Writer Interviews: Maya El

I have some exciting news, beloved readers! I was given the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with Maya El, author of The Book of Angels: Twin Flames Rising. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions about her work, writing, and social injustice.

In addition to being the author of Twin Flames Rising, Maya El is a registered nurse, social activist, mother, and grandmother. She has witnessed racial profiling against her brother and sons as well as general neglect and abuse in the African American community around her. Maya was born and raised in Chicago, and her father was also a political activist who worked to raise awareness about social profiling against young African American males in the 90s.

Thank you, Ms. El, for agreeing to an interview with The Writer’s Scrap Bin. I loved your book and am honored to have the opportunity to ask you a few questions. Let’s start with your occupational background. I read that you’re a registered nurse. How has that career influenced your writing? Are you still active in that field? If so, could you tell me how you balance nursing, writing, and your personal life?

Thank you so much for having me.  It is an honor.

Yes, I am a Registered Nurse.  My nursing career has influenced my writing in that it has helped me to see that we are all the same.  We all struggle with life and death issues.   And yes, I am still practicing as a nurse in a local retirement center.  It allows me to show love for those who can’t give me anything in return.  That’s very rewarding to me.

I maintain balance in my life by pursuing a spiritually healthy lifestyle.  I meditate daily and am a pretty strict vegan.  I am also a Zumba fanatic (I was a dancer in a previous lifetime). When you are spiritually healthy mental, emotional and physical health will follow.

 

I know that you’re also a social activist. Could you please tell my readers how that part of your life has influenced your writing, both what you write and how you chose to pursue writing in the first place?

I grew up with a father that was always socially conscious.  He was friends with and participated with founders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in The Black Panther party in the1960’s and 1970’s.  I saw how devastated he was when they were murdered in their sleep by the Chicago police in 1969.   That was the only time I saw him cry…  Then I have watched my brother’s, cousin’s and my own three sons be racially profiled by various police for years.  When others began to record  similar incidents of racial profiling on there cell phones, I really thought it would be a game changer.  But racial profiling has still continued…

 

Have you had writing interests outside of The Book of Angels series? If so, do you plan to pursue any of them after you wrap up The Book of Angels?

Yes, I have always loved writing.  When I was in grade school I was the sports editor of the school newspaper.

 

On a slightly different note, which writers have influenced you the most? Which books/poems?

I am a romantic so I love Pride and Prejudice.  But lately I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction like The Isis Papers by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing and The Scientific Intervention in Our Affairs by ZaZa Ali.  My next read will be a book called Medical Apartheid.

I also like Maya Angelou.

 

What advice do you have for budding writers, particularly those who find it hard to balance their writing with their families and other commitments?

My advice would be that you must encourage and motivate yourself.  The only person that really believed in me was me.

And secondly, pay close attention to your own mental/ emotional, and spiritual health.  Take care of yourself first.

 

 

I want to focus more on your book, Twin Flames Rising, for this question. While there is a strong plot to your novel, I felt that it was more character-driven as I read it, considering the book focuses on Nathalie and her emotional/psychological struggles. Do you prefer to focus on the characters when you’re writing or the plot? And do you think one is more important to a good story than the other?

Well I think that you can decide on a plot prior to writing a story.  But it’s the characters and their idiosyncrasies that make a story interesting.  I focus a great deal on character development, especially the villain.

 

As your book discusses social injustice, I would like to ask you a few questions now which address such injustice in the writing/publishing world. I’ve heard a lot of stories about women of color experiencing discrimination in the publishing industry because of both their race and their gender. Did you have to overcome such obstacles while setting out to get Twin Flames Rising published?

There are certainly many obstacles to overcome as a black woman in a society that is built on white supremacy.  However I choose to focus on the fact that I have a story to tell that the world needs to hear.

 

Do you think there’s an issue of representation in modern literature, i.e. a lack of diversity in the characters and writers of today’s novels? If so, what do you think is the best way to eradicate that problem?

I know that one challenge that I faced was finding funds for all of the costs involved in editing, cover designs, publishing and marketing my book. I think that it would be helpful if black children were taught basic financial literacy as well as how to start a business at a young age.

 

If you could change one thing about how the writing/publishing world operates today, what would it be?

I would love to see more socially conscious writers/ publishers.  Our world needs them.

 

Finally, any teasers you can give my readers for the next part of The Book of Angels?

The name of the sequel…

The Book of Angels (part two) The Rabbit Hole.

 

I want to thank Maya El once again for taking the time to speak with me. I’m looking forward to the next book in The Book of Angels series as well as anything else she plans to publish.

Be sure to check out my review of The Book of Angels: Twin Flames Rising.

What do you think about her advice for budding writers? About what she wants to see changed in the writing/publishing world? Do you know of any writers I should interview or any books I should review? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.