I haven’t shared any posts lately about my process of writing, because truthfully I haven’t had anything exciting to share and I haven’t had any experiences of new discoveries in terms of process. This month, a couple of things happened. I started reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s brilliant book Steering the Craft: A 21st-century GuideContinue reading “100 words – a writing exercise in condensing.”
Category Archives: On Writing
100 Ways – Finding your Own (creative writing workshop 3)
In this session, we will talk about how we can find inspiration in other disciplines of art. We will choose one specific theme or situation, and practice going deeper, writing about the same theme from various perspectives. This exercise will help you explore a theme of interest to you and contribute towards finding your ownContinue reading “100 Ways – Finding your Own (creative writing workshop 3)”
Creative Writing Workshop
I am excited to invite you to join my creative writing workshop, and embark on a journey of discovering your own creativity and your unique voice. I will be sharing my own process of writing, inviting you to experiment, guiding you gently on your journey, and offering constructive feedback. In 2017, I left my paidContinue reading “Creative Writing Workshop”
scribbles from a notebook
I dip in and out of writing. Something is simmering beneath the surface. Three women, memories of three lives, each carrying some elements of me inside her. I connect to them, get lost in their lives, I confuse them, then try to separate them back and mould them into three independent characters. I try toContinue reading “scribbles from a notebook”
monologue on the wall
being a writer means that I’m either writing, thinking about writing and about my characters’s lives, constantly weaving alternative narrative lines in my head. But it also means that I live two parallel lives – the one real life, and then a second life, which is lived through words, within the folds of notebooks. There, whenContinue reading “monologue on the wall”
a workshop in storytelling
Yesterday was the first time in my life I participate in a workshop with a performing artist and storyteller. Being a writer is a form of storytelling, but being a performing storyteller is different. On some levels, these two forms are the same, but on other levels they are different. They are the same inContinue reading “a workshop in storytelling”
on writing – letting go of a character
One of the most difficult things in writing is spending a year with a character, listening to her pain, loving her, and then, after a whole year, having to part with her. To let her go. Because her story is not for this book. I am now gently cutting the pieces of her out ofContinue reading “on writing – letting go of a character”
On the Art of Political Poetry
Recently I’ve been invited to give a workshop for university students in a course on “Women, Poetry, History.” My first reaction was: “What? Me? A poet? No, no, you got it wrong. I ain’t no poet. I’m a fiction writer, a novelist. I don’t do poetry.” But then, slowly, I realized that actually, I amContinue reading “On the Art of Political Poetry”
On writing in English rather than in Arabic
Why do you Write in English and not Arabic? I think I’ve been asked this question more than the “How long did it take you to write the book?” one. My response is different each time; I make it up as I go along. But I decided that it’s about time to dig deeper intoContinue reading “On writing in English rather than in Arabic”
On the Art of Writing Short Stories
Before I tell you how I came about to write my very first short story, “Conflict Zone Date,” (forthcoming in Consequence Literary Magazine, Spring 2016), I’d like to make a confession. Up until about six months ago, I never really understood short stories. I just didn’t get it. I tried. I struggled. I bought collectionsContinue reading “On the Art of Writing Short Stories”
Writing in the Margins 