Canadian Gothic: an interview with Mary E. Choo Part 2

/Q: You write in three mediums: poetry, short fiction and novels. Do you have a preference?

MC. Each medium fulfills a specific need. I feel totally free to express myself in poetry. Short fiction is more of a discipline, a means of dealing with ideas and characters in limited word space. In a novel, there is more opportunity for plot and character development, and a variation in pace that can't be achieved in short fiction.

/Q: You've published in both U.S. and Canadian publications. Do you feel there is any difference between these two markets? That is, do have U.S.and Canadian editors (and readers) have different standards and expectations? Do you write differently for the two markets?

MC. That's a difficult one to answer, these days, as market needs are changing rapidly. I think many Canadian writers tend to layer their stories more, and that a number of U.S. publications have been leaning more towards this kind of fiction the last few years. I don't consciously write for either market, particularly when I'm writing dark fantasy or horror, but I do pare my work down much more than I used to -- with the U.S. market in mind.

/Q: What do you see as your strengths as a writer, and your weaknesses?

MC: Hopefully, I attain some depth of character, and I do try to use language imaginatively. I had early training in piano, and I'm very disciplined. All those five-finger exercises and scales taught me the meaning of hard work and patience, the will to get it just right. In the end, all of it went into the actual music, and made for better, more competent execution and expression. I feel the same is true of good writing. It's important to try to say it well. I have a tendency, though, to overwork a manuscript, particularly short fiction, and to worry over things that don't matter and not see things that do. It helps to have at least one other person review your work. My husband speaks three other languages and came late to fluent English. However, he's marvellous at pointing out basic flaws in my prose. He also knocks my ideas and concerns into perspective when I get too involved.

/Q: What are you working on at present?

MC: A poetry collection, short stories, and the final book of a  trilogy.

 /Q: There seems to be a literary trend towards the Gothic and the grotesque. What do you think accounts for this current taste for the macabre?

MC: A couple of things, really. Ours has become an intensely market-driven society, fast-paced and in many ways ruthless and impersonal. I suspect a lot of people feel a tremendous void in their lives, and long for something divorced from all the clutter and technology, some improbable adventure in which they can lose themselves.I also think the current Gothic writing reflects, in metaphor, many of the darker aspects of the human condition -- readers identify with this and are drawn to it.

/Q: Where do you see yourself going, as writer? What would you like to achieve?

MC: As writer, one always hopes for improvement -- and if you're lucky, some recognition. The publishing aspect, as I'm sure many writers would agree is a large and difficult part of the picture. It's very hard to second-guess the market, which gets more competitive all the time.