The Writing Life Writing Short Stories with Yan Ge
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Oct 10, 2023 Fiction writer Yan Ge discusses the process of writing short stories in her English language debut collection. They explore the challenges and advantages of the genre, with insights on editing and the importance of musicality in crafting stories. Yan reflects on her journey, the impact of translation, and offers advice for emerging writers on perseverance and hydration.
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Elsewhere As Dual Notion Of Place
- Elsewhere explores dual meanings of place as both physical locations and the outsider's perspective of being elsewhere.
- The nine stories span London, Dublin, Stockholm, New York–like city, Chengdu and an ancient 480 BC setting, creating thematic dislocation.
How One Dublin Story Forced Writing In English
- The collection began when Yan was "cornered" by a single story written in English about Dublin in 2018 and that compelled her to continue writing in English.
- Stories then arrived intermittently, sometimes resisted, until recurring threads made her assemble them into a collection.
Struggle And Fear Signal A Story's Truth
- Yan argues that productive writing involves struggle and a balance between caring and emotional detachment.
- Her translator advised that fear about a story signals emotional truth and is the connection that keeps it alive.