Historical fiction either reveres, subverts, or shames the past through citing actual places, creating imagined characters and perhaps recreating a historical figure.
Historical fiction is the unequal blending of the real and the imaginary
Time is fluid in historical fiction, moving between the past and present depending on how the plot unfolds. Is it a character in the present time speaking, recalling a time past, or is the character narrating an experience having lived in a past era?
The cautionary reminder is in ensuring the imaginative aspect of the story is respectful of the truths of the time, while preserving the overarching fictional plot/characterisation and quality of the writing. Culture, values, and social issues researched lend an authentic historical flavour to the fiction crafted. Transporting the reader to a time past enhances the storytelling without rewriting a history textbook.
Find that sweet spot between what is fact and fiction to elevate the fiction on culture, values, and social mores.
Including actual historical figures is the writer’s choice in relation to whether they will be a speaking character in the fictional tale, or a few cursory references would suffice.
Research should not overpower fiction. History has been written and read many times over—add the imagined juice for an entertaining read that prompts speculation on whether the fictional aspects could have possibly occurred.
Memorable characters, a believable setting, an intriguing plot, and a dash of history is a good measure for a satisfying read.
Ultimately, knowing who the intended audience is for a particular work of fiction is just as important as the message it creates.
Honour the history researched to enhance the setting and add lustre to the fictional plot without repeating what has already been documented. Recreate rather than rewrite. The risk of overly recounting a history is losing the fiction to non-fiction. The decision ultimately rests with the author. Readers of fiction will be the primary audience.
In honouring the history, notions of sensitivity to time, place, and people should be observed. However, shaming a dark history is the fictional storyteller’s prerogative.
There are no clearly defined genre parameters when the power of the story is honoured in its ability to move and entertain which is paramount in fiction.
The truth that all historical writing, even the most honest, is unconsciously subjective, since every age is bound, despite itself, to make the dead perform whatever tricks it finds necessary for its own peace of mind. Carl Becker, American historian (1873-1945)
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. BishopDesmond Tutu.
History is the study of all the world’s crime.Voltaire, French writer, and philosopher (1694-1778)
Fiction is the truth inside the lie. Stephen King
Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities: Truth isn’t. Mark Twain.
Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
Whether we accept it, remain neutral, or deny it, it’s already present.
When it comes to creativity, how do you balance AI and the human touch?
Ernest Hemingway said, There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed. If this is so, why is AI necessary when the writing process is humanely natural?
For centuries, storytelling has been a cultural tradition in every corner of the world. Who is the best at sharing their personal experiences through storytelling?
Is it possible for AI to display raw emotions?
Some argue that it’s authentic, while others contend that it’s programmed and thus not genuine.
The subjectivity of creativity begs the question: can it be programmed?
The dilemma is that some humans conceal truths and wear masks to create a fake identity. The theme of appearance vs reality in Shakespeare’s plays exposes how easily humans can be deceived.Will AI be yet another mask for machine-generated creativity? Who receives credit for the positive reception of AI-generated work? Another door to truth and ethics is unlocked.
Be curious and informed before leaping.
Artists create. They can express themselves through art in a multitude of ways — painting, writing, music, fashion, architecture, machinery, transportation, and beyond.
Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Mozart, and other masters of their crafts possessed scintillating minds and remarkable imaginations before AI.
How does AI affect the human brain and heart when it takes over our inherent rights to uniqueness, growth, and creativity? When AI ‘generates’ creativity, do artists’ voices and works lose their uniqueness that only the human touch can produce?
The books and authors that writers admire inspire them. Their mentors, past and present, guide them in honing their skills and style to create unique storylines. Imagination and voice make up a writer’s unique human fingerprint. It captures the reader’s attention. Have we reached a technological level where AI can imitate a writer’s style and imagination?
Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will. – George Bernard Shaw
AI is a part of our daily lives, but we often overlook it. Bots have butted into our lives before we had a name for them. Just whisper ‘Ok Google,’ or ‘Alexa’ and they are ready to provide us with the answers we seek. Does this make the human mind lazy if we don’t physically do the research?
The uniqueness of a writer’s voice lies in the manner in which they tell the story. AI can mimic the tone and intonation of the human voice, but can it replicate the character and personality of the human soul to articulate life experiences?
Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought. – Albert Einstein.
As an artist, you live your passion, share your talents and skills, and develop with every piece of art created.
The ways and reasons for entering this brave new world of creativity are widely debated.
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt — Sylvia Plath
Be curious and cautious to guide your choices in a rapidly evolving creative sphere.
When you begin writing a story that has whispered for a period, and then hauls you in—you have no idea how far you will go, or how many stories you will create in your lifetime. The process must be trusted and aided by dedicating time and space to allow the story to emerge.
Anything and everything is possible when you trust the calling first, then the process.
You may begin with a plan, an outline, and flesh out characters, but soon the story magically grows with you the writer, as the vessel, guided by a force you cannot quite describe. Some call it a ‘voice’ others call it a compulsion, or their divine muse that lays out the game plan drawn from the seed of imagination. The writer as a scribe leaves each writing session either exhilarated or surprised that a character has chosen to embolden their voice.
Once this arises, all thinking dwells on the place and society you are creating. The heart’s longing cannot be denied. The brain might test resilience, and negative emotions might slip in, depending on who is invited into your inner circle. Those external voices of doom and gloom, which might be your own if you allow it, kill inspiration. Shut them all out—regardless of who they are or what they have to say. It is YOUR story. Own it. Let the editors and ARC readers speak later in the publication process. Writing your raw story is your lone venture.
The heart’s longing cannot be denied.
You are never truly alone. Your main character will step up to lead you by the hand, and your secondary characters will vie for your attention, urging you to consider their point of view.
When many voices clamber for recognition, step back and surrender to a higher consciousness. Meditate for guidance on the next step. Clarity allows the selection of a voice that will be meaningful for readers now and years down the track. Once the writer’s imagination and emotions blend with skilful writing, a great story is born.
The process is magical once you have plunged into the waters of creativity!
As Ray Bradbury said in, Zen in the Art of Writing, ‘…but one thing always remains the same: the fever, the ardour, the delight. Because I wanted to, I did.’
Allow the process to unfold, and above all, trust it. One idea at a time, one story at a time builds your body of work.
Happy writing, happy publishing, and happy reading.
Please share your thoughts in the comment box below to help a fellow aspiring writer.
The days of writing rigidly to a particular genre, crime fiction, detective fiction, sci-fi, horror, historical fiction, thriller fiction, and romance have slipped, crept, and rolled across the genre borders.
