Paving that Path

Don't you hate it when you're buzzing - full of ideas, emotions, thoughts and plots; you've got a blast of excitement and energy, and you pick up your pen, or reach for your keyboard to write... but you can't.

Don't you just hate that?

You want to write. In fact, you must write; you know you have to, but that first line simply won't flow. Argh! The frustrations of a writer!

You can't stare at that notepad all day, and you haven't got the luxury of time to blink blankly at a computer screen, so you can do one of two things.

1. Get a large pillow and scream into it at the top of your lungs
2. Ask yourself why you want to write in the first place

Solution 1 may make you feel a lot better, but it probably won't solve your problem, but solution 2 can help a whole leap.

You see, us writers have internal nigglings that cause us to put pen to paper and fingers to keyboards, and many of us work on 'bursts of inspiration'. We have an innate love for the written word and marvel at how sentences are structured and literary images are painted. It's not something that is learnt, however, while we know we want to write and are zealous about the art, most of us have no real purpose behind it except to simply write.

That can keep some of us going for a year or two - just seeing where the pen flows and whose eyes will fall on our work. But this cannot be maintained for long, and thus we fall into the scenario above.

As a resolution, ask yourself:

• Why do I want to write?
• Who do I want to write for?
• What mediums and genre are my strength?
  
• How will I know when I've reached a point of satisfaction?

Each question is pretty straightforward, and writing their answers on a sheet of paper can be therapeutic because you'll have a clear vision set ahead of you, and you'll know exactly the path you wish to pave to head towards it.

HP Syndrome

This is a public literary announcement encouraging all parents to be on the lookout for HPS in their children.  HPS - Harry Potter Synrdome -  is a condition that, if left untreated, can stunt the reading career of young bibliophiles. 

The syndrome begins innocuously enough, with children who have never shown an interest in reading suddenly skipping meals to devour the next chapter of their book.  Parents become elated as former TV junkies start showing up on the floor of their closets, hiding out to avoid doing chores in favor of reading.  Victims use every spare minute to read, including car trips (even to the grocery store), bathroom time and bedtime (the old flashlight under the covers makes a roaring comeback!).  In severe cases, some victims have even been known to cover their current Harry Potter volume with the same book covers they use for their textbooks and actually read during class!

Just when parents are breaking out their old copies of Treasure Island or Little Women, though, the second stage of the syndrome sets in.  This stage is marked by an obstanant refusal to read anything that was not penned for their favorite series. 

While the most virulent form of this syndrome has been noted in the Harry Potter pandemic of the past ten years (hence the name) there are other strains.  The Artemes Fowl strain is known to cause HPS, as has the Junie B. Jones treasure of hilarity and life lessons.  Recent reports have indicated that the virus has also mutated into a Children of the Lamp version and, for teens, the New Moon sub-strain!  Symptoms manifest in a staunch conviction on the part of young readers that the only great literature out there has already been read, and all others pale in comparison.  So they fail to compare them at all! 

Just as children who only eat peanut butter sandwiches or refuse to try green foods begin to suffer from malnutrition, children who only read one author show signs of literary lopsidedness.  They don't know that Amber Brown is Not a Crayon. They never open The Gift of the Maggi, never sneak a peek at The Diary of Anne Frank, never follow Boston Jane to Oregon.  They never take The Bridge to Tarabithia!  Allusions to the Rats of NIMH escape them and, God forbid, they don't even know what to do with a HATCHET!!!  And Muslim fiction??  That's like trying to get them to eat brussel sprouts!*

Fortunately, HPS can be treated.  The first line of defense is always to read to your kids from the time they are young.  Even if they don't pick up more books on their own right away, you will have inoculated them with the love of many different styles of stories, and insha'Allah that will serve them well as they get older.  If your kids are already Tweeners or Teens and haven't been vaccinated in this way, start reading to them now!  Even teens aren't immune to the great joy of listening to someone read aloud. You can also start taking them to the library on a regular basis.  Make it part of a weekly or monthly afternoon together.  Get lost in the library for a couple of hours and then go get ice cream or hot chocolate.  The best treatment for HPS sufferers is to see their parents love of literature, to see all the other books that the library has to offer, and to associate reading with good times. 

If all else fails, offer them the choice between chores and reading.  That will cure HPS in a heartbeat!  ;-)

*More on getting your kids to read Muslim fiction coming soon...

Settling

Let it set. These very concise words, this short phrase, simply gives the impression of settling. When a muddy pool of water settles, the dirt eventually goes down, being attracted by gravity, and the water above turns clear and calm. You need the water itself to remain calm for the settling effect to even take place.

When we make tea or coffee, it is usually best to drink it after it has set a bit. The liquid itself turns into a more concentrated resulting beverage, all the while becoming more clear, letting the excess particles settle to the bottom of the pot. And if the coffee pot is on a burner, the liquid in the pot not only concentrates a bit more, but it may remain hot or even get hotter, as the heating plate continues it's steady, slow heating.

