I Am the Writer Ausma Zehanat Khan and This Is How I Work
In Black Khan, the latest fictional novel by AUSMA Zehanat Khan, a resistance group is struggling to overthrow a brutal patriarchy led by a tyrant. You know, all sorts of shoots. Khan’s work has been compared to that of George Martin, but it also explores the issues of cultural divisions and conflicts inspired by the modern and historical world. We spoke with Khan about leaving her legal career to write, how she gets help from fellow writers, and how writing a book changes the room she works in.
Location: Colorado Current concert: Author of the Khorasan Archives fantasy series and the Hattak / Getty detective series Current computer: HP Specter x360 Current mobile device: Samsung Galaxy S8 One word that best describes how you work:
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
I’ve written on the side all my life, but I ended up becoming a full-time writer along an unconventional career path. First, I spent what I think my whole life at school, studying law in graduate school. I practiced immigration law and taught international human rights law. Then there was the period when I worked with a great Canadian publisher to create the first magazine targeting Muslim girls and young women – we had a distribution across North America, and for a short time the magazine also became a global phenomenon. As the editor-in-chief of this publication, I began to write more consistently and developed a habit of seeking out intriguing plot ideas.
While all this was happening, my husband and I moved quite often, so instead of taking the bar exam or trying to find a teaching position wherever I first moved, I took some time to work full time on Roman. I decided to write a crime novel first because this genre is well suited to writing about global human rights issues – I wanted to write about what I know and what excites me to this day, and crime fiction was perfect for that.
The fantasy series “My Khorasan Archive” also touches on human rights issues, but in a completely different way. In my crime series Khattak / Getty, I look outside at the intersections and points of conflict between different communities. In Bloodprint and Black Khan, I look inward at the communities I come from and try to reflect and be self-critical. I ended up writing both episodes at the same time because I felt I had so much to say and there was no better time to say it than now.
So I write full time, but I also try to stay involved in my field and engage in community activities that allow me to tap into different aspects of my experience.
Tell us about a recent work day.
I get up early and spend about an hour and a half running my home. On a day that is going well, I can set aside half an hour for exercise. Then I spend two hours answering emails and updating social media, or solving any administrative issues – you’ll be surprised how quickly these problems add up. From 10 am I spend the next six hours composing. Before writing anything new, I review and edit the previous day’s notes. Then I break up the scene I’m going to write next so that I know what action and background it should convey. Often, when I am not making the desired progress, I take a break to listen to music or read poetry in the hope that it will open up something.
I take a break for dinner, time with my family and housework, and then in the evening I read, watch TV, go out and do whatever I can’t wait. By the deadline, I’ll spend a few more hours writing or editing.
When I miss a deadline, I spend a lot of time looking for ads. This can include writing talks, doing radio interviews, participating in book clubs or Reddit AMAs , attending conferences, writing short articles for publication, or chatting with my readers on Facebook or Twitter . If I don’t have to physically travel somewhere to talk, I will do one or more of these things on the same day when I need to count the number of words every day. This is constant juggling. The most important thing is to try to keep your mind fresh enough to write and write well. I’m addicted to tea, so it helps.
What apps, gadgets or tools, besides your phone, can’t you live without?
I’m not much of a gadget, but I love my very outdated iPod Nano, and I love pretty magazines too much. My favorite real writing tool is the 0.5mm Foray blue ink pen. I wish they were selling them in packs of twelve. Unfortunately, I rely heavily on my Citizen calculator to get my daily word count, so I can see an endless amount of work remaining. Slack is a really useful app for broader conversations with groups of writers, and I was fascinated by Twitter, where I met so many great writers and built a real community. Writing is a lonely profession, which is why Twitter is helping to cope with it. I learn a lot not only from other writers, but also from historians, archivists, human rights activists, journalists and so on. There is always something to read, which is why I find Twitter irresistible.
How is your workplace arranged?
I have three sets of filled to the brim with bookshelves to comfort me when I need a break from work. I look at other books and my mind relaxes. It also helps that my desk overlooks a couple of windows with partial Rocky Mountain views, so there is plenty of light in my home office and I can see people walking their adorable dogs.
What else? I have a large AOC monitor so my eyes don’t have to strain too much. And I use both the agenda and my desk calendar to keep track of my deadlines and events.
What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?
There is no better gift for a writer than an online thesaurus. I use it fifty times a day to try new words or just spark ideas.
Is there anything unusual about your writing or editing process?
