Just One Thing with Gina Chung

Gina Chung’s August issue story “Green Frog” has been getting lots of love—it was even Longform Fiction’s pick of the week! Here she shares just one thing about the piece:

“I’m obsessed with the idea of guilt, both in life and in literature, because it’s such a powerful force and can really take over your life, if you let it. For this story, I was really interested in the idea of a character who is so wrapped up in guilt and self-doubt that she can no longer see herself clearly or name what it is she wants in life. My main character clings to routine and responsibility amidst her grief over her mother’s death because she is scared of what it would look like to live her life without the scaffolding of that guilt. As a Korean American person, guilt was also a huge part of my upbringing—the idea that I was never “doing enough” often kept me up at night and made me feel paralyzed by indecision at times. But when you accept and learn how to face that guilt and take some of the air out of it, rather than trying to evade or deny it, there can be a moment of grace and freedom. I wanted the ending of my story to be a glimpse at that—for my character to feel like she can finally give herself permission to move forward with her life.”