Romance has the potential to capture the coldest of hearts.
The basic elements of the genre remain. Mystery and suspense with a soft touch of romance add to the allure of the tale. Romance as a genre in its pure form has limitless power to create relationships that stretch and bend the imagination as far as it will go.
While romance engages the emotional side of the reader, it does not overwhelm the crime/detective/historical/sci-fi, which occupies the greater space of the genre.
The love story element in any story adds the desirous human connection.
Age is no deterrent to romance. It’s not restricted to young love such as that of Romeo and Juliet. Including older characters in the angst and joy of their romantic interludes creates an inclusive perception of love. It increases the appeal of the overarching genre at work.
The happily ever after isn’t always true. Fiction is a mirror of life. Testing the strength or commitment of a relationship between crime/detective fiction heightens its entertainment value. Romance, while not central to the story outside the romance genre, might add a satisfying element against the crime/detective fiction at work.
Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning ~Paulo Coelho
Wonderfully true — it is indeed our charismatic or struggling fictional characters who love, or are in love, that linger to remind us why love given and received should never be extracted from the soul.
There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart ~Jane Austen.
Magical! The reader is drawn to the story regardless of the genre.
I would like to be the air that inhabits you for a moment only. I would like to be that unnoticed and that necessary ~ Margaret Atwood.
Brilliant! This stirs ideas on how this would unfold in a crime fiction tale!
The gist of these well-known lines deepens the human connection in any genre.
Happy Reading. Happy Writing.
Please like, share, comment and hold on to a tender heart. We need it in both fiction and life.
A full-time writer lives and breathes, creating fresh stories, poetry, and essays. Nothing is ever too much for the creative.
When starting out as a writer, passion draws one to all things writing, from social media, literary associations, events both live and online and a plethora of books on how to write and publish. FOMO consumes the early years, but on the flip side, it can erode creative time.
Over time, whittle down to those activities that create the time and space for the creative process together with growing an author brand and business. There is much to gain from trying different groups and associations to test what fits your values and the type of writer you hope to be.
Be unique, select memberships wisely
Don’t strive to be someone else. Readers appreciate authenticity.
While exploring the creative cyber space, books, groups, and associations, you realise, over time, what adds value to your work.
It is vital to look for integrity when seeking to find where you belong as an artist in what can be an overwhelming space if trying to fit in with more than you can humanly manage.
Passion and FOMO drive the need to be a part of all and more
Give priority to the innate reason for choosing a creative life. This will guide your understanding of where to invest your time and growth. Running your own creative business is a mammoth task before investment in virtual assistants.
In the initial stages of a creative life, creatives might manage a day job and fit in a creative life after hours, besides managing rest and domesticity.
To ensure you give adequate creative time to your work, divvy up time to at least two associations that echo your values. An authentic organisation such as ALLi guarantees professional development, keeps you informed of current writing and publishing trends. Podcasts and FB live monthly advice sharing, and a Self-PubCon offer advice not to be missed. A directory of vetted services available to ALLi members is where you will find cover designers, editors, and many other services you require as a creative in publishing.
Depending on where you live in the world, you might hook up with a local association and join a Facebook Group or two for the quality of the experience. It is easy to slip down the rabbit-hole chasing after what appears bigger and better. Over time, this will steal valuable time from your ultimate purpose: to write and write more.
Sharing across author platforms is a great way to promote your work to different readers while helping promote the work of writers you enjoy and admire to your supporters. This garners support from grateful creatives who return the respect by promoting your work.
The creative space is generous and supportive. Find your authentic niche and belong to grow your creative works.
Please share the platforms you enjoy in the comment box below to help fellow aspiring writers make discerning creative choices.
Pen, a fictional story and aspects of the scribe’s life, spills onto the page between fiction and reality. Angst and joy collide in the unfurling of the emotive content of the story. The emotional hooks in a story invite readers to open their own wounds and happiness for a well-penned story.
In my novels and short story collections, dogs feature as necessary in human lives. A lifelong love of dogs finds their way into the lives of significant characters I create.
In the Sequel set Across Time and Space, and Vindication Across Time the wonderful Ted is the adored pet of human rights lawyer, Michael Morissey, and aspiring writer Meryl Moorecroft. Michael advises and befriends schoolteacher Marcia Ntuli, caught in workplace professional racism. Ted is the first to understand the growing romantic involvement between Michael and Marcia. His sensitivity to Marcia makes him even more adorable.
Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth. ~Albert Camus
Two hours later they emerged from Michael’s bedroom, laughing at Ted’s quizzical peaked ears and worried frown.
In Souls of Her Daughters, Patience, a social worker has two dogs, Ajax, and Sprite. She adopted them while her sister Grace was overseas at a medical conference. Patience witnesses her sister’s battle with her past demons and hoped Ajax and Sprite might offer her healing and joy. We may read this novel as a stand-alone novel or as a trilogy.
They were abandoned in an old building on the south side of town. I could not take one and leave the other. They are high maintenance in the love department but adorable to come home to.
Life’s Seasons, a short-story collection, includes a valiant dog as title story – Toby. This story was first published in the short-story collection, The Rain, where Toby, a brave dog, living on his owner’s family farm is confronted by a treacherous storm. Instinct guides Toby when the safety of his beloved human family is threatened. Toby’s heroic, selfless act unwinds minute-by-minute to melt hearts.
He gripped the harness between his teeth, prostrating to give the children a lift, to allow them to be pulled up with ease.
The Bardo Trilogy has Woza and Khaya, the loyal companions to the mysterious doyenne Tempest, on her mission to offer safety to women and children who are victims of crime.
Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Living in isolation was difficult, but her parrot, Caramba, a keen white watcher of the skies and her two Rottweilers, Khaya and Woza, filled her lonely hours.
The act of including dogs in each of these novels and short stories is a subconscious inclusion drawn from experience.
Pets are companions who combat loneliness, fulfil a caring need, aid healing from grief and bring joy during life’s challenging times. Both fiction and reality meld to create balance to live in unison with the universe.
Now there’s nothing like one’s writing companion puppy snuggled at one’s feet as words and new worlds rise and fall on the page.
There are two answers to this question (In my book, anyway).
Experience matters in writing to represent an authentic voice, if the story/plot pertains to a particular generation/profession/life situation etc – authenticity will draw the reader into the story. A sense of place if core to the tale, and references a real place rather than a fictional setting, the experience of having visited a place, such as a town, beach, farm, a particular building etc, will add lustre to the place described. This makes the reader feel they inhabit the fictional setting.
