Puzzling Through Writing with Farah Evers #amwriting #Scifi

Hi Farah! Welcome to The Snarkology! It's wonderful having you as my guest in Puzzling Through Writing, which is a guest blog series especially for unpublished or soon to be publishered authors.

My Dark Drive

I started telling stories at the age of 4 or 5. My parents, on many occasions, wished they had earplugs, because it was pretty damn hard to shut me up. I was that baby who talked all day long, until I was out cold. When I wasn’t talking, I was a baby with a book in my hand. Wherever we traveled, I tugged at my mother’s arm to take me into the hotel bookstore and buy me a book. I didn’t need anyone to read to me, nor feed me the bottle. I read in restaurants, lobbies, on the table, under the table, under the bed, and every other nook I could think of, as long as my bottle was in my grip. But the rest of the time, I just frikkin’ talked. I regaled the family with fantastical stories about complex matters that truly puzzled them. One day, a famous Arab journalist who worked with dad called me a surrealist. He told my parents I would grow up to be a writer, like my dad, or an actor. He was right on both accounts.

I wrote my first short story at the age of 12, and weirdly enough, I still remember bits and pieces of it. I remember it was set in Alpha Centauri. I remember that because I was obsessed with my Child Craft Encyclopedia, and my favorites were the science volumes about the cosmos, evolution, and biology. The story revolved around a group of scientists who worked on a special laser based weapon, which they wanted to use against the government’s will. Come to think of it, I should probably rewrite that story.

I don’t know what happened to all my stories, but as I grew up, I was discouraged from pursuing any art form. Where I come from, we constantly lived in survival mode, and art was not something fruitful, in my family’s view. When I entered college, I chose something as close to art as possible, and that was Architecture. You can read more about how architecture fueled my love for Sci-Fi and vice versa.

But what drove me to write? Nothing noble.

I was 6 when we returned to Lebanon. My first language then was British English. I spoke and read so early that the school placed me 2 grades higher. I was the youngest person in class. During my elementary years, I was bullied for being the ugly, fat kid with the glasses. I was bullied so hard that I started developing anti-social behavior, compulsive lying, and very dangerous bullying behavior myself. I connected with morbidly evil thoughts that festered within me. A very dark side of me emerged. Seemingly innocent on the outside, I secretly entertained fantasies about death and murder. I talked my way into manipulating others to reach my goals. I was a very naughty student in class, and got my fair share of kicks to the principal’s office, which I spent in the playground chewing on caramels instead. When I entered college, age 15, I began discovering ways to channel my aggressive, volatile behavior. I took a Creative Writing course.  My professor saw a lot of promise in my writing. He encouraged me for years after graduation to keep pursuing writing, but life kept getting in the way. I had abandoned the concept of writing Sci-Fi at that point, though I still wrote poetry and urban fantasy stories set in the Arab world. I never dreamed of publishing any of it, but it was a good outlet.

Then nothing for some years.

This need remained dormant while I survived wars, hunger, homelessness, some crazy violent encounters, and other extreme life problems that won’t fit on this blog post. (Plus, I think Snark would kick my ass if I digress too much) My only escape at that point was reading. I remember re-reading the entire Hitch Hiker’s Guide To the Galaxy compilation (about 800 pages), from cover to cover, in a matter of 3 days, in blinding candle light. Reading my Sci-Fi books made me itch to write again. It reminded me of my Alpha Centauri story with the laser gun. I started looking up publishing online. I looked into writing contests, and books on technical writing. Until one day, I stumbled upon the Accentuate Writers Forum & TTM. I decided to enter their themed contests and won 3^rd place in 3 separate categories. This was highly encouraging. Weirdly enough though, I did not write Sci-Fi stories when I submitted to contests. I thought I wasn’t worthy of writing such ideas, but after long-winded discussions with my husband, who is a diehard Sci-Fi lover, I found out that I shouldn’t shy away from something I loved and connected with so profoundly.  My themes vary from everything politics, health, nutrition, to serial killers and anti-socials. This is why I’ve dubbed my author website, “The Other Kind Of Science Fiction.” I don’t think diehard Sci-Fi lovers will find too much familiarity in my writing. It might be an acquired taste. Either way, I hope you guys would one day give my books a chance. My first novel ORIGINS in the DEMO trilogy will be released before the end of 2014.

So without further delay, I give you a cover teaser:

I would like to thank you, Melissa Snark, for allowing new authors a platform to introduce ourselves. It’s always a pleasure stopping by The Snarkology.

Support indy authors. Share and spread the word, folks!

Author Bio:

Farah Evers is a Science Fiction writer. Her educational background is in Interior Architecture, which plays an integral role in urban development and world building. During her entire academic and professional life, Farah integrated science fiction concepts that allowed her to create unique high-tech projects, which were considered futuristic at the time. By the same token, architecture has shaped and influenced her take on science fiction. The way she thinks and sketches out her worlds begins with the fundamentals of architectural design that always bring back memories of countless overnights, sketching, conceptualizing, and drafting out perspective sketches.

Architecture wasn’t the only factor that played a major role in her understanding of life around her. Evers has a deep interest and a lifetime involvement in Middle Eastern politics, anthropology, and psychology (namely sociopathy and psychopathy)

Her continuous struggle with weight led up to a short career as a gym trainer. Years of research in the health and nutrition field played a dramatic role in the birth of some of her science fiction concepts and ideas.

Her first published short story appeared in an anthology book, Elements of Dimension, in 2010. Two more e-short stories from the Expressions of Grace anthology collection was published via TTM: “The Feather” & “Julio Adriane”. (Of various genres) All short stories won third place in Twin Trinity Media’s writing contest. She then moved on to focusing on her career as a Science Fiction novelist. Her first novel “Demo” is a political science fiction thriller.

You might also know Farah Evers as a professional graphic designer, award winning book cover artist, digital artist, and performer (actor/singer)

Links:
Faraheversauthor.com – Author website.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FarahEversArts

Other Links:
Faraheversdesigns.com – Award winning book covers. Bookcoverforum.com – A book cover forum for authors and designers alike. Evershosting.com – For all your website, domains, and hosting needs.