nguyen
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