If life experience, in the numerical sense, is absent, the young aspiring writer will achieve as much as his or her experienced counterparts if the novice writer reads widely and writes extensively. It is universally understood that to write well, one must read widely and often. What one reads is important to add believability to a time, place, or character beyond the true-life experience of the young writer.
Both actual life experience and vicarious life experience hold value in the depth and authenticity in the stories writers create. The experience gained during and through the composing process enhances light, shade, depth, and adds colour to the prose.
Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life. ~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
Seasoned and aspiring generations of writers have much to gain from each other. Writing groups offer a wealth of opportunity to sharpen the ability to write through the voice of any age or place, or past life experience. Wisdom is not age/number bound, neither is the capacity to learn a new way to meet the market of readers ready to devour new releases that offer meaningful connections.
The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely. William Osler.
Research, like reading, broadens the ‘life experience’ of a writer. Interviewing people who are of the generation, time, and place before that of the writer is valuable for crafting a character, place and society that is alive on the page.
Mind, manners, and morals of a time before one’s own is accessible, not only via digital means, although the digital connection helps the researching writer find a genuine contact who might willingly be interviewed. To honour the sharing of memories of a time past is often rewarded by a mention in the author’s acknowledgement of sources consulted. Writers take great delight in doing this.
Similarly, when writing crime or detective fiction, visiting police stations, attending court cases, interviewing police officers, or shadowing an officer/detective on the beat is a hands-on way to gaining their work lifeexperience.
The writer’s map has many points of entry… it comes down to individual choice ~Mala Naidoo
On another note, the broader necessary experience as a writer, the how, why, and the business of being a writer are accessible through Facebook groups, writing organisations, attending webinars, and signing up for a masterclass, as is reading a recommended book on how to write and manage a writing business. From a range of noteworthy groups, books, or organisations, the aspiring/new writer embraces and shapes what is needed to craft a unique voice/work of art.
Experience can’t be taught. Anonymous.
Please like, share and comment to help a fellow creative.
As writers, we engage the reader through the senses. Paintings are layered with colour depicting a sense of place, mood, and so too a story must be layered with emotions and perhaps physical reactions attached to the power of effectively crafted descriptors/imagery, etc.
Make the reader laugh or cry, see, feel, smell and touch by creating carefully written sentences that feed from the writer’s well of life experiences. Engaging the senses draws the reader into the world of the ‘painted’ narrative. We are alive with possibility when we sense life around us.
Take a walk through the sense of smell
What smell makes you warm and fuzzy, and what repulses you? Think about the smell — the odour or aroma. Write them in two columns. Experiment with adjectives that describe the olfactory sensation and attach places to where these might be experienced.
A warm fuzzy feeling could be the smell of apple pie baking in the oven on a cold, rainy afternoon. The aroma must trigger a memory that is built into the sensation the smell invites. Is it a weekend at a grandmother’s home or your favourite bakery/coffee shop? Make the reader drool. The toasty, crusty aroma of pastry baking and the sugary cinnamon apple pie filling infusedin the air must elicit the desire to taste what the power of language offers as a visceral experience.
Appeal to the reader’s instinct before the intellect
What about a repulsive smell? Passing a compost heap during a morning walk. Gagging on the putrefying stench of potatoes oozing on a compost pile, or holding your nose when you pass an overused, uncleaned urinal as you exit a carpark to get to work. Write your gut reactions to return to later to refine the descriptors for maximum effect. Then ask yourself, will my reader feel my warm fuzziness or repulsion? Will there be an emotional or physical reaction? The best way to test this is to try it on an unsuspecting reader, a family member perhaps. You might hear, ‘Yum!’ or, ‘how disgusting!’ Either way, you have infiltrated the reader’s sense of smell!
Work on sound, sight, touch and taste similarly. Write the sound, type of touch and taste experienced. Build up a storehouse, your own reference guide of words/sentence paintings to make your reader ‘experience’ the event or situation you are creating.
Show through the narrator’s experience
Scenes in a story are a canvas of colours, objects and placement that create a sensory experience for the reader. Who describes the scene is important to ensure the reader enters the headspace of the writer, or favourite or hated character doing the narration. This allows the reader to ‘feel’ the mood or ‘inhabit’ the sense of place or experience described.
Crystal spikes shimmered on the lake’s surface like fine shards of ice dancing off a sculptor’s chisel…
Scenes must be ‘seen’ in the mind’s eye to connect with the landscape/mood/event.
Touch captures emotions -pick up a soft, cuddly jumper, perhaps of a child who has passed, feel the flood of bitter-sweet memories. The depth of the engagement depends on who is holding the jumper to create a significant experience for the reader.
Taste can be a joy or a disaster. A bite of the apple pie above should be a joy, but a hidden habanero in a favourite dish described through symbols of heat or explosiveness might achieve the desired flaming reaction in the reader.
Use the senses to prompt an emotional/physical response. Work with what moves you the writer to ensure the same effect on the reader.
Happy planning, happy writing.
Please like, share and comment below to help a fellow aspiring writer.
You work full time but have a raging desire to write that book buried deep inside you.
If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ ~ Toni Morrison
How can I make it happen?
Time and space are necessary, negotiation with your after work, home tribe is mandatory — your loved ones under the same roof need to know the rules of the ring-fence around your creative time. Tell them, the adults and children alike, that this is your scared time after dinner, and family time. It will be a stretch on your energy levels, it will erode your sleep time… but if you seriously want to, not hope to achieve your hidden dream, then lost sleep is a small sacrifice.
The space is as sacred as the time and needs a physical barrier around it to avoid little ones from tottering in to play.
Say you choose nine-thirty to eleven thirty each night, stick to it unless there is something serious that requires your attention. A no-phones-space or noise cancelling headset is all the additional equipment you need to lock in the time and space for your burst of creativity each day.
Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences ~ Sylvia Plath
Quality, rather than quantity, counts during this spiritual time to achieve what you have set out to do. Adherence to this time space includes weekends. Be prepared for a dent in your social life. Exceptions are granted for extra special occasions—birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduation night, etc. These are outside the prohibited norm, and you might have a special occasion not included here. Limit these to those dearest to you. Dwindling social circles are inevitable if your social tribe doesn’t appreciate what you’re doing.
That’s all it takes, but regularity, commitment and determination are the way forward to having your book in hand. And what an exhilarating moment that is!
A word after a word after a word is power ~ Margaret Atwood
As progress happens, negotiate a reduced day job working hours with your manager as you create more time and space for your creativity to flourish.
