So here's your chance to eavesdrop into our chat:
me: hi!
samuel: Hi Elizabeth!
me: sorry for taking long, I had a situation
with the kids. They decided to fight all at once. ugh
samuel: Oh, no!
I only waited thirty
seconds, so you're right on time.
me: Okay, I'm going to ask
you a few questions, [I had found Samual so fascinating, I ended up asking him
more than a few questions!] I'd love for you to elaborate. Ready?
samuel: That sounds great. Ready!
me: Okay, here it goes! Why write?
samuel: You know, I've been writing since I was
eight. So maybe I should ask my 8-year old self. Why write? I guess he would
say, because I love reading so much and this is one way of staying in that
world.
I always loved characters,
and I think through books (and films too) you get to know people at a level
that sometimes you don't in real life. You really get to be "inside"
someone, and I think that's very attractive.
me: Is This Burns My Heart your first book?
samuel: It's my first novel, and before that I
wrote a novella called Shakespeare's Sonnets.
me: Oh, now you've got my curiosity. Before
I ask you about This Burns My Heart, I'd love to know more about your novella.
Care to share?
samuel: Yeah, I started out wanting to write
scripts back in the day, and a producer I was working with was interested in
that script--which was about the inspiration for the Sonnets.
At the time he was
working with a book editor at Alyson Books and they learned about my work.
Eventually, the producer and I parted ways, but I ended up writing a short
novel (novella) based on the script. I sent it off to Alyson and the rest is
history!
me: Wow, that sounds like a great way to wet
your writerly feet. What have you learned from that experience?
samuel: That was the first time I was ever edited,
copy-edited, and proof-read. So what I learned is that you'd better make your
book worthy of all the time and expertise they're bestowing upon you.
me: That's a fabulous way to see what every
published author goes through--even aspiring with their edits from critique
partners. So, what is This Burns My Heart about?
samuel: This Burns My Heart is about a young
woman growing up in South Korea in the 60s who has to choose between two
different men, and she chooses the wrong one. Then, she has to live with the
consequences of her choice. Later on, though, the man she turned down returns
to her life, and she's given one last shot at happiness.
I was intrigued by the
question of choice, and how it relates to fate. Do we all have one life that
we're supposed to live, or do we all have different possible lives?
me: Ah,
sounds like my kind of story. I love when a character endures failure and
struggles for happiness. What inspired this story?
samuel: I
was inspired by something that happened to my own mother. Right before she was
supposed to marry my dad, a stranger came up to her and asked her out on a
date. He was very handsome, and my mother was tempted.
But nobody would be
crazy enough to cancel a wedding, so she just told him No. She did spend the
rest of her life, though, wondering what would've happened if she'd said Yes.
I think we all wonder
about that "What if?" That "other life" we imagine possible
for us.
me: I believe using "what if"
opens endless possibilities in our novels as well as real life. How is this
story written--first or third person point of view?
samuel: That's a great question. I actually
wrote it in the 1st person initially. Then I submitted it to an agent who read
the first few chapters, and he suggested that I change it to 3rd. He was a
smart guy whose opinion I valued, so I tried it out. And it really did work
much better as a 3rd person narrative.
I'm a fan of both 1st
and 3rd person. I think 1st person has a wonderful immediacy, and 3rd has that
familiarity that's hard to beat.
me: I'm intrigued how a man would write
first person through a woman, even 3rd! Was it a challenge to put your mindset
into a female way of thinking? I assume since your story is about a young
woman, it is through a female's point of view, correct?
samuel: Yeah, you know, I get asked that a lot.
I didn't really think it was that unusual, until I started to get emails from
people expressing surprise to find out I was a man. These are people who read
the book early on, without knowing my name. And when I do readings, I
inevitably get asked about that.
I didn't think it was
hard. Partly because the character is based on my mother, and I know her
incredibly well. I'm also very close to my two older sisters. I grew up
watching them and observing them.
The challenging part,
actually, was writing the male characters! I think women are much easier to
write.
me: I'd love to know in greater detail what
you mean that women are much easier to write when you're a man. How's that?
samuel: Oh, I don't mean that they're easier to
write when you're man. I meant that I personally find female characters more
compelling in historical fiction. I think because women have been the underdog
historically, it's easier to draw the reader's sympathy and interest.
In my novel, for
instance, because she's living in '60s South Korea--which is still a very
traditional, patriarchal environment--she has to figure out how to rebel, and
how to plot her way out of her cultural norms, and I think that's very
interesting. How she upends the old-fashioned customs around her. If you're
writing the male version of that character, I think it's harder to draw the
reader's sympathy.
So that's why I find
male characters harder to write.
me: To get such detail in the place and
time, you must've done lots of research. Where did you get all your information
from?
samuel: I read books, and watched a lot of
movies from the period. I also called my mother a lot for information!
me: I take it that your mind is pretty
flexible to even set the stage of believability with your readers, and it's
wonderful that you have a real life model to go by. Did you ask any female
friends to proof your story for accuracy?
samual: That's such a great question! I didn't
overtly ask, but coincidentally, everyone who read the early draft was a female
reader, mostly because most of my friends are women. Most of their feedback had
to do with plot, or language.
me: Did you have a say in the title?
samuel: I did. It was between this and another
one, THE FOUR GENTLEMEN FLOWERS. My editor joked that it sounded like old men
engaging in horticulture.
