Category: Expatriate Writers
Writing about Muslim Women Characters
Writing about Muslim characters, Muslim women in particular, must be one of the trickiest subjects to write about. Especially in this specific time when everything about women in Islam seems to be dissected, probed and questioned. No matter the conflict or the aspirations of the protagonist. One thing stands out immediately: she is Muslim. Hence, [...]
Duty and Desire – A Tale of Modern India
What can I tell you about my debut novel, Duty and Desire, the first in my Winds of Fire series, that would intrigue you? It was a 9 year journey to finish Duty and Desire. I began writing the original draft in 2002, shortly after we moved from Singapore to New Jersey, USA. My kids [...]
The Story Behind the Story
My name is Victoria and I co-authored a book with a taxi cab driver I met at an all night diner. The book, Interrogation Tango, was released at the end of 2012. It was March 7th, 1994 at an all-night Greek diner called The Silver Star at 65th and Second Ave. in NYC around 1 [...]
Thanksgiving’s a Holiday Over Here
The American man’s voice sounded woken-up and irritated. “It’s Thanksgiving,” he said down that payphone. “So my roommates are off work and gone home. Like, Thanksgiving’s a holiday over here.” Oh, come on, I wanted to say. I mean, with nobody getting born or killed or risen from the dead, just how big could this ‘holiday’ of yours really [...]
Why Write?
Why write? Why not? Why indeed? I wonder if it is wrong somehow, or detrimental at least, to tell a child they are doing well, or that they could work wonders as an adult. We, parents, are told that to give a child negative information is bad for their development. I agree. But what do [...]
Casting the Writer’s Spell
In my creative writing courses, I wave my magic pencil over my students and declare them to be writers—at least for the duration of the semester. After that, I say, it’s up to them to take over the spell. They generally giggle and roll their eyes (they’re college students after all), but I think it [...]
Childbirth: The Inspiration to Write
Even as a child, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote an endless amount of poems and stories about wolves and horses. I also read a lot, and if I liked a particular author, I would hunt down every book, every item they had ever written. But to me personally, the writing game is [...]
The Accidental Feminist: A Writer Writes
Editors note: Under her pen name Alma Alexander, Alma has published many books, some with strong female characters, some translated into quite a few languages. Here she reflects on feminism, a topic the is controversial to this day, even when so many women around the world do not yet have the right to speak their [...]
Harnessing The Muse – How To Stay Inspired
Art is anything and everything that stirs the emotions. To create art requires an understanding of emotion; a clear sense of how lived experience impacts and expresses our inner world. We writers, like every other type of artist, gain inspiration from the world around us and from our own experiences. A lot of people believe [...]
Discipline of Writing. Writing as a Discipline.
First, there is the discipline of writing. Writers have long touted the value of the discipline of writing. While the strategies and goals to accomplish this task vary, the primary advice is relatively consistent – write everyday. Some say its best to write for a fixed length of time, while others insist on a daily [...]