I write two books a year, so my process is very stressful. I have to write a lot every day and I have to be completely focused. Sometimes, when things are going well, I forget to get up, take a walk, take breaks, eat, but honestly, I prefer not to work that way. One day they will just find my shadow in my chair.
Tell us about an interesting, unusual, or challenging process you have at work.
When I work on a book, I have a two-table situation. The main table is the table on which my laptop, monitor, notebook, agenda, notebook and photos of my family sit. The extra table is a glass map table and is actually more important to my writing work. I constantly look at the map on my desk to keep track of places in my books. But it’s also the table on which I place the books I read as studies, my handy reference manuals I can’t do without, original research folders, and any blueprints or maps. Another pile of papers or files on the desk consists of my sketches of the novel, character sketches, plot overviews, and sketches of a running scene, which I constantly change.
There is a lot of traffic between my two tables, but I am not trying to clear any tables or things until the first draft is finished. Then I start to postpone, organize, and postpone my research. But I don’t clear the table until my editor and I finalize the draft. When the cartographic table is completely cleared, it means that the novel is ready.
Who are the people who help you achieve results, and how do you rely on them?
My agent, Daniel Berbie, solves many problems for me and does his best at every stage of the book’s creation. The editors I work with do so much to improve my books – I’ve never had any editorial suggestions that didn’t improve my books. And I couldn’t have met all of my advertising commitments without the help of the amazing marketing teams I work with at Harper Voyager, Minotaur Books and No Exit Press.
I also have a small circle of letters. We jokingly call ourselves the Sisterhood of the Feather. (We also tried out the #blahblahplot name). Uzma Jalaluddin and S.K. Ali shares useful career advice, Uzma reads my work as I work and helps me understand what works and what doesn’t, and we just generally enjoy each other’s company and love to chat about writing. They really help me remember that I’m not alone, and their advice on writing and living is very helpful. I also love it when this process is reversed and I can help them work.
And of course, my family and friends cheer me on when I am in crisis mode. They support me so much by attending all my events and helping to spread the word about my books.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
I sketch my year in advance for the entire year, so I know which weeks I will write, which weeks are free for promotions, which are for family commitments, travel, and so on. Sometimes I get unlucky and it all overlaps, but I keep a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly planner. Before making any new commitments, I look at my overall schedule and determine if I am good at doing something new that I am undertaking. I write on my agenda every day and obsessively cross out completed tasks. It may seem like a well-organized and chaos-free life, but to be honest, new things come up all the time that don’t fit into my planner, and I still need to get them to work. For the past three years, I have mainly run wing and prayer. If I don’t make any commitments, everything will fall apart.
How to recharge or relax?
I go home to Toronto, eat what my mom cooks, and bask in my mother’s love. With more free time, my husband and I go on a long trip. With less free time, I fall on the couch and watch The Office to take my mind off the serious topic of my books. And when the weather permits, I go out for a pleasant long walk in the fresh air. I also love to watch pictures and videos of other people’s pets, because it is very calming.
What’s your favorite side project?
I am developing a long-term series set on the Silk Roads, so I love reading the history of the Silk Roads. I take notes and lists of names, collect photographs and maps. This is very nice, because I am a complete botanist-historian.
What are you reading now or what do you recommend?
I am reading a fascinating biography of the scholar Juan Cole called Muhammad .
And recently I finished “War with the Poppies” by R.F. Quanga who was so amazing that I can’t stop thinking about her. In crime fiction, Amer Anwar ‘s Blood Brothers was such an exciting debut. Also in crime literature, I recommend any book by Deborah Crombie, Louise Penny, or Peter May.
Other books that I recently read and which I fell in love with are ” At last ” Ayesha “” by Uzma Jalaluddin, ” Saints and Losers ” by S.K. Ali, Mirage by Somaya Daud and Empire of Sand by Tashi Suri. Perhaps my favorite writer of all time – Amin Maaluf – each of his books is fascinating, but if I had to choose, Samarkand is my favorite.
Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?
My list is very long, but not long enough! Alphabetically: Saladin Ahmed, Stephanie Barron, Chris Bohjalian, S.A. Chakraborty, Dina Rayborn, Danny Gardner, Kelly Garrett, Uzma Jalaluddin, Amin Maaluf, Anthony Marra, Sujata Massey, Keith Morton, Sugar Mustafah, Gigi Pandizoni. , Nalini Singh and J. Willow Wilson.
What problem are you still trying to solve?
With humor: how to clone myself so that I have more time and energy to work on many books in my head.
Seriously: How to Get More Influence as a Writer. In particular, how to get my detective series to come to the attention of anti-racism curricula in universities.