R.O. Kwon Reflects on a Decade of Writing Her Novel 'The Incendiaries'

R.O. Kwon's debut novel, The Incendiaries, has garnered significant attention in the publishing world, but the journey to its release was not straightforward. Kwon dedicated ten years to crafting this complex narrative, which intertwines themes of love, obsession, religion, and loss through the experiences of three characters caught in a tumultuous relationship involving a religious cult.

Kwon began her writing process while in graduate school, where she explored personal experiences with faith and identity. Having been raised in a religious environment with aspirations of becoming a missionary, she faced a crisis of faith at seventeen, which deeply impacted her life and influenced her writing. Kwon sought to articulate the emotions surrounding her dual experience of faith and skepticism.

Initially, Kwon's novel was narrated solely from the perspective of Phoebe for two years. However, she ultimately rewrote the story from Will's viewpoint, incorporating feedback from her agent about expanding Phoebe's role. The narrative evolved further as Kwon recognized the importance of including John Leal's perspective.

The structure of The Incendiaries features concise scenes that can be as brief as half a page, which Kwon arrived at through meticulous editing. She noted that the original manuscript was significantly longer, at one point reaching 400 pages, before she cut entire sections, including a chapter narrated by Phoebe's father.

Throughout the decade, Kwon produced numerous drafts, although she remains unsure of the exact number. Her writing also reflects her Korean-American identity, influenced by her upbringing in a community with many Korean-Americans, most of whom were religious, echoing her own experiences.

Kwon emphasizes that her writing process is driven by personal expression rather than targeting specific audiences. She focuses on creating a narrative that resonates with her own understanding and experiences.

As she moves forward after the novel's release, Kwon finds it perplexing to adjust to not writing daily. Having dedicated so much time to her first book, she is currently navigating a period of uncertainty regarding her next project. Kwon shared that she typically wrote every day, even on holidays, and now feels a mix of bewilderment and reassurance from fellow writers that such fluctuations are normal in the creative process.

Reflecting on her writing habits, Kwon mentioned that early in her work on The Incendiaries, she set specific goals. However, as the process evolved, these goals became less critical to her writing, underscoring the dynamic nature of her creative journey.