He simply cannot shake off the images of the burqa-clad Afghan women walking quietly down the dusty streets of Kabul. Women who, for the last several years, have been subjected to all manner of abuses from rape to forced marriage. They have been abducted, sold into prostitution and reduced to pieces of bread and spoils of war.
The Taliban limited the women’s freedom of movement, work and education. And of course, later, the Americans dropped bombs and shattered their heads.
Teary-eyed, Hosseini remembers that: “In the spring of 2003, I went to Kabul, and I recall seeing these burqa-clad women sitting at street corners, with four, five, six children, begging for change. I remember watching them walking up the street in pairs, trailed by their children in ragged clothes, and wondering how life had brought them to that point.
Compelled by these situations, Hosseini wrote the stunning and heartbreaking story of Laila and Mariam. He says: “When I began writing my book, I found myself thinking about those resilient women of Afghanistan over and over. “Though no one woman that I met in Kabul inspired either Laila or Mariam, their voices, faces, and incredible stories of survival were always with me, and a good part of my inspiration for this novel came from their collective spirit.”
Khaled Hosseini can be a good inspiration to many young Kenyan writers because his unlikely story of success in the mysterious world of publishing. Born in Afghanistan, of all places, the dream of becoming not only a writer but featuring in the New York Times Best-Seller list was a remote one.
Like many budding Kenyan writers, Hosseini started in total obscurity; no one knew him and no one cared. He probably was not sure if any reader in the world would be interested in reading a novel about Afghan characters. That, however, did not discourage him.
And therein lies one of the greatest lessons for any writer, be it a great novelist or a simple columnist like yours truly. Do not throw in the towel. No matter how many times you do not get published, keep writing. After a while, with much learning, you will know even by gut-feeling what kind of books publishers like and the rejection slips will train you about the ones they detest.
Another secret of Hosseini’s meteoric rise
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/audio-articles/lessons-for-writers-1334353.html
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