Interview with Ari Honarvar, First Place Winner in the WOW! Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

Sunday, February 09, 2025
Ari Honarvar is the founder of Rumi with a View, dedicated to building bridges between the arts, social justice, and well-being. She is a keynote speaker who dances with refugees and facilitates Resilience through Joy workshops on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Teen Vogue, NPR, and other prominent outlets. Ari is the author of the critically acclaimed novel A Girl Called Rumi inspired by her war-torn childhood, and the bestselling oracle deck Rumi’s Gift, which pairs her translations of Rumi’s poetry with meditative practices.

--interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Q1 2025 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What inspired you to write your essay, “My Poet Mother, the War, and a Used Car?”

Ari: I work with refugees and immigrants, and we often reflect on what’s lost (or occasionally gained) in translation. Coming from Iran, a nation of poets, I initially struggled to adjust to life in the U.S., where poetry isn’t woven into everyday life. As I mention in the piece, over time, it became like a vestigial organ.

Then came the era of speech-to-text voicemail apps. When my family left messages in Persian, the transcriptions were unintentionally hilarious gibberish and I began to see them as a sort of accidental poetry. It inspired me to explore how my relationship with poetry has evolved alongside my relationship with my poet mother.

WOW: How did your essay develop, both in your initial thinking about it and in the revision process?

Ari: I knew I wanted to begin the piece with the nonsensical voicemail poetry. Deciding where to go next and which story to highlight was a bit tricky since there were so many to choose from! I ended up moving back and forth between Iran and the U.S., focusing on the car sale incident. To meet the word count, I had to shorten the original piece, which meant making tough choices about what to keep and what to cut. Come to think of it, I actually enjoy that part of the process.

WOW: What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?

Ari: I'm fortunate to be part of an ever-expanding circle of women and LGBTQ+ authors, which allows me to explore fascinating genres and styles. At the moment, I'm starting A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea by Laura Taylor Namey.

I'm also finishing Doppelganger by Naomi Klein. I've been following Klein's work for a while and admire how she uses the metaphor of the mirror world (a theme prominent in Persian literature) to illustrate the interconnectedness of the current political landscape, conspiracy theories, climate collapse, and our shared responsibility in it all. I recently finished Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, and I like how both books offer unique perspectives on similar themes.

WOW:  Can you tell us what projects are you currently working on (writing and otherwise)? What can we plan on seeing from you in the future? 

Ari: My work centers around joy as reparative rehumanization. As a Musical Ambassador of Peace, I hold healing dance and art sessions with thousands of refugees from all over the world, deliver speeches, and facilitate Resilience through Joy workshops and retreats. This spring, I’ll be training future Musical Ambassadors to build community through the healing power of movement and music sessions. I'm also working on an audiobook of Rumi's poems and guided meditations set to music.
In terms of writing, I have a few investigative pieces on joy, the power of the arts, neuroaesthetics, and health equity set for publication. My poems will appear in upcoming anthologies, and I’m co-authoring a YA novel with my husband.

WOW:  Such wonderful and important work you do! The Rumi audio book is also something I'd be interested in. Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Ari. Before you go, can you share a favorite writing tip or piece of advice?

Ari: Tune in to your own temperament and natural rhythms: Find a writing schedule that suits you, cultivate the right conditions for creativity, and strike a balance between productivity and pleasure.


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Friday Speak Out!: Finding Your Writing Rhythm: How I Turned My Morning Chaos into Creative Gold

Friday, February 07, 2025
by Leslie Williams

As a mother of two young children and a freelance writer, my mornings used to feel like a tornado of lunch boxes, missing socks, and half-finished manuscripts. I'd watch the clock tick away, promising myself I'd write "later" – a mythical time that rarely materialized. Sound familiar? But what if I told you that the very chaos I was fighting could become my greatest writing asset?

Here's how I transformed my morning mayhem into a sustainable writing practice, and how you can too:

1. Embrace the Imperfect Time Block

I discovered that waiting for the "perfect" writing time was my biggest mistake. Instead of craving uninterrupted hours, I learned to work with what I call "pocket moments" – those 15-20 minute gaps between making breakfast and school drop-off, or while waiting at soccer practice. These fragments add up surprisingly fast.

