About Khaled Talib:
I was born and raised in Singapore. My ancestors came from the Middle East more than a hundred years ago.
I’ve a sweet tooth, which means I’m always craving for something delightful. And you know something? Sugar helps with my writing because when it kicks in, I get a rush, making it easier to write adrenaline-pumping action scenes. Not the best advice, I know… but it works for me. The humid weather in Singapore isn’t really friendly to writers, so I need something to wake me up.
I’ve a list of To-Dos. It includes learning how to ski. I’ve seen a great white shark, so that’s done – hopefully, never again. They aren’t very social creatures unlike dolphins and seals.
I tend to day dream a lot, but it’s not a waste of time in my case. I actually published my musings in a book entitled, “The Little Book of Muses,” a collection of quotes to help writers find and keep joy in writing. As you can see, it’s been constructive sitting down and staring at a blank space.
What inspires you to write?
Writing is a calling, that’s what I think. So I don’t have a choice. Even if I don’t want to write, I find the force strong because it pushes me to that place.
I suppose having an active imagination helps. So one either becomes a writer or an artist or both. I like carpentry and art, and I envy people who are good with their hands. Alas…
I also feel the need to write and tell stories. Perhaps it’s my bid to promote altruism, to share with others and see their delight. It pleases me when I see readers enjoy my work, just as much as it excites me when I read other people’s stories.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m not a planner so my stories are not written with a direction. There’s a lot of clutter in my mind: The big picture commingles with the little details, the characters I want to include, scenes I intend to place, who’s going to say what, structure, place and everything else that makes a novel.
I do have some ideas where I’m going. At times, however, I may have to go back to an earlier chapter to fix a few things — maybe even kill a character or delete an entire chapter. This is to ensure the prevailing page make sense.
Like most writers, I’ll walk away from the manuscript and come back to it later. The idea is to give myself a fresh perspective. There might be even be a word I want to use that I didn’t use earlier.
I write any time of the day. I’m brutally selfish about my writing time. This means ignoring unnecessary calls and meetings. So I’m afraid it’s death to all tele-marketeers.
I don’t like pushing myself though. If I feel tired, I’ll take a break and resume later.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Not only do I listen and talk to them, I become them. To make my characters come alive, I allow myself to become lost inside the character’s head. I’ll shed my identity and transform into every character to understand each individual better.
What advice would you give other writers?
Do. Not. Give. Up.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
In the initial, I didn’t know much about the business of self-publishing until I met other writers. It’s not a bad road to take, especially if you plan to churn out more books. One book sells the other because if readers are happy with one book, they’ll want to read more from the same author. So you’re safe.
However, as a newbie, I knew I needed a publisher, a decent one that wouldn’t ask me for money to offset the cost of publishing and whatever else. It was also important the publisher valued my work, and saw it as being a worthwhile investment.
However, there are no hard and fast rules these days. If I was a famous writer, I might consider self-publishing because I know I’ll be able to draw the attention of readers.But if I wasn’t, I really need to produce a damn good book to make people notice me.
There have also been cases of new authors whose self-published novels became bestsellers and made into movies.
So I guess you’ll have to know your strength and weaknesses. Are you a good marketeer? Can you promote your own book or do you need someone to hold your hand?
I needed to start somewhere. I’m not sure what the future will be, but it’s good to keep an ear to the ground.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The publishing industry right now appears to be going this way and that way. It feels like there’s a tussle between traditional and non-traditional camps. I think there’s room for everyone.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Thriller and Suspense
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Khaled Talib Home Page Link
Link To Khaled Talib Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
