Are You Chasing Rainbows? Lessons from my imaginary mentor Richard Feynman

“Every now and then, I remind myself to not chase other people’s rainbows.”

maplelam.substack.com/p/are-you-ch...

Short Cycles, Long Game How The 12 Week Year helped me build a sustainable creative system as a graphic novelist

Happy new year!

Are you a new-year-resolution person? Check out on my Substack the method I used since last year to implement my resolutions.

tinyurl.com/MLSS-12WkYr

May your enjoy the journey on your ways to your goals and milestones! 😊

The road to making books is a meandering labyrinth. I know. I’ve been there. (Still there.)

Yes, it can be confusing, defeating, and sometimes frustrating. But hang in there. You’re not alone.

Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, come join my SCBWI online workshop: Seven Publishing tips with Maple Lam. I’ll share what I’ve learned from my 10+ years as an author-illustrator.

Pick up a new tip. Learn from my mistakes. Or, if you are seasoned-pro, get a minty shot of creative adrenaline. December 9, 2025 (Tuesday) 6:30 PM to 8 PM, EST. Free for SCBWI members. $15 for non-members. Registration required. See you there!

Join me on a real-talk about the ups & downs of traditional publishing. 7 honest lessons I learned along my creative journey. It’s a one hour talk with 30 mins Q&A.

Hope to see you tmr! 😊

Info and registeration link:
https://www.scbwi.org/events/MD-MapleLam

Register for Maple's publishing workshop via SCBWI Webinar.

Register for Maple's publishing workshop via SCBWI Webinar.

Join me on a real-talk about the ups & downs of traditional publishing, from pitching ideas, finding your people, to the waiting game. I will be sharing 7 honest lessons I learned along my creative journey. I look fwd to sharing the journey with you.

Register today! 😊
www.scbwi.org/events/MD-Ma...

Monkey King Su Wukong and Cerberus the three headed dog dressed up as characters in KPop Demon Hunters.

Happy songs, happy hunters, happy Friday!

Monkey King And The World of Myths: The Battle of the Beasts made Amazon-Singapore #1 Bestseller.

My friend just told me MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS made #1 Bestseller on Amazon-Singapore!

Thank you for all the support, readers in Singapore! ❤❤❤

Cover of MONKEY KING 2: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS

Thank you for the interview, Jonathan Roth! 😀

tinyurl.com/Mk2JohnRoth

Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: August 2025 This month, kids can look forward to a graphic novel about a monster battle, a middle grade horror about a creature haunting a small town, a graphic novel about a blended family, and more.

New series installments are sure to perk young readers right up this month, kids can look forward to a graphic novel about a monster battle, a middle grade horror about a creature haunting a small town, a graphic novel about a blended family, and more

Thanks for the love and support, Debbie! ❤️❤️❤️

Two graphic novels titled Monkey King and the World of Myths by Maple Lam. One is subtitled The Battle of the Beasts with a sticky note labeled “OHI, DEBBIE,” and the other is subtitled The Monster and the Maze. A purple bookmark from Mabel’s Fables bookstore is placed beside the books.

Woohoo! Just picked up my copy of @maplelam.bsky.social's new graphic novel MONKEY KING & THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS from Mabel's Fables (#KidLit bookstore is this week!). Read starred Kirkus review. Loved the first book in series, can't wait to read second! #KidLit #BookBirthday

Book cover of MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS.

"Many rounds of character design are created during story development."

"It takes a village to make a book."

“Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Battle of the Beasts” is out today! 📚🎉🎂

Happy book birthday to the mightiest monster hunter in the Three Worlds! 🐒👑👊

Substack Link:
tinyurl.com/2pmpvv7a

Monkey King 2 Book Party this Saturday Aug 23 at 2pm at Once Upon a Time Bookstore!

Come join the book party this Sat (August 23) at 2pm to celebrate MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS! Find out all the behind-the-scenes & get your books signed~! See you there! ❤️

Once Upon a Time Bookstore
2207 Honolulu Ave.
Montrose, CA 91020

tinyurl.com/mr2pjk9p 😀

Rights Report: Week of August 11, 2025 New deals for Katherine Paterson, Erin A. Craig, Jennifer Dugan, and others.

New books on the way from @maplelam.bsky.social @midnightatelier.bsky.social @kyomaclear.bsky.social + more

On KPop Demon Hunters and Celebrating Everything You Love As a Creator, Part I To be honest, when I first saw the KPop Demon Hunters icon on Netflix, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

This week I talk about the latest popular Netflix movie "KPop Demon Hunters" and how we can learn from it as creators. 😊

tinyurl.com/MapleSubstac...

