JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Makasha Dorsey, author of My Best Friend’s Brother
(Dorsey Publications)
My Best Friend’s Brother (MyBFB) is about the dynamics of friendship when lifestyle choices don’t agree. Mikayla, a devout Christian who believes homosexuality is a sin, becomes best friends with Stacy Ann, a lesbian. She ends up leaving her church to join another during the process. The relationship changes when Mikayla starts dating Samuel, Stacy Ann’s twin brother.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write My Best Friend’s Brother?
Makasha Dorsey: The inspiration to write MyBFB came from several places. I believe that there are various sins but also believe that you should hate the sin and not the sinner. There are also situations where we pass judgment without all of the facts and there are certain facts we may never know or force ourselves to understand. The inspiration for Stacy Ann and Samuel come from a few people I’ve met throughout my life.
JP: What sets My Best Friend’s Brother apart from other books in the same genre?
MD: My perception and reasoning is a little different from some Christian writers. I force myself to look at all perspectives in comparison to my own hermeneutics in relation to life and the bible. I constantly remind myself that Jesus taught in love and force myself to practice the same in my writing. I tend to be more critical of Christians than non-Christians. And, I like to believe that I express a unique voice in my writing.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to My Best Friend’s Brother getting out to the public?
MD: Relationships. My relationships have helped me to become a better writer. I participate in writing groups on and offline. Other writers critique my work, which is sometimes painful but enlightening. And, from those writing groups I’ve also learned about the resources necessary to become a successful writer—editors, writing programs, training, promotion opportunities, etc. These same relationships have been instrumental in helping me to get the word out about my book.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish My Best Friend’s Brother?
MD: My writing process changes with each project. However, I do use the 8-Point Arc and am a tool/application junky. I’m an organized, deliberate writer. For MyBFB, I had a dream, got up, and wrote the story. It was shelved for a few months and then I revisited the story when I wanted to submit it to an anthology. From conception to the first time it was printed in the anthology, I worked on it on and off for about 5 months. However, it took more than 5 years for me to publish the novelette on my own.
JP: What’s next for Makasha Dorsey?
MD: I know it sounds cliché, but I have several irons in the fire. My main project is my communications firm where I handle public relations for people and brands. However, I am working on a re-release of The Church House, my first novel, and I am working on a project to pitch to a few editors as I pursue becoming a traditionally published author.
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