The writer also needs time and space to read, read, read, all the poetry, craft books, and novels one can fit into a busy day to enhance the craft of writing. Shorten an office lunch break, stroll outdoors and add to the daily scribblings.
And there’s connecting with creative peers for inspiration. It could be a master class or a writer’s association. This tribe is essential to avoid total isolation and to validate your passion.
Soon you will spend more time in your creative space and limited time on your day job.
Go tell that story you have harboured for so long. The world is waiting!
You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write! ~ Saul Bellow
Happy writing as you create the time and space for holy writing hours!
Please add your thoughts, and inspiration in the comment box below.
A story crafted from bone to flesh takes many months, or years of vested time where emotional attachment is difficult to relinquish.
There comes a time in every delightful story where the writer cedes the pen (for a while before the editing clean-up).
Knowing where to start is as important as knowing when to stop.
Writing sequels, trilogies and series is a long-term relationship between the writer and manuscript. Characters become real when they consume sleeping and waking thoughts. A character wanting a bigger space on the pages of a story holds the writer to ransom.
Endings must be free of padding or info-dumping that feed the writer’s attachment to the tale, people or place, serving no express purpose to the story. Readers will thank the writer for avoiding the stuffing.
The original plan for the story veers off when a character wanting to be acknowledged calls out the loudest. Such a character is allowed a voice that directs the action on a different path. This is a natural part of the process, but rogue characters must be reeled in and put under a microscope to assess their primary role—is the character essential to the plot, does the character add an exciting plot twist or are they unnecessary?
A benevolent muse is the one to thank for all that arrive to prod the writer. If the voice/story/scene are ignored, they find a way into somebody else’s story. Lady Muse is a perpetual huntress.
Heed the call we must!
Writing is joyful, hard work. It takes committed diligence to keep going until the story is over. It will only ever be over when the writer is convinced it is time to stop. Soliciting advice from a trusted other, The Reader, is a good way to ensure that it is indeed the right point to type in ‘The End’.
Well-written stories will entertain audiences long after the writer’s time has passed.
When it feels right to end it — do it! If it is deemed not right later down the editing track — change it or add in a few subtle changes. To ignore that gnawing feeling that something is not right, but not worth the trouble to rectify it, is a mistake that comes back to haunt the writer.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art of ending ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, educator, linguist.
Structure in a story is important, but the creative does not adhere to structure alone at the sacrifice of something unique that has the potential to hold the reader’s attention.
Should the ending resolve all issues?
Are all life’s issues resolved?
Fiction entertains but should mirror life to connect with readers on the universality of our fundamental humanity.
Walking in the shoes of the reader is a good way to access whether a story crafted over a length of time, the writer’s blood on the page, has value for the reader.
A story begins with action or change, and everything follows on from there, and it may end with change, the character’s growth or downfall, but ultimately it must guarantee reader satisfaction. If not, then a sequel or epilogue might do the trick, or leave it open to interpretation, but keep the element of surprise.
Tie up loose ends without deliberating over them
Would you write the ending first? This might be a sure-fire way to lead the scenes throughout the process of the first draft.
Please share the endings of some of your favourite books in the comment box below.
Writing with a pen or pencil in hand has the natural rhythm of heart, mind, and soul, working in sync.
When creative thought emerges, there is no schedule. It arrives on the wings of Mother Muse who transports the message for the composer to pick up.
Longhand novel drafting and writing has been my process from the middle of my third book. I tested the shift to handwriting, and the creative process flowed with ease and gained momentum sooner on story advancement. While this is positive for creative flow, additionally time has to be built into the deadline to type up the longhand manuscript. Essentially this is like a second draft if writing entirely in longhand, then type on Word or other preferred platforms. There are pros and cons to the process. The toll on the wrist for one — writer’s occupational health matters. The positive side is that before the first full self-edit, the dried leaves, dead wood bits and pieces are swept away as the typed word hits the digital page.
How do we maximise the pros to meet deadlines, and create a polished piece? Dictating from longhand onto Word is a great way to save the old wrist issues. This takes time and will be near accurate when voice recognition is on the mark, or there will be more to clear up than just the longhand manuscript flaws.
Scrivener dictation is great across all devices and allows easy transition to a Word document. There are countless other ways to dictate the handwritten word to the digital format.
The brain engages differently when handwriting, compared to keyboard writing. Memory is enhanced with handwriting, a great way to keep track of sequence, characters, scenes etc in their contribution to the whole novel/story. Memory alone will not suffice to keep track of such, note making and journaling are an important part of the process. Scrivener helps the digital tracking of all the parts that make up the sum.
Handwriting, according to psychological studies, is therapeutic for coping with trauma, and to process emotions — the physical formation of letters to words to sentences to paragraphs is undistracted with handwriting, it settles the mind and spirit. This has the benefit of capturing emotional scenes in novels with authenticity to enhance reader engagement.
… handwriting like playing a guitar or preferred musical instrument, it is thoughtful and mindful.
In an era where speed is the demand (a mixed blessing) anxiety levels have increased across all generations. Handwriting is akin to playing a musical instrument, think of the strokes on a guitar to produce the sweet melody. Notice the musician’s facial expression, lost in moments of pleasure. Handwriting is markedly slower than tapping a keyboard, and thus intensely calming. The very act of handwriting like playing a guitar or preferred musical instrument, makes the process thoughtful and mindful.
As a teacher and writer, spelling benefits from handwriting without spellcheck, free of predicted text that can at times mumbo jumbo intention/meaning.
If you’re a digital only writer and need a conversion test, start small.
Write out your daily or weekly home or work plan on a bedside or desk notebook.
Poets don’t draw. They unravel their handwriting, and then tie it up again, but differently~ Jean Cocteau (French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker)
Now sit back and watch your creativity grow!
Happy handwriting. Let it flow!
What’s your best writing practice?
Please share, like and comment in the message box.
It is with great joy today that I travel on the blog from Sydney to Washington to feature the inspirational Keshni Washington who I met through an introduction from a respected and trusted mutual acquaintance. I have had the privilege of attending a virtual screening of ‘Immigrant Story Telling Night’ with Keshni Washington and speakers on the night who shared their honest, authentic, lived experiences as immigrants.
Regardless of where we reside in the world, the connection is palpable.
Author – Keshni Washington
My ten questions introduce Keshni’s life and work in Washington DC as a writer and compassionate person, living, working, and contributing to DC society with a strong connection to her South African roots.
1.What is your most vivid memory of South Africa?
