Aug 18, 2014 8 Questions with: Ed Lin
I’m thankful that I’ve been able to cobble together some sort of writing career by sharing the great stuff that my friends and future friends do. But while it’s a purposeful form of communication–and possibly even a mutation or mutilation of journalism–I don’t consider myself a “real” writer.
My friend Ed Lin is a real writer. He writes fiction. At a time when most people read no more than an excerpt, a caption, or a tweet, would could be more noble or important than cranking out novels? Especially when one’s latest work entails Taiwanese night markets, betel-nut beauties, and murder. When Ed was in town to support Ghost Month, I asked him eight (or nine) questions about his new book, his writing gig, and life.
How would you describe your job?
The day job’s a matter of looking at the stock market and thinking against the grain. Sell-offs and buy-ins are often driven by sentiment and because we are human they often run to extremes, unjustifiably so.
I mean your writing!
Oh. Writing books is a hard thing to do, but it’s what I want to do. Although it is downright tough at times, I live for the flecks of pleasure that sparkle in the pan of dirt.
For Ghost Month, can you compare the time spent doing extensive research with the time spent actually writing? Not simply how much time they require but your approaches to the tasks…
I have to do both at the same time. That’s my own process. For me, “writing” isn’t necessarily when my fingers are hitting the keyboard; I’m writing in my head even as I’m interviewing people and reading source material. Charles Willeford said that while he was “writing,” it looked to an outside observer like he was sitting in his chair holding a can of beer. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing continuously in my head.
With Ghost Month, I (physically) wrote about 100 pages before I began to research heavily because I had the germ of the story and I didn’t want to kill it before it had a chance to fester. Much of it ended up being destroyed anyway because it couldn’t have happened.
Do you enjoy the promotional part of publishing cycle? Is it anything at all like being a band on tour?
I love getting up and reading, feeling that connection with the audience. It is like being in a band on tour, especially since I am taking Greyhound from the Bay Area to New Orleans on this tour. I wanna see the country and literally feel the pain in my ass!
Besides Ghost Month, which of your books do you recommend a new reader to check out? Why?
I say start at the top: Read Waylaid, my first and most desperate book. After that the rest of the books might make more sense, although they do not seem to be related on the surface.
Are you reading anything cool at the moment?
Just finished Excavation by Wendy C. Ortiz. It was a searingly good memoir of her affair with her teacher when she was in her early teens. It’s a great book and took a lot of courage to write.
Where do you find inspiration outside of literature?
Absolutely music, especially live, when anything can happen. I also love the stark neorealism of early films by Satyajit Ray, Italian neorealism, and silent film. Theater, too. Because my wife’s an actor, I often get to watch her in it!
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since second grade. Later, I wanted to be The Clash. Got one of my wishes, Ma!
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Home, obviously. We’ve got an 18-month-old son and there’s nothing better than hearing him yell “Dada!” when I unlock the door.
Find out more about Ed at edlinforpresident.com. And follow Imprint Culture Lab on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest articles, events, and announcements from the crew.