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Q&A with Francie Lin, 2009 Edgar nominee
Published: April 22, 2009 Nominated for Best First Novel by an American Author for:
The Foreigner |
 Francie Lin
It's about a mild-mannered, middle-aged man named Emerson Chang, a child of Taiwanese immigrants who speaks no Chinese and is also, incidentally, a virgin. His only real family is his mother, whose subtle manipulations have kept him close in the name of preserving an obscure idea of family and culture. But when his mother suddenly dies, Emerson sets out for Taipei to scatter her ashes, and to convey an inheritance to his estranged younger brother, Little P. Now enmeshed in the Taiwanese criminal underworld, Little P seems to be running some very shady business out of his uncle's karaoke bar, and he conceals a secret--a crime that has not only severed him from his family, but may have annihilated his conscience. The novel follows Emerson as he attempts to ferret out Little P's secret, to uncover his brother's past and to save him from it.
How long did it take you to write it?
About 4 years from start to publication.
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What was the most challenging part?
Having to cut out about 75 percent of my first draft during editing, and then rewriting the remaining 25 percent until it resembled a solid novel. Also, reworking a novel that was primarily based on themes and setting into one that was character-driven.
How did you create the main character in your book?
Hard to say. He's somewhat based on a couple of friends, and a little bit on stereotypes of Asian American males (it was meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek), but in the end he developed his own persona.
What's your advice for beginning writers?
Just write whatever you feel like writing—don't worry about what's popular or what apparently "sells," because then regardless of whether your sales are good, you'll also be denied the satisfaction of working on something you enjoy and believe in.
Must-read mysteries?
Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World; Henry James' Turn of the Screw; Graham Greene's End of the Affair.
For more information about Francie Lin, visit http://us.macmillan.com/author/francielin.
For more information about the Edgar® Awards, see www.theedgars.com.
--Posted April 22, 2009
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