I miss those perfect hot dry Joburg summer evenings, the smoke of a braai (bbq) with friends and the clear skies and stars. Along with this memory, I also miss the taste of Koo baked beans and South African mayo potato salad.
2. Did you move to Washington for work?
Yes, I was recruited from South Africa to work for an international non-profit that is based in Washington DC. I had never been to the USA before coming through for the interviews. I worked there for 8 years but have been trying my hand at being an entrepreneur for the past year.
3. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I can remember composing the opening to my first book when I was 11 on the walk to and from school in Chatsworth, Durban. But I was soon discouraged and advised to do something more financially rewarding that would secure my future – I grew up in an apartheid segregated neighborhood and so being able to support yourself and others financially was a natural priority. I put away the dream until decades later in life. Coming back to it about 5 years ago, reaffirmed the feeling inside me, that this is what I was meant to do, and I know I will be telling stories for the rest of my life. I have been learning and honing my skills and now have two draft novels.
4. Tell us about your ‘Signal Fire Series’ podcast and what motivated you to do it.
I wanted to fuel my own fires of inspiration by talking to some of the people that inspire me about their journeys and glean some of their wisdom. I realized quickly that these conversations could do the same for others out there, whatever their passion. Since I have deep roots in South Africa, I decided to host conversations with both Americans and people from my first home. It has been an expansive experience, in which I have found a new admiration for every single person’s journey, whether they pursue their passion in their spare time or full time. It’s my offering, and I hope the person who needs it will find their connection and inspiration.
5. Please share your recent publishing success and writing motivation.
Published in Yellow Arrow Literary Journal
I have recently had short pieces/essays published in American literary journals: Yellow Arrow Literary Journal, Mer Vox Quarterly and Pen-in-Hand Literary Journal. I have also been fortunate to attend two writing workshop intensives – VONA (Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation) with author Daniel Jose Older and Tin House Writing Workshop with author Alaya Dawn Johnson.
Keshni Washington’s favorite writing spaces where a cup of South African Rooibos tea is served at the Jamaican Tea Shop in DC.
Sunday street-side cafe
Espresso and mini cake
Writing at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Jamaican Tea Shop in DC
6. What genre do you enjoying reading the most?
This is hard to narrow down as I read just about everything. When I was young, I was obsessed with science fiction. When I got older, I gravitated to literary fiction and poetry. Over the past year, I have been reading a lot of YA as my latest novel is a YA novel, which has been a ton of fun.
7. Tell us about Tin House, and the experience you have gained/are gaining.
Tin House is an American publisher of award-winning books of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; home to a renowned workshop and seminar series; and partner of a critically acclaimed podcast, Tin House champions writing that is artful, dynamic, and original.
The writing workshop consists of a series of small classes of no more than eight writers per class, so spots are limited. I got to work with the amazing Alaya Dawn Johnson. As part of the selection process, I submitted the first three chapters of my book, and these chapters were critiqued during the workshop by both my classmates and my workshop leader. All my classmates were critiqued this way. It was an invaluable opportunity for feedback and discussion. I had one-on-one meetings with Alaya and a literary agent who gave me feedback on my query letter. There were many amazing craft lectures by the faculty, generative exercises, and discussions about the publishing industry. We had the opportunity to do a reading from our work and mingled with other amazing writers attending and teaching at the workshop. It was an intense but invaluable experience.
8. When did KAMA DC start and what is your role at KAMA DC?
I first found Kama DC when I signed up to participate in their Immigrant Story-Telling Night. (where immigrants share a five-minute story from their experience on the theme of the night.) I have since stayed with Kama DC as a volunteer – part of the Storytelling team. Kama DC is a nonprofit in the DC area, run by volunteers, whose mission is to build community through immigrant-led experiences, providing a platform for immigrants to teach classes, share stories and their skills and passions to foster awareness, understanding and community. I also inaugurated and now run the @immigrantsOftheDMV Instagram feed, which is similar to Humans of New York in that we invite immigrants on the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to do a takeover – hold the handle and share a bit about their story, home country, and experiences in the USA. It is a wonderful group of people and I am immensely proud to be a part of this mission.
9. What has been most inspirational about your semester of Creative Writing at GW?
During this semester we get to learn from published author Cutter Wood. It is focused on creative non-fiction aka essays, and how to write our true stories. As my self-study has been focused on fiction and novel writing for many years it’s wonderful to develop this different writer muscle. It is a small class of 13 people. We write a new piece every week, so I have to dig around in my memories and experiences and create something on a schedule. And the best part is sharing in class and getting to grow through the experiences and creations of the wonderful writers in my class.
10. If there is one piece of advice that you would share with young aspiring writers, what would it be?
To just start. Just write. Whether you think it’s imperfect or feel you are not ready. Just write. Put your fingers to the keyboard, or your pen to paper today, start journaling today. You are not too young nor too old. Just write. You will get better by doing, I guarantee this. But you must start, the world needs your stories.
With gratitude and best wishes to the inspirational Keshni Washington for sharing her creative journey, life and work in Washington DC.
Writing might simmer in the novice writer’s subconscious, afraid to put words on a page, or perhaps a manuscript sits half-written or complete, but safely locked in a desk drawer or tucked away in the garage under a heap of stuff.
Are you that person?
Risk 1: Creative Exhilaration
Taking the first creative risk is writing the story or poem that dwells in the mind’s hinterland.
Then pursuing the idea through to completion is the time risk invested to get to ‘the end.’ This is the honeymoon period. Bliss reigns as a generous muse massages words
Risk 2: New Eyes on the Page
The most daunting risk is getting an extra pair of eyes to read those beloved, private words. This could go horribly wrong if fresh eyes are inclined to be super critical about EVERYTHING.
The novice writer is a sensitive soul in need of validation. A poor selection of new eyes could end a potentially stellar career. Then again, choosing new eyes as your significant other, carries the risk ramifications that over validates, or liberally criticises, and possibly risks ‘the end’ to the union!
New eyes on new words should be benevolent in first congratulating the timid scribe on getting that far, then comment on the story, and throw in a few suggestions, expectations, and gently draw attention to plot holes that might exist.
Risk 3: Who will edit?
Choosing an editor who is the right fit for a novice writer has its risks that could go either way. Choose wisely, ask and check out vetted individuals through organisations such as ALLi, or trusted fellow authors in finding the right match that assures writing longevity.
Nobody’s perfect
Image Credit: Mohammed Hassan (Pixabay)
If a novice is averse to professional feedback then the red flag goes up, and it’s best to consider whether the risks taken to get this far will be worth risking much more, or if it’s time to hand in the pen.
