Due to the patriarchal laws, my mother was faced with a custody battle with my father’s side of the family. She got a job with the American Embassy in Iran, and then we were forced to flee, leaving everything behind …

Katy Motiey – 10 November 2024

The Back Flap

Imperfect is the story of one woman’s loss, courage, love, and perseverance before and during the Iranian Revolution. Based on the experiences of the author’s mother, Vida Shamsa’s life takes an unexpected and dramatic turn with the sudden death of her young husband in 1971. Struggling against the patriarchal customs of Iran, she is faced with fighting her husband’s family for control of her children and her life. Never giving up fighting for her son and daughter, she challenges Iran’s legal and personal injustices against the backdrop of political unrest during the Shah’s regime, the rise of Khomeini, and the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Imperfect engages the reader in a quest for equality for a single mother who rages against outdated traditions and her need to control her life in order to protect her children, whom she loves above all else.

About the book

What is the book about? 

The book is a novel based on a true story, some things that happened to my mother in 1971 Iran after my father passed away.  Due to the patriarchal laws, my mother was faced with a custody battle with my father’s side of the family.  She got a job with the American Embassy in Iran, and then we were forced to flee, leaving everything behind, in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution, when the Iranian government turned on the US government and everyone associated with the US government.

When did you start writing the book? 

I started writing in October of 2009.

How long did it take you to write it?

I published the book on Mother’s Day (May 12) 2024, so 15 years.  I had a lot of start and stops; I was not working on the book continuously.

Where did you get the idea from? 

I was inspired by my mother.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I had a very tough time writing about my father’s death, the service and all the ceremonial events associated with his death.  He died of brain cancer when I was three years old.

What came easily?

The rest of the book came easily once I interviewed my mother about the details of all the events that transpired.  It was particularly easy for me to write about Iranian food and culture because I am so familiar with it.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know? 

All of my characters are based on real world people, in some cases I combined real world people into one fictional character in order to ensure the story did not get bogged down by too many characters.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you? 

While I was working on the book I read a lot of books by Iranian authors, like Marjan Satrapi (Persepolis), Azadeh Moaveni (Honeymoon in Tehran and Lipstick Jihad), Firoozeh Dumas (Funny in Farsi) and Donia Bijan (Maman’s Homesick Pie).  Each of them inspired me in different ways but ultimately, they reminded me of the Iranian culture and the nuances I may have forgotten about.

Do you have a target reader?

I really think anybody would be interested in this book, if I had to choose, my target reader would be woman (of all ages), and men who are 40 years old or more who might remember the Iranian Revolution.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

The first draft writing process was much different than working on revisions.  The first draft was all about writing everything that came to mind, at all hours of the day.  The revisions process was much more detailed, and I made sure to give myself 2–3-hour chunks of time so I could really focus.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do not outline.  But I did have an extensive timeline I put together when I started writing.  I drew it on a large piece of paper and added to it as I was interviewing my mother.  Although the story is not linear it was important that I get the timeline right.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

No, I waited until I was finished and of course the book went through many revisions before I was done.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, I hired a professional editor twice and then ultimately (after 15 years) I went with a hybrid publisher and the book went through many layers of revisions.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

No, I don’t listen to music.  In fact, I prefer to write where I have little distraction.  I turn off my phone for example.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents? 

Early on, I submitted the book to agents, but the book was not ready for it.  14 years later when I finally decided to give birth to the book, the publishing process had changed so much that I decided not to try and to go with the hybrid publisher.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I am a Georgetown graduate, and I was introduced to a professor at Georgetown who started Manuscripts LLC.  If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I would have taken the self-publishing route.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The publishing company had cover design artist who did the cover.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have hired a publicist to help me market the book.  I have been posting (a bit) on social media so in that sense I am winging it… but ultimately, I am hopeful the publicist will get the word out for me.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I would suggest connecting with a writing group.  Writing a book can be a very lonesome process and working with a writing group can give you an outlet and also a safe venue to try different things, ask question, etc.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Iran, moved to the US when I was a month old, moved back to Iran when I was 3 years old, and my father passed away.  After the revolution (the end of my published story), we initially settled in the Boston Area where I went to middle school, high school and the first year of college.  Then I moved to DC for college and law school, then Los Angeles for 4 years.  Next, I settled in the Bay Area where I lived from 1995 – 2020.

Where do you live now?

I moved to San Diego to be close to my mom in 2020.

What would you like readers to know about you?

My story is not meant to be political.  I had a lot happen to me as a child and I had something to write about.  It happens that I lived in a turbulent part of the world during my childhood and during the years my book takes place, that said the book is not meant to make any political statements.

What are you working on now?

In 2019, I wrote the first draft of a memoir and finished it in early 2020, and then COVID happened, and my life turned upside down, I moved, etc.  I will pick up the memoir soon.  And I have a few other stories I would like, perhaps about my childhood school friends (my significant other and I went to elementary school together), and about some of my professional experiences (I am the Chief Legal Officer at a publicly traded company).

End of Interview:

For more from Katy Motiey visit her website.

Get your copy of Imperfect from Amazon US or Amazon UK.