The writing process in a single paragraph, by Ted Chiang

There's not many keystrokes in a script. What happens if a writer is committed to building a story in their head before diving into the text? For Ted Chiang, wonderful stories.
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Amy Adams in Arrival, based on a Ted Chiang short story. Image: IMDB

The publication of Exhalation, Ted Chiang’ second volume of short stories, refocused attention on the work of a Chinese American who has written all of 15 short science fiction stories in his life. They are extraordinary.

Chiang is known to the screen sector as the writer of the original short story which underpinned the film Arrival. But he has a remarkable range of key awards from around the world. 

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.