Highly recommend @henrylienauthor.bsky.social's book about Kishōtenketsu (the Japanese name for the classic 4 Act Eastern story structure). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kish%C5... Henry's slim book is concise & entertaining. Should be in every writer's toolkit! #writing bookshop.org/a/102876/978...

@henrylienauthor.bsky.social I also want to personally thank you for writing this book! I've been intrigued by this form for some time and your book is an excellent primer. I'd like to reference it in a upcoming class I'm going to be teaching on #solarpunk, if that's okay with you?

Just finished Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird by @henrylienauthor.bsky.social. What a nice little introduction to some Eastern storytelling traditions! I will definitely be looking at East and Southeast Asian works in translation with a different eye.

I preordered this, so I’ve had it for a minute, but today’s the day I get to start reading it! Can’t wait. Thanks to @henrylienauthor.bsky.social for writing it!!

Get cozy on Thursday @ 6 @ North Figueroa Books w/ @cbleez.bsky.social @henrylienauthor.bsky.social Emily Skruskie & Sanjana Sekhar! Hosted by Dahlia de la Vega!

@henrylienauthor.bsky.social again, asking authors when to stop worldbuilding so you don’t end up with a massive google doc of facts and no story

Our valiant moderator @henrylienauthor.bsky.social introducing himself

Resources on this exist! I teach classes. @henrylienauthor.bsky.social does too (I'm in one rn!) & Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird is all about Eastern storytelling. @salesses.bsky.social's Craft in the Real World is about cultural craft. @karenyin.bsky.social has a style guide. EDUCATE THYSELF! 5/5

BAIT FOR AN INTROVERT This guy does a lot of public speaking but he’s actually an intense introvert. But you know what bait can tempt him out? Talking and singing about his @wwnorton.com book #SpringSummerAsteroidBird and paneling with fine writers at @seattlein2025.org. Sked ⬇️. Love, Him #Worldcon

Author @henrylienauthor.bsky.social is hosting a writing workshop, built around his writing craft book SPRING SUMMER ASTEROID BIRD. Learn more here: events.humanitix.com/diverse-narr...

Wonderful meeting up to write in person with some of my UCLA Writers’ Program students and prove that I’m not CGI. 4.5 hours flew by. Pic attached of profundities being written. Just too bad it was such an ugly location. Love, Henry #UCLA #Malibu #Bruins #AmWriting #LALife #ClassOutside

SEQUELS IN REBOOT DRAG You know how sometimes a reboot covers the first movie but adds so much that you’re basically getting a sequel, too? Well, I just did that with my popular @writingtheother.com class about 4-act structure and circular/nested structures. writingtheother.com/diverse-narr...

THEY LAUGHED, THEY CRIED My perf for #HouseOfSpeakeasy at @joespub.bsky.social in NY is available. Link below. I talk about my @wwnorton.com book “Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling” and tell a story starring me and Death. Love, Henry www.facebook.com/HenryLienAut...?

SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD: The LiveStream In case you weren’t able to get a ticket to my appearances in NY, LA, SD, etc., I’m doing a FREE online presentation for #aapiheritagemonth of my material in connection with my latest book about Asian storytelling from @wwnorton.com +

I've also got @henrylienauthor.bsky.social's recent book on my shelf, and you're reminding me I really need to read it. bookshop.org/a/102876/978...

Highly recommended reading 📖 💫

I DO NOT HAVE THE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE THIS #UCLA #WritersProgram is offering a free, three-hour workshop on Sat., May 17, co-taught by me about using Jungian dream analysis and meditation to build powerful scenecraft. Love, Henry www.uclaextension.edu/writing/crea...

MY GROUPIES OMG, my #UCLA #WritersProgram students are so hard core. Enrollment just opened and the class is already almost full. They’ve said that they’re going to start camping out in front of their computer screens to get a good seat for 06/25. Love, Henry #writers #groupies

I LOVE your book. I shared it with my students and now we use the phrase “what is your asteroid?” When discussing story structure.

MAKE AN OLD MAN HAPPY Today is my 55th birthday! My birthday wish is for people to join me in showing love for animals by doing the following:

And if you'd like suggestions for satisfying, safe , supportive, representative, diverse authors in a post-Potter world, may I suggest @bbalston.bsky.social, @esmesymessmith.bsky.social, @dhonielle.bsky.social, @claribelortega.bsky.social, @henrylienauthor.bsky.social, @kwamembalia.bsky.social

Read @henrylienauthor.bsky.social's Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling last week and now I'm making notes for circular-structure story ideas. Recommended!

THE SCHIZOPHRENIA ZONE The work of this young Basquiat-like genius is tragically exhibiting disturbance in the schizophrenia zone. Fortunately, his mother has agreed to hire me as his art therapist, despite my very high rate. Love, Henry #ArtTherapy #Basquiat #SchizophreniaZone

Thank you to @pw.org for letting me share some ideas about what next-level diversity can look like. Love, Henry

No NYC busking permit laws were broken when I rehearsed for my #HouseOfSpeakeasy event at #JoesPub in connection with #SpringSummerAsteroidBird cuz didn’t lay out hat to ask for money, and played to enrapt juvenile Union Square squirrel. Plus, I’m back in CA so just try to extradite me. Love, Henry

Non-linear stories often provide insights about behavior and time/space that the strictures of linear storytelling cannot. This is the epitome of the New Mythos.

Looking forward to seeing these old (ahem, young) friends and making some new ones at the #torranceinnovationfestival ! Be a friend and come by. Sat 3/29, 10-3, at @elcaminocollege.bsky.social !

