What is your writing process like?
I love to write early in the morning and late at night when it is quiet.
I do not have any set process.
If I have an idea for a book, I start writing until I finish, let it sit awhile, self-edit many times, then send to an editor to do the final edit.
How do you come up with ideas for stories and characters?
I get many ideas while taking a shower.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
I have never had writer's block. I published 56 books to date.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
A wise person once told me that there are no perfect writers or readers.
Nevertheless, I pay attention to negative reviews to see if I can improve in any way.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process?
None really. I love to write.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
I started writing in 2013. I wanted to tell the world of my near-death experience with cancer, and the book, I AM CANCER FREE, became a bestseller. Thereafter, I continued writing.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
I wrote a book on How to Write for Success. It is filled with advice for new and aspiring authors.
I also followed it up with Volume Two, and another on Self-Publishing. A new writer should start by reading those books.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
Before starting a book, i have a clear idea of what I should write.
I form my plot, chapter by chapter. This is important.
You may be excited to start writing, but if you do not plot your novel, you may only get halfway through and then realise that you are unable to finish.
I begin by charting out a simple plot summary. Later I go into more depth. I make a draft of brief chapter outlines of my entire book; It gives me confidence for my project. It also inspires me to complete the book.
When I do that, I never have one of those days when I cannot figure out where my story is going. My storyline may change as I write. That happens. It happened to me when I wrote the Zeeka Science Fiction Series.
Sometimes it will seem that the characters are writing the story. That also happens. It is quite in order.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
I have published 56 books and Zeeka Chronicles, a science-fiction futuristic thriller in which zombies and robots take center stage, is my best.
This futuristic thriller was an award winner in the Category Young Adult Thriller in Readers Favorite International Awards 2018, winner in Science Fiction in SIBA Awards 2017, winner of the gold award in the category science fiction in Connections Emagazine Readers' Choice Awards 2018, and winner in the top ten finalists for science-fiction in the Author Academy Global Awards 2018.
Readers Favorite International gave it a five-star review. Here is an extract of the review:
"Zeeka Chronicles is a thoughtful series and would delight fans of the genre.
Brenda Mohammed is an author brimming with original ideas, and definitely an author to follow "
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
I had a hard time coming up with names for futuristic weapons and medical procedures, but my nine-year old grandson helped with that.
What inspired the idea for your book?
The zika virus and the effect it had on pregnant women and newborn babies, gave me an idea for the book.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
The encounter with zombies and humans was terrifying to write.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I have a comfortable desk in my library with everything I need to write. Maybe, that's why I feel as if I can never stop writing.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
Maybe Stephen King.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?
There are many posts about me and my books on Google under my name, How to Write for Success, and other places that I frequent.