Nour Zikra's Blog, page 7

A Short Story: My Childhood in Syria

When people ask me about Syria, I try to distance myself from the fact that I was born there, right in the heart of the world, in Aleppo, the oldest city on earth that’s still standing today. I think of Syria like a fairytale or a past life, one that I lived in a different body, a different time. I tell them Syria is beautiful, lively, with people who love to live and laugh and show off their culture.

But the news tells a different story about the Syria I once knew. The news shows destruction and half-fallen buildings where people used to cook, watch TV, play, and sleep peacefully. It shows evil in the form of scrawny children who are becoming parents at six years old because their parents were killed in the war and their siblings are too young to fend off on their own. That’s the Syria people are learning about today, when ten years ago, they’ve never even heard of it.

This isn’t the country that I knew, and it certainly isn’t how I want it remembered. I’ve been an America for more than a decade now, but deep down, I’ll always be Syrian. The Syria people need to know about is the Syria of my childhood, the land of my past life.

***

I lie down on my bed and picture myself on the other side of the world, back in my room in my old bed. Everything is there where I left it. No renter has thrown my stuff out; the dust hasn’t taken over my dolls and precious books.

When I get up, I’m seven years old again. I look at the balcony door by my closet, and that same old temptation hits me. The big, tall, rectangular windows call out to me; I climb on their edge and stand up with my head high. Up in the sky, hundreds of birds scurry about left and right, playing in their paradise. They don’t leave. They don’t hide in the trees. They just play.

I swing from one window to the other like a monkey. The old woman in the house on the other side of the street shakes her head at me as she takes her son’s clothes down from the balcony laundry line.

Down below, cars honk and taxis pick up tired people with grocery bags. I keep swinging because exhaustion is for the weak. I don’t want to leave this place. I want to stay, to feel the walls of this house. I want my barefoot feet to slide against the cold tiled floor.

This is my home.

And I keep swinging. Even as I wake up back in America, I keep swinging. My heart beats for Syria, and my soul swings in its direction. It swings and swings, and it will keep swinging till my last breath. That’s the Syria I want back. The one with innocence and laughter and happy birds.

I swing.

 

I hope you enjoyed my nonfiction piece. If you would like to check out some of my other works, you can find a free preview of my Young Adult fantasy book Dance with the Devil below: 

The Top 6 Fictional Characters with Healing Powers

Healing is such a rare power in the fictional world. It never ceases to amaze us when we read about it in fantasy books, movies, and TV shows. We see healing as a sign of immortality, or at least the closest thing to it. Therefore, it is no wonder that we find ourselves compelled by it. After all, the power to heal ourselves and others is a desire we all have in us. With it, we would end pain, save loved ones, live happier and healthier lives, and provide tranquility everywhere we go. Today, I will be discussing my six favorite fictional characters with healing powers who have inspired, amazed, and entertained many of us.

Stefan and Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Fans of The Vampire Diaries books and TV show know that in this particular vampire world, all vampires are healers. Sure, their job isn’t to heal, but they are certainly capable of the task if it comes down to it. Take one of the main vampire characters, Stefan Salvatore. From the third episode of the popular TV show, we see Stefan’s cut hand heal in a matter of seconds.

Then, time and time again we see the vampires heal their human friends from major wounds. For instance, Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s brother, always goes out of his way to heal the friends of the girl he loves. Although Damon has his rebellious side and doesn’t follow everybody’s requests all the time, when the situation is dire, he steps in and helps out, many times using his blood to heal others.

These two vampire brothers with their healing powers rank high among my favorite fictional characters because they are supposed to be wild beings who feed off the blood of mortals, and yet, they show us that they just want to love and be loved through their actions and their desire to keep those around them alive and safe.

Rapunzel in Tangled

I love watching Disney’s Tangled for lots of reasons. Seeing good triumph over evil is one of them. For those who don’t know, the movie’s premise is that a drop of sunlight fell down onto earth and became a healing flower. When Mother Gothel got her hands on this flower, she was able to keep herself youthful for hundreds of years. Though, when the pregnant queen of a nearby land became ill, the flower was taken and used to cure the queen. The queen went on to give birth to a beautiful baby girl named Rapunzel with golden hair like the flower, and the healing power was thus transferred into her.

Rapunzel is another one of my favorite fictional characters because of her childlike innocence and the fact that the healing power is in her. There is something beautiful about the way she helps Eugene, the man she falls for, come back to life when Mother Gothel kills him.

Vasilisa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Vasilisa Dragomir, better known as Lissa, and Adrian Ivashkov are probably my ultimate favorite characters with healing powers. These two are completely different in personality but hold the

same healing power. They are vampires like Damon and Stefan Salvatore, though their powers are much different.

Lissa and Adrian’s power is called “spirit,” since they can do magic connected with the spiritual realm (this is the best I can explain it). Both of them can exhaust themselves if they use too much spirit, and yet they can’t help but use their power to help those around them heal. They have even brought some of their friends back to life even though it drained their energy and made them go briefly insane.

