Writing an Ordinary Existence
I didn’t know how to make things happen in fiction—maybe because the drama of my life seemed so ordinary to everyone else.
How do I do this again?
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JesusSon
Win Me Something
Whats special about her? There needs to be a reason to tell a story about her. You should be able to tell us, right away, what is special about her.
She existsI didnt know she wasnt special, that she had to be.
Gazebo
I don’t knowUsually you write about an adolescent because there is something incredible about them.
brother
What is a ball? What color is the sun?
What color is the little truck?
They’re geeseT. rexThat’s a stegosaurus
We have a gentle houseHe doesn’t get asked questions in this rapid-fire way
Maybe hes just not ready for kindergarten
Why are you wearing a dress if you’re a boy?
Incredible
Kyle Lucia Wu is the author of Win Me Something (Tin House Books 2021), an NPR Best Book of the Year, and the co-author of the forthcoming A is for Asian American: A Children's Guide to Asian American History (Haymarket Books 2023). She is the Managing Director at Kundiman and teaches writing at Fordham University and The New School.
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