Shuten-Doji is the leader of beasts and yokai in Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Battle of the Beasts.

Meet Shuten-Doji, leader of beasts and yokai, in MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS!
Book 2, THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS, is coming out Aug 19, 2025.
PreOrder today! 😊
tinyurl.com/MK2Order

On Exploring Art Style in My College Years The other day, in preparation for an interview, I looked through some of my old files from my college years.

Ever wonder how I used to draw in my college years? Check out my Substack post this week. 😉

tinyurl.com/MLsubstack-C...

General Raiko is the commander of the Imperial Army, and he warns that no one will get away with breaking the law under his watch.

Meet General Raiko, commander of the Imperial Guards, in MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS!

Book 2, THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS, is coming out Aug 19, 2025. (Publisher: Penguin Putnam)

PreOrder today! 😊
tinyurl.com/MK2Order

Kit the fox yokai wants revenge in the upcoming book MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS

Meet Kit the fox yokai in MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS!

Book 2, THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS, is coming out Aug 19, 2025.

PreOrder today! 😊
tinyurl.com/MK2Order

Momotaro the Peach Boy.

Meet Momotaro the Peach Boy in MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS!

Book 2, THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS, is coming out Aug 18, 2025.

PreOrder today! 😀
tinyurl.com/MK2Order

Story Writing: Change is the Only Constant Discussion of story revisions, and some Totoro trivia.

This week on my Substack, I talk a bit about story revisions and share a fun MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO trivia.

maplelam.substack.com/p/story-writ...

An illustrated elephant that looks frustrated.

Racking my brain and pulling my hair in trying to figure out a solution to a story. Sometimes, my friend, the fun is in the challenge.

A Weekly Magazine in Hong Kong Filled Me with Comic Wonders and Dreams Whenever a book gets published, a part of me always hope it will do well – no matter how many meditation sessions I go through and try reminding myself that I have control over the number of readershi...

This week, I celebrate the amazing creators of a Weekly Children's Magazine I grew up reading when I was a kid in Hong Kong. These creators instilled in me a love for comic storytelling and the dream of becoming a comic storyteller myself. ❤

tinyurl.com/CityChildren...

Monkey King 2: Little Things I Learned With every book, I learn to level-up. Here's something to add to your comic-creation arsenal.

What I learned as I continue making graphic novels. 🙂

Link: tinyurl.com/LineColors

#comics #graphicnovels #kidlit #middlegrades #monkeyking

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Brushstrokes I grew up watching tons of anime with robot-themes.

This week, I share my thoughts on the artwork of the classic military space opera manga Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.

tinyurl.com/MSGundamArt

Pluto and Urasawa's Imaginary Exploration on an Evolved-AI World, Part I Today, I would like to talk about a manga series I really enjoyed.

Pluto and Urasawa's Imaginary Exploration on an Evolved-AI World, Part I
open.substack.com/pub/maplelam...

Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Battle of the Beasts got a Kirkus Starred Review.

“Monkey King 2: The Battle of the Beasts” got a Starred Review from Kirkus! Yaaay! Thank you! ⭐️

Link to full review: https://tinyurl.com/MK2KirkusReview

#MonkeyKing #GraphicNovel #KidLit #KidsComic #Culture #Mythology

Cover of action-adventure-world-mythologies middle grade graphic novel MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS Book 1.

Summary of MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS.

Cover of BooksTrust's Great Books Guide 2024-25.

Thank you, BookTrust, for including MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS: THE MONSTER AND THE MAZE in the 2024-2025 Great Books Guide! I feel so honored!

#MonkeyKing #GraphicNovel #KidlitGN #GreatBooks #MiddleGrade

Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2025 - Part II - Meeting Storytellers The joy of learning from other storytellers

Last month, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing creatives in Hong Kong. Check out my post on some of these wonderful storytellers! 😊

#hongkongtravel #creatives #storytellers

maplelam.substack.com/p/hong-kong-...

Lion dance in front of the grand opening of iTaiwan Foods.

Cover of Benson Shum's book WE ARE LION DANCERS.

Passed by my hood & saw some fantastic lion dances at a store's grand opening.

Speaking of lion dances, have you read my good friend Benson Shum’s @bshum79.bsky.social wonderful and gorgeously illustrated book WE ARE LION DANCERS? Check it out! Esp. perfect for age 5-7.

#LionDance #read #kidlit

Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2025 - Part I - School Visits A week filled with wonderful school visits and greeting little big readers.

A wonderful experience participating at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2025. Thank you for having me! 😀
maplelam.substack.com/p/hong-kong-...