Rukhsana Khan's Blog, page 5

Maintaining the passion…

How do you maintain the interest in a project that has spanned several years?

From the moment you first got the idea to all the permutations it goes through before the story actually works…how do you maintain your passion and interest in it?

It’s not always easy!

I was talking to a family member, telling her how hard it is to write when the real world news is almost more wild and inventive than any story I could come up with!

We are definitely living through *interesting* times!

But when it comes to maintaining the passion, you need to push all the distractions aside, and every day rediscover what makes the story, the idea you’re trying to convey so interesting.

Have faith that because you found it so fascinating, that you’re willing to invest how much time and attention on it, then chances are others will also find it fascinating. It’s usually the case.

We’re actually not that different from each other and whatever tickles our funny bone or makes us go ‘wow’ will effect others in a similar manner.

What I’m realizing in the writing of my current work in progress is that I tend to ‘tell’ first and then go back and ‘show’. For example, I might write a paragraph saying that this character had a tendency to take himself far too seriously. That he was taciturn (love that word!) and that he was gruff and opinionated. And then the next day I’ll be scratching my head thinking, jeez, why did I say this?

I need to *show* that he takes himself far too seriously! How do I do that? Well have him say something quite pompous without realizing how he’s coming across.

And how do I show that he’s taciturn? Well he enjoys when some of his workers aren’t getting along, so that they’re quiet when they’re out in the fields working under his nose.

And gruff and opinionated, again, it’s easy to show that with what he says and does.

Yes it adds a lot of words to the manuscript, but it’s worth it! When you show what is happening, especially in terms of the undercurrents to a conversation, rather than telling ‘he was feeling superior to the other guy’ it’s so much more powerful! And readable!

You might have more words but they’ll flow easier and feel like less!

The project I’m working on is so big and ambitious, I don’t know how I’m going to finish it even by the end of the year. I can only try.

Right now I’m working on establishing the characters. Showing the dynamics between them.

If you can delineate exactly the type of person the reader is dealing with to the point where they can anticipate how that character will react to the various things that they will encounter…then you will have done your job well!

I think I did this with my book Wanting Mor. By the time the main character deals with a heart breaking event in the latter part of the story, the reader is so in tune with how she feels that they know EXACTLY what she’s going through!

That’s characterization!

It’s a lot of investment for a huge payoff!

It’s a lot of work, but in terms of keeping the passion alive, I find writing towards that pay off! That moment when it all comes together! That’s what helps keep the passion alive for me!

Happy Writing!!!

Asking for your price…

Why is it so difficult to put a price tag on your attendance at an event?

I remember a while ago, I got an email from a school in northern Pakistan asking for a skype visit.

There was no mention of money, so I assumed, quite correctly that this school expected me to just do this for free.

I get it, I really do.

Schools are strapped for funds and trying to encourage their students to read and this is precisely why I created my YouTube channel.

I sometimes even wonder if I put TOO much content on it. Maybe some schools will see the videos I’ve uploaded and wonder well, why bother inviting her then.

And that’s okay.

What I did with this Pakistani school who wasn’t prepared to pay for a skype presentation was I directed them to the free content.

Nothing wrong with that.

The reason I put up all that free content is, quite honestly, to tease.

Basically the person looking at it should tell themselves, “Hey, if she’s giving this for free…imagine what she’ll do in person!”

And also there’s something remarkable about students meeting an author whose work they’ve admired.

That personal touch…there’s nothing like it.

But alhamdu lillah I’ve gotten to the point where I can ask for my price, knowing that if I get that price I’ll be happy to do the gig.

I wonder if that doesn’t mean I’ve attained a certain maturity.

Who knows?

I’m in my 50’s so I guess it’s about time.

The whole point of this post is that you need to learn to ask for your price, without feeling guilty, knowing that what’s you’re providing is worth it.

It helps that I know I would pay my price if the shoe were on the other foot.

The Problem with Writing Retreats…

I know it sounds idyllic right?

To go to some pristine wilderness, rent a cabin, lock yourself away from all distractions and just write write write?

I remember when my son was just a baby and I took him to the doctors. When she found out I was a writer she said, “Oh I’ve always wanted to write. I’d lock myself away for two weeks and just do it!”

But the funny thing is, writing isn’t exactly like that. It’s almost like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it.

And working yourself up to writing even eight hours a day is not as easy as it looks!

How do you concentrate so totally for that length of time? It really is exhausting!

During the school year, when I’m doing presentations and interacting with kids (my audience) I actually get little time to write.

Presenting itself can be so exhausting, what with the commute and then the engagement itself, phew! After a day of presentations I’d come home wiped.

