:: I interrupt regular blogging to indulge in a meme ::
My Responses to 10 Signs A Book Might Be Written By Me:
- Flawed Antiheroes. Main characters in my novels and short stories are not lovable; they’re understandable. The situations they find themselves in never “just happen” to victimize them, but rather the characters brought it upon themselves and they must deal with the consequences of their own actions.
- Dichotomous Characters. The dissenter is usually paired with a conformist, an acquiescent personality with a domineering one, and each character has his or her subliminal counterpart.
- No Race Card. My characters deal with marginalization as a result of their own inadequacies or perceived inadequacies, and not marginalization as a result of their race.
- Asian People. I write from the perspective of characters of unnamed East Asian heritage, but on occasion I’ll include a few details that suggest they’re Korean or Taiwanese or some ethnic group descendant of Han.
- Religious References. I would argue vehemently that I am not religious (but “spiritual”) and once upon a time in my youth I went through the nihilist phase, which I think any kid who reads Derrida, Camus, Nietzsche, and Jacobi will inevitably slip into. Yet a friend pointed out that I incorporate a lot of both Christian and Buddhist symbolism. Upon reflection, I realize I do. Hmm.
- Feminist Themes. There’s usually a strong presence of feminist thought underlying the narration. It may come as a critique of the state of feminism or it may offer my notion of what feminism means. It may also offer my interpretation and observation of feminism in the Asian American community.
- Lack of Sentimentality. No mushy love stories, no beautifully tragic heroines, no knights in shining armor, and never anything that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, unless stuff like Vonnegut, Conrad, and Chekhov leave you feeling warm and fuzzy….not that I write like Vonnegut, Conrad, or Chekhov; my point is if the stories leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, then you’re pathological.
- Nonlinear Narrative Structure. I almost never write (or think) in chronological order. The organization will follow stream of consciousness.
- Verbosity. Me, myself, and I are working on this one. As of the present, though, I tend to be verbose. Bleh.
- Critique of the “Asian Mob Mentality.“ Enough said. =)
indefeasible 