Bedtime Stories author Jamie Ford talks life after successful Hotel

Jamie Ford’s personal story is full of seemingly incongruous surprises: The Ford surname doesn’t suggest the rich, multicultural heritage that comes with being the great-grandson of a Chinese immigrant. And little about Jamie’s literary style suggests an orientation toward sci-fi, comics and all things geek. But the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet certainly isn’t shy about discussing such topics. Jamie graciously agreed to an email interview with Humanities Washington prior to his 2011 Bedtime Stories appearance. (For more with Jamie, make sure to check out JamieFord.com, featuring his excellent Bittersweet Blog.)

It’s been 2 1/2 years since the release of your debut novel. How has the success of Hotel changed your life, professionally and personally?

Aside from the Lear Jet, the stretch Escalade, and all the bodyguards, very little has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to take a call, Paris Hilton somehow found my private number, again. (Paris, if you’re reading this, I’m just not that into you.)

Actually on a personal level, not much has changed. I made the grand, mad leap and began writing full time, even before I sold Hotel. And my wife is always there to remind me, “Hey, Mr. New York Times — it’s your turn to pick up the dog poop in the backyard.”

Professionally though, a lot has changed. There are new expectations, of course. Plus film agents, attorneys, accounting considerations that I never had before, and lots of travel. I spent 100 nights on the road last year. I never saw that coming. Plus, I signed with the Random House Speakers Bureau, so now I’m doing community reads events, college lectures, weddings, bar mitzvahs …

What does a typical work day look like for you now?

I wish I had some Bukowski-esque writing day to share — you know, wake up in a jail cell, get bailed out by a showgirl, go sit at the racetrack where I bet and drink all day while banging away at a manual Olympia, using my loaded .38 Special as a paperweight. The reality isn’t quite as sexy. Typically, I’m up early, clearing through emails and correspondence, and writing from 8-12. Then I edit through the afternoon. Once in a while I’ll go completely buck-wild and write at the public library.

Writing is a solitary craft. When working on a novel, do you feel isolated? Or what do you do to get out and stay connected?

I do feel isolated, which I actually enjoy considering how much time I spend in airports. But to change that up I host a Wednesday Writers Hangout on Google+ each week. Google’s new Hangout feature let’s you have a video conference with up to ten people and the platform works really well. We socialize for 15 minutes, then write for 45, take a break, rinse, repeat. It’s a great way to abide with fellow writers, published, aspiring, or somewhere in-between. My daughter calls it my weekly Geekfest — like that’s a bad thing?

On your Web site, jamieford.com, you talk often about your great-grandfather, Min Chung, who immigrated to the United States and changed his name to William Ford. The Chinese side of your heritage seems to be a major source of inspiration for you as a writer. What is it about that experience that causes you to put pen to paper?

I’m half-Chinese and when you’re half anything I think you struggle with a sense of identity. By that I mean, I’d fill out college loan applications and there was always a box to check for “White” and a box for “Asian” but never a box for half — I literally had to choose a side. That’s hard! Especially since I don’t speak Chinese (even though my dad was fluent) and I have the last name of Ford, and yet I’ll go out for dim sum and eat chicken feet. That internal/external confusion has always caused angst — and angst is always worth writing about.

What other things would you say are major inspirations or influences on your stories?

This might sound strange, but science fiction and comic books have always been a huge influence. People often ask if I grew up reading Raymond Carver, since I lean toward minimalism in my writing, and my answer is always, "No, I read that other great minimalist, Isaac Asimov." I read tons of SF as a kid. Plus, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were my heroes. I graduated from art school hoping to become the next Neal Adams or Frank Miller, but storytelling took over.

You’ve described your next novel, Whispers of a Thunder God, as “another historical, multicultural love story, set in Seattle and Japan.” What is it about Seattle that makes it a good backdrop for such tales?

Part of Whispers is set in Seattle, but most of it’s set in Japan. I guess I just miss Seattle. I’m there almost every month for one reason or another, but I haven’t lived there in years – just a writerly quirk I guess, but I see that a lot. Famed author Ivan Doig grew up in Montana, writes about Montana, but lives in Seattle. I grew up in Seattle, write about Seattle, but live beneath Ivan's Big Sky When I finally met him and shook his hand I thought there might be a matter/anti-matter explosion.

When new novel ideas form, what tends to come first for you: plot, theme or setting?

I always start with a premise — not quite a full-blown plot, but an idea that sets things in motion — a beginning and an ending. Setting comes out of that but can change quite a bit. And I never think about theme until I’m done. That’s more of a byproduct, something really left up to the reader, or my shrink.

When is Whispers of a Thunder God due to hit bookshelves?

(Knocking on wood). Sometime next year. Probably late summer. The gestational period for a novel in the wild kingdom of publishing is somewhere between 12-18 months, so stay tuned.

On your Web site, you mention a young adult series you’re working on that even your agent doesn’t know about yet. Any news you’d care to break here?

Not sure if it’ll ever see the light of day, but it’s a gaslamp fantasy, set in Chinatown, circa 1890. I’d written all of one chapter before rewrites of Whispers needed my attention. I love history. I love research. This time I thought I’d stretch reality a little bit and see where it takes me.

How about a hint about the short story you’ll be unveiling at Bedtime Stories?

It’s set in Seattle’s (in)famous Wah Mee club, during prohibition. The theme of 12:01 a.m. seemed tailor-made for a story about a backroom gambling parlor. I can’t tell you more unless you know the password.