The First Person to Believe in Me as a Writer? That Was Me

#openbook

Who was the first person who ever believed in you?

We all have stories of people who’ve inspired, motivated, and given us that little push when needed. But today, I want to share a slightly different story with you. A story of self-belief, resilience, and a sprinkle of stubbornness. This is the story of the first person who believed in me as a writer.

Spoiler alert: it was me!

Now, don’t get me wrong, external validation is great. A pat on the back, a compliment, or even a simple “I loved what you wrote” can work wonders. But before any of those words of affirmation came my way, I had to face the blank page with just one person cheering me on – and yep, you guessed it, that person was yours truly.

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October 5, 2023 1

Overcoming Writer’s Block: Healing Through the Power of Words

#openbook

What’s the biggest problem you have in your writing right now?

As I sit down to write this blog post, I can’t help but feel a mixture of emotions. The journey I’ve been on, grappling with a problem that seemed insurmountable, has been both challenging and enlightening. You see, the biggest problem in my writing right now is actually writing itself. It’s not a lack of ideas, nor a shortage of creativity – it’s something much deeper that I’ve had to confront head-on: writer’s block born from years of toxicity and emotional abuse.

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September 7, 2023 1

Breaking the Ice of Love: My Favorite Way to Connect in New Romances

#openbook #bloghop #breakingtheice #romance #romancebooks

What is your favorite icebreaker (meetings, parties, dates, socials)?

Meeting someone new in a romantic context can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking. The first moments of interaction often set the tone for the entire relationship. I want to share my favorite icebreaker when meeting a potential love interest. Whether at meetings, parties, dates, or social gatherings, this approach has consistently helped me connect on a deeper level and create memorable experiences. Did it help me find my Mr. Forever? No, but it did help me find my Mr. 31-Year Marriage. So, let’s check it out.

Before delving into the specific icebreaker, it’s crucial to understand the underlying philosophy: authenticity. Being genuine and authentic to yourself is the key to forming a meaningful connection. People can sense when someone is sincere, creating a foundation of trust and comfort right from the start.

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August 17, 2023 1

The Power of a Works In Progress (WIP) Notebook: A Writer’s Best Friend

As a writer, I often juggle multiple ideas, projects, and characters in my mind. It can be challenging to keep track of everything, leading to frustration and even abandoning potentially great works. This is where a Works In Progress (WIP) notebook comes in handy.

A WIP notebook can be a great way to keep track of all your creative ideas and projects. Allowing you to dump your thoughts onto paper (or digital page) without worrying about perfect grammar or structure. You get the jumble of ideas out of your head and onto paper so they can be fleshed out later.

There are numerous benefits to maintaining a WIP notebook. Let’s explore some of them and give practical advice on effectively using a WIP notebook.

From Dreams to Pages: My Journey as an Author

#openbook #bloghop #contemporaryromance #bestfriendsister #lawyerromance #interracial #ambw #bwam #writing #writerslife

What is your author origin story? (Or make one up.)

Every writer has a unique origin story, a tale of how they discovered their passion for penning stories and the winding path that led them to become an author. Today, I am thrilled to share my author’s origin story—a journey filled with inspiration, challenges, and unwavering determination.

As far back as I can remember, I was captivated by stories. Bedtime tales, fables, and books opened doors to enchanting worlds, stirring my imagination and filling my young mind with endless possibilities. The magic of words weaved by authors had me daydreaming about becoming one myself, with aspirations of conjuring my own realms of wonder and intrigue.

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August 10, 2023 1

Exploring Nature’s Wonders

#openbook #bloghop #contemporaryromance #bestfriendsister #lawyerromance #interracial #ambw #bwam

A field full of sunflowers on a bright morning? Or rolling hills on a clear full moon night?

No matter the scene we choose, one thing is for sure – life can be beautiful. Even amid struggle and pain, moments of joy can still be found if you take the time to appreciate them.

The impact of nature on a person’s mood, health, and overall well-being is profound and well-documented. Spending time in natural environments, whether lush forests, tranquil beaches, or serene parks, offers many benefits that nurture both the body and mind.

I just wrote an article in Haute Hijab about the benefits of nature for my healing journey.

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August 3, 2023 1

Back To Pizza Basics

#openbook

What toppings do you put on your pizza? Is pineapple a real pizza topping?

I was raised in a large family of four kids, so needless to say (but I’m going to anyway), the battle over pizza toppings remained a stable part of Friday night eating. My mother’s children had an expanse of tastes that made it necessary for her to have each of us take weekly turns to decide what would go on top of the tomato and cheesy goodness. When it was my turn, my brothers and sister groaned and complained to Ma that she was wasting a chance to have something new and different on pizza night.

