Hello, fellow creatives!
I’m thrilled to introduce today’s guest blogger Allie Nava, an accomplished writer and advocate known for her dedication to social justice and nuanced storytelling. Her novel, July and Everything After, explores the powerful journey of a young woman confronting the traumas of civil unrest in Sri Lanka and finding her voice in the aftermath.
This compelling story of resilience and transformation is inspired by Allie's own experiences and her commitment to sharing underrepresented stories. You can learn more about Allie and her novel at the end of her guest post!
As you might, her approach to storytelling emphasizes understanding complex histories and experiences through diverse perspectives. Today, Allie shares her thoughts about the importance of independent research and drawing personal conclusions as a writer.
Enjoy!
~Kaecey
Drawing Your Own Conclusions
by Allie Nava
As a writer, I enjoy the freedom to explore and understand and develop different perspectives and character journeys through stories. Part of that freedom is doing research on different experiences and perspectives, and drawing my own conclusions about how a character might react or evolve in a particular situation.
In my novel July and Everything After, which chronicles an American woman’s journey through harrowing circumstances in her birth country and then her effort to make sense of it and herself, one of the biggest challenges and gifts she simultaneously faces is the complex history of the country and her place in it, as well as her place in America.
Through my experience conducting research for the book, but even before that through my work experience before I came to writing, I learned a number of valuable lessons related to drawing conclusions. They can be summarized as follows:
Look at multiple diverse sources
Do your own analysis
Seek out common sense
Draw your own conclusions
"I often do my own legwork gathering data and information from multiple diverse sources when I’m researching something. I do this to avoid the chance I’ve found myself in an echo chamber."
I often do my own legwork gathering data and information from multiple diverse sources when I’m researching something. I do this to avoid the chance I’ve found myself in an echo chamber. No doubt it’s more time consuming than being spoon-fed information, but I feel it’s very worthwhile and much more eye-opening. Otherwise, it’s easy to misinterpret information, and pull out what’s desired to tilt a conclusion in a particular direction.
As part of my legwork, I travel to geographically diverse parts of the country or the world when I receive a chance. I also reflect back on my own experiences living across different parts of the country. I have found that life experiences can vary depending on where a person is located in the U.S. or the world, and I don’t want to assume that I understand enough about how I’m going to shape a particular character or story based on being constrained by the geography in which I live.
All of the above, in combination, have helped me draw my own conclusions about events and circumstances, and how a character might react to a particular situation, or evolve over time. There are a number of perspectives and life experiences represented in July and Everything After. It is meant to be a testament to the richly diverse world we live in, and yet how universal the experience of tragedy or transformation or resilience can be.
About Allie
Allie Nava survived the violent anti-minority massacres of 1970s Sri Lanka and is the bestselling novel July and Everything After, a modern tale of resilience against extraordinary odds.
A former executive and writing advisor, she’s been a board member or advocate for several mission-oriented organizations including Bellevue Literary Review and Golden Seeds. She has been an invited speaker at several ideas festivals, universities, and conferences, an expert panelist for WNYC (The Brian Lehrer Show), and has been recognized for her work by several organizations including Amazon, Harvard, and Asia Society. She is a member of The Authors Guild.
Here's how to find Allie online:
Her website: https://www.AllieNava.com
Her newsletter: https://alliestories8.substack.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliestories8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliestories8
About the Book
Maya’s journey from America to her birth country was meant to be a nostalgic visit. Instead, it became a fight for survival.
On the eve of Maya's 22nd birthday, civil war breaks out in Sri Lanka. During what will become known as “Black July,” Maya is targeted and attacked in the organized massacres and pogroms against minorities, and she barely escapes the genocidal chaos.
Haunted by the horrors she witnessed, Maya returns to the US and tries to rally a diverse group of allies to help expose the atrocities in her birth country, among them her Norwegian-American best friend, a magnanimous Catholic nun, and a gifted young man from her past.
Bent on justice, Maya isn’t prepared for the unexpected twists and turns and confrontations with a nemesis that will test her resolve. As the war and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka intensify, so does Maya’s disillusionment, but contact with a mysterious mentor whose wisdom she once ignored holds the key to her future.
Fans of Paolo Coelho, Amy Tan, Vaddey Ratner, and Khaled Hosseini will be captivated by July and Everything After, a modern tale of resilience and transformation against extraordinary odds and war.
Title: July and Everything After
Author: Allie Nava
Publisher: DartFrog Books (2024)
ISBN: 1965253059
ISBN: 978-1965253052
AISN: B0DHFWGP1P
Print length: 238 pages
Purchase a copy of July and Everything After on:
You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list!
Read More by Allie or Learn More About the Book:
Interesting in reading more from Allie or checking out reviews, giveaways, and excerpts for July and Everything After? You can stop by The Muffin for all the links, or check out these remaining stops on the WOW! Blog Tour:
November 23rd @ Words by Webb
Celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with a new author. Read a review of Allie Nava' July and Everything After.
November 25th @ Chapter Break
Julie interviews author Allie Nava. Learn more about her and her novel July and Everything After.
November 27th @ A Storybook World
Today's guest poster, Allie Nava, writes about The Choice to Heal.
November 30th @ Nikki's Book Reviews
Stop by for Nikki's review of July and Everything After, a novel by Allie Nava.
December 4th @ What Is That Book About
Start out a new month with a spotlight on a new book: July and Everything After.
December 7th @ A Wonderful World of Words
Allie Nava is visiting with a post about Positive Growth.
December 10th @ Choices
Author Allie Nava, author of July and Everything After, guest posts about Being Overlooked or Ignored.
Learn more about author Allie Nava and her novel July and Everything After in today's interview.
December 15th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Linda is chatting with Allie Nava about her novel July and Everything After.
Have you read July and Everything After? Or do you have thoughts on what Allie has to say about drawing your own conclusions? Let me know by sending me a message or an email!
Happy Reading & Happy Writing!
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