I could do physical things, like make supper, clean, etc. but anything mental–forget it.

Now that summer is in full swing, I’ve gotten into the rhythm of writing–which is also why the blog will probably suffer. (When I’m writing well, the blog just doesn’t go well. There’s only so much creative energy I have…)

Basically until September, I’ll be writing, writing, taking care of the house, and exercising.

It’s a chance for me to get back in shape, no excuses, and exercising is a great counterpoint to spending three to four hours at a desk writing.

Some authors develop an almost superstitious type of writing routine, where they have to have the right ambience in order to create.

Nope.

I try to stay away from that idea.

Write anywhere, anyhow.

I’ll be waiting for a flight and composing in my head because I find most writing happens away from they keyboard.

The next scene, I’ll have a visual of what I want to happen, and I have to figure out how I will set it up, how it will propel the story forward, how it will explore the themes etc.

By the time I actually sit down to write, I’m basically transcribing what I’ve already worked out.

And if I can’t do it in the face of all the distractions of normal human existence (especially when the news is proving to be far more outlandish than any fiction!!!) then my life as an author will be limited.

Plus, I’m at the age where leaving home and spending time in a hotel far away doesn’t appeal to me.

I miss my bed. I miss my comfort. And it’s not a good way to spend money.

But I do plan on completing two projects over the summer insha Allah.

A first draft of one and a revision of another.

Hopefully by Labor day I will have a completed manuscript to send out which is actually a good time to aim for because the publishing industry is kind of seasonal. They take the summer off.

So here’s to the muse! Striking everyday from 9 am to 3 pm with breaks for lunch and coffee.

Not a bad schedule insha Allah!

The Profound Joys of Mentorship…

In Islam we have a concept called sadaqa jaariya, which is a type of charity that continues giving exponentially even after you die.

It can be in the form of donating to a masjid where people will remember the name of God and praise Him, long after you’ve passed away.

It can be in the form of donating to a school or educational institution where people learn and benefit long after you are gone.

And it can be in the form of knowledge you create that also benefits people far and wide even after you are gone.

When I first began writing stories, I decided to veer away from anything that is too plot oriented/fantasy/magic oriented works that might be entertaining to read but don’t really explore any deeper elements. I gravitated to producing more literary works that I still hope are entertaining, but also try to delve deeper into insights into human nature. Literature that would prove to be a sadaqa jaariya for me. It’s why all my books seem to have some sort of message or moral to them. I just can’t help it.

Those were the types of stories I gravitated to when I was young.

And when my children all decided flat out to not be writers, and my husband declared he was glad because ‘one writer in the family is enough!’ I thought to myself, okay, I need to find other people to nurture and mentor because one Muslim author trying to humanize Muslims by telling good stories isn’t enough.

We need a movement!

And so I began to mentor.

There were two young ladies in particular very close to me, that I thought had especial potential. Both were voracious readers! And both were practicing Muslims!

Last year was momentous! In that one of these ladies did indeed release her book out into the world and all the pain and frustration and rewrites and revisions that I’d been privy to, finally bore fruit and her book and herself landed in the world with a huge SPLASH!!!

Masha Allah!

And then about eight months ago, I went to lunch with the second lady and she told me she had good news!

And now today her book is being released to a world that is suddenly discovering the power of Muslim stories! SPLASH!!!

There’s a goofy smile on my face even as I type this!

I am SO very proud of my friends!

And I hope and pray with all my heart that both these books become sadaqa jaariyas for them and for as much as I may have helped in the process, for me too, because God is Most Gracious, Most Merciful and Al – Kareem, the Generous, and He multiplies good deeds many times over without diminishing the reward for anyone along the way!

In an hour and a half I go to attend the launch of AYESHA AT LAST, I go to support my friends (and buy 5 copies insha Allah!).

Yup, Ayesha at Last is here at last!

Subhan Allah, Alhamdu lillah, Allahu Akbar!

 

Is this the new normal???

Last night, as I was scrolling through my twitter feed, I came across the first news of the attack in Mississauga at an Indian restaurant.

People sitting, celebrating two birthdays, when two covered up men (with light skin apparently) arrived and set off an improvised explosive device!

Subhan Allah! What are things coming to?

And then news of a student in Indiana who shot up the school and two people are wounded.

There are days when I just want to turn off the news.

I remember reading articles before Trump got elected in which Tony Schwartz, the guy who wrote The Art of the Deal warned that with Trump would come chaos, and that’s exactly what it feels like.

May God preserve us! May God help us!

May God inspire to write something that helps stop this madness.

Sometimes I wonder if the next generation didn’t get enough moral training through religion.

