Entering The WAI Series

Welcome to the official Substack of Sophie Shen, author of The WAI Series.

This space is where I write around The WAI Series.

In this era of uncertainty, where material excess often masks spiritual depletion, The WAI series grows from a quieter, more unsettling question: what remains when everything external loses its meaning?

My writing happens in the quiet hours between shifts, when the world feels slightly more transparent, and I am no longer doing, only observing. I am a Chinese writer currently based in Canada, working part-time as a Personal Support Worker(PSW).

Here, you will find behind-the-scenes updates on my publishing process, deep dives into the world-building of the WAI, and honest reflections on the writing life.

Alongside this, fragments of a grounded form of fantasy appear: brief reflections, narrative pieces, and moments that exist somewhere between fiction and observation.

The WAI series began with a simple image that refused to leave: a figure sitting quietly in a crowded place, watching lives unfold without intervening. Over time, that image became a way of seeing rather than a story idea. Something that kept returning until it had to be written down.

This space continues from that same impulse.

If this kind of quiet, introspective storytelling resonates with you, you are welcome to follow along.

Expect new fragments only when there is something meaningful to share.

They arrive at a slow rhythm, usually every two weeks, with occasional additions around moments of transition in the book’s journey.

There is no urgency—only what feels ready to surface.

For inquiries or any early readers related requests:

sophie@thewai.me