Author Q and A With Christine Son About OFF THE MENU

Q–In writing this book didn’t you follow the writer rule-of-thumb “write what you know”?

A—Yes, at least, for the most part. Like the characters of the book, I’m Asian-American, and I’ve experienced similar pressure to succeed in a traditional, professional way. I understand the tension between what everyone, including myself, expects of me, and the secret dreams (now, not so secret) that I harbored. But the book is not an autobiography, of course, and while I understand the feelings of the characters, the circumstances are certainly not ripped from real life, either from mine or anyone I know.

Q–Did the subject matter make it difficult for you to write?

A—Actually, because the subject matter is close to my heart, it was easier to write. I felt like I knew these girls and what they were going through, even though their circumstances are not exactly like my own. Also, I’m not a tortured, overly sensitive soul, so I didn’t feel as if I were combing my psychological side for closure of any kind.

Q–How close are you to these characters because of their personalities and feelings?

A—This goes back to writing what you know. There’s a part of my personality and feelings in each of these characters. I understand the conflict of trying please everyone, of having everyone approve what I do. I’ve always been the person who couldn’t stand for someone not to like me. At the same time, I’m a bit more methodical and open, and rather than harbor feelings, I’ll sort it out rather quickly so that I’m not a volcano of emotions. Secret ambitions on the other hand? There, I’m pretty similar to the main characters.

Q–Because so many people achieve in business but have other dreams, do you believe OFF THE MENU will cross over to different audiences?

A— Oh, absolutely. I hope so, at least! OFF THE MENU might be about three Asian-American women who are traditional high achievers with other dreams, but I think the feelings they evoke are universal. You don’t have to be a minority to want something else in your life. You don’t have to be a woman, or a professional to understand this, and your “other” dream doesn’t have to be provocative or wildly incongruous with your day-to-day life. I think everyone understands the tension of doing what they have to do to pay the bills or mortgage or college tuition or simply to survive. It’s the whole idea of balancing one’s dreams, whatever they may be, with real life.

Q–You describe yourself as an obsessive writer. Explain?

A—I’m an obsessive everything. When I was in school, I studied too much (my mother’s somewhere saying “there’s no such thing!”). When I was a runner, I pushed myself too hard. Work, cleaning, you name it, I tend to be almost manic about the activity, whatever it is. Writing’s the same way for me. Once I have a germ of an idea in my head, I have to (yes, have to) write for hours and hours at a time, or I’ll feel panicked. Writing’s a very isolating, insular exercise. It can be difficult for me to come back to the present, or to engage in a normal conversation with people around me. I feel a bit like I’m hovering in between my head and real life. Kind of like allergies.

Q–How long did it take to write the manuscript?

A—Well, I wrote the original manuscript fairly quickly, maybe in a couple of months. But I rewrote and rewrote and rewrote based on my editor and agent’s comments. From the time I put the first word down until my editor said, “great! No more rewrites!” — I’d say that the process took about a year