Sara Badawieh's Blog

Jasmine Tea is my third novel. It is coming out soon. I hope you will enjoy reading it along with a cup of jasmine tea.

You will never be able to revive me; corpses don’t get resurrected from the dead.

On Kenda’s first day of marriage to Ali, she’s bombarded with the following bombshells:

Her husband is a widower who doesn’t love her, and she must take care of a three-month-old baby that’s not hers.

On Ali’s first day of his marriage with Kenda, he doesn’t mention the murder of his father. Plus, he never talks about the secrets he once shared with his dead wife, Niveen before she committed suicide.

Kenda wants to be accepted and loved in her new family because she was always unwelcome in her old one.  

Yet, all that Ali wants is for Kenda to be out of the picture.

The post Jasmine Tea first appeared on Sara Badawieh.

Yes yes, judge me all you want but I have a cliché taste in music. Take a look at my playlist when I wrote Dalia, and enjoy the ride.

1.Sucker-Jonas Brothers

2.What A Man Gotta Do-Jonas Brothers

3.Imagine Dragons-Bad Liar

4.Adore You-Harry Styles

5.Dancing with a Stranger-Sam Smith

6. Business-Tiesto

7.Ride it-Regard

8.Breaking Me-Topic, A7S

9.Lose Control-Meduza

10.The Chainsmokers

11.Rescue Me-One Republic

12.Piece of Your Heart-Meduza

13.Look at Her Now-Selena Gomez

14.I Can’t Get Enough-Benny Blanco ft. Selena Gomez

15. Starboy-The Weekened

16. Blinding Lights-The Weekend

17.Heartless-The Weekend

18.Trampoline-Zayn Malik

19.Close-Nick Jonas

20.Entertainer-Zayn Malik

21.Memories-Maroon 5

22.One More Night-Maroon 5

23.Howeh El Hob-Adham Nabulsi

24.Hada Ma Byentasa-Adham Nabulsi

25.Ilomilo-Billie Eilish

26.Everything I Wanted-Billie Eilish

27.Shameless-Camila Cabello

The post My Playlist when I Wrote Dalia. first appeared on Sara Badawieh.

I get asked a lot of times by aspiring writers on ways to improve their writing skills. The first piece of advice I always give them is: read more. I wouldn’t have become an author if I haven’t read many books throughout the years and gathered enough information on how they work.

Reading develops your critical thinking.

There is a difference between a reader who reads and an author who reads. The reader reads for pleasure and knowledge. The author, on the other hand, reads to analyze, study, and observe. When you’re reading a book, always question yourself if you’re reading a good book. If so, try to analyze the writing skills used and inspire yourself to develop a similar writing technique.

Get to know your genre.

There are so many genres out there we all get lost in them. As an aspiring writer who wants to write but doesn’t know where to start, try reading all the genres you can get your hands on. The genre that suits your taste will probably be your writing style, so stick to it.

Reading is the finest teacher of how to write.

Annie Proulx

Reading improves your vocabulary and grammar.

Never take this point for granted; it is the most critical when you write. When you read a novel, highlight new vocabulary and use it in your writing style. Monitor the grammar used, and you’ll surprise yourself when you realize how good you’re getting at the use of language.

Reading expands your imagination.

We all know that books embark us on a world of imagination. Reading tells us about the lives of new characters that we live with for a short period. They influence us subconsciously, and they might sparkle a new idea to create outstanding literary fiction.

The post How Can Reading Improve Your Writing first appeared on Sara Badawieh.

My kids’ teachers always tell them to read, and they encourage us to read to our children as well. Even though I’m an author who writes for adults, I would love my kids to love reading. What are the benefits of reading to your kids? Let’s find out.

Language

Believe it or not, you must start reading to your kids starting when they’re only a few months old. Reading stimulates their social and language skills at an early age. They learn new vocabulary and develop their minds as well.

School

Reading to children at an early age has proven to develop the child’s reading ability. They will surprise you with their reading abilities and progress better than other students in their school, leading to better grades.

Bonding

During story time, the bond between your child and you increases. It is a unique quality time that you spend with each other where you have something in common to discuss. The voice of the parent reading to their child soothes them and engenders a feeling of protection for the child.

Discipline

Instead of disciplining your toddler, who never seems to listen, reading stories for them that teach them discipline can be a great way to improve their behavior. Teach them good manners through storytelling, and you’ll be surprised at how fast they’ll learn. Don’t forget that you’ll also be widening their imagination and creativity, which is crucial with child development.

Love

Finally, never forget that reading to your child will entice his or her love for reading as well. Just sit back and watch how reading opens your son and daughter’s mind and how it develops their minds and thinking as they grow up. It nurtures intellectuality in ways you can’t imagine and gives them the ability to continue learning for the rest of their lives.  

The post Reading to Your Children, Why Is It Important? first appeared on Sara Badawieh.

