Interview with Kris Williamson

Author of On the Back of a Motorbike: Stories and Poems from Southeast Asia

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Florida and now live in Hamburg, Germany.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I’ve lived about half of my life outside of the United States, spending most of that time in Malaysia and Australia. A few years ago I moved to Germany, where I am currently doing my Ph.D. and working with the Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia program.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

My first novel, ‘Son Complex’ (Fixi Novo, 2013), started as a character profile late one night. I would end my long days with some free writing as a creative outlet. And then one night, a clearly defined character took shape. Each night I added a little bit more to it until I had a few thousand words of what would become the novel’s first chapter. I saw the publisher’s call for a first chapter online, so I sent it. The next morning I received a positive response asking for the rest of the novel. That’s when I realized I was either going to need to turn that ‘character profile’ into a full-length novel or just drop it. I’m glad I stuck with it.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My writing has been likened to everyone from Rudyard Kipling to Roald Dahl. Personally, I don’t really see that or try to write “in the style of” whoever. I like to focus on concepts and the mundane in my writing, letting the plot form on its own (if at all). My time spent living in Malaysia has certainly influenced my writing and given me new ways to look at the bubble(s) I grew up in. Lately, my writing has centered on themes such as apathy, mobility, discrimination, acceptance, and what I would term an “under-siege mentality.”

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Because we are all unique and form our understanding of the world on the limits of our personal experiences, it’s not possible for two people to come to the exact same opinion on a book (or anything for that matter). How I envision what I’ve written is not going to be what my readers take away from it. Sometimes, it will connect strongly and other times it won’t. My ideal audience, I suppose, would be readers who are able to briefly let go of the norms that they use to define themselves so that I can introduce them to the world and perspectives that I have constructed through my norms.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I learned that I need people around when I’m writing. Noises too! I find it so difficult to stay focused and productive if I’m sitting by myself in a quiet environment.

As for publishing, it was an illuminating experience to publish ‘On the Back of a Motorbike’ (Literary Concept, 2016) in print. The idea for this anthology came about to commemorate the 25th issue of the quarterly ‘Anak Sastra’ literary journal that I have edited since 2010. Going from digital journal to print book with this concept provided a learning curve that I felt like I benefited from in the end, even if there were some mistakes along the way. Still, it was good to work with some of the journal’s regular contributors using a different medium.

If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?

I’ve worked in the publishing industry for over fifteen years now. I have come across a lot of different types and styles of writing. It’s easy to see when a writer is trying to imitate another author or attempting to pull off a gimmick that’s been done before. Where I’m always impressed, though, is when I come across an author whose style is consistent across books and doesn’t try to piggyback off of the success of others’ styles. If I were to advise my younger self, I would suggest looking for that unique strain and developing it more clearly without worrying about what others have done.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

However many are open to the constructions in my writing!

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Time. Discipline. A large part of my day is spent writing, reading, and editing (not creatively and not my own works). By the end of the day, it can be a struggle to willingly say, “let’s write or edit some more!” But I don’t force it (so long as I’m not working on a specific deadline). If I’m not in the mood to write, I won’t. But I can’t help but feel that if I had at least thirty hours in a day, I would get around to writing creatively more often!

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

With my background in publishing, it can be difficult to approach a creative writing idea without first thinking of “the post-writing stage” as well. I’d have to say that my success with writing fluctuates, whereas I treat the publishing process like a well-oiled machine. When it goes that way, at least…

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I couldn’t care less about the marketing aspect. Unfortunately, publishing is a business. I just don’t want to tell people to read my books. Most of my friends don’t read books for pleasure. So getting them to read it can be a hard sell!

When do you think you will you write your next book?

I’m always working on my next book. A better question, in my case, would be, “when will you finish writing your next book?” If only my book ideas wrote themselves….

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’ve never used a hybrid publisher, but I have gone the traditional and self-publishing routes both under my name and under various pseudonyms. I find that some projects work better in going between traditional and self-publishing, as well as print and e-book options.