Continuing my interview with author, Rita Avaud Najm. ‘Poursuivant mon interview avec l’auteur, Rita Avaud Najm’
Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?
RN. Each situation needs a character that goes with it and fit its plot. I cannot create a character without giving it a role. Just like movies! The scenarios come first and then finding the right actors for every scene you have created.
Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?
RN. I never get lost, maybe because I write for children and my stories are usually short.
Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?
RN. I don’t have a Muse, but I hope my “Petite Rita” stories will become as famous as “Martine,” “Madeline” and “Dora the explorer.” All of my other stories, even the fictional 
ones, teach children about the importance of virtue, honesty and love. They all have a message and teach life-long lessons while entertaining the readers.
Q. Do you have a new book coming out soon? If so tell us about it.
RN. Publishing my third volume of “La Petite Rita” is my next step, as well as finding an illustrator for my other pictures books that need a lot of colorful, joyful and eye-catching drawings.
Q. When did you begin to write seriously?
RN. My first serious book was a guide for teachers and parents to encourage students to read more poetry and non-fiction books. That guide was my graduation project in 2013, while I was working at one of Houston’s public schools libraries. Since then I’ve been seriously writing with a goal of publishing my works.
Q. How long after that were you published?
RN. I’d been looking for a publisher for a year and a half. It’s not easy to make your dream come true.
Q. What makes a writer great?
Creativity, imagination, a unique style make a great writer, as well as knowing their audience’s interest, and expressing their ideas clearly and be passionate about the subject or story they are writing about.
Q. And the all-important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?
RN. It’s just time. “No book” is the starting point that needs a push to make the invisible visible, and to put thoughts into sentences. The “keep on” is the key to finally typing the joyful two words of mine, “The End.” It’s not a hard process; it’s a plan or a goal that one should enjoy achieving and seeing it in hand.
Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?
RN. “Memories are special moments that tell our story” My childhood memories are the basic of most of my stories. They flash through my mind and give me ideas to write more and more.
Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?
RN. I am a Children’s book author who writes fiction and non-fiction stories and I love it.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
RN. Writing is more than putting sentences on a page; it’s a gift that any reader might have. If you are a good reader, love books, have plenty of feelings that you would like to express, why don’t you let them be heard? I never thought that I would be an author one day and that I would bring my characters to life!
Did you miss Part I of my Interview with this children’s author? Click here.
To purchase Rita’s books: click here
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? September: Dylan Callens. October’s author was Donna Kauffman. In November we say hello to Rita Avaud a Najm. In December we will be saying hello to English mystery writer, J.G. Dow.
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