Mojgan Azar Author Bio:
MOJGAN AZAR was born in Iran and lived most of her adult life in Iraq. She was living in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2014 when the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham swept through the area, displacing millions and trapping Mojgan in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Her harrowing experiences have inspired her writings. For the first time she is making that story known to the world.
What inspires you to write?
Being an Iranian woman, the pain of years fighting for freedom inspired me. There is so much news every day that pushes me to write more.
Tell us about your writing process.
I can concentrate most in a calm place. Anything can take my attention; I am easily distracted. Most of the characters come to life and then evolve during my writing process. I do a lot of research before and during my writings, making for a more lifelike story.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Sometimes I am my characters, and all of my characters carry some element of myself within them. This is true for the protagonist and their accomplices, though the antagonist is usually based on some element I see in society that is negatively affecting us.
Who are your favorite authors?
There are a lot of good authors but one stands out to me ahead of all the rest. Sadegh Hedayat is best known for his novel The Blind Owl, and I love reading his stories. Hedayat was one of the earliest Iranian authors to adopt literary modernism into his works, and he did this in innovative ways that made his stories resonate uniquely to a Persian audience.
What genres do you write?
Action, adventure, women's fiction, historical fiction
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
It depends on the story. I usually choose stories with a strong female protagonist, because these represent voices that need to be heard far beyond the borders behind which the real women struggling every day are stuck.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
I always have my note papers, a few pens, chocolate, tea, and my laptop. That's more than three, but they're all critical. I take notes in several languages and pen colors as I do my research and develop my characters.
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
I like taking a walk and enjoying nature to help balance my mind. It helps a lot.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Home Page Link
Follow On Amazon
Link to Author Page on All Author
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
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All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