Even cooked food is many times better once it's settled a bit after cooking. The remaining liquid usually evaporates off, and the resulting product is a clear, clean plate of food to offer up for dining.

A similar process can be applied to our writing, and many times it is wisest to do so. Just let it set a bit. Give yourself some time to review the end product before sending it off for publishing. Edit out any typos, and then let it set for another review in an hour or so, or even another day. Go back to it in a couple of days, and re-read the piece with a new viewpoint, or at least being able to stand back a bit.

For so many of us writers, whatever we write becomes our child. We become rather protective of it, not wanting to hear any criticism, or perhaps cringing at the criticism when we do hear it. It just doesn't rub right. But to hear such criticism is part of the growth process, for ourselves as well as our compositions. And if we give it the chance to settle a bit before turning it in for publication, we give it the chance for growth. And when we give our composition the chance for growth, we are in effect giving ourselves the chance for growth and improvement as well. And as it is with our own children, sometimes we need that criticism to make ourselves more firm on the road to improvement.

What about you? Do you let your writing set before sending off for publication? Or do you rush it off to a publisher before giving yourself a chance for review? Do you give your composition the chance to settle, letting the dirt drag down to the bottom?

She's at it again!

Umm Junayd, An-Najm's Director, will be doing a charity walk this weekend and is still looking for sponsorships to reach her £500 goal to raise money for Lewisham Islamic Centre - the same mosque we raised money for by publishing Between Love, Hope & Fear. Here's a personal message from her:

During the month of Ramadhaan, our hearts were full of mercy, and we readily opened our purses and wallets to give money to others - some literally broke the bank, mashaa`Allaah!

But the Lord we worshipped during Ramadhaan, is the same Lord we worship during other months, and although Ramadhaan is overwhelmingly filled with barakah, alhamdulillaah, charity does not stop there.

Inshaa`Allaah on the 2nd November 2008, I will be doing a sponsored walk for my local mosque: Lewisham Islamic Centre (UK registered charity No: 285641), and it is my aim to raise at least £500 to aid towards major renovation work that's needed. I will, by Allaah's Grace be doing 20 laps around Ladywell Park (London) on this day, come rain or shine!

Please help me to raise this money - there is nothing that you will lose. The money you donate will not only be recorded in your book of good deeds while you are alive, but for every rukoo', sujood, du'aa, letter of the Qur`aan every person recites in the masjid, you will be rewarded.... even after your death. SubhaanAllaah... don't you just love win-win situations?

How to sponsor me:

>> Click the following link to donate safely and securely via PayPal: DONATE HERE.

Remember, ever penny counts - I'll not undermine anything. Please give... and remember you're giving in the way of your Lord. You can see my progress below.

May Allaah grant you the loftiest of positions in this world and the aakhirah, aameen.

JazaakumAllaahu khairaa.

Was-salaamu 'alaikum
Umm Junayd

p.s. Spread the word!

Does it put you off?

"What is she on about now?" You must wonder...

... now, I'm talking about a book's thickness!

This week, I was sent a book that I need to review for content purposes, and I was pretty excited by the prospects of having some new reading material aside from those sent to my inbox! So, when I saw the package laying on my doorstep, I immediately ripped it open... only to find that the novel looked like a textbook.

'Uh-oh', I thought, I was immediately put off - the size and thickness of the book reminded me of a university textbook, and my thoughts turned to dread as I tried to visualise how I would fit it in my handbag. Oh dear.

I've noticed that aside from the Harry Potter series and some other novels (which people are happy to carry around), novels do not tend to be extremely thick. Is this because if and when they are, people's reactions are as mine was? How do you react to textbook-thick novels?

Let's discuss!

What's on a cover?

Boys: They don't read?

I've not only heard about this dilemma, I've witnessed it first-hand with my family members who say they don't have the time to read, or there's nothing that can hold their interest long enough. But the frustrating question still remains: why?

It's been my observation that when it comes to the Muslim community, it's not just boys who don't read much, men don't either - well, not the more 'culturally inclined'. Few read non-fiction books such as 'How-tos' and biographies; the majority like to stick to 'safe' non fiction, namely knowledge-based reading. And when it comes to fiction, there's very little interest.

In a survey that An-Najm conducted a couple of months ago, only 1.38% of males said they read fiction and 2.75% said they read for leisure. Astonishing results, and it's no surprise since men are always so busy trying to earn the halaal. But surely, it can't be only women who love to curl up with a good book, can it?

However, I can see the dilemma teenage boys face. They would rather abandon reading fiction rather than being viewed as being girlie, and the array of interesting books for them are slim...and while society says they should be reading more, they are more computer games being pushed onto the market than they can cope with.

It could very well be social pressure that keeps boys from reading, or society itself. Either way, the matter remains: boys don't read... well, not enough anyway.

For the men out there: why don't you read fiction? If it's because of the topics in the books, what topics interest you? I too would be bored with reading fiction related to football, but then if not that, then what?

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