Talk to other people and get their perspectives look through their lens for inspiration and ideas. I recently sat with my parents and asked them to tell me stories of when they immigrated to the US 31 years ago. I’ve had people “compliment” me when I interviewed them at “HoW iS yOuR EnGlIsH Is SoOoO gOoD?” Even these micro-aggressions can be turned into a story. As a journalist, I’ve interviewed tens of dozens of people for articles. I’ve also written serious essays like learning to drive with my immigrant father and sexual abuse. I’ve written many articles growing up as a Muslim American, like how people should stop asking me where I’m from, sarcastic pieces like phrases to avoid while flying and why accents rock. Thus, this simple, yet beautiful lesson the teacher came up with was the main inspiration for my debut. My teacher then asked the students to copy their names on their own piece of paper and decorate it. My mom helped me that night writing their names and I proudly presented each student with their name in Arabic. She asked me to write my classmate’s names in Arabic. I don’t remember being teased about my dark brown, curly hair, but until today, remember how my teacher made me feel loved and included. I was in third grade and remember trying hard to fit in. My brother and I stood out from our classmates, who were mostly white Christians. I spent three years in tiny town called Minot, North Dakota. We lived in several different states, but a memory that happened over twenty years ago gave me the inspiration to write THE ARABIC QUILT. I immigrated to the United States when I was one year old with my older brother and parents. My debut picture book, THE ARABIC QUILT, is based on true events growing up.
Some of my best ideas came from my own life experiences-good and bad-especially as a writer of color. As a freelance journalist, blogger, and now debut picture book author, I am always looking for writing ideas.
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