.WRITERS.ON.WRITING..Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #24
Nikita Rimal Sharma
What is a book you wish someone would write?
If only my mother wrote a book. I would love to read about the pain and struggles that my mother has experienced, as a third person. I feel like I would understand her so much more.
How did you first publish your writing and what was it?
It was an essay on “Environmental Pollution in Kathmandu” when I was in grade 5. I submitted it to my local newspaper The Kathmandu Post, and it got published in the weekly kid’s section. I was elated.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
You can heal.
Nikita was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal and moved to the U.S. about seven years ago. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland. You can learn more about her in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. V, No. 3 issue (Re)Formation, with “Be You, Beautiful,” and find her in our A Reformative (Re)Formation Reading of (Re)Formation from November 2020.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #23
Claire Taylor
What is your writing Kryptonite?
The amount of patience it requires. There’s so much waiting in writing. Waiting for the piece to take shape, waiting to get it just right. Waiting to hear back about submissions. With social media it can often feel like everyone else around you is getting published and it can be hard to stick to your work and not rush your own process.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
To keep going.
What period of your life do you find you write about most often?
Lately, I write a lot about motherhood and that transition. My writing most frequently focuses on episodes of sorrow and depression, which is more of a throughline connecting all stages of my life rather than one specific period.
Claire’s poem “Again, Begin” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. V, No. 1 RESILIENCE. Last year, she participated in our 2020 Earth Day Reading. And this year, she will be one of our featured poets in our April Poetry Series. You can find her on Twitter or Instagram.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #22
Nichola Ruddell
Do you set writing goals for yourself? If yes, do you follow them?
I try and write every day. During this pandemic, I challenged myself to a poem a day, every day, for a least a few months.
Who is your greatest writing influence?
My father.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
My inner writing voice tells me to continue to write and explore my creativity.
Nichola Ruddell brought us on a beautifully descriptive journey with her submission “Movement in the Cinnabar Valley,” published in Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. V, No. 2 HOME. She joins the Yellow Arrow family from Nanaimo, British Columbia.
You can watch Nichola read “Movement in the Cinnabar Valley” by finding Yellow Arrow on Facebook or Instagram.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #21
Chiazo V.
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
I come from a family of storytellers who are experts at weaving tales in our native Igbo language. My father would often regale us with colorful accounts of his adventures while growing up in the village. My mum was an Igbo language teacher, and I always enjoyed her mastery of it. And my elder sister had a knack for coming up with her own versions of popular, local folktales. The impact of their collective influence is still evident in my writing, to this day.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Start. Don’t stop till your heart is satisfied.
How did you first publish your writing and what was it?
My first published work is a small book I self-published in 2019. It was sort of a crash course in writing and publishing because the idea was conceived and completed within three weeks, and published barely a month later. The book, The Five Lives of Me, is a feel-good story about a little boy who, in more ways than one, is just like me. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the lad, but at last, it all ends well. I’ve been told it’s a good first attempt, and though there’s quite some room for improvement, I still love it.
Chiazo joined the Yellow Arrow family from the Ebonyi State in southeastern Nigeria. You can learn more about her in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. V, No. 3 issue (Re)Formation.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #20
Keshni Naicker Washington
Who is your greatest writing influence?
My primary school English teacher, Mrs. K. Pillay. She believed in me and my writing when I was only a child and long before I believed in myself. She undoubtedly nourished seeds that would have otherwise wasted away inside me.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
One day, someone will read my stories and feel less alone or less sad. I will be able to pay forward the gift that so many authors gave to me.
How did you first publish your writing and what was it?
This is my debut publication and I am so grateful to Yellow Arrow Publishing for this very meaningful moment in any writer’s life.
Keshni’s writings are influenced by her upbringing in South Africa as well as the city she currently calls home, Washington, D.C. Both locations play a prominent role within “Alien” from Yellow Arrow Journal’s (Re)Formation issue as well as in our A Reformative (Re)Formation Reading. You can find out more about her at keshniwashington.com or on Instagram @knwauthor. Keshni also has a podcast, The Signal Fire Series, and runs the @immigrantsofthedmv Instagram initiative for KAMA DC.