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October 10, 2022 5

Cracking Open A Metaphor To Add Meaning To A Story

#openbook #bloghop #contemporaryromance #bestfriendsister #lawyerromance #interracial #ambw #bwam

Write about a metaphor you used in one of your books. What does it represent?

Metaphors can be a valuable literary device to integrate symbolism in their works that will activate readers’ imaginations and offer them a different way. By directly comparing two different things, authors can give qualities to the first thing through the use of the second. In this way, writers can “show” instead of “tell” important aspects of a story or character as well as convey an underlying message through the thematic use of a metaphor throughout the plot.

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July 14, 2022 0

Farewell WIP – Making An Idea Into A Book

#openbook #wip #writing

Do you miss a WIP when you’ve finished writing it?

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July 1, 2022 2

My Favorite Literature: The Best Books I’ve Read

Do you have a favorite piece of literature? What is it and why is it your favorite?

Hey, romance addicts. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written a blog hop post, but I couldn’t get in front of the camera to do a video. So, I’m getting back to basics and doing what I do best, writing. Let’s do this!

I don’t have one favorite piece of literature. The literary world is far too expansive to settle on one text. However, some books that influenced and inspired me come to mind.

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August 12, 2021 5

#IWSG – Swallow Rejection, Focus on the Work

Mis Quince Años (28) Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

Why y’all asking people to tell their secrets?

A lot of my work as a cultural critic and author involves me asserting confidence about my abilities and talents and using them to encourage writers to form supportive networks that will help us all get our words to the world. While I am blessed to get to write for online publications and my own stories, I also take advantage of opportunities to coach, mentor and cheerlead my fellow writers to get their thoughts and stories out there. I guess that is why it is hard to accept the infrequency for substantial mutual support. Continue reading “#IWSG – Swallow Rejection, Focus on the Work” →

June 3, 2020 5

Writing Characters in Real Places and Spaces

#openbook

Talk about the setting of your book. Is it entirely imaginary or is it based on a real-life place?

I love writing stories that allow readers to tap into the fantasy and escapism that fiction provides. At the same time, I like to include points of reference from my environment. Similar to integrating real-life characters experience, my story plots also contain geographical references to position readers in characters’ environments, potentially essential to reinforce arches and allow them to relate.

Settings in the romance genre tend to be at economic and geographic extremes. At a Popular Cultural Association conference, romance scholar Jodi McAllister pointed out that romance plots frequently unfold between female protagonists and rich men in cities or small-town bearded hunks. She posed a question asking why people didn’t seem to fall in love in the suburbs. She made a great point. I spent my teens and early adult life reading about ridiculously wealthy men taking their love interests to bed. Not necessarily a bad thing, I enjoyed the escapism, but not everyone lives like that way, nor do they exist in tiny towns with one traffic light. I want my readers to see themselves in my stories. Continue reading “Writing Characters in Real Places and Spaces” →

April 20, 2020 7

The Dual Life of the Self-Published Author

#openbook

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Control is something I have a difficult time relinquishing to anyone. I can delegate easily enough but must maintain the power to make the final decisions, especially when it comes to my writing.

Like many authors, I put a lot of myself in my books. I have been exhilarated while writing some scenes and depleted by others. More than time and talent, storytelling requires energy. After completing a fleshed-out plot, I am usually vested in it and the characters, making it hard to detach myself and place it into someone else’s hands. I figured out pretty early into the novel-writing process that I did not want to let go.

Continue reading “The Dual Life of the Self-Published Author” →

December 24, 2019 2

The Non-negotiable Writing Exchange

#openbook

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

For people dedicated to the craft, writing is an impactful part of their lives and identities. I mentioned in another post, “I acquired and honed skills to interpret and craft words, using a range of prose (and a tiny bit of poetry) to harness the resilient power of language for liberation and resistance.”

Endeavors to generate words can be powerful and empowering, making writing a tool and art form requiring commitment.

Dedicated writers pick up their pens [or fire up their keyboards] to share their perspectives and stories. The better ones know that wordsmithing involves layers of composition, drafting, editing and revising—all of which require development. Only deluded writers think that their skillsets are fine and they don’t need to hone them.

Two mistakes many new writers make are thinking that all writing is the same and it will not take that much work. Continue reading “The Non-negotiable Writing Exchange” →

December 2, 2019 5

Book Writing, A Numbers Game

Capture

#openbook

How many hours a day do you write? How long on average does it take you to write a book?

When I saw this week’s Open Book Blog Hop prompt, I laughed because it coincides with some realities I have had to face while participating in NaNoWriMo this month. The month-long writing challenge is meant to get writers to sit themselves down and finish a set goal during November.

