About Jamila Mikhail
Jamila Mikhail, or simply Mila for short, is an award-winning author based out of Ottawa, the capital of Canada. In 2018 she was one of the people who received the title of Top Writer on Quora and over the years she has also received several awards for her poetry and short stories ever since she started writing on a serious basis in 2011. Mila is currently working towards a degree in Indigenous Studies and Environmental Studies. In her spare time Mila also enjoys various hobbies including photography, gastronomy, building toy models of various sizes and studying a variety of things including history, criminology and foreign languages. Most of all though, she enjoys being the company of her cats Squeaker and Carling. She thinks that writing about herself in the third person is strange.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Ever been curious to know how my writing gets done or what motivates me to write about certain topics? You can find out here! Feel free to ask more author questions on my Goodreads page!
How do you get inspired to write?
For me writing is really a way to relax after the stresses of life, whether it be just something that happened during the day, something I saw on TV that got a reaction out of me or even just something arbitrary that got into my head. Since I've lived with PTSD since 2012 writing is also very therapeutic for me so life in general is really my one and only inspiration to all of my stories. I'm also a human rights student and am part of a local social justice group fighting for equal rights, and social issues are also a big motivator in my stories.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
In short, you don't. It's just something that you have to wait out because creativity is not something that you can force. Creativity is something that happens on its own and although there are things you can do to boost that creativity or expand your talents, I absolutely don't believe that you can force a story when you're dealing with writer's block unless you really want it to sound forced.
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Does being able to work in my pajamas count? For me, as a person with an interest in human rights and social justice, the best part of being a writer is being able to push accepted boundaries or challenge ideas through fictitious stories with real life implications. One book may not change the world, but a single book can definitely rock somebody's world whether it be by changing something about them or reinforcing something they believe in. There's nothing like hearing that you've inspired someone or that they could relate to what you wrote. I know from experience reading other books that I'm thankful to other writers for writing about what I couldn't say as well, so creating a lasting impact through literature is really the best thing about being a writer.
what inspired you to become a writer?
Although I've always loved writing, in fact it's always been the only socially acceptable way I've ever had to express my true feelings, but I began writing on a serious basis in 2011 on the advice of a therapist. My first full completed work is The Distant Factory which can be downloaded and read for free!
what advice would you give another writer?
BEWARE OF SCAMS!!! I can't repeat this enough. It doesn't matter how successful you are in the wold of writing and publishing, scammers will be right there waiting for you. First, beware of the company you decide to hand over your manuscript to before you publish because not all of them will actually respect your rights. Secondly, avoid those people and organizations who promise to turn your book into a bestseller like the plague. There's no single formula to be successful and if it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't, or if it doesn't seem quite right, you can bet that it's not.