To be a successful writer, lock ego in the desk drawer or stash it under the rubbish in the garage, or better still, scrub it out of existence.
It is imperative to observe and listen to the safe, knowledgeable advice of those who do it well and successfully so. This applies to anything in life. In publishing, it is necessary to do so.
Be authentic, be unique, but know the ropes.
Take risks with an open mind. Push boundaries but know when to ponder the road ahead.
The journey is not over yet, there is the risk of whether the general reading public will love or loathe a close to the heart piece of literature.
When fear is overcome, it steels the novice (for a while – NB creatives are sensitive beings) to continue dipping a toe into the world of writing and publishing.
Risk 4: Publishing
There are many ways to get your words out into the world, so carefully consider the risk of giving up all the rights of a creative endeavour that spanned many days and nights, the ultimate sacrifices made to get to the grand finale before the decision to hand over blood, sweat, tears, and other emotional hooks.
Protect your rights, know your rights.
Risk you must, for unheard stories to be told, leave your legacy — stories have value, but choose your tribe wisely.
George Orwell in his essay, Why I Write:
‘In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.’
Best wishes, always!
Happy Reading, Happy Writing!
Where are you now in your writing dreams?
Please share, and leave a comment to help a fearful novice step out in the right writing shoes.
As creatives, we are flexible in what we do if we are steering the vessel.
A sense of place and time is important to the creative, but in the unpredictability of current times, adapting to everything that comes our way is daunting.
Patience is the ultimate virtue in a creative life. Nothing happens overnight, now more than ever, with all that blew in with 2020.
It is the slow burn that needs a tender mind, hand and heart
Amidst waiting for the right time, there is the desire for the energy of the muse to enlighten the artist on how much, when, and what will be written/created. This wait is underpinned by the bend and twist of the tide of change that tests adaptability.
Shifting an established creative routine generates a splurge of musings when the noise and demands of new daily expectations receive attention.
A daily meeting with oneself in morning reflections on what is and is not working facilitates the coming to terms with how to create a new routine.
Reflection is the art of patience that sharpens the creative pen.
The writing muse happily visits if the mind is willing.
Patience takes hard work; it sits on the back of perseverance — one without the other is a no go.
To cultivate the art of patience, look at reactions/behaviours to situations outside of creativity, learn from it and readjust the behaviour. While patience is a virtue, it is also a personal inner medic, keeping creative work in check by allowing the body and mind to process situations without elevating stress levels.
Finding what calms and settles the creative is the best way to grow in being patient rather than becoming a patient.
The writing world is competitive enough without adding layers of undue stress — the art of writing is profoundly therapeutic.
After writing a scene or chapter, the sense of exhilaration that follows such achievement is remarkable. Journal these moments to refresh a reflective morning that needs a reminder about why we do what we do.
To be a writer, requires barrel-loads of patience in how to nurture a story from seed to flower, chip back words and scenes, polish to refine the story and then publish.
Patience, perseverance, and adaptability are the keys to creating more stories and poems as is refining before a book/product hits retail shelves.
Step back, let time and place do the work, relax overthinking and communication to create valuable space to refine the manuscript. This aspect of the creative zone has the potential for success, abundant success if that is the desire.
Be gentle and patient with yourself, persevere with your creative goals and adapt to the ever-changing demands of a writing and publishing life.
Go well in all your endeavours.
Share, like and commenton what works for you as a creative sailing through the winds of change.
Writing a trilogy is not how I began writing, Souls of Her Daughters. The ending brought on an extension to the lives of Grace and Patience, and as the muse requested two more tales were born ending in the grand finale of, What Change May Come. The second book, Chosen Lives, picks up from Patience’s mission shrouded in mystery, and suspense when the aircraft she travels in disappears, followed by time tense revelations and heart-stopping fulfilling thriller magic!
enthrals with mystery and suspense ~ engaging and addictive ~ exhilarating… oozes with deep passion ~
~ Goodreads
The present trilogy in the making was planned. Book 1 of The Bardo Trilogy, Aurora Days, was released in April 2020 and Book 2 is scheduled for an October/November release. Book 3 will follow in the first quarter of 2021. And poetry beckons, egging me on with each publication. Hence Viola is also a closet poet! Stories crafted will always borrow some aspects from the writer’s world.
1
2
3
entrances and entertains… epic tale of courage, love and peril ~ Goodreads
Lessons learned in writing a trilogy are keeping a tight track on characters, places, time, and events. While for the most part, I am a panster, I do plan on Scrivener and shift and rearrange as each idea emerges. The glory of Scrivener is a necessary asset in a writer’s toolkit!
Sometimes the protagonist’s trajectory takes on a different path than originally envisioned. This is the power of independent creative choices — a freedom to chop or sustain at will.
Creative freedom is the stuff dreams are made of!
The Bardo Trilogy revolves around a family mystery in the life of PI Viola Bardo, schoolteacher extraordinaire with music in her heart and justice in her soul. Family relationships are a keen part of both my trilogies as are hidden secrets that connect to my thriller edge.
Changing locations is a wonderful way to revisit places I’ve been to in grounding the story.
While all this is in the making, a new venture beckons as an epic once-off or standalone novel on a family saga. The title came to mind first and pieces are emerging on that idea. Currently, I run two journals, something I have not done with my backlist publications. It has been largely one book at a time.
I am allowing the creative spirit to bite whichever way it wants so while the second book in The Bardo Trilogy is given priority, I am jotting down ideas as they appear on a new vision. I have taken on board Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice in ‘Big Magic’ — if you don’t pick up the stories coming to you, someone else will.
The muse will nudge the writer with her private messages when a story must be told.
The new venture beckoning will shift and change with time and no deadline is on the horizon for that yet. But it will be created as it comes.
I don’t intend on leaving Viola Bardo in the wings because she has many more revelations for the reader.
Keeping track of all that the divine muse dispenses is the best way forward.
Diverse voices exist in literature but are under-represented by trade publishers.
All hail the dawn of self-publishing!
The tragedy of George Floyd’s death in the United States has sparked a resurgence for the recognition of black writers. Read the rumble in the UK here on what the newly found Black Writer’s Guild has initiated.
It is shocking to note that black writers are offered a lower advance to that of their white contemporaries, and editors ask for white or racist characters to be added to books.
As an author of colour, in Australia, I faced the dilemma of whether I should create a neutral non-black pen name to get publishing recognition. But my writing mission is, In our angst and joy, we are ONE under the sky of humanity, which does not support using a pen name and so authenticity prevailed.
