Ask the Author: Paul Yee
Answered Questions (4)
Paul Yee
I love to do research, so I am inspired by past events and past personalities. In the situation of Chinese immigrants to Canada, many parts of their history remain unknown to the general public, so I felt my writing opened a window into dark musty basement where pieces of their past had been hidden. There were family secrets, workplace accounts, political intrigue, and stories set on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. When I started writing many years ago, I depended on family anecdotes and personal experiences. They were not only very real but they also helped me better understand the larger community that I belonged to.
Paul Yee
A publisher just picked up my first novel for adults. It will be published next year in 2015, so I’m polishing the manuscript one last time (reading it aloud to myself) before I send it to the editor for her comments in December of 2014. She will launch me into another round of revisions, but I’m eager to get some outside feedback.
Paul Yee
You’re able to make “something” out of “nothing.” You start out with an idea, then it becomes words on a sheet of paper, bytes in your computer, a print-out, a manuscript, and then, finally, a book that you can hold in your hands.
Paul Yee
I’ve learned to trust my subconscious. I don’t worry “writer’s block” to death. I accept that I’m tired. I read something else (good fiction) to distract myself. When I return to my writing after a good night’s sleep, I’m usually able to move on.
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