Ask the Author: A.I. Alyaseer

gali · Post by **gali** » 07 Jul 2017, 09:02

Thank you for the answers.

What was the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Donnavila Marie01 · Post by **Donnavila Marie01** » 07 Jul 2017, 09:09

First, thanks much for answering the question and sorry for my mistake of thinking that you are sisters. I am curious about your culture on age gap because as you mentioned, "between Malika and Elias, we disagreed a bit on the age gap, but then decided according to what would be more shocking yet not so offensive". There are minority cultures in Africa who are open to age gap especially if the older party is the husband even if they are decades apart. What is your culture's perception of age gap?

aialyaseer · Post by **aialyaseer** » 07 Jul 2017, 15:05

Ssinghal wrote:*Spoiler Alert*

Why did you not choose to finish the story of Elias and Mallika as a successful love story together? Why didn't you end Nadia's story with her happily enjoying Adele's concert with her son? Why did Yasser and Miriam not end up as a couple again at the end?
In short, why did you not end the characters' story on a happily ever after note?

Because happily ever endings don't exist in real life.

-- 07 Jul 2017, 15:07 --

gali wrote:Thank you for the answers.

What was the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I think because me and my sister are a male and a female, so it wasn't really difficult to know what each character felt. Since the writers represent the two genders

-- 07 Jul 2017, 15:09 --

Donnavila Marie01 wrote:First, thanks much for answering the question and sorry for my mistake of thinking that you are sisters. I am curious about your culture on age gap because as you mentioned, "between Malika and Elias, we disagreed a bit on the age gap, but then decided according to what would be more shocking yet not so offensive". There are minority cultures in Africa who are open to age gap especially if the older party is the husband even if they are decades apart. What is your culture's perception of age gap?

I think age gap is an issue no matter what the culture is, in our culture at the old days , it was fine to have an age gap up to 15 years, now it's not.
But I believe most of the readers will find the age gap of malika and Elias shocking.

gali · Post by **gali** » 07 Jul 2017, 23:57

Thank you.

What is your favorite genre/book, and which book left the most impression on you?

Ssinghal · Post by **Ssinghal** » 08 Jul 2017, 08:20

How and why did you portray the three as belonging to different cultures?? It was very well done, but I think the same could have been done even if they belonged to the same country. Any specific reasons why you chose these countries??

gali · Post by **gali** » 08 Jul 2017, 10:29

Ssinghal wrote:How and why did you portray the three as belonging to different cultures?? It was very well done, but I think the same could have been done even if they belonged to the same country. Any specific reasons why you chose these countries??

Good question, though I liked the mix of cultures.

What kind of research did you do?

Donnavila Marie01 · Post by **Donnavila Marie01** » 08 Jul 2017, 11:41

I am excited to read your next book. Are you working on your next book?[/b]

aialyaseer · Post by **aialyaseer** » 08 Jul 2017, 11:48

gali wrote:Thank you.

What is your favorite genre/book, and which book left the most impression on you?

I was raised reading Harry Potter

Then I became a book addict,
My all time favorites are : forty rules of love / the alchemist
I read lots of non fiction too,

My favorite genre in both movies or books is drama, pure drama that resembles our real life

-- 08 Jul 2017, 11:51 --

Ssinghal wrote:How and why did you portray the three as belonging to different cultures?? It was very well done, but I think the same could have been done even if they belonged to the same country. Any specific reasons why you chose these countries??

I think it connects more people, the Moroccon culture is amazing, the Jordanian culture is ours so we know it perfectly, and the American culture has been always triggering people from all over the globe.
However, the main reason we chose those three stories because they are real stories of people we know very much, so it was easy for us to write because we had a reference.

gali · Post by **gali** » 08 Jul 2017, 11:51

aialyaseer wrote:
gali wrote:Thank you.

What is your favorite genre/book, and which book left the most impression on you?
I was raised reading Harry Potter
Then I became a book addict,
My all time favorites are : forty rules of love / the alchemist
I read lots of non fiction too,

My favorite genre in both movies or books is drama, pure drama that resembles our real life

Really? I love Harry Potter!!!!

Nice.

aialyaseer · Post by **aialyaseer** » 08 Jul 2017, 11:53

gali wrote:
Ssinghal wrote:How and why did you portray the three as belonging to different cultures?? It was very well done, but I think the same could have been done even if they belonged to the same country. Any specific reasons why you chose these countries??
Good question, though I liked the mix of cultures.

What kind of research did you do?

The only research we did was for the locations in Las Vegas and Marrakech, everything else we had a reference for (the black magic, the divorced mother law, atheism...etc.)

-- 08 Jul 2017, 11:54 --

Donnavila Marie01 wrote:I am excited to read your next book. Are you working on your next book?[/b]

We have an idea and main concept for at least two more books, but we won't work on them unless we succeed on marketing this one. It's not easy to do an effort in writing that takes lots of time without seeing it paying off because of lack of makreting

gali · Post by **gali** » 08 Jul 2017, 11:55

aialyaseer wrote: I think it connects more people, the Moroccon culture is amazing, the Jordanian culture is ours so we know it perfectly, and the American culture has been always triggering people from all over the globe.
However, the main reason we chose those three stories because they are real stories of people we know very much, so it was easy for us to write because we had a reference.

It is based on real stories?? I wondered about that. I hope their story worked out better in reality.

Good luck with this book and the next ones!

aialyaseer · Post by **aialyaseer** » 08 Jul 2017, 12:05

gali wrote:
aialyaseer wrote: I think it connects more people, the Moroccon culture is amazing, the Jordanian culture is ours so we know it perfectly, and the American culture has been always triggering people from all over the globe.
However, the main reason we chose those three stories because they are real stories of people we know very much, so it was easy for us to write because we had a reference.
It is based on real stories?? I wondered about that. I hope their story worked out better in reality.

Good luck with this book and the next ones!

Thanks.
Yes it's real stories but slightly different to fit the concept. Nadia's story is my sisters real story (the co-author RIAlyaseer)

Donnavila Marie01 · Post by **Donnavila Marie01** » 08 Jul 2017, 12:11

I support you in your endeavor. I understand that writing is difficult if doesn't pay off. I experienced it once and I did not try it again. I hope to get the courage and inspiration to continue with my passion of writing. Do you still plan for your books in the future to be translated into English?

gali · Post by **gali** » 08 Jul 2017, 12:16

aialyaseer wrote:
gali wrote:
aialyaseer wrote: I think it connects more people, the Moroccon culture is amazing, the Jordanian culture is ours so we know it perfectly, and the American culture has been always triggering people from all over the globe.
However, the main reason we chose those three stories because they are real stories of people we know very much, so it was easy for us to write because we had a reference.
It is based on real stories?? I wondered about that. I hope their story worked out better in reality.

Good luck with this book and the next ones!
Thanks.
Yes it's real stories but slightly different to fit the concept. Nadia's story is my sisters' real story (the co-author RIAlyaseer)

Thank you for sharing. Nadia's story touched me the most. I adored her devotion to her son and her determination. I salute your sis and wish her the best!

aialyaseer · Post by **aialyaseer** » 08 Jul 2017, 12:56

Donnavila Marie01 wrote:I support you in your endeavor. I understand that writing is difficult if doesn't pay off. I experienced it once and I did not try it again. I hope to get the courage and inspiration to continue with my passion of writing. Do you still plan for your books in the future to be translated into English?

Definitely I will keep translating them to reach more audience.
I'm a director, so it's been always my dreams to adapt a book I wrote into a movie. I have vividly imagined how each scene from my trip to Adele will be directed. Let's hope it will