Writing Jahaira by Keith Kareem Williams

Welcome to another installment of my blog series where I give readers a deeper insight into the process. Last time, I explained how I created Lenox, one of the main protagonists in my "War Angel" novels. This time, I've chosen to share where the inspiration for Jahaira came from. Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments. (Some of you guys are too shy LOL)

Many of the female characters that I’ve written into my stories are based on women that I’ve known in real life. I usually find the inspiration for their personality traits based on conversations I’ve had, friendships I’ve had or sometimes, (Not nearly as often as I am accused of but…) intimate encounters. Most of the time, I mix and match what I know of these women to create fictional females on the pages that feel real because they are in fact, based and rooted in reality. That was the case, even in a book like “Glass Goddesses, Concrete Walls” which was technically fiction but read like a memoir. Any of the women that appeared on those pages were created by patching together multiple personalities of women that I’ve known.

That is how Jahaira is unique. I put her on the pages of “War Angel” and made her almost an exact mirror image of a woman that I love. She is herself and the sum of all of her parts were inspired by one person. All creative folks have people, places or things that inspire them. They come to us in many different forms but, we ALL have our muses. (Personally, I have a few and some influence me more than others.) I often pay homage to my muses by immortalizing them in ink on the pages of these novels that I pen. I’m usually very crafty about how I do this and most of the time, it remains somewhat of a secret between us after they read it. I’ve also had people mistakenly think characters were based on them as well. (FYI: If you have to ask me, or think TOO hard about it, you’re probably mistaken.) I view this as the highest form of tribute because the books will last long after we’re gone from this world. It’s actually the act of building a monument made of words in someone’s honor.

My “War Angel” novels are works of fiction and Jahaira finds herself in fictional, sensationalized situations but, the core of the character is very much real. Her overall nature, her vibe and her soul are the reason why I grew to love the woman that inspired her. I often joke that my life is a movie when I find myself in insane predicaments but, there is a poetic side of it that resembles the best kind of literature. There are aspects that are so incredible that it would take masterful skill on my part to put it on paper. I do the best that I can to get to that level. Jahaira’s fire, her fight, her passion and conviction all come from a very real place that exists in a very real person. The same can be said in reference to her loyalty and love. What she and Lenox share is the real deal, the old kind of love that people don’t believe exists anymore. I didn’t want to write about the type of love that most people settle for which is a sad, tragic thing to me because I know that, as much as they smile through it, it’s not enough. I wanted readers to get lost in the love that those two characters shared against all odds and to find joy in the fact that, in spite of everything that they both endured, they remained true to each other.