Sharjah : During the highly anticipated Thriller Festival, taking place as part of the 42 nd Sharjah
International Book Fair (SIBF), three prolific women authors discussed the unique methodology
they use to craft complex, yet likable characters.
Titled “Unveiling the Unknown: The Secrets Behind Writing Engaging Detective Protagonists”,
the session was well attended particularly by aspiring writers eager to learn key trade secrets
from within the writing world.
Elaborating on the method she uses for characterisation, K. J. Howe, Author and Executive
Director of ‘ThrillerFest,’ an annual conference of International Thriller Writers, said she focuses
on creating a protagonist who has relatable human tendencies as well as being a strong
character.
“While most crime fiction focusses on murder, I chose to write about kidnapping, with my
protagonist as the lead kidnap negotiator who happens to also have Type 1 diabetes. I mixed in
my medical writing background into my story and wanted to show the world that people with
chronic illness can also be good at their job. Most protagonists in books are healthy, but mine is
not, and yet she is an ace negotiator,” said the author, a three-time winner of the Daphne du
Maurier Award renowned for her book The Freedom Broker and Skyjack.
Author and Engineer Dr. Suaad Al Shamsi, famous for being the first female Emirati aircraft
engineer shared her perspective saying, “The writer is the voice of the people. I knew I wanted
to be the voice of a lot of people who can’t share their story. I remember after I wrote one of my
books a woman called me crying and said ‘the hero of the book is me,’”
Explaining how writing is a spiritual journey, which allows an author to create a mirror for their
own thoughts, UAE based Syrian author Kinana Issa stated, “Thorough research is essential
when aiming to create a character with depth and complexity. In my book, the protagonist
grapples with memory loss and the mysterious loss of his beloved wife, who goes missing in
Granada unable to speak Spanish. Immersing myself in the character's perspective demanded
extensive research on my part.”
All three women advised budding authors not to worry about things like word count or how many
pages they have finished writing. Al Shamsi said, “Always believe you will be famous one day
and that you are a good writer, take advice from experts and most importantly read more
books.” Echoing the same sentiment, Issa’s advice was simply to keep writing. “When you want
to write, don't think of criticism.” Despite winning awards, Howe said she is constantly learning
and hoping to grow with every single book.
