Aliyah Al Awadhi
Age: 20
University: Zayed University
Nationality: Emirati
TEMPO: Who is Aliyah Al Awadhi?
Aliyah: I feel like I can be a bit confusing sometimes. There are times when I feel like I just want to be left alone; shy and introverted and absolutely terrified of social situations, but there are other times when I feel comfortable in my own skin enough to speak in front of a crowd, tell crude jokes to people I’ve just met and try to befriend everyone in front of me. Maybe this is the result of where I am at in my life right now; not a lot of people know who they are when they’re twenty and I guess I’m caught right in the middle of that whirlwind. In either situation, I will always be perfectly honest with myself and others, no matter what “mood” anyone finds me in.
TEMPO: How and when did you first learn of your love and passion for writing?
Aliyah: It’s sort of embarrassing but I first discovered an enthusiasm for writing when I read fan fiction as a younger child. I think it was probably in the seventh grade that I started writing my own stories and making up characters that fit into pre-existing universes in TV shows or movies, but it all started out as a hobby. I never looked to writing as a passion but instead something I could live through; like an exciting fantasy life I could be a part of in some way. When I was a teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen, I joined a website where people could freely leave comments on anyone’s story. I wrote my first one and saw all the encouraging comments and I suppose that was when I decided to get serious about my writing. I started reading a lot at that time, too and managed to salvage some tips from renowned authors through reading their works and I began working on lots of different stories, some even the size of short novels.
TEMPO: How were you able to come up with your piece? What inspired you to write it?
Aliyah: “After Alice” was inspired by an idea I had after reading Lolita. I wanted to write a story about a detective caught in between the relationship he had with a woman he loved who wasn’t interested in him and an underage girl who served as the kind of proxy for witty and insightful dialogue throughout the story. I really liked the juxtaposition and as odd as it may sound, I really love the idea of young people, specifically girls, playing roles as cynical, cognizant characters. The main character in “After Alice” is also another character archetype I enjoy writing; the sort of pitiable, older man that has no control over his own life because I feel like a lot of people are caught in that headspace and it’s a very in-between place to be which is an underlying theme in all my stories; no character is good or evil, they’re just neutral and in-between.
TEMPO: Name top 5 traits that each aspiring writer should have.
Aliyah:
- Creativity; don’t be afraid to write about something crazy or weird
- Courage; you do not need to be afraid of making mistakes. When you read your older stories and cringe, that’s a good sign because it gives you a better idea of what you need to change.
- Being open to other writings; establishing a base is important. Read someone else’s literature and figure out why you think they’re good or what elements they include that really speak to you and try to develop your own style out that.
- Write from experience; write what you know, for starters. How did I feel when I was frightened, sad or afraid? Using your own feelings and applying them to your story or characters gives the story something only you could give it. It makes it unique and interesting to read.
- It might sound cheesy, but have fun with writing. Don’t give yourself a timestamp every day to work on it. In my experience, that makes me bored of what I’m working on. There are days when I get inspiration and write about a page of text, and then other days when I could write ten. Write when you’re inspired, not because you absolutely have to get this done and posted.
TEMPO: For sure you have experienced what they call a “writing slump” where you get stuck for hours, not knowing how to continue… how did you manage to overcome this situation? What tips could you provide to get over that phase?
Aliyah: I’m not the best person to ask for this because my writing slumps last for days. Forcing out text when you’re not feeling what you’re writing makes for a boring, uninspired story. I only recently managed to find a way to crawl out of a six-month long slump I was having. What I do when I am excruciatingly uninspired is I grab a paper and a pencil and work on the plot of the story I’m writing. I make little charts about what the characters are going to experience and the overall timeline and I scratch in new ideas and figure out better character situations. Sitting down and really examining my story was how I got through my slump and I managed to finish a story I’d been working on for a year in the span of a month; I could urge others to give it a try.
TEMPO: Which writers inspire you and why?
Aliyah: I think the two writers that inspire my work the most are Haruki Murakami and Gillian Flynn. The thing about Murakami’s stories is that he follows that Japanese artistic tendency to just throw really weird things at you like talking cats or anthropomorphic sheep and find ways to make them seem not out-of-place; which is, I think, the best attempt at surrealism I’ve seen. It’s like Murakami is the writer version of Miyazaki, both have intensely odd imagery and characters, but they don’t feel the need to provide any explanation, which is something I greatly admire. Murakami also writes beautifully; Kafka on the Short is one of my favorite books of all time. Gillian Flynn, I admire because of her blunt approach to realistic characters. In her novels, there is ugliness inside every character, female or male. I like her lack of inhibition to write a character that is nasty and mean but find a way to make them understandable to an audience. I also really love the dark themes of her novels; satanic cults, murder, divorce. She’s a writer I always look back on and think of when I’m creating new stories.
TEMPO: Describe a normal day in the life of Aliyah Al Awadhi.
Aliyah: This is going to be a disappointing answer, but there’s nothing in my daily routine that really sets me a part from any other university student. I get up in the morning, drink tea, chill out, then put on my smock and head to my first art classes. After the first class, I eat lunch and watch videos on Youtube. I then go to my next class, then head home and spend the rest of the day drawing, playing video games or doing nothing on my laptop.
TEMPO: Any future plans that you would like to share with the community?
Aliyah: I actually was inspired by the writings in the competition to get started on a work that’s more fantastical than “After Alice”. I’m still thinking on where I want it to go, but other than that, I’ll just keep writing.
TEMPO: How can people get in touch with you? Any websites and/or social media platforms you’re into?
Aliyah: I’m active on Instagram quite a bit (@a.li.yah96) and I’m also available on Kik (@Seoulless). If anyone is into obscure Korean messaging apps, I have a Kakaotalk (aliyahadel@live.com/Allie) as well!
TEMPO: Finally, what’s your message to aspiring writers out there?
Aliyah: As typical as it might sound, just keep writing. Keep writing AND sharing. No writer would be where they are today if they hadn’t started off somewhere. You might think you’re not at that point where you want to show people your stuff, but the Internet is magical. Use any story-telling platform online and find a way to connect with your audience. Show your work to your friends. My best friend also happens to be my editor. A second opinion will really help put things into perspective. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you’re not as embarrassing as you think you are. Ask people for their opinions, strive to be better, rinse and repeat.
Check out Aliyah’s winning entry: “After Alice”
