The first Malaysian author to win the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction shares tips on writing a good novel
Tan Twan Eng's debut novel, The Gift of Rain, which follows the trials and tribulations of a young man in Penang during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2007. He followed this up with The Garden of Evening Mists, another tale set in World War II, which won Tan the Man Asian Literary Prize as well as the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.
In this interview, the Penang-born author shares his creative process and the secret to writing a bestseller.
What books would you recommend to fledgling writers?
My advice would be unimaginatively similar to what other writers have given: read everything you can. But I’d also add that you should pay particular attention to the sort of books you’re interested in writing, and analyse how the experienced writers work with their craft. I’d also recommend that you read long and well-analysed book reviews in Literary Review, TLS, Asian Review of Books, Mekong Review, and The New York Review of Books.
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What is the rule of thumb when it comes to writing?
There are no rules except your own personal rules, and I’m reluctant to impose them on anybody. You’ll discover through experience what works for you and your book, as well as what doesn’t. That’s one of the most rewarding things about being a writer—the freedom to march to the beat of your own drum.
Somerset Maugham said he had only one rule in his writing: "Clarity, clarity, clarity." I try to adhere closely to that, to make my writing as lucid as possible. A handful of my own rules include don’t resort to clichéd writing, ever; don’t be pretentious in your writing style; don’t adopt all the latest textual trends and gimmicks; and the most essential rule of all, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
Which stage of writing takes the longest and which is the most challenging?
Rewriting takes up the most time. I keep finding mistakes and, even worse, clumsy sentences and just plain bad writing with every rewrite, so the process is never-ending. But every stage of writing has its own set of problems and challenges. A novel is a series of intricate, interlocking mechanisms; all of them must function smoothly to drive the entire engine.
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