Why I started this blog.

​A couple of years ago, while I was working on my memoir/MFA thesis, I decided to share my writing process with all of you in a series of video and written blogs. I successfully defended my memoir/thesis in May 2018, won an award for “Best Manuscript” at the Atlanta Writers Conference the same month for it, and then decided to put it away for a few years.

Yes, I still find myself writing essays for it, but I came to a point where I realized I needed more time and experience before finishing that memoir and trying to get it published. I just wasn’t ready. I will write more about this in my next blog… “Let it Simmer.”

What came next…

I graduated with my MFA in Writing in June 2018 and began working on my novel in August 2018. I was very excited to switch gears from memoir to novel. I now had the freedom to make up stuff. The embellishment gene runs strong in my family of storytellers. I had to give in. :)
I came up with a story based on real life experiences (“write what you know”), and sprinkled some humor, mysticism, and all types of cultural experiences to make it fun to write and, hopefully, to read. I’m not gonna talk about it now, but I will discuss more about the story and characters in a later blog post. Stay tuned.
​
Then, life got in the way.

I began crafting my characters and the gist of my story including a couple short drafts of the beginning chapters in August 2018. Then, in September 2018, life got in the way. This new project that I was so excited about, had to be put on hold. I went on a roller coaster ride of family issues for months. I had to put away several projects and deal with life. But, I didn’t give up.
​
I got off the ride (quite disoriented) in April 2019 and have been consistently chipping away at my novel ever since. Even moving to another country didn’t slow me down!

So here I am, in a brand new country, done with the research and character development phase of my book, working on putting together a solid outline before I get into writing more chapters, and I don’t feel bad that it has taken me a year and a half to get to this point. Why? Because life gets in the way sometimes and that’s okay. In fact, the more time that has passed, the clearer the story and characters have gotten in my head. I’m not in a race and I’m competing with no one but myself.

Never lost sight of my goal.

It doesn’t matter how rich or talented you are, sometimes life just stops you in your tracks and forces you to change focus. In my case, I accepted that I wasn’t going to be able to work on this exciting new venture for a few months. However, through it all, I never lost sight of my book. As soon as I pulled my life back together, I was back on it. 
I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s okay to cut yourself some slack and give yourself a break. If what you are writing is that important and inspiring, you will always find a way back to it when you are ready. You will come back and add your new, rich experiences to it and make it the best project ever. 

Moving forward. What will I blog about?

Now that I am back on track, I am very excited to keep working on this novel and sharing the process (and, eventually, some of the story) with you all. I will keep updating this blog with my process: the fun parts of writing a novel and the not-so-fun parts.
I will talk about research, organization, structure, time-management, and whatever personal issues (related to writing) that come up along the way. I would also love to hear about your experiences and suggestions that could make this journey more fun and interesting for me.

Feel free to leave comments below or contact me personally through this website. 
You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, and my events.

Stay tuned for more #browngirlwrites blogs. Next blog: “Let It Simmer”
Until then…


Happy Writing! :)


Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽
​
Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios

I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing award-winning author Soniah Kamal. Her latest novel Unmarriageable is now out in paperback. Soniah shared some insights into accepting her journey as a writer and the cultural obstacles she faced on that journey. 

1. Why and how did you get into writing?

I wanted to be an actress but my father forbade it because he didn’t deem acting a respectable profession. Writing seems to have chosen me, in fact I call myself a reluctant writer, and there was a time when I thought regrets were going to bury me. Living with regrets is hard enough, but parental/cultural given regrets are acidic, and how do you possibly heal from that?  

2. What did you hope to get out of this career as a professional and on a personal level?

​When you’re younger, you think you can change the world, but as an older person even bringing a smile, or hope, or comfort to one reader is enough. Books were my balm growing up and I hope my words can serve as someone’s balm too.

3. What compelled/inspired you to write Unmarriageable?

​Unmarriageable is a parallel retelling meaning that it hits all the plot points of Pride and Prejudice. I was inspired to write it in order to remap colonial legacy in a postcolonial world and reclaim identity and also fuse my English language/British literature upbringing with my Pakistani culture. Also, Pride and Prejudice is so very much a novel reflecting Pakistani concerns with its social climbing mother frantic to get her five daughters married off well and the way Austen exposes social hypocrisies and pretensions which give birth to people like Mrs. Bennet.     

4. You write about South Asian, specifically, Pakistani culture. Who is the target audience in your mind when you are writing?

I write what is important for me to address which is very often cultural misunderstandings, class issues and feminist and postcolonial concerns. I hope my stories are universal enough to resonate with readers everywhere and so I really have no target audience.

5. What are some obstacles you have faced in your profession as a woman of color?

A few years back, I found that the U.S. publishing industry had certain expectations such as asking whether an immigrant family in the U.S. would be eating pizza at home, I suppose meaning that the family wasn’t exotic, ‘other’ enough. On the flip side, I’d worry about whether including a mango in my work might imply exotification and othering on purpose. I have to say that given that there are marriages etc. in Unmarriageable, I was a little wary of publisher expectations and suggestions, but I was truly delighted when my editor at Penguin Random House (U.S.) had none. I was to tell the story I wanted to tell in which every way I wanted with however much color, or not, I chose to put in it. Unmarriageable is a feel good novel told through a feminist and postcolonial lens and it had had nothing to do with immigration, woe woman is me, or terrorism, and I’m so thrilled it’s resonated with readers across all cultures and backgrounds. 

6. What are some opportunities you have come across in your profession as a woman of color?

I’ll let you know when I see them. Lol.

7. Do you feel you are compensated fairly for the work you do?

No. Writers are all too often expected to write for free or for peanuts.

8. What advice would you give to women of color/South Asian-American women who want to follow your career path?

Marry a millionaire, as long as he is a kind and good person. Seriously though, tell the story you want to tell. Unlike when I began writing, there are so many indie presses now who are willing to bring your voice to readers, and also books by independent small presses are getting reviews and coverage that before used to be very difficult to procure. Never give up no matter how much rejection you encounter. It’s taken me twenty years, but Unmarriageable was published in the U.S. and my novel An Isolated Incident is coming out in the U.K. this year.

About Unmarriageable

Soniah Kamal’s novel, Unmarriageable, is a Financial Times Readers’ Best Book of 2019, a 2019 Book All Georgians Should Read, and shortlisted for the 2020 Townsend Prize for Fiction. Her debut novel, An Isolated Incident, was a finalist for the KLF French Fiction Prize and the Townsend Prize for Fiction. Soniah's TEDx talk is about second chances. Her work is in New York Times, Guardian, Buzzfeed, Catapult, Normal School, Georgia Review and more.  www.soniahkamal.com twitter & instagram: @soniahkamal 

The paper back of Unmarriageable is out now and contains the following bonus features:
Essay- How ‘Dilipabad’ got its name.
Essay- How the characters were named.
Book Club Questions.
A List of all the books, films, songs etc. in Unmarriageable.​

Thank you Soniah for your inspiring words and the complex stories you tell about our South Asian community.

I’m sure you found Soniah’s interview insightful. If you have questions or thoughts about her interview or her work, please feel to leave a comment below. 

You can learn more about Soniah Kamal at her website: www.soniahkamal.com
You can also find her on Twitter & Instagram @SoniahKamal

You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, workshops, and events.

The next blog will be more #browngirlwrites stories, interviews, and book reviews.
Until then…

Happy Writing! :)

Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽
​
Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios