It’s always such a treat to read a novel that has a main character who is a writer, but writing a main character who is a writer is a whole different thing. Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games, is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing her journey of finally writing the book that she knew she was always meant to write — even in her 40s. Huma talks through the magic of flow, humanizing your characters, and working through every motion of the writing process. This episode is such a delight.
Topics Discussed
Reading a novel with a main character who is a writer and what it was like for Huma to write this character in her novel, Playing Games
The magic of being in the flow and how Huma experiences this herself, then how she brings it to life in her book
Making the decision to have both of your main characters be POV characters and how Huma fought against the trope of sisterhood in writing
The idea of what you can borrow from real life and where that fine line is
All of the emotions that can come up when it comes to publishing your novel from pride to exhaustion
Why Huma believes you can’t compare long form and short form writing, and the differences she’s felt between the two
The hopes that Huma has for her novel, Playing Games, especially since she’s waited so long to share it with the world
Episode Resources
Connect with Huma
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The Emotions of Publication | Huma Qureshi