I like to talk about eyes a lot, don't I? In my previous entries, I wrote about a writer's eyes, objective eyes, and so on. Now I'm writing about fresh eyes. For a writer, she can get fresh eyes from two sources: 1) a writer friend, a free-lance editor included, 2) herself. I'd like to talk about my own fresh eyes. How can I look at my work with fresh eyes? This is what I'd do--putting the "finished" writing away for a while and then revise it. For my novel, I didn't work on it for six month. Yes, six months. From July 2009 to Dec. Last January, I took it out and looked at it and saw problems I hadn't seen before. That's what I mean: my own fresh eyes. Quite reliable. For some writers, six months would be too long. For me, it's worth the "delay" because I want my first novel to be the best I can write. Also, my past writing experience has taught me a good lesson--I was too eager to get my work out into the world and only to receive rejection after rejection. It turned out to be a waste of my time, my money, and my energy.
After revising my novel for three months, once again I let it cool down, for a month only. I believe when I rework on it in May, I'll see it with fresh eyes.
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A lotus is a sacred flower. Buddha and Kuan Yin sit or stand on a lotus.
Why did I choose this title? Because I've lived in three worlds--wartime South Vietnam, the Communist rule, and the U.S. Because by birth I'm a Vietnamese, by upbringing, I'm a Chinese, by naturalization, I'm an American--I belong to three countries: Vietnam, China, and America. My writing reflects my background and my experiences journeying through three worlds. Here you'll find snippets of my life as a writer, playwright, and interpreter, and ideas I share with you as a writer.
Lotus
A lotus is a sacred flower. Buddha and Kuan Yin sit or stand on a lotus.
About Me
- Three Countries, One Life
- I am a writer, playwright, and haiku, tanka, haibun writer with a unique background. I'm a Vietnamese by birth, a Chinese by upbringing, and an American by naturalization. My haiku, my tanka, my haibun, memoir essays, my plays, my poems, and my fantasy novel reflect my background and my journey through three worlds --wartime South Vietnam, the Communist rule, and America. Because of my unique background,I belong to three countries--Vietnam, China, and America and know three languages. But I write in my adopted language--English.
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