My apartheid past in South Africa had stolen the right to feel comfortable in my skin or to dare to speak out against racism. Hence my debut novel Across Time and Space and the sequel Vindication Across Time, present the bald face of racism as a universal disease through my eyes. My third novel, Souls of Her Daughters exposes injustice on multiple levels.
Fear makes one believe that a name that hints at race would be bypassed by publishers and readers. Listen to the words of author Michael La Ronn who articulates the issues black writer’s face in writing and publishing. Note what he says about gaslighting
Racism – Inequality – Injustice – Prejudice – by any name must be caught and called in the books we read, movies we watch and conversations we have
The Zulu word Ubuntu refers to the human spirit as it should be:
I am because we are
humanity towards others
the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity
In writing multicultural stories as I do – the spirit of Ubuntu prevails.
What will you be reading and watching in the renaissance of Black Lives Matter in literature?
I recommend watching the movie In My Country on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa and Rabbit-Proof Fence on Australia’s Stolen Generation.
From the Uncle Tom’s Cabin and beyond, voices have raised the alarm but sadly the call to end racism fell on deaf ears. Now it must be made history, an unforgotten one to remind us that prejudice is heinous and should be obliterated from the stage of life. Diverse voices that are in the main ignored, share why the human condition needs a radical shake-up.
Feel the angst, walk a mile in the shoes of the racially downtrodden – only then will you know the corrosive impact of racism.
The wound of prejudice cuts deep to the soul leaving indelible scars.
But you pick your head up, as you do, to face another day no longer silent especially to subtle bias…
In the wake of the change in 2020 and beyond, walk a mile through these suggestions to know and feel that in our diversity the common factor is that we are emotional beings with the capacity to rectify prejudice by the stories we tell and read.
Here are ten suggestions where diverse voices rip out your heart to sensitise your soul.
Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela
. My Place -Sally Morgan
Talking to My Country – Stan Grant
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead
Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Cry the Beloved Country – Alan Paton
The Power of One – Bryce Courtney
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence – Derald Wing Sue
May you write and read stories that share histories to sensitise our souls to dismantle racial bias.
As a thriller fiction writer, poetry has been a significant aspect of my recreational reading and inspiration for my writing. Poets of the Romantic era notably Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge are among my selection of favourites as has been Yeats, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson. African poets Mongane Wally Serote and Chinua Achebe, to name a few. All held my attention both as a student and educator. More recently, I turn to the inspiration of Orna Ross, an Irish poet and author. I relish reading poems from a global range of acclaimed published and aspiring poets in the rapidly growing group, How to Write for Success. This attests to the thirst for new voices to be heard and fundamentally the need for poetry in an era of uncertainty where we need to be reminded of beauty and wonder.
In a post titled Poetry Educates Prose I highlighted the benefits of poetry reading and writing to enhance style and succinct writing in prose.
After writing poetry for an audience of one and gradually venturing out to my better half and immediate family circle and a few trusted friends, I took the plunge to put together a collection of my light and shade poems. It has taken a year to sift through, rewrite and refresh and refresh once again, and no doubt that process will continue as skills develop along the way. A collection titled Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is the window to my soul
The moon has a significant impact on creativity, and culturally the celebration of auspicious events are determined by the aspect of the moon as per the lunar calendar. Some of my Instagram posts will reveal my fascination with the moon whenever she is in my realm. The cover of Random Heart Poetry captures the essence of Light and Shade through the full moon, representative of the light we seek. The poetry collection reflects upon culture, identity, gender, race, migration, relationships and the wonder of nature.
Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is available at Amazon and instore at a few select retailers.
More on why poetry matters:
Poetry is the unadorned human face reverberating with timeless truths ~Mala Naidoo
When power corrupts, poetry cleanses ~ John F Kennedy
Happy Writing, Happy Reading!
Share your love of poetry in the message box below.
While the world is swamped by social media and every form of communication possible — words fly at us, to us and among us at a speed we cannot keep pace with.
Yet amid this world of words there is always an aspiring writer with a story to tell — struggling with the fear that it might not be good enough — or imposter syndrome takes hold. It’s every writer’s fear each time a new book is sent out into the world.
The first step is the most difficult like anything in life — being authentically YOU is all that matters
Finding the courage to put your work out into the world is dependent on a range of factors. How serious are you? Do you have patience, and will you be persistent in achieving your writing aim? It really is about sitting down to write and then finding the courage to hand it over to a stranger. Try a friendly eye first to gauge if the story excites and entertains. Be prepared to accept whatever feedback comes your way. Everything is fixable if you have a manuscript on hand — plot, structure, style, sense etc.
As many words as there are in the dictionary, there are professionals who will guide you in the right direction. This may come at a cost and, some find friendly writers by joining writers’ forums online to share feedback/impressions of each other’s work and to offer advice
If a story is brewing and bubbling within, you need to begin toiling if you know it will make a difference to someone.
Stop pondering and get writing — BE YOU
If you’re afraid of writer’s block — news is — it does not exist. You might pause and research and redraft parts of a piece but once a story bites — something truly magical happens. You begin to write as though you are guided by that which is transmitted through you. You will only experience this when you take that first step and allow yourself to deepen the process.
Writing is not for a chosen few. We all have the language to communicate our thoughts and feelings. The imagination develops from reading and takes hold with an unquenchable thirst. This opens the gateway of the creative font as stories emerge from stories. Then pick up the pen and write all that you can at a speed that you find bearable.
Stephen King said, ‘To be a writer you have do to two things, read a lot and write a lot.’
Once you have taken that step towards writing, choose a comfortable space to call your own. This invites the magical muse to transmit through you. Begin with meditating to ease your mind, body and spirit. Choose your time of day or night — your most lucid, productive time and begin — one word at a time…
Listen to the whispers and act on them — or beware — they will go looking for the next transmitter.
Missed opportunities are of our own making because the signs do come. It took me ten years before that voice pecked at my waking and sleeping state and I had no option but to answer the call.
Writing is the blood pumping in my veins — it’s the air that sets my breath aflame
Nothing happens in life without desire, determination and persistence. Courage will flow if the mind is open to desire.
Don’t be an aspiring writer, don’t wait ten years, you have the ability to take that step but do persist.
As the year draws to a close in the blink of the year bowing out, it is a time to reflect on where we are, where we’ve come from and of course where we’re heading to.
Gratitude
My gratitude for a writing life is the blessing of the creative gift to tell the stories of forgotten or unheard voices and the passion to sustain this. I am indebted to the people I’ve met along the way who support my creativity by reading my books and inspiring and supporting my desire to write more.
