How living in my family’s motel inspired me programs, I got an internship at The Washington Post as a copy editor. Then right as I was thinking about applying for Ph.D. I ended up pursuing communication and journalism, thinking I would either go into academia or journalism. To be honest, I didn’t understand how you could do that with writing. We want you to be able to take care of yourself, whatever that would be.” They didn’t really understand how you could do that with writing. This is not what I want to do with my life.” Ultimately my parents were like, “We just want you to be gainfully employed. I did a health care program and worked in a hospital for much of it. I was supposed to be a doctor because, to my parents, that was a very secure, respectable career. Photo courtesy of Ayesha Ahmad What my parents initially thought about my career path I learned how to not take things people say seriously. I didn’t even consider that this would be applicable later in life, but I think dealing with the public at such a young age taught me how to work hard, troubleshoot, and problem solve, but also how to keep my calm when people were rude or ridiculous. This was way before the internet, so I would give room rates, directions, and tell people whether or not our pool was functioning. My parents had a family business-a motel-so my first job was answering the phones.

Below, Tahir shares why her new book took 15 years to complete, her best tip for dealing with burnout, and the incredible power of an all-black outfit. I had to set it aside, because it was too big.” Earlier this month, she published her latest novel All My Rage, which follows two outcasts and best friends Sal and Noor as they navigate adolescence and forge their own paths in Juniper, California the novel will soon be turned into a television series with Tahir co-writing the screenplay. “It actually took me a few days to process. “I couldn’t believe it,” she told about the career-defining moment. This month, we spoke with Sabaa Tahir, the author of the bestselling young adult fantasy novel An Ember in the Ashes and its three sequels, making her the first Pakistani-American fantasist to ever hit The New York Times bestseller list for YA.

In ’s monthly series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between.

All my rage sabaa tahir