Dawn
asked
Celeste Ng:
Did you have the plot and cast of "Everything I Never Told You" in mind when you started writing it, or did you figure most of it out along the way?
Celeste Ng
Hi Dawn,
Thanks for your question! I had the basic plot and cast in mind from the start--I knew, for example, that Lydia would be dead and that she'd drowned in the lake, and I had a basic idea of why. And I knew the major things that had happened in the family's history. Those actually stayed pretty constant throughout all of the drafts and all the writing. But as I wrote, I figured out *why* those events had happened, and learned much more about each of the characters. For me, writing is always a mix of what I know (or think I know) and what I don't know, of exploration and explanation.
Thanks for your question! I had the basic plot and cast in mind from the start--I knew, for example, that Lydia would be dead and that she'd drowned in the lake, and I had a basic idea of why. And I knew the major things that had happened in the family's history. Those actually stayed pretty constant throughout all of the drafts and all the writing. But as I wrote, I figured out *why* those events had happened, and learned much more about each of the characters. For me, writing is always a mix of what I know (or think I know) and what I don't know, of exploration and explanation.
More Answered Questions
Jann
asked
Celeste Ng:
Hi Celeste! I just finished your book and loved it!! Beautiful writing. Very poignant. I was struck by your use of verb tense in the book. Very masterfully handled - could have been a train wreck in a less talented writer's hands. It was also very effective. What made you choose the different verb tenses in the book as a writing device?
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