Each day for the 15 days leading up to the WAW Open House (October 7, 2012, 2-5 p.m.), we’re going to feature a current or former participant who’s completed a major project (book, film, album, academic credential). We’ll find out what they learned that helped them with their work.
Cara Chow, One Page At a Time
Project: Bitter Melon, a novel
I used to think that a great story had to have compelling characters, a strong voice, and deep themes. What I learned from Terry’s class is that it also needs a suspenseful plot, even if it’s literary fiction. The most important yet difficult plot element for me to learn was the central question, the burning question that motivates the reader keep reading. I struggled for years to create a good central question for Bitter Melon. As a result, one of the first things fans of the book tell me is that they finished it in two days because they couldn’t put it down.
Writers At Work 