Hawaii is so complex; there are so many points of view, and there are so many experiences to see and to find. Kaui Hart Hemmings complexexperiencefind Change image and share on social
When a place comes across vividly in a novel, it's often compared to a character. I can remember writing teachers who encouraged me to treat setting as if it were a character, to give it three dimensions, to make it come alive, jump off the page. Kaui Hart Hemmings alivecharactercompare share on social
People go surfing before work and paddling afterward. My husband is from Wisconsin, and he goes to work in his Hawaiian shirt. Kaui Hart Hemmings afterwardhawaiianhusband Change image and share on social
Setting shouldn't just consist of describing nature or a landscape, or of saying where something takes place. It is the world of specific people. It's not enough for it to feel vivid or credible; it should feel necessary. Kaui Hart Hemmings consistcredibledescribe share on social
I loved 'Belzhar' by Meg Wolitzer. Kaui Hart Hemmings belzharlovemeg Change image and share on social
In putting setting to work, I like to think about long shots and close-ups. The long shot is the overall view of the place in which the characters live - the island, the town, the wide sweep of place. Then we narrow in. The close-up, the tight focus, makes the place different from anywhere else. Kaui Hart Hemmings characterclosefocus share on social
I just try to write what I think would really happen, and with grief and tragedy, there are these naturally occurring moments of levity and humor and absurdity. I think that's what life is really like. Sadness gets interrupted, and happiness gets interrupted. Kaui Hart Hemmings absurditygriefhappen share on social
I feel like having details from their day and having a plot and action and things to do is much more revealing than having a character sitting and thinking to themselves. When I'm writing, I want people to actually have a goal, something that's dragging them forward. Kaui Hart Hemmings actioncharacterday share on social
I try to think of it not as writer's block, but a time where you just need to live life and experience things so you have something to write about. Kaui Hart Hemmings blockexperiencelife Change image and share on social
I'm proud of being from Hawaii, and I'm proud of being Hawaiian, but I'm more than that, too. Kaui Hart Hemmings hawaiihawaiianproud Change image and share on social