Like most things these days I discovered Chinese Whisperings via twitter. Following CW editor Jodi Cleghorn’s tweets last year led me to the then very red CW website. This was around this time last year, back when Jodi, Paul and the ten writers of The Red Book were busy promoting eMergent Publishing’s first collection of intertwined short fiction. I loved the idea and promptly set about tweeting about it to anyone who might listen. I reviewed the collection on my blog, super impressed at the range of genre and style possible within a collection of stories set within the same fictional world. All of which explains why, when asked if I wanted to take part in this years Chinese Whisperings anthologies, I didn’t hesitate.
Actually writing my story was the easy part, just as the tip of the ice berg is the pretty floaty bit. I made no secret that right up to the start date for my writing slot I had no idea at all what I was going to write about. The Monday morning I sat down at my typewriter, kids safely delivered to school, I found my inspiration in a news story and set about building my characters around a simple premise. In a day or two I had my first draft. That was when the real work began.
I knew from my outsider’s view of The Red Book’s creation, that writing for CW would be a collaborative experience, both with the editors and the other writers, one that would, of necessity, be fluid and organic as possible connections between stories became actual. I wasn’t prepared for just how that collaboration would help me grow as a writer. Nor had I anticpated just how exciting it is to see other writers take your characters and show them back to you.
Over the course of drafting my story I have travelled down dead ends with Tony Noland as we crafted a great crossover point in our stories only to realise too late such a meeting was physically impossible due to the inconvenience of airport security check-ins, learnt something about one of my duo of main characters that had a real impact on my subsequent drafts from watching her do her thing in Claudia Osmond’s story for The Yin Book, and, at time of writing this post, I am about to work through another draft to incorporate a character from Jason Coggin’s story, whose relationship with my duo sheds real light on some of the darker parts of their tale.
Collaborative projects like this are a lot of work, not least for our two tireless editors, but then so is everything worth doing. I have learnt so much from sharing a playground and letting other writers play with my toys and, having travelled through the belly of the CW beast, I can see why all ten writers from last year signed up for a second go round in 2010. This kind of project is a blast.
Dan Powell’s “This Be The Verse” is the fourth in The Yang Book. You can read more about the creation of “This Be The Verse” on 19th August and the first 750 words will be available 16th September.
Chinese Whisperings invites you to kick back with your favourite beverage and Take Five with Dan Powell.
The Red Book, Audio Trailer
Awesome to hear you had fun and learnt something. It’s always awesome when all your efforts are rewarded with a growth of some sort. I look forward to reading all the stories together in the end so I can see where things cross, fade and connect together.
There is lots of last minute retro-fitting of stories which will hopefully provide a unique reading experience again.
I love the fact Dan, that you, Annie and Jason have been able to work together so closely to bring your stories together without any help from the either Paul or I. And it goes to prove yet again – the timing is always right, even if it looks like it wasn’t. Your story is in its final throes of rewrite now, because it needed connections with stories which weren’t even conceived at the time you first wrote. It’s a bit mind bending and goes to show… writing the story is only the tip of the iceberg.
And that’s before we whip you all into a promo frenzy!
As you say, the fact that stories written so late would shed light on my characters is timely. Baby duties have meant I am later than most of the early writers in turning in my final draft. The fact that Annie’s and Jason’s characters and stories add so much to mine makes me smile every time I think about it.
The fact that we are able to work without close supervision is a credit to the ethos of risk-taking you and Paul have hardwired into this CW-thang.
The fact you are all able to work without close supervision is testament to the high level professionalism you all have, and the fact you’ve all checked your egos in at the door.
Giving your characters freedom to play on someone else’s page is the most terrifying and liberating experience. I think the enormity of Keely/Medae/Carrie’s presence will hit me only AFTER the book is published.
I’m again learning so much from about Chinese Whisperings by seeing it through everyone else’s eyes. Until I caught up with Jason for a few beers in Melbourne I had no idea just how much CW meant to the writers from last year… so I learn and grow as an editor and publisher in reading all these reflections. I’m glad no one thinks they’re too cumbersome and everyone else is enjoying them also.
And let’s not forget that Dan has a cracking yarn on his hands with an unforgettable character combination. So much fun
Thanks Lily, glad you like them. They are messed up, but I can’t help but like them too.
First draft in a day or two… envy, envy.
Thanks for sharing with us, Dan, in the midst of a very busy nappy schedule!
@Paul – I have to be fast. Too little time and too much to write. It helps to spend washing and ironing time mulling the story in my head, so when it becomes time to write I hit the ground running.
@Laura – Busy indeed. Taking my latest draft in hard copy to the local kids play centre. While the boys run around the climbing room and bounce on trampolines I shall be drinking coffee and slashing with the red pen.