Why do you write?
It is through words that I can go back in time, replay the past, forward to the future, be mobile, inane, inanimate, immanent, say the impossible yet still be able to find an audience that relates…there are a host of reasons.
What books do you read?
There was a time when I read a lot of suspense and horrors, but, now, since many years, I haven’t been reading full books anymore. I read in bits, but have mostly begun reading poetry on ezines, in magazines, blogs, network sites, etc.
What inspires you?
(To write?) Visuals, like incredible, fantastical, lore-ish, tale telling kind of cinematography that spurs the mind with subtlety and nuance.
How did you know you wanted to be a writer and when?
I started writing without an expectation to be published. Soon, I started getting published and soon after, I started being referred to as a poet. I have been progressing without a plan, but if writing it where it all leads, then, so be it.
How do you deal with rejections?
I won’t be hypocritical by saying they don’t upset me, because they do. Especially when I find my work was just as good as the contents published in/at a venue’s current issue. I don’t mope around all day all week about it, though. I move to the next bookmarked venue, and submit.
Who are some writers you admire?
I admire a hoard of writers hard to list without feeling terrible for forgetting one to mention. I admire, generally, writers who are dedicated and diligent towards their writing (sometimes which I lack) and how they push forward with zeal and zest to realize their publishing dreams.
Is writing the only artistic medium you do?
Yes, so far. I doodle once in a while. Nothing fancy, though.
What would be some advice you would give to your younger self?
To have been less footloose but to have always kept believing in myself that would’ve avoided the fluctuation of/in my self-esteem over the years from all the rubbish kind of people that interjected my path of life.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
To learn to survive both critiques and reviews. Both, if friendly or harsh, can tend to offer no insight and growth. One should always keep learning to polish their craft, and be modest about it. Overconfidence and over acceptance can bring about a level of deterioration in the quality of one’s work.
What is your writing process?
I haven’t any. I invite the thought that knocks on the door of my mind and allow it to stay a while and then see where it goes from there…
Sheikha A. is from Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. Her work appears in a variety of literary venues across quarter-ways of the globe, that can be accessed on her blog sheikha82.wordpress.com. She edits poetry for eFiction India.
Your One Phone Call 