Author Interview: with Film Director Warren Chaney
Yin Yang Code:
The Drums of Tenkai-Bo
by Warren Chaney and Sho Kosugi
We are excited to welcome Warren Chaney, today! The co-author of a remarkable, coming-of-age novel sat down with us to discuss its development, and other thoughts and ideas about what literature and art mean for him.
Welcome Mr. Chaney! First, what is the central theme of your novel?
The central theme is the “coming of age” of an orphaned Japanese student attending UCLA. He returns to Japan and discovers that home is not always how we leave it and that bad things happen to good people.
What inspired you to write about this topic or subject?
I am a screenwriter and film-director and my co-author, Sho Kosugi, was a well-known actor and martial artists. This made our working together on a novel a very natural extension of we were doing in film. Sho was a native of Japan and I had lived there for almost 3 years, so it was easier to incorporate both our cultures into what we were writing. We both wanted to create a fictional work that would show a side of the Japanese culture that might surprise many non-Japanese readers. I love action-adventure and a good love story, so the Yin-Yang Code became an excellent writing vehicle for both of us.
What was your creative process for writing this work?
I always go to bed at night, thinking about what I will write the following day. In my mind, I develop “film images” of what I hope to see on paper. The following morning after a ritual of twin mugs of strong coffee, I begin the chapter. As with screenwriting, it’s important to me to first get my thoughts and story down on paper. Later, I will return and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite.
What tips would you give to an aspiring writer?
The most important thing for a writer to do is write. When a book, screenplay, or article is sent off for publication consideration, don’t stop writing. Continue to write even if you get a rejection slip. If you believe your writing to be good, consider what the rejection comments may be, see if they have value to you, and then forget them and continue on.
Secondly, the most important facet of writing is rewriting what you have written. Never fall in love with the words that you write so much that you are unable to cut. A motion picture is made better by editing and post production. The same is true for writing. The writer is the first editor and the work should pass their muster before being passed on to knowledgeable others. Always heed what your publisher’s editor has to say. They may not be writers, per se, but they have experience in what sells and what doesn’t. When they make suggestions, listen.
Thirdly, never let “ego” take over your writing. A writer must have a strong ego to withstand rejections, a norm of the business, but never so much so that you lose reality in what you are writing. Never try to argue an editor off a point as a mode of self-defense. Listen to their input and thank them for it. Afterwards you can decide whether it is of value to you or not.
Finally, be nice. Mistakes happen and you will make your share. So, will your editors, publisher, printer and best associates. As an aspiring writer, your career is just beginning and you are starting the climb upward. It will have peaks and valleys, ups and downs and the people you are nice to on the way up will still be there. Those you are nasty to are also there on the way down. Over a lifetime of writing, you will be shocked at those who can help you or hurt you and often both come from areas of life where you least expect it.
Do you practice any other forms of art, or creative outlets? If yes, which ones, and why?
Yes, I draw and paint (oils). While I do this for relaxation, it helps keep me sharper for those occasions when I must create an illustration for something I am writing. I also sculpt, woodwork, and engage in creative photography. Creativity differs from activity to activity but in creation it is much the same. If one is creative in one area, then they are no doubt creative in others.
What is your purpose for writing over-all?
I write to tell a story because I have always loved stories and story tellers. I’ve written novels, screenplays, and short stories which were stories. In my other work, whether it was a textbook, technical article, or a serious study, I’ve always tried to find a storyline in the work and to draft what I was writing around that.
How did you research for this project?
There was a considerable amount of research that was required for the novel, Yin-Yang Code: Drums of Tenkai-Bo. Much of it was specific to certain cultures, not all Japanese. For example, there is a martial arts culture, a UCLA culture, an L.A. culture all in addition to the Japanese culture and its counterparts. I spent a great deal of time researching on line as well as by phone and email to some who populated those cultures. Some of the “settings” that are in the book required time to assimilate and affix in my mind. Fortunately, my co-author, Sho Kosugi, and my co-illustrator, Shinobu Ohno, are Japanese and both were always willing to help me.
Aside from the location and cultural settings, there was a need to “get the martial arts” correct for the time, place, and area. Fortunately, Sho Kosugi, expert that he is, knew all there was to know about martial arts. If he didn’t know it, he knew someone who did and if they didn’t know it, it hadn’t been discovered yet and wasn’t to be know.
What are your goals for this novel, and over-all as an author?
My goal for writing is always the same. I want the reader to read it, enjoy it, and share in the same mind pictures that I created when writing it.
What are your favorite books?
My favorite book is Charles Dickens', David Copperfield. I have also enjoyed Naipaul’s, A Bend in the River, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, and John’s Grisham’s, The Firm and The Chamber.
Who are your favorite authors?
Charles Dickens, Ken Follett, A. S. Byatt, Harper Lee, and Victor Hugo.
Where can we buy your book?
Yin-Yang Code: Drums of Tenkai-Bo can be found on-line at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, in addition to other outlets. Is has also been make recently available in most of the electronic forms such as Kindle, Nook, and other formats.
How can we learn more about you, and where?
IMDb (Internet Movie Database) Amazon.com World Library Open Library (Warren H. Chaney, Ph.D.) Borseti, Francesco, Book: It Came from the 80s!: Interviews with 124 Cult Filmmakers Celebrity photos, biographies and more (online biography)
You can also find out more about the author(s) here:
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151620/ World Library: http://www.worldpubliclibrary.com/articles/Warren_Chaney IMDb: Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Warren-H.-Chaney/e/B001K8ZF24 Open Library: Warren H. Chaney Ph.D. https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL35442A/Warren_H._Chaney_Ph.D. Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/search?q=%22Warren+Chaney%22&mode=everything Celebs (Warren Chaney): http://www.setcelebs.com/bio/warren-chaney.html Library Thing: https://www.librarything.com/search.php?search=Warren+Chaney&searchtype=newwork_titles&searchtype=newwork_titles&sortchoice=0
