YS: What does your writing process consist of?
PK: For books, months and months and maybe years of just thinking, collecting scraps of inspiration, and one day-most likely a rock-bottom day-saying, what the hell, and beginning the first sentence. Then being on eggshells with the manuscript until a third of the way through. Then full speed ahead with maybe one more moment of "what-the-hell-am-I-doing" paralysis in there. All in all, once I have put pen to paper, I tend to race to the finish line-I like to see the whole arc, before I try to polish and perfect. Then I spend years editing and editing until I can't stand the thing.
 
YS: How was your transition from writing for magazines to writing books?
PK: Fiction mode and non-fiction mode have always existed in very separate realms for me. Journalism had the quick fix appeal-projects that neatly wrapped themselves up, got me paid, got my name in print, voila. For much of my twenties, that was enough to keep me entertained and satisfied. But I really had to learn patience with the book-just getting it to the point where you can hand it to a reader takes ages, not to mention the very cumbersome publishing cycle which can force you to live in limbo with your book for another couple years until it comes out. It often even astounds me to remember that I began writing my debut novel when I was 25 and it came out when I was 29-and actually that's pretty fast. And yet I have some serious disconnect from myself at 25, so it feels a bit strange.
 
YS: When did you start writing books?

PK:

I began writing before I could write-or storytelling at least. My family fled Iran, where I was born, during the Islamic Revolution and so in our journey through the Middle East and Europe all I really had handy for a "toy" was paper and pen. So I drew a lot and eventually bored with that, made my father write down my accompanying stories. I began orating very long tales! By the time we got properly settled in the States, I was able to write and then couldn't stop creating my own little books. I wrote a couple novels before I was 12. I never really knew any other life than a literary one, as it was my only preoccupation from such a young age.
 
 
YS: What is your advice to individuals who want to write?
PK:  I would say in general, they should follow their own path and not seek the advice of other writers, living or dead, so much! I say this from experience. All I ever did as a young writer was read about how other writers did it and I can say in the end, that while it made me feel less alone, none it actually "helped." Even the rules of someone a half generation before me don't apply anymore-even last year's rules don't apply this year. The world is changing so fast, faster than ever it seems. The only way to navigate the rapids, is to follow your own path, to listen to your own heart, and use the old common sense. To my own shock, I have found almost everyone wrong at some point; to my own greater shock, I have found my own self right more often than not.