I asked a friend of
mine, what do you think? And she said, "Something with fire and heart is
more exciting."
me: Do you see a direct connection between
your storyline and title?
samuel: Yes, especially the "this" in
the title. What is "this"? What is the thing that is causing the
heroine such pain? It turns out, of course, that it's her being separated from
the man that she loves, and her not being able to live the life that she dreams
of.
me: How long did it take, from inkling to
the waiting after copyediting, to get This Burns My Heart done?
samuel: Four years, maybe? Yeah, I think it took
that long. It's kind of amazing to me how long it takes.
me: Did you let your characters tell their
own story, or did you create an outline, graph, chart?
In other words, are
you a pantser or a plotter?
samuel: Oh, that's a good question. The story
actually kept changing.
What is that? Oh, I
never heard that before, but that is genius!
I guess I'm a bit of
both. Basically, I know the broad contours of the story. And then, I try to
plot it out 2 scenes in advance. So at any given moment, I know what happens 2
scenes later. But I don't know any more than that. So if something happens in
the middle of those 2 scenes, we may end up going in a different direction.
me: Ah, that sounds like the way I write...
samuel: Does it? Yes, great minds think alike!
me: As an author, I know the long and dreary
road to published. Tell us about your road to Simon & Schuster.
samuel: Well, it's a funny story. I asked my
agent not to tell me when the manuscript was in submission.
I'm a very
superstitious person, and I was convinced that I was going to jinx it.
So I said to her,
"I don't want to know when you send it out."
So when I got the
call, it was a complete surprise. Weirdly enough, the same day I got the call I
was supposed to be in New York for something else, but my flight got cancelled
due to snow.
me: Wise! I feel that also kept you from
worrying so much, too...
samuel: Yes, exactly! I'm a bit of a worrier,
and I wanted to spare myself the anxiety. This way, I got to just relax and
continue on with my life.
me: Ugh, anxiety, the little creature that
loves to follow me everywhere. When does your book release?
samuel: Tell me about it! The paperback just
came out March 6th.
me: Congratulations, I'm excited for you!
How has that been for you?
samuel: It's been good. I can't complain!
me: Where can my readers find your book?
samuel: They can find it at wherever they like
to shop best--their indie bookstore, or Amazon, or B&N.
me: One more question and I'll set you to
your merry way--how has being a college professor helped with your writing?
samuel: It has helped me in the sense that when
I teach, I end up reading passages out loud to my students all the time, and I
think reading great literature out loud is a great way of getting your mind
tuned in to powerful language. Cheever, for instance, has such a knack for
sentences, and I feel inspired whenever I read him.
me: Okay, I lied--one more question! Any
burning last words you'd like to share?
samuel: Sure! Starbucks is doing a promotion for
its customers the week of March 13, so you can read the book for free if you
join their Digital Network.
me: Thank you so much for sharing your
thoughts, heart, and soul with us, Samual!
samuel: Thank you so much Elizabeth! I really
enjoyed doing this e-chat with you! Thank you for hosting me on your blog--it
was a pleasure.
CoOl stuff about our Samual:
Author bio:
Originally born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Korean-American author Samuel Park is the author of THIS BURNS MY HEART, which was chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2011, a People magazine “Great Reads in Fiction,” and one of the Today Show’s “Favorite Things.” THIS BURNS MY HEART was also a Kirkus Reviews’ Best Fiction of 2011, a BookPage Best Book of 2011, and an Indie Next List Notable Book.
Now a word from Samual...
Latest news:
I'm excited to share news that the book is going to be a Starbucks Bookish Reading Club selection for the week of March 13. The promotion allows Starbucks customers to read the book for free for 2 weeks when signed into the Starbucks Digital Network at the stores. THIS BURNS MY HEART is set in South Korea in the '60s, and is about a young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage who is given one last chance at happiness.
Visit Samuel Park at his website here!
Watch the book trailer:
Thank you, Samuel, this was the funnest interview I've ever done! I don't know about you, but I'm intrigued with his book. Here's your chance to win a print copy of This Burns My Heart--two winners!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Interesting insight on how Samual got into the mindset of writing from a woman's perspective - and not just any woman - his mum and sisters!! Yay!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck Samual Park with your amazing book! Take care
x
I'm intrigued as well!
DeleteI thought it was challenging to introduce a female point of view into my second book. Impressed you did it for your entire first book.
ReplyDeleteSamuel's a sweetie. I can't wait to read his book!
DeleteGreat interview with Samuel. A female point of view I am sure would have been challenging as much as changing from 1st to 3rd person. The title completely suits the story.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview--and I love the e-chat. That was fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow, sounds amazing! great interview.
ReplyDeleteYou're so cute! Blogger can be annoying, hu? :D
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ReplyDeleteHey! I gave you an award on my blog :)
ReplyDeletehttp://yadinbromberg.blogspot.com/2012/03/z-theme-located-z-song-in-progress.html
Yadin, aw, thank you! *hugs*
DeleteGreat interview - a fantastic way to do it!
ReplyDeleteI'm really intrigued by the story too - I know Samuel's been touring blogs I visit, but this is the first time I've read one. I'll have to track him down now :-)
Yay! You'll make him happy--he's so cool
DeleteSweet! Okay my 3 things:
ReplyDelete1) He also met Eugenia Kim - she's so awesome and she inspired me early in my fiction journey: What Oprah's Book Editor Told Me
2) Since I live in a Harvard-Bruin household I have to hiss at his Stanford-Trojan background. We can't all be perfect... :P
3) I'm going to have many opportunities to see him in L.A. coming up this April and July so I hope I can win his book!!!!