Engy Albasel Neville's Blog, page 7
November 10, 2014
Write About What You Know And Not What's Trendy
Since starting this journey, I joined a handful of author groups, discussion groups, writing groups, blogger groups etc. Last week, one of the members mentioned considering writing based on what's popular in hopes that his/her book finds an audience right away. This person knew nothing about the perceived popular genre and didn't even enjoy it. The desire stemmed simply from achieving immediate readership and popularity -- potentially. The exchange has been bothering me all week so I decided to address it here, among fellow authors and devoted readers.
Every author has his / her own process for getting from concept to words to actual chapters, etc. And what may work wonders for some, will prove horrible for others.
No matter your process, successful authors are bonded by a common thread, they write about what they know & what they're passionate about.
It's so much harder to write based on a trendy genre or a storyline that needs so much research that it loses its authenticity.
I write about topics that resonate with me; cities that have long disappeared into history ie time travel, romance because I'm a sap for a love story that beats all the odds (my husband and I), deep strong friendships between women (I've been blessed a million times over by the incredible female friends in my life) and strong leading female characters.
The real magic comes through when the author's vision of a story comes alive on paper and that happens with deep knowledge about the said subject.
For aspiring authors, write about what you love and the rest will come.
Every author has his / her own process for getting from concept to words to actual chapters, etc. And what may work wonders for some, will prove horrible for others.
No matter your process, successful authors are bonded by a common thread, they write about what they know & what they're passionate about.
It's so much harder to write based on a trendy genre or a storyline that needs so much research that it loses its authenticity.
I write about topics that resonate with me; cities that have long disappeared into history ie time travel, romance because I'm a sap for a love story that beats all the odds (my husband and I), deep strong friendships between women (I've been blessed a million times over by the incredible female friends in my life) and strong leading female characters.
The real magic comes through when the author's vision of a story comes alive on paper and that happens with deep knowledge about the said subject.
For aspiring authors, write about what you love and the rest will come.
November 3, 2014
Real Story Behind A Leap In Time
The most pressing question I got after revealing that I wrote a time travel romance is, what inspired it?
Right after college, I started working in entertainment PR. I loved all aspects of it from the deadline driven late nights leading up to a red carpet event to the actual event of flashing cameras, celebrities clad in their best, the screaming fans to the natural high of witnessing all the hard work come to life in the most glamorous way possible.
Don't get me wrong, working in the entertainment industry comes with its own brand of crazy, but I loved it anyway.
I continued to work my tail off and casually date. Some dates turned into relationships and others didn't but ultimately, I felt heartbroken more than once, disappointed way too many times. For a bright eyed bushy tailed hopeless romantic like me, a "failed" relationship felt devastating. Ah young naive love, right?
From the heartbreak, Lexi Carter was created in my mind although during the early drafts, her name was Bronte. I began to wonder, what would it be like to date the same man a 1000 years earlier? Would he still be commitment phobe then? Or would he follow his heart and give in to love? And from there the story came to life in my mind as a time travel book. The final piece of the puzzle was the actual time travel portal and that almost fell into my lap while shopping at a random furniture store in Sherman Oaks with a girlfriend. I saw a portrait of a beautiful cottage with a creek and ducks swimming in it. I loved it immediately and knew instantly that the portal that Lexi uses to travel between modern day Los Angeles and ancient Pompeii is a painting.
The story was originally set in Jane Austin era England but after seeing Pompeii during our honeymoon, I came back and changed the story completely.
Cheers,
Engy
Right after college, I started working in entertainment PR. I loved all aspects of it from the deadline driven late nights leading up to a red carpet event to the actual event of flashing cameras, celebrities clad in their best, the screaming fans to the natural high of witnessing all the hard work come to life in the most glamorous way possible.
Don't get me wrong, working in the entertainment industry comes with its own brand of crazy, but I loved it anyway.
I continued to work my tail off and casually date. Some dates turned into relationships and others didn't but ultimately, I felt heartbroken more than once, disappointed way too many times. For a bright eyed bushy tailed hopeless romantic like me, a "failed" relationship felt devastating. Ah young naive love, right?
From the heartbreak, Lexi Carter was created in my mind although during the early drafts, her name was Bronte. I began to wonder, what would it be like to date the same man a 1000 years earlier? Would he still be commitment phobe then? Or would he follow his heart and give in to love? And from there the story came to life in my mind as a time travel book. The final piece of the puzzle was the actual time travel portal and that almost fell into my lap while shopping at a random furniture store in Sherman Oaks with a girlfriend. I saw a portrait of a beautiful cottage with a creek and ducks swimming in it. I loved it immediately and knew instantly that the portal that Lexi uses to travel between modern day Los Angeles and ancient Pompeii is a painting.
The story was originally set in Jane Austin era England but after seeing Pompeii during our honeymoon, I came back and changed the story completely.
Cheers,
Engy
November 1, 2014
Common Themes
A consistent theme that I'm finding in my writing is the strong, unbreakable friendship between the women. In my first book, A Leap In Time, due for release on Nov 12th, the main character Lexi Carter, is supported and anchored by her two college girlfriends. And when Lexi finds herself in ancient Pompeii, scared and alone in a country that has long disappeared into history in her modern time, once again she's blessed by the unexpected friendship with Catina.
The second book, Loved In Time, which I'm still writing, Catina learns to find courage as she goes on a journey of self discovery through an enchanted time portal to Nablus, a country that's yet to exist in her world of ancient Rome. Through the friendship with Om Ashraf, Catina finds her inner voice and learns to be the woman she aspired to be.
The second book, Loved In Time, which I'm still writing, Catina learns to find courage as she goes on a journey of self discovery through an enchanted time portal to Nablus, a country that's yet to exist in her world of ancient Rome. Through the friendship with Om Ashraf, Catina finds her inner voice and learns to be the woman she aspired to be.
