The Rituals That Bring a Book to Life
In 23 questions, Israa Nasir considers what it means to build a writing career in an era of distraction and constant change.
In a culture that rewards hustle and glorifies burnout, Israa Nasir has built her career by asking harder questions: What if doing more doesn’t actually make us more worthy? What if our definition of productivity has become part of the problem?
A psychotherapist, writer, and speaker, she’s the author of Toxic Productivity, a book that unpacks the emotional roots of hustle culture and offers a healthier, more sustainable way forward. She’s also the founder of WellGuide, a digital mental health brand with a quarter-million–strong community.
Born in Pakistan and raised between Saudi Arabia and Toronto, Israa has lived across the Middle East, South Asia, and North America—a global perspective that deeply shapes her work. Alongside her writing and speaking, she leads strategy at a mental health startup, bringing practical insights to a wider audience.
In the latest installment of the Author Insider Questionnaire, Israa shares 23 candid reflections on the habits, ideas, and communities that sustain her writing—and the rituals that keep her coming back to the page.
1. I couldn’t have written my last book without… Spotify’s smart playlists. They have a playlist called “daylist” which uses your music listening patterns to create playlists that match your mood/habits, and it is amazing. I discovered that in the mornings, I’m more of a jazz/acoustic listener, while in the afternoons, it’s electronic house music. It generates playlists for you. It helped me get, and stay, in the zone while writing.
2. What’s the thing most people get wrong about being a writer? Even though writing is largely a solitary job, authors are not always introverted people.
3. What’s something you wish you’d started doing five years ago? Working out/strength training with more intention instead of casually.
4. Hemingway wrote standing up; Edith Wharton, lying down. What are your quirks? I need some form of grounding aroma around me — I lit a lot of candles and incense while writing. It helps me “arrive” to the work.
5. Do you read your reviews? Yes! Always — and I look for something constructive in both the positive and the negative ones.
6. What income streams make up your writing business? Speaking is a really important part of the writing business as a stream of income. Corporate speaking as well as keynotes for conferences. I also write for digital publications as well as Substack. And finally, I work full-time in digital health at a mental health startup in clinical strategy. This financial freedom allows me to explore my creativity without pressure.
7. What keeps you up at night? Lately, it’s been the low reading/literacy rates and the overall decline in critical thinking, especially online. As someone who makes a lot of digital educational content for social media — I notice how little people are thinking for themselves or using context cues/deductive reasoning with the information they have to form a conclusion. I read about the use of Chat GPT to write college essays, and that people are reading fewer books (both fiction and non-fiction). I wonder how this will translate into the future. I don’t want to be “doom and gloom,” and I hope this trend changes its direction.
8. Have any tech tools made your job easier? Google Docs is the center of my universe — I save everything and archive it properly in case I need it in the future. I also use Evernote (a journaling app) which helps me journal wherever I am (this feeds into my “ideas pipeline” because I can tag it) before I organize it into Airtable for more structured writing.
9. How has AI changed your writing process? It helps with the research process. I can ask it to search for research articles and studies, magazine articles, and quotes. It’s a big time saver that way.
10. Where do you find new ideas? I am inspired by the conversations I have with people — friends and strangers alike. I’m always thinking about what people are saying and how that connects to broader trends in discourse about issues that impact our world right now.
I am also inspired by my own feelings and curiosity. When I have a strong feeling about an issue, like the decline of community or empathy right now, I will lean into it and read more about it, and that generates ideas.
11. How do you keep track of new ideas? I use Airtable because it helps me prioritize, track, and archive all my ideas.
12. What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want from those who might be able to help you reach your goals; most people will offer some form of help and don’t take it personally if they don’t.
13. And the worst? Don’t share your ideas/information with others because they will steal them (while this happens, I don’t like this scarcity mindset). It’s important to be discerning about what you share and with whom, but being afraid to share prevents you from building community.
14. What is the one piece of advice you would give to recent graduates who want to make a living as writers? Learn the business, whether you are a fiction or non-fiction writer. There is an entire machinery behind writing. There is a marketing and sales process; there are different types of agents and editors, methods of sales numbers calculations, press campaigns, compensation packages, etc. The more you know about the way it works, the more empowered you will be to make the right decisions.
15. Whose career do you most admire and why? I have a lot of respect for Jhumpa Lahiri and how she moved her whole family (young children included) temporarily to Italy so she could immerse herself in the language. Then, she wrote and edited books in Italian — a language she had just learnt! It’s not her entire career, but I admire her unyielding drive towards learning something new and pushing herself out of her comfort zone to expand her craft. I hope to have this level of tenacity and passion towards my own curiosity as well!
16. How did you find your agent? I actually don’t have one, but am looking for one for my next book! In general, you can always ask your writer friends for recommendations or introductions.
17. Coffee, tea, or something stronger? Coffee in the morning, Chai (black tea with milk and cardamom) in the afternoon.
18. What’s one marketing tip you’d give a new author? Build a genuine and intentional community of writers and others who are in the industry — agents, editors, cover designers, etc. Surround yourself with people who know the writing industry. This network can be so helpful when it comes to market and sell your book! Don’t be disingenuous, though.
19. How are you using social media to grow your audience? I’ve been creating content on social media for five years with over a quarter million followers across channels, and the one thing I learnt is: a higher number of followers doesn’t equal higher sales. I know some bestsellers who don’t even have 10K followers, and huge accounts with low sales. It’s not the most important metric, even though a lot of people say that it is. I think social media is a great way to increase visibility both to new audiences and opportunities. I use social media primarily as a “shop window” for my work — for speaking opportunities, brand collaborations, and magazine editors to find me for expert quotes. I also use it as a way of meeting new friends in the writing/psychology world! Some of my closest girlfriends came through Instagram DMs!
20. What do you wish you’d known when you were starting out? It takes longer than you think. Writing a book is a long-term goal, and a large part of it happens after you finish the manuscript. It can take two years from start to finish, so be patient with the process.
21. Fill in the blank: In five years, successful authors will all be… diverse voices across all domains.
22. Any new projects the Author Insider community can help support? I would love an introduction to agents who are picking up practical non-fiction authors in the wellness/psychology/personal growth genre.
23. Any questions or feedback you would like from authors in the community? Say hello if you like any of my writing on Substack. I love meeting new people, sharing my ideas, and learning from them!
Thanks to Israa for sharing so generously about her process and career. She’s a reminder that writing isn’t just about words on the page—it’s about the tools, habits, communities, and ideas that sustain us. And if you liked what you read here, go say hello to on her Substack. She really does mean it.
✍️ Save Your Spot!
If today’s Author Questionnaire has left you hungry for more writing wisdom, you’re in luck. Our upcoming Author Insider AMAs will feature the prolific and bestselling author James Patterson (with co-author Patrick Leddin) and bestselling author/podcast host/indie publisher Zibby Owens. Join us if you can, and keep building the kind of writing (and working) life that feels fully alive.
📅 Friday, October 3rd, at 1 p.m. ET
AMA with James Patterson & Patrick Leddin: On Collaboration and Sustaining Success
📅 Thursday, October 9th, at 1 p.m. ET
AMA with Zibby Owens: On Building a Literary Empire From Scratch
👉 Sign up here if you haven’t already, and don’t miss the chance to join us live.
 | A guest post by
|