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, you name it, all the faiths preach self-restraint, doing good unto others as you would have them do unto you!

Maybe in our quest to make education so entertaining, at the risk of being didactic we’ve lost the need to keep some of the messages.

But there are good books out there! One of my favorites is Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry. The funny thing about the book is that it’s a natural evolution of a little girl who eventually does say sorry and even though it can be considered avowedly didactic, my grandkids would often ask to read it, and enjoyed it!

I want my work to do good like that!

Ramadan 2018 is here…

It’s always such a blessing to usher in this incredibly special month.

What a year it’s been since last Ramadan.

Last year I was feeling so shaken with regards to my writing craft and skills, but not my faith, and this year I’ve managed to slough a lot of that trepidation off.

I feel more content in my abilities, more confident that the stories I’m pursuing are worthwhile and (quite importantly) publishable.

I feel like I’ve been working for so long in the trenches, piling up rejection after rejection and yet striving towards something I couldn’t quite see, couldn’t quite articulate, but I felt ultimately was good.

I realized that when I’m developing a new presentation, the first few times I do it, they’re rough, like first drafts, and then over time, my ideas begin to consolidate, and I realize what I’m really trying to say.

It all starts out with ad libs, thoughts off the top of my head, conclusions that I haven’t even realized I’m coming to.

And over the years I started to look back at the work I’ve done and realize that some of it might feel ahead of its time.

What with the #metoo movement, and this new approach of women standing up against the abuse of other women, I look back at my third book Dahling if You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile and realize that I told a story of #metoo long before it was a movement.

And I got to thinking about what makes it big, and what doesn’t.

There’s a whole bunch of new Muslim authors out there telling all kinds of stories, and some of them are really good! Masha Allah.

It sometimes brings tears to my eyes to see how all of a sudden there are so many books that it’s hard for me to keep track, and my humble little Muslim booklist is in woeful need of an update!

And that’s a very good problem to have!

With greater competition we can all strive to higher feats of literature!

It’s all good!

We can’t control how the world sees our work. All we can do is struggle to produce the best possible stories from within us.

And this Ramadan I have a lot of work to do!

But really, despite all the turmoil in the world I thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed on me!

God is great! And Ramadan is sublime!

And most of all we are blessed to be allowed to break our fast at the end of the day with food and clean water when there are so many in the world who don’t even have that.

God have mercy on us all!

Saints & Misfits by S. K. Ali…

Saints and Misfits is one of those fun reads that comes along every once in a while that is just so well written and insightful it can make you gasp at times!

Written by S.K. Ali, it deals with sexual assault within the Muslim community and the way Janna main character handles the situation with wit, courage and bravery.

Here’s my thoughts from my youtube channel MsRukhsanaKhan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV-j9wLYPr4

 

Rural schools…

I just finished a mini-tour of four rural schools about an hour outside of Ottawa.

Sometimes I think I must look like some sort of exotic iguana rolling my presentation case up to the venerable doors of these tiny schools.

I guess if I thought much about it, I’d get nervous, but you get a certain amount of confidence after twenty years of storytelling that calms down any butterflies that want to start fluttering in your stomach.

So much of presenting is simply about voice control.

Modulating your voice in such a way that the audience instantly recognizes that they’re in the presence of someone who knows what they’re talking about.

And behind that confidence, is the knowledge that you’ve done the presentation so many times to so many different groups that most likely the appeal is universal.

Use your voice to control the audience.

When they get a bit rowdy or carried away, that’s when you can raise your voice ever so slightly, even to the point of ‘slightly yelling’ just to get the group back under control and then as soon as they’re back with you, lower your voice and continue as before.

It’s very important to lower your voice, not to keep the presentation at a high volume because what a lowered voice does is it allows you to convey more nuance in terms of emotion.

By playing your voice, like an instrument, pausing at key moments, building the suspense, slowing down and getting very quiet at key moments, you’ll actually engage your audience much better than if you spend the whole hour yelling at them!

But that depends on ensuring that what you’re sharing is something the kids really want to hear.

Going into these rural schools I thought the best approach would be to do my A New Life/Coming to Canada presentation. It talks about my journey of becoming an author and contains a lot of wholesome themes of over coming obstacles and taking advantage of learning opportunities.

The coolest thing, is somewhere between about the five minute mark and the ten minute mark, the audience no longer sees the hijab, or my shalwar kameez, they no longer see me as exotic.

They’re right with me, on the journey that I’m taking them.

And that’s precisely what I’m aiming for.

Oh, I’m so fortunate! I love meeting so many interesting people in my travels!

