How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt? Tan references her writing career to build the idea that writing is the most satisfying career choice for Asian Americans. Tan references her work with language to build the idea that all forms of English are purposeful and meaningful. Tan references her fascination with language to build the idea that daily life is the best language source for writers. Tan references her thoughts about language to build the idea that more people should think about their language usage.