Q.
Hi George,
This question isn't directly relevant to my work, but something I've always wondered about the meta-craft of writing stories. How does one go about planning and organizing and writing stories in the context of a published collection? It feels like some writers will just bundle up the last 8-10 stories they've written and ship them out under a title, but others craft stories specifically with the larger thematic umbrella of a collection in mind.
Apologies if you've talked about this before, but do you typically fall into one of these buckets when crafting your books? Is it something you even think about while in the weeds of writing an individual story, or only after the fact? I know we often look at stories as individual units, but considering their context within the larger framework of a published collection seems like an interesting analytical lens to peer through. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and of those in the comments. Maybe one day if we're feeling ambitious enough we can look at an entire collection, story by story, and talk about how they inform one another.
Lastly, I just wanted to thank you for this space you've created, and your efforts to infuse it with consideration and empathy. I recently attended the latest edition of Politics & Prose's Lincoln in the Bardo tour at Oak Hill Cemetery, and thought it was an incredible experience. Our first attempt got rained out, but we regrouped the following week on a stunningly beautiful February afternoon. Looking out over Rock Creek Park from the Carroll crypt, I couldn't help but think about the view from the bardo, and how glad I was to be there in that moment with a group of curious, kind people. Thank you for giving us the inspiration to do so!