ReThinking How Celeste Ng writes fiery prose
Oct 11, 2022
Celeste Ng, a New York Times bestselling author known for her gripping novels like "Everything I Never Told You" and "Little Fires Everywhere," shares her journey from aspiring writer to literary sensation. She discusses her versatile writing process and the art of observation that shapes her storytelling. The conversation dives into the balance between personal experiences and the craft of writing, alongside insights on navigating dystopian themes in her work. Ng also reflects on the challenges of balancing creativity with family life.
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Let's Go Experience
- Celeste Ng and Adam Grant met while working at Let's Go, a student-run travel guide company.
- The company allowed Ng to embrace the randomness of human experience, a crucial element in her fiction writing.
Noticing the Mundane
- Celeste Ng's writing is characterized by noticing small, often overlooked details.
- This skill, honed through her experience as a miniaturist, allows her to find meaning in the mundane.
Writing as Discovery
- Unlike writers who communicate pre-formed ideas, Ng writes to discover meaning.
- Writing is her way of processing and understanding the world, not just describing it.
