.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #87
Johanna Elattar
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
When I was eight, I wrote a story that made my teacher stop mid-class to praise my words. The power of language struck me then: a few sentences could demand attention, convey emotion, and leave a lasting impression. I realized that words could shape perception, spark empathy, and make invisible experiences visible.
What is essential for good storytelling? What types of stories do you find yourself drawing inspiration from and how do they manifest in your work?
Authenticity, attention to detail, and emotional resonance are essential. I draw inspiration from real human experiences—moments of resilience, trauma, or quiet triumph—and weave them into narratives that illuminate unseen perspectives. In my work, this manifests as stories rooted in history, memory, and personal truth.
How do you approach revising your own work? Do you enjoy the process?
I revise by reading aloud, cutting redundancies, and sharpening imagery and voice. It’s meticulous but rewarding; each round brings me closer to the clarity and impact I want. I enjoy the transformation, even when it’s painstaking.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
It reminds me to be honest, observant, and brave in exploring both light and darkness. To trust the story, and trust myself.
Johanna Elattar is a journalist and writer of Arab and European heritage, currently based in Hornell, New York. Her work explores the human stories behind history, culture, and conflict, blending investigative insight with literary sensitivity. Her writing has been featured in the Hornell Sun and Wellsville Sun and by Oxford University Press, which selected an excerpt of her work on missing and murdered Indigenous women for a forthcoming textbook. Johanna is deeply engaged with storytelling that examines resilience, identity, and the intersections of personal and collective history. She lives with her pets and continues to write both fiction and nonfiction.
Recently, Johanna established a weekly series of “LinkedIn Exclusives,” which are original stories composed specifically for her professional network and are not pitched or submitted to other outlets. She also has other recent publishing news: “A Week in March” comes out in a forthcoming anthology called Words Left Unsaid, “Hunted” was published by Macabre Magazine in July 2026, and “Unicorn Summer” was recently featured as part of the inaugural Merion West fiction series, Theater of Belief.
Her creative nonfiction piece, “Under the Siren: Alexandria, 1973,” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal KAIROS, Vol. X, No. 2, fall 2025, and “Waiting for the Moon” was included in WONDER, Vol. XI, No. 1, spring 2026. Yellow Arrow nominated “Under the Siren: Alexandria, 1973,” for the 2026 Puschcart Prize (find our announcement here).
You can find Johanna on Facebook @johanna.elattar3.