INTERVIEW
1.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I
do. I’m also a humanitarian aid worker. Part of why I’ve traveled and lived in
different countries over the years is because of that job, and those
experiences are absorbed into my writing, sometimes not on purpose!
2.
How do you balance your time as an author with your other work?
Balance
is something that I often struggle with, not only dividing my time as an author
and with a job, but also ensuring I make time to do other things that nourish
me, like reading, or spending time with my friends, or taking a long walk along
the Aurelian Walls here in Rome.
What
works for me is making lists, because that helps me to get everything out of my
head and onto a piece of paper, so I don’t feel I have to keep everything at
the forefront of my mind. That list also includes things like, take a break,
watch a show, finish reading that chapter, have a lovely dinner. And then I
have a new rule about not giving myself a hard time when I can’t get through
everything! If there are things I have to get through but that I’ll tend to
drag my feet about, like editing, I use the advice I got from a friend some
time ago: I just start, promising myself that I’ll do it for ten minutes to
start with and that’ll be a win. Most of the time, getting started really is
the hardest part, as trite as that sounds, and much more often than not once
I’m in the swing of things I’ll keep working through it.
3.
Writers often use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your
book on paper?
I
always have a notebook with me and I grew up scribbling, but these days, if I’m
honest, I’ll often jot things down in my notes app on my phone because it’s so
much faster. Then, I’ll move it to my laptop to expand on the idea. I’ll always
read my last version out loud to myself because I think hearing things helps
process differently. In all of this, I miss the paper element, and I think
paper itself is the most powerful thing, but I have to admit I often fall into
the “it’s so much faster to type” category. I do always keep a notebook still
with me and my agenda is a physical one I write in, but I’ve even noticed
recently my writing hand gets tired much faster these days because I’m less
used to physical writing. So I have a commitment to change this back to
writing, at least shorter pieces, more on paper!
4.
What is your next project?
When WOT is out, you’ll find me hard at work on the
sequel. The book can stand alone, because as a reader, I tend to love
series that intertwine but also wrap up their individual storylines, but the
world we’re meeting in this first book isn’t done with me yet, and I hope the
readers will feel the same!
I’ll be sharing as I
start to work on research for the second book (which, right now, is set to take
place in Egypt, in a place we already see in this first book, but that’s all I
can say!) You can find me on Substack and Instagram to talk
WOT, places and how we define ourselves by them, cultural cross-pollination,
and the occasional is-curly-hair-better-than-straight-hair convo.
5.
Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?
I
snack all the time! I’m a big proponent of “a little treat”. I love sweets but
have some blood sugar issues so I try to always pair protein with it, so my
go-to snack is often a piece of parmigiano and some cookies to much on.
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