Women's Forum

How did you come up with the idea for your blog?
It just happened. I had this desire to write. And to do something on the internet. At first, I had an idea for a website.  That never materialized due to a number of reasons. In the meantime, a friend of mine suggested I should blog. I looked into it and it was tempting. At first, I was quite naive about the whole thing. A few friends loved it, and were saying it would get noticed. After having done it for a while, I am a lot more realistic about any chance of that happening. But I am enjoying the process anyway. It brings certain confidence, exposure, practice and if, one day, it also brings some way of making a living out of writing, I would be very contented.

What is your main source of inspiration and how do you choose your topics?
Inspiration… My life. Or rather, my lives. The one back in Azerbaijan, and the one I have in England. The difference in what it used to be like, what I used to be like and what I am now is something that I often think about. As for topics, I try to remain focused on cultural issues, humorous and light. Occasionally, something winds me up so badly in my daily routine that I explode in a rant. But I try to remain focused, as well as I can.

Is it difficult to write about real life and real people without offending anyone?
Well, I guess it has, on a number of occasions, caused a little tension. But I am one of those people who talks about personal things.  I do try pretty hard to never use any names or details that would make people realize who I was referring to. If it is not personal enough, what’s the point of having a personal blog? I also try not to be too nasty. I can be sarcastic, that’s just me. But I am never really mean or evil in what I say.

Why do you choose to write in English and not Russian?
Well, I have always had a desire to write. When I was at secondary school, I wrote short stories and poems, some of them got published in a local youth newspaper, some in Moscow. I had a strong desire to be a journalist then. But I knew pretty well that writing in Russian in Baku in the 90’s would be pretty pointless. I would have ended up with no job and no future. So I studied architecture, something that might sound sexy, but for which I had no real passion.

Moving to the UK changed things a lot for me, and I found myself speaking English most of the time. I read books and watch TV in English. I even speak it to my dog and my child. So, whenever I sat down, to write I got stuck. Part of me believed I could never write in English, as it is not my native and therefore, most natural language. I was concerned I would lose my real voice. And whenever I tried to write in Russian, it simply did not work. My English might not be perfect, but my Russian got a lot coarser with time. In a way, writing in English on my blog made me more confident that I could actually write something and not be too embarrassed about it.

Also I wanted people of other cultures and nationalities to be able to read my blog, and learn about life in a place like Baku. I think English is a perfect choice from that point of view. Most of my readers are somehow connected to either Azerbaijan or Eastern Europe. But I do actually have readers who have never heard about my city.

Who is your audience and what kind of message do you want them to see in your writing?
Azeris abroad, English-speakers back home, both locals and expats… A few journalists interested in the area, a few writing individuals just interested in blogging and writing… A few fellow bloggers. I think that there is not enough information about Azerbaijan and Baku out there. I would like for anyone who has any interest in the region, to know what it is really like. The good bits, the not-so-great bits and also what the people are like. Our sense of humor, our superstitions, our beliefs… And how surprisingly similar a lot of cultures actually are.

How and when did you realize that you wanted to become a published author? What does it take?
How did you know my undisclosed desires? I have no idea when and how. It just happened. The more I fantasized about it, the more I wanted it to happen.  I think it takes: a) Imagination to come up with a story that is fascinating enough for people to bother to read. At least the first few pages. b) Hard work to sit down and write for hours, days, and months without quitting. c) Selling/marketing skills. To be able to research the market and know why and to whom it would sell. It is just like starting a small business of your own. d) LUCK. Tremendous amounts of it.

Do you think your education and past professional experience help you in developing your blog?
Oh, definitely! I do my own sketches that readers seem to enjoy. I think that is somewhat connected to my training in the past. It also, in my opinion, makes my blog somewhat different from the rest. I am sure everything I have done in the past plays some role in everything I do now, in a certain, maybe not always obvious, way.

Who are the people supporting you in your initiative?
My readers and followers have offered amazing support. People I met in my, as I call it, virtual life, are often my most real supporters. They are a friendly bunch.

What are you biggest professional and personal achievements in life?
I have to admit, my goals have changed an awful lot since I had my daughter. I used to think I wanted a career. I used to dream about some cool job with a lot of international travel and a lot of responsibility. Now, I just want to do something I take pleasure from doing, and make enough money, preferably doing it flexibly, from home. Something creative.

What other jobs, ideas or initiatives are you working on at the moment?
I would like to continue the novel I started. I want to finish it, and try to get it published. I would also really love the blog to grow and advertisers to pay me!

Why do you feel the need to work? What is your advice to other women?
I like making my own money, even if it is not a lot. I like the feeling of independence. I also need the money. There are different degrees of being comfortable. I need a lot to feel truly comfortable to never work again. This country is very expensive and very materialistic. I cannot give any advice, as every situation is different. People are different. Some are happy working full time, some – not at all. Some are content with little, and some are never satisfied. It depends on too many personal factors. The main thing is to find your, as we say in Russian, Golden Middle, the correct balance in life that makes you happy and fulfilled.