I have written poems since I was about 8. I have finished some short stories. However, I don’t have a novel or novella published yet. I’ve written about what happened in a Medium blog post.
But you know what else stopped me from finishing a manuscript even after I learned the basics of novel writing? I thought a story needs to be set in an exotic place. I never went on vacation as a child, never took part in any big cultural events. So I was trying to do a lot of research so that I could write interesting stories.
Then it hit me! How about writing a story about a girl who did not go on vacation? I can write about her daily life. I’m from a place most people have never heard of. Why not tell a story from there?
I set my upcoming book in Ambohitrimanjaka, Antananarivo, Madagascar. That is where I grew up, get to elementary, middle and high school. My work in progress is not a memoir; it’s a fiction story.
While you’re waiting for the book to come out, here is a glimpse of the setting!