Although I signed up for NaNoWriMo years ago, I had not participated. Why? That’s for another blog post. This year, someone encouraged to consider using NaNoWriMo as a tool to complete book four in the Brothers in Law romance series. Brandon and Hawwah want their story out there, so I agreed. I am half-way through the challenge and only have a little over 4k of my 50k goal achieved. I have been writing but not just the manuscript.

Continue reading “Book Writing, A Numbers Game” →

November 18, 2019 5

Weaving Stories Readers Want

#openbook

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Authors frequently discuss notions of originality and fulfilling reader expectations. I have read posts all over social media and on blogs, all with writers seeking to draft texts that pristine from anything else written under the sun and that will satisfy a mass of readers worthy of their artistry. Both are exercises in futility.

Defeatist? No. A powerful storyteller resolves to the realities that neither is their story completely untold nor will it enchant every pair of eyes (ears hearing, fingertips touching) gracing it. At the crux of any good story is the distinctive style and voice of the weaver of the tale, which is the primary way an author can create something that is theirs to share for people to connect with and respond.

Continue reading “Weaving Stories Readers Want” →

October 21, 2019 3

Dry Those Writer Tears: Dealing with Reviews

#OpenBook

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Ah, book reviews. They can send an author’s heart soaring or sink it like a stone into a deep abyss of despair. Because a writer is often intimately connected to their works, reviews can have a substantial impact on the creative process.

I have warned new authors to be mindful of the effects reviews have on them, particularly negative ones:

All authors get negative reviews. Reading is subjective. There will always be at least one reader who doesn’t like something about a book, and some will express it in reviews. A lot of new authors are simply not ready for people to express any level of dislike.

Continue reading “Dry Those Writer Tears: Dealing with Reviews” →

October 7, 2019 7

I Don’t See No Stinkin’ Writer’s Block

#openbook

How do you move past writer's block?

I never get writer’s block. I may say I do but not really. What I usually experience is more like a hurdle to clear and keep things moving. A basic definition of writer’s block is, “the condition of being unable to create a piece of written work because something in your mind prevents you from doing it.” Other definitions describe it as an inability to write—as if there a mystical wall keeping words stuck in the mind or a force imprisoning creativity. There are reasons why a writer can’t write, and it is not always psychological or due to “having something on your mind.”

Through years of academic, professional, teaching and coaching writing, I learned a few things about the ominous “writer’s block” and the external and internal factors that drive writers to fall back on what is ultimately an excuse, a justification, for a blank screen. Covering everything in one post is not possible. So, I will highlight some prevalent ones.

Internal Factors

Continue reading “I Don’t See No Stinkin’ Writer’s Block” →

September 30, 2019 11

Character Building: I Made This

LWL Widescreen (18) #open book

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

I may (or may not—I admit to nothing) base a character on someone I respect or despise, so I will have to be salty and sweet with the response to this week’s OpenBook blog hop post. Let’s start with the people I like.

Sweet

I’ve explained in a Black Glue Podcast interview how the Prophet Muhammad served as inspiration for the male characters featured in the Brothers in Law series.

I reflected on the Prophet (Muhammad’s) life and how he was as a husband … lover … someone out in the community and how he transitioned between those things. What he did when his women were mad at him, and what he did when his women were acting out. [The brothers in law] don’t act exactly like the Prophet, but there are characteristics each one of them has.

Simon is the one who keeps things at a level where it doesn’t get too bad. He doesn’t allow things to get to him as much. Marcus is the alpha, alpha. He’s the leader. He expects things to happen the way he needs for them to happen because he’s progressing the nation. Adam is that inner reflection.

Continue reading “Character Building: I Made This” →

September 23, 2019 4

3 Books, 1 Author: Eclectic Reading that Feeds the Mind

OPEN BOOK (15) #openbook

What are the best two or three books you've read this year?

This was supposed to be an easy question but not so much for me. I read a ton of different things over the course of the year. In addition to reading novels, I am always looking for books that will help me improve my writing skills as an author and writer.

I also am constantly gathering titles to read and analyze with my colleagues at the Muslim Anti-racism Collaborative. I am a strong proponent for life-long learning inside and outside of one’s professional spheres. My collection of books that help me develop as an anti-racism trainer, instructor, managing editor, and self-published author grew quite a bit this year. A few of them gripped me, so it is difficult not to mention any of them.

As usual, I will take the convoluted way to answer the blog hop prompt and include a shortlist of three of the best books I have read so far this year in fiction and nonfiction, connecting each to my life’s work. Continue reading “3 Books, 1 Author: Eclectic Reading that Feeds the Mind” →

September 9, 2019 5