Are You a Writer?

AsSalaamu Alaikum,

I was thinking about Umm Junayd's question to Jamilah Kolocotronis about when she really began to consider herself a writer.  I came up with a top-ten list for those of us who wonder that about ourselves.

Top ten signs you might be a writer
(from 10 down)

10.     You run to your keyboard or pen in the middle of a movie because it inspired an idea for a story.

9.      You cry when a good book ends - not because it was sad, just because it ended.

8.      You have a closet full of spiral notebooks, journals, and napkins with story ideas and story beginnings written all over them.

7.      You accidentally call your spouse or one of your children by your character's name.

6.      You cry when a good book ends - not because it was sad, just because you didn't think of that idea first.

5.      You see someone on the street and say, "He looks just like So-and-so in my story!"

4.      People think you have memory problems, but really it's just that most of the time only half your brain is in the real world.  The other half is in your character's world.

3.      You consider everything from family vacations to hospital visits *research*.

2.      Your favorite game is "Who Can Come Up with the Most Ways to Say 'He Said'" (he chuckled, he gasped, he spat.....)

1.      And the number one sign that you might be a writer: you narrate events in your life as you would write them, in preparation for your next blog entry or story.  (OK,  maybe that one's just me....)

Seriously, though, the real way to know you're a writer is that you write.   If you know the joy of a story or poem that springs onto the page AND the agony of one that limps along peakishly and has to be pushed every inch of the way, you, my friend, are a writer.

So write to us and let us know who you are and what you're working on.  Then stop reading blogs and go write!

Interview: Jamilah Kolocotronis

Umm Junayd: Assalaamu 'alaikum Jamilah, welcome to the An-Najm Blog.

Jamilah Kolocotronis: Wa 'alaikum salaam.

U.J: I understand that you are a writer of Islamic fiction, and have authored several books. Tell us a little more about your work.

J.K: My first novel, Innocent People, was written in reaction to the Islamophobia following 9/11. This book portrays an American Muslim woman, her Southeast Asian husband and their five sons, and shows how they and their friends cope with the stress in the year following 9/11. Great emphasis is placed on the innocence of many, from all sides.

Echoes is the first book of the Echoes Series. The main character, Joshua Adams, is 23 years old and, by all accounts, a loser. After his wife throws him out, he turns to some Muslim guys he knows from a job he once held. They take him in and give him the space he needs to work through his demons. Eventually, they teach him about Islam. After his conversion, Joshua looks forward to a new live but the echoes of his past continue to haunt him.

In Rebounding, Joshua is eleven years older and has settled down with his new wife and children. His faith is strong and his life is good until the day he is falsely arrested on charges of terrorism. Throughout the ordeal, including time in a federal prison, Joshua holds onto his faith in order to survive.

At the beginning of Turbulence, tragedy strikes the family. Joshua and his second brother, Chris, depend on their faith to help them but the oldest brother, Brad, feels helpless and alone. He descends into a world of nightmares until his own survival is in question. On the way to self-destruction, Brad's journey becomes an odyssey as he searches for answers.

Ripples tells the story of the next generation: Brad's son, Kyle; Chris's son, Isaiah, and Joshua's daughter (by his first marriage) Jennifer. The three cousins, who are close in age, have always been good friends. As they approach adulthood, each faces a special challenge.

Silence, the last book in the Echoes Series, has not yet been published and I don't want to give too much away. Joshua continues to grow, and to struggle, as he has since the beginning.

>>Continue reading "Interview: Jamilah Kolocotronis"

How many Inkwells?

I was wondering...how many out there are a 'jack of all trades' type of writer? I mean...how many inkwells do you have your pen into? Are you more of a specialist type, concentrating mainly and basically on one type of writing, or do you delve into many various aspects of the business, gaining experience and knowledge from here there, and everywhere? I like to write many types of things.

I like writing on this blog, as well as my own blog, although admittedly not so regularly as here and in other discussion groups. I have delved into basic essay-style writing, which can get to be rather preachy sometimes, of course depending upon the subject matter. And then, there is the more personal journal-type writing of momentos and memoirs.

What I have found I enjoy the best is fiction. Actually, I have tagged onto it my own 'specialist' label: "fictitious non-fiction". Still trying to promote that one. What I mean by that is I take stories of accurate historic account. Some of them may be from the far past, such as from the time of prophet Mohammed (SAAW) and his companions or their followers, whereas others may be of the more recent past & even present. That is the non-fiction part. The stories themselves are true. Or at least the story line itself, or the moral of the story. But then I give it my own twist, or 'spin', if you will. I give the characters names and even families, if the need arises. I give them a background of what their life has been, where they live, ages, etc. I then give them some dialogue, to liven up the story. That is the fictitious part. Hence, the label division: "fictitious non-fiction". Interesting, eh? Well, at least it is to me.

I also like to play around with poetry. No specialist there..just like playing around with it from time to time. Get that from dear ol' Dad. He was a famous poet in our family. Even made his own collection out of his experiences on one of his visits to Saudi Arabia. Culture shock and all that. Hope to get his collection altogether and publish it sometime, in remembrance of him and his travels and his experiences.

Oh, yea...almost forgot...I edit also. Have done quite a few editing jobs. Started from some jobs forwarded on to me from our local chapter of Islamic dawa and propagation office. Have just worked upwards from there.

So, what do all of you out there do? Are you a specialist in any one particular aspect of the writing industry? Or do you like to tip your pen into various inkwells, as myself and many others?

Waiting for your input.

Balqees.

From End to Beginning

In creative writing courses - especially those for fiction writing - we are always told to outline our stories...

This formula, the basic structure of a story, allows for the story to be mapped out, and helps the writer plan the story in some sort of logical sequence. But what happens when you flip the coin and turn the formula on its head? You get...


Now, before anyone thinks that I've got a few screw loose in my head - which my husband would wholeheartedly agree with, mind you - let me tell you how I know my brain-child formula actually works.

>>Continue reading "From End to Beginning"

Islam Expo

Assalaamu alaikum.

For all interested...companies, associations, and individuals...there is an upcoming Islam Expo to be held in London. "Islam Expo 2008"- July 11-14 2008 in London, United Kingdom.

For more information on it's exact locale, and to get to know what is offered, or how to take out your own section for the exposition, check out: www.islamexpo.com.

-balqees.

Report on CTBF

Assalaamu alaikum.

As reported to me recently by a sister who attended the CTBF:

The CapeTown Book Fair which recently took place was a success. Some of the noticed titles represented at some of the booths at the fair were the "Islamic Rose" series, by Linda Delgado (aka "Widad), of MWP, the "Echoes" series by sis Jamilah, as well as some new blood in the arena of Islamic Fiction, namely "Goodward Books" of India.

If anyone hears of an upcoming book fair and would like to advertise it, or have visited a book fair and would like to report, please leave your comments for the rest of us to benefit.

balqees.

Islamic Poetry Contest

Assalaamu alaikum.

Attention...all you poets out there!

An interesting contest rising online for Muslim poets!

Check out: http://www.creativeandcoolcompetitions.net/IP.html

balqees.

Search

Search this blog:

Recent Posts

• Are You a Writer?
• Interview: Jamilah Kolocotronis
• How many Inkwells?
• From End to Beginning
• Islam Expo

Categories

• An-Najm Announcements
• Random Ramblings
• Submission Opportunities
• Writer's Tips
• Writers' Showcase
  • Fiction Spotlight
  • Poetry Spotlight

Subscribe!

Subscribe to this blog's feed