Practical Tip: Keep a small notebook or use your phone's note-taking app to capture ideas during these pocket moments. Some of my best story concepts have come while waiting for the pasta water to boil.

2. Turn Distractions into Material

Remember that time your toddler flushed your car keys down the toilet? Or when your teenager's drama rivaled your novel's subplot? These aren't interruptions – they're material. I started keeping a "chaos journal" where I document these daily disruptions. These real-life moments have become gold mines for authentic character development and dialogue.

3. Create a Mobile Writing Station

Since I couldn't guarantee where or when I'd find time to write, I created a portable writing kit. It includes:

  • A tablet with a bluetooth keyboard
  • Noise-canceling earbuds
  • A small notebook and pen 
  • Writing prompts on index cards

This kit goes everywhere with me, turning school pickup lines and dentist waiting rooms into pop-up writing offices.

4. The Power of the "Terrible Ten"

Here's my most effective strategy: I commit to writing ten terrible sentences every day. Just ten. They can be awful, ungrammatical, or completely unusable. This removes the pressure of perfection and often leads to writing much more than planned. Some of my published pieces started as "terrible ten" exercises.

5. Build Your Support System

I joined an online writing group specifically for parents who write. We meet virtually twice a month, share resources, and most importantly, understand when someone has to step away because of a juice box emergency. Having this community has been invaluable for both accountability and encouragement.

The Result?

By implementing these strategies, I've published three short stories and completed my first novel draft – all within the beautiful chaos of family life. My productivity actually increased when I stopped fighting against my circumstances and learned to work with them instead.

Remember: Your writing journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's. The key is finding rhythms that work within your reality, not despite it. Those stolen moments between life's demands? They're not just good enough – they might be exactly what your creative process needs.

Start today: Pick one strategy from above and try it for a week. You might be surprised to find that your best writing doesn't come from perfect silence, but from the beautiful mess of real life.

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Leslie Williams is a freelance writer, chaotic-morning connoisseur, and mother of two who’s mastered the art of drafting novels between school runs and snack time.

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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My Full-Circle Moment

Thursday, February 06, 2025

 

This past week I experienced a full circle moment. From 1996 to 1998, I worked at my campus newspaper, The Blue Banner, at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, starting out as a staff writer, and then later moving up to a features editor and then the news editor. Most of the time I was covering current events on campus, writing about pop culture, and assigning stories to other staff writers. I was not writing about true crime. Sure, it was something I had always been interested in reading, but there wasn’t really a crime beat on our newspaper. In fact, I didn’t even know about an unsolved murder on our campus from 1973 until just a few years ago. 

I’m not even sure how I found out about the case, where a 19-year-old young woman was sexually assaulted and murdered on a Sunday afternoon while studying alone in the botanical gardens adjacent to the campus. I just know that I read an article that the student newspaper published in 2021 and was shocked.

My next step was to learn as much as I could about the case, and unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of information out there. I was surprised when a blog post I wrote garnered some attention, especially from a retired law enforcement officer who lived in the area when Virginia "Ginger" Olson was murdered. We exchanged phone calls and he shared memories of the event, which stayed with him throughout the years because he was in elementary school when it happened. He even knew who the two people were that discovered Ginger after the murder, two teenage boys who lived nearby. 

I knew I wanted to pursue the project further, but didn’t know where to begin. I dug into the newspaper articles and put together a timeline of all published reports. I could tell police had zeroed in on one suspect, but never released his name. I followed rumors in the town of Asheville about different suspects, and as it turned out, that was quite a rabbit hole. I requested a meeting with a cold case detective in charge of the case, but didn’t learn a lot of new information, other than that the primary suspect, who he still didn’t name, was deceased, and it had been for many years. I released a podcast episode based on what I knew, hoping to stir some new interest in the case.

Then I got a message from another UNC-Asheville alumni, now a college professor in West Virginia, who was also interested in the cold case. We exchanged information and he had uncovered a lot more than me. He and his co-author and brother put together a book proposal and pitched it to a small press. It was immediately accepted, and they only had a few months to write and edit the book for publication. It was a whirlwind. A few weeks ago I interviewed Brian and Cameron Santana on my podcast. 