Join #SarahSelecky and me for an intimate, soulful event at #AudiotoriumBooks on Sun, Mar 23, 3 pm. We’ll be talking about our new writing books, which promote unconventional approaches to creativity, emphasizing spirit and values. auditoriumbooks.com/pages/events... Love, Henry

THEY LAUGHED, THEY CRIED Joyous and heartfelt evening performing at @joespub.bsky.social for the #houseofspeakeasy event in connection with #SpringSummerAsteroidBird (@wwnorton.bsky.social). Audience members told me they laughed and cried. My heart is very full and I feel fully alive. Love, Henry

“Redemption in the real world is messy, nonlinear work, full of repetition and cruel setbacks.” In this week’s #CraftCapsule, author @henrylienauthor.bsky.social recommends writers embrace circuitous storytelling structures, typical of nonwestern literature. at.pw.org/CCLien2

Thanks to @pw.org for letting me share this in connection with #SpringSummerAsteroidBird (@wwnorton.bsky.social). Non-linear stories often feel truer to reality. We wouldn’t need stories to reflect reality better if we didn’t so often ask for reality to reflect stories. Link below. Love, Henry

“Storytelling tastes are like dietary tastes…what constitutes a satisfying meal differs from culture to culture, and those tastes are learned…” Henry Lien Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling 2025 🌸 🌞 ☄️ 🦢 #booksky #narratology #literarytheory #culturalstudies #readbooks

THE JOY OF HOLDING BACK @pw.org commissioned me to write this essay about the East Asian four-act structure, in connection with my new book from @wwnorton.bsky.social #SpringSummerAsteroidBird. Love, Henry www.pw.org/content/the_...

Read the article and get SPRING SUMMER ASTEROID BIRD now. wwnorton.com/books/spring...

@literaryhub.bsky.social commissioned me to write this article about the radical handling of children’s self-esteem in #HayaoMiyazaki films. Thanks to @wwnorton.bsky.social for arranging this in connection with my new book (dedicated to Miyazaki!) #SpringSummerAsteroidBird. Love, Henry

The #NextBigIdeaClub, a non-fiction book club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink, invited me to contribute to their Book Bites series re #SpringSummerAsteroidBird (selected as Must Read Book and among 25 Highly Anticipated Books to Read in 2025). Link below.

L.A. folks, I’m coming at you live and in glorious 3D at these bookstore events in #Pasadena and #DTLA promoting #SpringSummerAsteroidBird. DTLA co-event with beloved author and writing instructor #SarahSelecky. March 15 2 pm #VromansBookstore March 23 3 pm #AuditoriumBooks Links below.

I’ll be performing at #HouseOfSpeakeasy’s literary cabaret at @JoesPub.bsky.social at the #PublicTheater in NY on March 18. I’ll be talking about my new book #SpringSummerAsteroidBird from @wwnorton.bsky.social and performing the theme song. publictheater.org/productions/... Love, Henry

SIX GOOD THINGS 1. Working on an essay about Hayao Miyazaki films and alternate concepts of self-esteem; 2. For [prominent literary magazine]; 3. Set up by my supernaturally capable publicists at @w.w.norton; 4. In connection with my new book #SpringSummerAsteroidBird;

I LOVE this book! As a reader and as a writer. I’m retired now but I taught creative writing to hs students and oh the fun I would have if I still taught introducing them to these ideas. Thank you for the inspiration!

This is the most entertaining “composition” book I’ve ever read.

My copy of @henrylienauthor.bsky.social's new book, SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD has landed! I love reading books about writing to help improve my craft, especially to experiment with different story structures. And experiencing a wide range of perspectives is more important now than ever.

BOOK FORAGE, DAY 1 Went foraging for SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD in the wilds is Los Angeles. Success! On the same shelf as one of my Clarion West instructors, the author of the book I use for my UCLA classes, an author I include in my book, and another guy who’s sold some books. Love, Henry

OH, HEY, LOOK AT THAT My new book about Eastern storytelling structures from @wwnorton.bsky.social is out! I had an obscene amount of fun writing this book. Link below (including how to buy from indie booksellers). Love, Henry henrylien.com/spring-summe... #diversebooks #diversereads #storystructure

We are SO pleased that author HENRY LIEN is our MC for the 2024 Locus Awards, June 19-22. The author of the Peasprout Chen books, published in Asimov’s, Analog, and more, and a four-time Nebula/Norton finalist! Get your tickets now! Online or in-person! tinyurl.com/locusawa...

As my bio states, I'm also a map artist! I've done maps for Henry Holt, Oxford University Press, Scholastic, self publishers, indie creators... I really enjoy doing them. Hope to do more someday when life with 2 kids + illustrating a tarot deck is a little less hectic! Publishers please take note! 😄

Inspirations for How To Be a Cool Old Person: 1. David Lynch 2. Isabella Rossellini 3. Patty Smith 4. Yoko Ono Who else?

SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD Me working on the theme song for my new book from @wwnorton.bsky.social about Eastern storytelling out on Feb 4! Love, Henry henrylien.com/spring-summe...

SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD My new book from @w.w.norton about Eastern storytelling is out Feb 4! I had a ludicrous amount of fun writing this book and talking about my favorite films, books, and video games. If you’d like to learn more, see below. Love, Henry henrylien.com/spring-summe...

SPRING, SUMMER, ASTEROID, BIRD My new book from @w.w.norton about Eastern storytelling is out Feb 4! I had an outrageous amount of fun writing this book and talking about my favorite films, books, and video games. If you’d like to learn more: henrylien.com/spring-summe.... Love, Henry