ALLi guides my ethical author status by providing up-to-the-minute publishing and marketing advice through podcasts, publications, members’ forums and Orna Ross’ weekly, Maker, Manager, and Marketer accountability for creatives.
The vibrant How to Write for Success FB group supports seasoned and novice writers in a nurturing, inspirational forum and is a space to create and showcase some of my pieces while supporting writers on their creations in a constructive, non-judgmental forum.
Joanna Francis Penn’s Travel and Books Podcast and Mark Dawson’s SPS Podcasts are informative, entertaining and inspirational.
Writers no longer work in isolation. Seclusion is necessary for the creative process and networking creates visibility
Publishing
The third novel in theSouls Of Her Daughters Collection was completed, titled What Change May Come and a collection of short stories, Life’s Seasonswas published this year. It has been a year of many things on all of life’s fronts with life experience extending understanding and the capacity to live my passion.
Souls Collection (Trilogy)
2020 – Onwards and Upwards
Currently, a new novel series/trilogy is in the making with the first draft complete and chilling for a month before several rounds of editing and reworking to be born into the world in the first quarter of next year.
Poetry is a calling that intensifies as evident in the post, Poetry Educates Prose. It was a joy to have my poem, ‘Listen,’ published in the December edition of the literary journal SIPAY. Coleridge, Wordsworth, Byron, Keats, Yeats and Orna Ross are poets I enjoy reading.
Additionally, supporting rising poets brings joy to my creative space.
What more…
Lots more writing and possibly looking at non-fiction and poetry publications while teaching, learning and growing.
A writing life, like reading, is the breath and pulse of life.
Have you signed up for my monthly or bi-monthly newsletters for special offers/ free books/stories and updates on new publications? Click here to enter and receive two free short stories.
As the year closes this chapter, I look forward with a glad and grateful heart.
Happy Reading, Happy Writing and Publishing this holiday season.
Season’s Greetings, may 2020 bring you the very best in peace, joy, good health, enhanced creative productivity, and abundant success in all your endeavours.
What are you grateful for as 2019 draws to a close?
Today I turn the spotlight on South African Author Vash Karuppa whose debut novel DESTINY FOR LOVE ARRANGED is a favourite among readers in South Africa and abroad. Her novel captures the cultural significance of life, and the command and necessity of love in a voice that connects the reader to place and culture and the understanding that the heart is not entirely self-directed.
Synopsis: Destiny for Love Arranged:
Destiny for Love Arranged is a contemporary, gripping and angsty, second chance Indian romance that reveals the love of family and friendship bonds during trying times. All protagonists are of South African Indian origin.
The story revolves around Aariyan Ranjan, a highly successful CEO of a Hotel Empire and Varini Iyengar, an Oncologist, both are forced into a temporary marriage of convenience to help them resolve personal dilemmas.
Not because it had anything to do with his heart he thought stoically…, but because it suited his purposes…
While Aariyan is determined to treat their marriage as he would any other business deal, love rarely listens to logic, and what follows is anything but business. On the other hand, Varini soon finds herself gravitating toward and rejoicing in the love she thought lost forever with a hidden hope that their marriage of convenience will end in a union of everlasting love. The story is embedded with cultural anecdotes familiar to any family of Indian origin. It takes their family, friends and a life-threatening situation to show them the love they lost is worth fighting for.
In short, this is a story about family, friendship, and starting over, as Aariyan and Varini embark on a journey toward a second chance at love. You will get to share in their moments as they discover that vulnerability can be their strength and the most perplexing problems can be overcome with the support and resourcefulness of a loving family and faithful friends. This is Book 1 of a trilogy.
About the Author
Vash is a South African author of Indian origin who has been a bookaholic from about the age of five. Her addiction for books grows exponentially daily, so after spending years concentrating on her role as a corporate executive and a short stint as an entrepreneur, she decided to unleash her number one desire i.e. a passion for writing. Whilst books of most genres interest her, it was romance that captured her soul. Her writing portrays the lives and drama of ordinary people who readers can easily relate to. The crux of her stories celebrates the power of true love coupled with the timeless bonds that exist between family and friends while capturing the true essence of diverse cultures.
Vash Karuppa is a member of the Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa (ROSA)
What inspired you to write Destiny for Love Arranged?
For many years I have read articles around the call for diverse romance novels that incorporate multi-cultural aspects into a traditional romance plot. In addition, I’m a hopeless romantic myself and always had a plot in my head around a story that integrates family and friendship bonds (which I have been blessed to have throughout my life) together with a typical romance story.
When I eventually decided to put pen to paper, it all just naturally came together, giving birth to Destiny for Love Arranged. Finally, I am aware there aren’t many novels written which share intricacies of the South Indian culture and I was determined to write about it. Looking at the feedback received thus far from readers, it was well-received.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? How long did it take you to write your novel?
Being a passionate romantic and voracious bookaholic, reading was a drug to which I had an instant addiction, one that only grew with time. While books in all genres interest me, it was romance that I was drawn to. From as early as my pre-teen years, I loved the ‘happily ever after (HEA)’ syndrome hence my love with any book in the romance genre, and later as a teenager with a dream of writing my own HEA story.
Writing a novel has always been part of my bucket list, so, after spending years concentrating on my role as a corporate executive, I eventually unleashed my number one desire and passion for writing with Destiny for Love Arranged
I didn’t really plan on publishing my work though, because I started writing for my own fulfilment. However, when a few of my friends read the script, they encouraged me to consider publication and so it happened….
The hardest part of completing the story was not knowing how to stop. I had so much more to tell but owing to publishing rules on limited word count and reader expectation of the length of books I had to cut out a lot from the original script.
What’s your typical writing day like?
Owing to a “day job”, I tend to confine my writing to nights for at least 2 hours a day in the week and whatever time I can hijack on the weekend.
My best writing is done in a quiet space in my little apartment directly next to a window where I can have the warmth of the sun and sounds of chirping birds to keep me company while writing.
Who is your greatest source of inspiration?
My 92-year-old maternal grandfather has undoubtedly been the inspiration behind my love for writing. He taught me how to read and then introduced me to the word of writing through the books he wrote and is still writing might I add.
What are your future writing plans?
Books 2 and 3 of the Keshavam Industries trilogy is almost complete and will be released between December 2019 and February 2020.
I have a new series planned for the rest of 2020.
Destiny for Love Arranged is on Amazon for your reading pleasure.
About the Author 
You must be logged in to post a comment.