And getting paid for what you love to do…that’s just the icing on the cake.

 

Finished up a residency at a school…

I think I’ve basically become a bit of an arts educator. It’s not a role I thought would come with the territory of published author and storyteller, but it’s kind of morphed that way and I think I’m good at it.

I had developed a program I called Universality in Folktales years ago.

I first developed it for schools through the Ontario Arts Council, where I’d go in to schools to do five day residencies where I worked with kids on their literacy and oral skills using folktales.

I had noticed that kids these days don’t have much exposure to folktales. And with the storytelling courses I took I realized how much wisdom they were missing out on.

Folktales are stories that contain all kinds of life lessons and social skills that kids of all ages can benefit from.

In my program the kids were encouraged to bring in folktales from their cultural backgrounds and share them with other kids in the class as a way of understanding the diverse cultures that made up their community in a positive way.

The last couple of days have them telling their stories, and me judging them, and handing out a prize at the end.

So I was doing the program in a school nearby and one kid said something that had me completely nonplussed.

He said, “I don’t want to win.”

And I just looked at him blankly.

He had figured out that it was a lot of effort for something he didn’t care about winning.

What do you do with that kind of attitude?

I thought about what he’d said for the rest of the day.  And the conclusion I came to was at least he was honest.

There’s an awful lot of kids who go through life coasting. And why wouldn’t they?

The next day was the last day I’d be with them, so I thought I’d address the idea. I told them that yes, this is an option, but what they’ll find is that eventually everyone else will pass them by and they’ll wonder why they’re stuck and not getting anywhere.

I told them what I’d learned, that you get out of life what you put into it. If you give the least amount of effort, you’ll get the least amount in return, and I reminded them of the Chicken Little story.

And wouldn’t you know they hadn’t heard of it!

I quickly told them the story of the Chicken who asked the other animals who would help her plant the wheat? “Not I!” said the dog. “Not I!” said the cat. “Not I!” said the pig. And so she planted it herself.

And then she asked who would help her weed the plants? Again a chorus of “Not I!” from the dog, cat and pig. So she did it herself.

Who would help her cut the wheat? Nope, none of the animals would help, so she did it herself.

Who would help her take the wheat to the mill to grind it into flour? None of the animals, so she did it herself.

Who would help her make the bread? None of the animals so she did it herself.

And then she asked, “Who will help me eat the bread?” And then the dog, the cat, and the pig jumped up shouting, “I will!”

“No,” she said. “You did not help me plant the wheat, you did not help me weed the wheat, you did not help me cut the wheat, you did not help me take it to the mill, you did not help me bake the bread, so you will not eat the bread with me.” And instead she shared it with her chicks.

Kids need these stories especially in these times!

I don’t know if my little foray into life lessons made an impact on that one student, but I certainly do hope at least a few of the kids were listening!

 

 

When it’s a choice between organizing and writing…

I think it’s a good idea to do the organizing first.

It might seem counter intuitive. You might think, no, but I need to get the creativity out! But actually the mundane act of organizing and cleaning up  your environment is an excellent way to prepare you for the writing process.

It’s as simple as this: When your hands are busy, your mind is free to plot.

The most productive time of my life, in terms of writing, was before I got published and I was babysitting up to eight kids a day.

Between changing diapers, feeding them, cleaning them, putting them down for naps or sending them off to school, I had time to think of what I was going to write in the precious couple of hours that the bigger ones were at school and the little ones were napping.

And when you’ve got a clean work space, when you’ve got a tidy home, it relieves stress off your mind, there’s a feeling of ‘ahhhh’ and  you can get down to work.

I recently reorganized my study. Took my book cases from the other spare room and put them into my study with my desk and the gardenia plant that a dear friend of mine gave me.

When I go into my study and see my bookshelves, so neat and tidy (and dusted!) and my desk with my tattered copy of Yusuf Ali Quran on it, I feel happy.

There’s a little sofa where I can read to the grandkids when they come over, and it’s all neat and tidy. The feeling you get when you walk in is so positive! I even invited a friend up and we chatted, her sitting on the sofa and me at my desk chair.

I love it!

Did it take a long time to get it that way? You betcha! But boy was it worth it!

And after much nagging and complaining from other members of my family, I did finally get my downstairs desk, (where I do most of my business correspondence and skype visits) all tidied up too.

Yes I groaned and complained every step of the way, and at the risk of an ‘I told you so’ I have to admit, the end result was worth it. And what’s more I’ve managed, so far, to keep it tidy!

So get out there and tackle that mess!

And while you’re doing so, plan what you’re going to write. (Most of writing is done in the head anyway.)

You’ll be glad you did.