As a mother, I always pick out books for my children that have eye-catching illustrations and colors. To make reading a habit for them, I must create a bonding relationship between them and books at an early age.

If you’re a self-published writer and you’re writing your book for children, then you better roll up your sleeves and start looking for a good book illustrator to design your book. So what should you look for exactly?

When you finally find an illustrator, always ask for their portfolio. Check out their designs and see if they match what you’re looking for. Don’t be shy and explain what you want precisely. If there’s something you don’t like, say no and give the illustrator another chance.

Then, ask the illustrator’s advice on making the font and the illustrations coincide with each other. Having the wrong font is a big issue, and it might ruin the entire design of your book.

It’s essential to consider the placement of your text. Ensure that it does not hide the beautiful illustrations and that we can clearly read the font.

Make sure that you establish a good relationship with your illustrator, especially for your future works.

Good luck!

Now you can buy your copy!

That’s it, you decided, and you’re determined to write a children’s book. You love to write, and you love children. What more can you ask for? Before you type your first word, you need to keep in mind a few things.

Be selective about the age group you’re writing for

Kids grow up fast, and not all reading material suits them. There are three children’s books categories, and these are:

Young Children: These are usually illustrated books that suit ages between two to six-year-olds.

Middle Age: They are suitable for kids between ages eight and eleven.

And YA or Young Adult: Are suitable for ages twelve and above.

It is also essential to consider the number of words you will use concerning the illustrations you will add to the book. Books with illustrations have word count that ranges between 50-1000.

Pick a plot that works with a specific age group

Let’s say you’re writing about a teenager who’s having trouble being accepted at her new school and finds the boys over there unattractive. That plot here will not suit a four-year-old. It would help if you wrote about a subject that fits the target age group you’re referencing, something they can coordinate with and understand.

Remember to be fun

We need to encourage kids to read, and so try to include some humor and attractive illustrations in your book. Try to give out the moral of the story subtly and cutely for kids to understand.

Pick a good illustrator

If you’re self-publishing your work, it is crucial to hire someone who already illustrated books before because they would know what to do. Try to find someone with whom you won’t have any trouble working with and who can understand what you want exactly.

If you’re traditionally publishing your book, then you shouldn’t worry about the illustrator because the publishing house hires them.

Enjoy writing!

As much as I enjoy reading, I think it is essential to expand our knowledge of the world’s various cultures. Books give us a better understanding of how other people live, people we might have and never will meet in actual life, but worth knowing about.

Respect

Growing up, I traveled to Montreal, and I studied there for a few years. I’ve met people of various nationalities, and I learned one fundamental matter; to respect them all. I knew that no matter where we come from, we must show respect for one another.

That’s what happens through books; reading about a new culture might seem strange, yet we would soon learn to understand how the characters behave in that perspective. As a reader, I could weigh and see things from the characters’ viewpoint and learn to respect them.

Gain a new trend

It’s fascinating to learn from a character, a new technique, or a recipe that the protagonist applies in her daily routine. When I read the Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, I learned a few tricks here and there about the Indian culture I found very useful.

That we are all equal

No matter how many books I read about different nationalities, I would always come to one conclusion, that we are all equal. We are all human beings. And that what matters most.

Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.

Stephen R. Covey

I am one of those few Jordanian writers who write in the English language instead of Arabic. I always get asked why I choose to publish in English, where I live in an Arabic-speaking country. That’s a good question, and this month I will discuss this in more detail.

First, I am not the only one out there. Khaled Hosseini a good example; he is the one who inspires me to continue doing what I’m doing. Since my English is stronger than my Arabic, I write in the English language because I want to reach a larger international audience. It’s beautiful when you introduce a new culture to a reader who never heard of it, but to simplify it in their tongue. Then they can have a better understanding of how people live around the world.

Believe it or not, some authors enjoy writing in a language that is not their native because they feel free; no boundaries are there to limit them. They can challenge themselves to do an excellent job in both styles, Elif Shafak is an example. She writes both in Turkish and in English.

I can’t deny that writing in another language is not very easy, especially when it’s not your mother tongue. It would be best if you always practice and read books in that language specifically. It’s significant to highlight unfamiliar words and expressions so that you can add them to your writing vocabulary. Take classes to strengthen your skills, especially in the literature field.

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

Ernest Hemingway

I hope this post has given you a push to be bold and write what language you feel most comfortable in.

When eighteen-year-old Dalia’s reputation becomes tainted, and her behavior becomes the cause of her mother’s death, she flees from her abusive father who is determined to kill her to cleanse the family’s honor.

Dalia’s dream of entering university appears unattainable. Within her impoverished neighborhood, women are destined primarily for marriage and bearing children. Higher education is not part of the patriarchal plan.

Still, she reaches out to those in need and demonstrates the power of words and books. Defying all obstacles, she works to earn her PhD and becomes known as a social-media influencer in her country. But these achievements fail to satisfy her, and she senses that only one thing will complete her: facing her father again and confronting death face to face.