Sarah Adlakha

Sarah Adlakha is a native of Chicago who now lives along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her husband, three daughters, two horses, and one dog. She started writing fiction shortly after retiring from her psychiatry practice. Her debut novel, She Wouldn’t Change a Thing, was a CNN most anticipated book of 2021. Midnight on the Marne is her second novel.

Twitter: @SarahAdlakha

Instagram: @SarahAdalakha

What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?

I love this question. When you write speculative fiction novels, you tend to get some quirky comments and questions from readers. My debut novel, She Wouldn’t Change a Thing, is about a woman who goes back in time, and one of my all-time favorite questions was: “Has this ever happened to you in real life?” It took me days to answer this one, because I really wanted to say yes, and I kept going back and forth with my response, but, ultimately, I admitted it was not an autobiographical story. Completely made up. I’ve never traveled back in time. Bummer.

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?

Pretty much every day. I came to writing through a different avenue than most authors. I was a psychiatrist before I wrote my first book, and I remember the excitement of sending my words out there in the hopes of maybe getting them published, not knowing anything about what that entailed. I remember the exhilarating feeling of dipping my toes into the water and thinking I was ready to take that plunge. It wasn’t until I was fully submerged and fighting my way back to the surface for a breath that I realized how unprepared I was to be there in that world. To be surrounded by people who actually knew what they were doing, who understood the etiquette of the publishing world, who had tasted the bitterness of rejection and were still determined to find success.

I still struggle with imposter syndrome, but it’s much more manageable knowing I’m not the only one and that the people around me are often fighting their own internal battles. There’s a camaraderie among authors that I didn’t understand until I was standing shoulder to shoulder with many of them and watching them help each other up, watching them help me up. It’s a beautiful part of the writing world that’s often hidden beneath the surface and certainly one of the main reasons imposter syndrome hasn’t derailed my career.

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

I hate to admit this, but I bail pretty quickly when I’m just not feeling a book. But it’s not without a heaping dose of guilt. I know what it takes to get a book into the hands of readers; I really appreciate the effort that goes into that, but if picking up a book I’m reading feels more like a chore and less like a fantastic journey, I won’t go back to it.

Perhaps if I had more time, I would be more inclined to finish everything I’ve started. But I’m at a stage of life right now where I’m responsible not just for myself, but for a handful of tiny people and teenage people and pets and mortgages and bills and when I find an hour at the end of the day to lose myself in a book, I want to absolutely love it.

What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?

Another great question!

I know what each means to me, but it has taken me years to figure it out. When I’m an author, I’m promoting myself and my work to gain book sales and name recognition. I spend an enormous amount of time on social media, on creating graphics and memes, on interacting with readers and booksellers.

When I’m a writer, I spend much of my time alone and away from the public. This is when my words make it onto the page. When the world I’ve created and the characters who’ve lived inside my head finally make an appearance.

I started this journey as a writer, not knowing about branding and marketing, just wanting to tell stories. As an introvert, being an author in the 21st century has certainly been difficult for me. 

What do you worry about?

What don’t I worry about? Am I raising my daughters to be competent and kind and courageous women? Am I contributing enough to my family, or am I placing the bulk of the burdens on my husband? Am I a good daughter to my parents? A good sister to my siblings? Am I chasing a dream that I have no business chasing?

There’s really never a dull moment inside my head, but aside from these everyday worries that I think plague many women in today’s society, I worry most that I’ll let my fears stifle me. That I’ll listen to that nagging voice in the back of my head that says, “you’re not talented enough; you’re not strong enough; you’re just not good enough.” I worry that someday I won’t be able to silence that voice.