A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I recently signed with agent Natalie Lakosil of Looking Glass Literary & Media!
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I have been writing for several years but started to take my writing career seriously in April 2020. At that time, I started taking classes and joining communities of writers. Courage to Create program was very helpful to me in my journey. The programming, monthly classes, and community meetings were very useful and helped me to learn a lot about the publishing industry and also about how to be a better writer.
In May 2022, CtC hosted an “Ask an Agent” session and Natalie was one of the guests. She offered a submission opportunity to CtC members and I was excited about that. I queried her in August 2022, then we got in contact in July of this year and I signed with her new agency.
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
Being part of a great community of writers had provided me with a lot of information and insights from people ahead of me in their journeys.
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
My goal is to create entertaining and informational books for kids. I believe that learning needs to be fun and go beyond reading the book. A successful book, in my opinion, is the one that stays with reader, ignites their minds and thinking, and inspires them to ask questions and feel the need to learn more about the topic. Children should be allowed to explore, ask many questions, research, and look for answers.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
Yes of course! We get many “NOs” until we hear one “YES”. Those rejections were hard and it was not easy to stay motivated. But again, being in a community of writers with similar experiences made me feel that I am not alone. I got encouraged by the writers who reached their milestones and I would tell myself that my time will come too.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Keep on it. Work on your craft. Write more books. Listen to the feedback. Query agents and editors. You will get your YES!
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
It takes THE TIME IT TAKES.
Alia Khaled is an engineer, a researcher, an educator, and a lifelong learner. Her objective is to create entertaining and informational books for kids. She is a native Arabic speaker and has published many books to make learning Arabic fun, enjoyable, and accessible to non-Arabic-speakers who wish for their kids to learn the beautiful language of Arabic. Alia holds a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, USA and a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt.
Recent Comments