Interview with Author Gene Wang

We've read and reread Gene Wang's story "Transmission" and seem to find something more each time. We were honored to be the story's first home, and really look forward to seeing where Gene's work takes him. Read a little more about the author and his process below in the following short interview.

What makes you keep writing, even when it's hard?

The fear that if I don’t write it down, I’ll forget it. Writing is like journaling for me, and fiction helps me express ideas I can’t articulate otherwise. Ideally, the final product is good enough that I can read it later and be reminded of something true. And if it’s really good, someone else can, too.

What's your editing process? Do you have a first or beta reader or a workshop group?  

Once I finish a first draft, I edit obsessively until I reach a version that I’m not completely embarrassed by. Then I try to find as many readers as possible—usually just whoever I won’t feel too bad about inconveniencing—but I’ve learned not to take feedback too literally.

When I first wrote "Transmission," none of the other writers in my workshop group picked up on its meaning; they all read it as straightforward science fiction. Afterward, as I was editing the story, I wondered if I should make the historical references more obvious or cut out the time travel metaphor. In the end, I decided to stay faithful to my original idea—not everyone will “get” your work, especially if you’re creating from the margins. 

After gathering as much feedback as I can find, I take a break from that story. I’m pretty sensitive, so this part is crucial. After receiving so much criticism, my mind gets crowded with voices about what’s wrong with the idea, or my writing, or me as a person; it takes time before I can start to differentiate between what’s helpful and what’s not. Then I just keep whittling away at the story until the voices quiet down to a whisper, or I’m ready to move on with my life. 

What other creative activities do you like to do?

I’ve done some video editing in the past, and I’d love to get back into it. My boyfriend is a filmmaker, and I recently helped him edit a short film. I was totally charmed by the process: you have all these disparate takes that don’t amount to much on their own, but when you fit them together, they become a story.

A creative writing instructor of mine once said that fiction is like a dream, and it’s our job not to jar the reader awake. I think film editing is very similar. It’s like a magic trick—an illusion that everything is simply happening, for real, right before the viewer’s eyes.

What's your favorite obscure novel or short story (a work you never hear anyone else talking about)?

The Anal-Retentive Line Editor by Dennis Cooper. It’s basically a smutty version of Nabokov’s Pale Fire. Caustic, mortifying, and really, really funny. I aspire to be as brave of a writer as Cooper. You can tell he had fun writing this one, and it’s infectious.

What is your least favorite word?

“Journey.” It’s fine, just overused. Everything’s a journey now.

Do you have a favorite book on writing or creating that's been a helpful resource?

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever found lying on the street?

Not me, but when we were in high school, a friend of mine found $180 in twenty-dollar bills strewn on the ground. Apparently, a nearby bank had been held up for cash, and the robbers weren’t carrying a big enough bag. Instead of keeping it for himself, my friend turned the money in to the police. A month later, the sheriff’s office rewarded him for his honesty with a certificate—and a check from the bank for $200. 

What are your long-term writing goals? 

I just want to write, in some capacity, for the rest of my life. Of course, I hope to find some success at it. But I can’t really control that. What I can control is to keep reading, keep creating, keep sending things into the world. Maybe someday I’ll have a body of work I can love, even if I’m the only one who does. 

Gene Wang is a writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds an MFA in fiction from Boston University, where he was a recipient of the Han Suyin Literary Prize.