Our next Author in the Spotlight is Sharika K. Forde, author of The Awakening!
TW: What is your writing process?
SKF: I have two different styles of writing. Sometimes a title will come to me and I will write a poem from that. The other is when a couple of sentences will come to my mind then I will jot them down and continue the flow. The second style normally is the easiest one for me to write from.
TW: How difficult was it to write your story?
SKF: The Awakening Book of Poems wasn’t difficult for me to write because all of my poems come from emotions or experiences I’ve gone through. The difficult part was publishing it and putting it all out there for the world to see. It took years for me to build up my confidence to share it.
TW: What are your hopes for this project?
SKF: There’s a quote from me on the back of my back, it states “Everyone has a story. Some tell theirs through songs. Others through jokes. Mine is through poetry”. My hopes are that my poetry inspires others to tell their story in any form.
TW: Do have plans of writing more books?
SKF: Yes, I am in the process of publishing my second poetry book. I am also working on a children’s book inspired by my grandson.
TW: What is your favorite genre of books and do you plan on venturing in those areas?
SKF: Poetry, of course, but I love supporting black authors in all genres. I’ve thought about writing a short autobiography but haven’t started the process yet.
TW: What do you want readers to know about you?
SKF: That above all things, I am a mother first and the job doesn’t stop when they turn 18. It is my most challenging and rewarding responsibility.
TW: Do you have a favorite author or book?
SKF: I use to read a lot when I was younger. Some of my favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. My favorite book is The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur.
TW: Did you notify your family that you were writing your book before you started? If so, what was their reaction?
SKF: I had actually been writing poetry for years and had only shared my poems with a few people. I didn’t tell anyone I was publishing a book until after it was done. I think at the time I feared hearing negative feedback, but my family has been extremely supportive.
TW: What does literary success look like to you?
SKF: To me, success in any form is being able to inspire others. When I promote my book at events, there are always a few people who come up to me and tell me that they also write poetry. They will pick up my book and there’s a look on their face that just tells you that they are going to go home and write. It’s an exciting feeling.
TW: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
SKF: The most difficult part is knowing when to end. When to end a sentence, when to end a poem and when to end the book. I like everything I write to have a natural flow to it, even the ending.
TW: How has this book changed your life?
SKF: The book gave me a higher level of confidence. To put everything out there for the world to read and the judge takes a lot of courage. To continue to do it takes confidence.
TW: Do you have any future events or updates we should know about?
SKF: My second poetry book will be released in June of this year and I’m hoping to publish my first children’s book after that. We are currently working on the illustrations. I normally post local events I will be attending on my social media pages. I have some planned throughout the summer.
TW: How can we contact you and purchase your book?
SKF: I can be contacted through my social media pages or emailed at sharikakforde@gmail.com, I love to hear feedback from my readers. The Awakening Book of Poems is available through my publisher Watersprings Media House (Watersprings.com) and Amazon.
Comments
Post a Comment