Author Spotlight with Ashwini Prasad

August 30, 2020 Letrise Carter Author's Showcase 0

Author

Sistah’s Place continues to give back to the literary world each week with a weekly spotlight for new authors. This week’s Author spotlight feature is with Ashwini Prasad. She talks about why she wrote How to Write Inclusively: An Analysis & How-to Guide. This is her first book released on July 20, 2020. Get your favorite beverage or glass of wine and sit back and get to know a little about Ashwini Prasad in our Q&A session.

Tell us about who you are Ashwini Prasad.

Her pillars were rooted in college which is now over 20 years of experience in anti-racism, anti-oppression and social justice work with two Master’s degrees in these focus areas. For example, her first thesis was about incorporating ant-racist portfolio requirements to complete a college education, and her second thesis was about the intersectionality between non-violence and the Hindu caste system. One recent accomplishment is building a diversity, inclusion, and belonging plan for a school in a liberal arts college.

She let her creative pursuits go to the side, after completing her MBA – her third master’s, and she went on to thrive in the business world. Today, that determination and strategic and organizational skills are transferred to telling stories that stem from people erased or marginalized from history as the center. Their stories are our stories, and their rich perspectives deserve to be told and celebrated. Ashwini was inspired to connect her education and the lack of inclusivity in screenplays. The lack of inclusivity directly effects the content delivered to screens and other parts of writing, arts and entertainment.

Ashwini is a firm believer in lifting others up to move from surviving to striving and then to thrive. The time has come for these safe spaces in arts, entertainment, and writing because the world has lost too much talent or not seen talent because of horrible indiscretions in the past.

What was it that made you decide to write a book?

As a new screenwriter who has consumed media for decades, I saw the content I was consuming through a new lens. I am an anti-racism trainer and facilitator so I put this lens onto the media and books recently. I saw an opportunity for me to provide value as a screenwriter and a contribution to my craft by writing a book on how to begin writing inclusively, and spread understanding why writing in this manner is important.

For example, many screenwriting books do not dive deep into how to write inclusively, and the research on inclusive screenwriting provides high-level recommendations on inclusivity but little details.

What inspired your book title, and is this fiction or non-fiction?

My non-fiction book title was inspired by the need for a historical and current analysis of Hollywood and publishing regarding their exclusionary practices and how to ameliorate these practices.

Without giving too much away, tell us what your book is about?

Inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging are hot topics in 2020, especially in media and Hollywood. Written by a South Asian woman with three Masters’ degrees, two degrees focusing on anti-oppression and anti-racism issues and the third an MBA, this short yet informative e-book written explores why inclusion is important for the arts, media, entertainment, and publishing areas. Any writer in the world will benefit from the analysis that centers around Hollywood, issues regarding race and gender in the United States, and a simple how-to guide to start writing inclusively. In short, any writer who wants support to make their writings more inclusive in a world that is hungry for inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging will enjoy this read written by a neophyte screenwriter.

Is there a message you like readers to walk away with after reading your book?

I want my readers to think about the language they are using when writing and incorporate my how to guide in their projects.

what makes your book stand out from all the rest in your gender?

There are not many books on how to write inclusively, especially in the screenwriting area. My book stands out because it is a critique of screenwriting and publishing with details on how each writer around the world can bring inclusivity into their projects. The time for belonging in the media we consume is long overdue and necessary despite the gap between writers and producers in entertainment and writers and publishers in publishing.

What’s next for you as an author? Will there be more books?

I am looking forward to getting input from my readers on what topic I should write about next. I want my readers to pick my next topic because I want to serve them and their interests.

Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

Toni Morrison because I read her in college and her insights around oppression and the Black experience stayed with me throughout the years.

James Baldwin because he is profound and unapologetic about race, ethnicity, and the Black experience in the United States.

Rumi because the quotations attributed to the poet inspire me every time I am fortunate enough to see them.

You can learn more about Ashwini Prasad by following her on social media and visiting her website. Don’t forget to purchase her book on amazon. Her information is below.