The case is finally receiving more media attention, and they have named the primary suspect in the murder. I was flattered that they thanked me in the acknowledgements of the book! 

And on Friday, in my full-circle moment, a reporter with The Blue Banner interviewed me about my interest and work on the case. I never imagined as a young, inexperienced news reporter in 1998 that I would one day be writing and researching true crime and being quoted in the newspaper that gave me my start. Never put limits on what you can accomplish. And if you get the chance, check out A Murder on Campus: The Professor, The Cop, and North Carolina’s Most Notorious Cold Case.

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer and the host/creator of the Missing in the Carolinas podcast. She is currently seeking representation for her novel about, what else, a podcaster trying to solve a disappearance!
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Interview with Jane Cleere Johnson: Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Jane’s Bio:
Jane Cleere Johnson has been a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) for over 30 years and has been published in children’s magazines like The Friend and knowonder! Jane’s first Indie tween fantasy The Legends of Caraigdun: Quest to Slay the Dragon was released to global distribution through IngramSpark in September. Jane is currently working on developing her picture book manuscripts and is working on a middle grade novel. Every now and then Jane feels the muse singing to her, “write for adults.” She knows she can appease the Goddess by writing flash fiction. Way back in the beginnings of WOW!—in 2007, Jane was honored and ecstatic to be awarded 1st place for her story "Funding a Memory." She has submitted to WOW! on and off since then, has recently been awarded honorable mention for her story "The Haunting" and has been grateful for the opportunity to have her stories critiqued by the insightful women of WOW! When Jane is not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, reading (especially picture books to her nine grandkids), and going for walks on crisp autumn days. You can read more about Jane and purchase her debut novel on her website Mushroom Manor Books

If you haven't done so already, check out Jane's award winning story "Never Too Late" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Jane: This story came from an idea I had many years ago and I was excited to submit to WOW, get an excellent critique last year, make some revisions, and place with this story. It was a fun task, to fit this tale of love into a flash fiction format. 

WOW: Excellent! We’re so glad you found the critique beneficial and that you resubmitted! What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Jane: This story came from deep within my heart, a tender heart that loves people and still believes in soul mates. David and Margaret and the beginnings of their story sat in a file for many years. Their story needed to be told! What I learned is to look through all my files because there are a lot of good ideas and first drafts in there. 

WOW: From your bio, it sounds like much of your writing has been for children. Why do you think you’ve been called to write for adults through flash fiction recently? What differences and similarities do you see between writing for children and adults? 

Jane: I have written many short stories aimed at children's magazines over the years, but every once in a while, an idea pops in my head that is about adults. Flash fiction is perfect for me, especially as I've gotten older and feel that there's no way I could remember enough to write a novel! I write for children because I know children. There is rarely a day that has gone by in my life that I wasn't with children. Even in college I volunteered with children and youth. So, I write what I know and for those I know. Writing for adults doesn't come as naturally for me. 

WOW: What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Jane: This question makes me smile. I always seem to have at least three books that I'm reading at once. I am reading Atomic Habits. I'm 61 and even though they say you can't teach a dog new tricks, I'm retired and want to focus on getting in shape, eating more healthily, and writing. I'm learning some great concepts! I'm also reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott which was recommended to me by my oldest daughter and a great read for writers! And, I'm re-reading The Hobbit, because I can and it's so much fun! 

WOW: What a great array of classics from different genres! If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Jane: Write. Revise. Submit. Repeat. My writing literally got buried many times over the years. I kept little yellow notepads and wrote down so many ideas, beginnings, and I typed up so many first drafts, first chapters, even got up to 5th and 10th chapters on some YA, and Middle Grade attempts, but life would get in the way. I'd get distracted. There was work, rearing six children, and lots of volunteering and now my brain doesn't work the way it did even five years ago. So, I would tell myself and everyone out there. Write. Write while you're young. Write while you can. 

WOW: Great advice, and I love the idea of mining your old drafts for gems to work with. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Jane: WOW is always in my mind as a place to submit. I really value the critiques I've gotten. Your words of encouragement are a boon to my soul. Thank you. So much. 

WOW: You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing your story and your inspiring responses with us. Happy writing! 


Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes and offers developmental editing and ghostwriting services to partially fund the press. Connect on Twitter @greenmachine459.
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