A big reason I adore these two characters is because they are very similar to Kaylie, the main character in my book Dance with the Devil. When Kaylie discovers her healing power, she sets out to bring her dead best friend Michael back to life even though she loses bits of her own life every time she tries.

John Coffey in The Green Mile by Stephen King

Many people have seen The Green Mile, a movie starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. Though, before this story was brought to the big screen, it was a novel by Stephen King. In the book and movie, we learn about John Coffey, an African-American man on death row for raping and killing two young white girls. The story reveals that John is an innocent man with a big secret: he is a healer.

Throughout the book and movie, we get to witness John healing those who are sick and terminally ill. In his final moment before he is wrongly executed, he says, “They killin’ what they love; that’s how it is every day all over the world,” which I believe is an allusion to Jesus Christ’s last words on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

I find John to be a beautiful, tragic character because he has a heart of gold and so much love for the world around him, and yet people hurt him out of fear. He knows he is going to die for crimes he never committed, and he is still willing to heal others. In fact, not once does he refuse to help those who are dying out of vengeance and anger toward the world.

 

What do you think of these fictional characters who are healers? Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite character with a similar power!

You can read a free

preview of my book Dance with the Devil here.

How You Can Enhance Your Reading Experience

Reading has changed in this day and age. We not only have traditional books, we also have eBooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, and so forth. Still, lots of people find themselves distracted by everyday happenings, such as social media and TV (these aren’t bad . . . not if you work them into your valuable time). So, in order for people to truly enjoy and enhance their reading experience, there are several techniques they can follow. As an author and booklover who follows these methods, I can testify that they work. Here are the methods:

Free Your Schedule

It’s not easy to read when you have other responsibilities on your hands. In the back of your mind, you’re always going to think, “I need to finish that homework” or “My friend is waiting for me to go watch that movie with her.” Whatever you need to do, make sure to do it first. Get it out of the way and then sit down and read.

Get Away from Social Media for a While

I know I’m guilty of not being able to let go of my phone. Lately, I find myself sidetracked by social media at all hours of the day. If you feel this way too but still long to get back your deep love for reading, then simply turn off your phone for a while. It might seem hard, but trust me, it can be done. Send your last text or tweet, tell your friends that you’re going to take a nap, and just immerse yourself in a great book.

Feel Good About Yourself

I don’t know about other book addicts, but I find it hard to sit down and read if I don’t feel right about myself . . . and I’m not talking about being sick. Actually, if I wake up and immediately jump into a story, I almost a

lways feel horrible because my face is unwashed and my teeth aren’t brushed. Maybe that’s a bit much, but if you try this method, you might discover its miraculous outcome. So take a shower if you feel icky, brush out the knots from your hair, take care of that red, oozing pimple on your nose, floss, and then feel like a great warrior running through the cornfields alongside your heroic characters.

Shut Yourself in a Quiet Room

Another great way to enhance your reading experience is to shut yourself in your room, away from the TV, your blabbering siblings, and those delicious cookies your sister baked. Close the door, open your book, and dive into the action.

Turn Some Calming Music On

By calming music, I don’t mean lullaby’s and classical music (though, by all means, listen to them if they help you concentrate). What I mean is listen to music that is easy on the ears. Rock is wonderful, but it only works if you don’t blast it. So, turn on whatever music genre you adore, but keep it in the background. Not only will it make you happier, you’ll also have a better experience of the book later on since music can prompt lovely memories.

When I read and write, I like to listen to songs like “Not Gonna Die” by Skillet.

I keep my songs’ volume low so that I could still hear it without diverting my attention away from what is important right then: the book.

Think of the music you hear at Starbucks. It puts people in the right mood without being insanely loud. You can even play Starbucks’ playlist on Spotify.

Light a Deliciously-Scented Candle or Incense

Why not use the five senses? Writers do it all the time when they want to submerge themselves in their story’s world. And it really works! There’s something about a sandalwood incense stick or a vanilla candle that really helps the reader relax and get in the mood to read. Just be sure not to burn the house down when you do! Ask for adult supervision if you’re young.

Go to The Library, Park, Pool

Another fantastic way to enjoy what you read and to get more out of the experience is to change the scenery around you. Go somewhere you haven’t been in a while. Sit in the back of the library or right on the beach with your feet submerged in wet sand. Have an adventure with your book!

Get a Good Night’s Sleep and Leave Something to Read for Tomorrow

Don’t try to finish the entire book in one sitting unless you really do have the time. Though, if you find yourself awake with your book at one in the morning, just close the book. You’ll have something to look forward to the next day, and you’ll appreciate the reading experience more!

 

What do you think? Did these techniques help you out?

 

You can read a preview of my book Dance with the Devil here.

 

Becoming a Writer: My Journey

First off, welcome to my blog! As you’ve probably noticed, this is my very

first blog post. So let me introduce myself before I dive right into the matter at hand. My name is Nour Zikra, and I’m the author of Dance with the Devil, the first Young Adult fantasy fiction novel in a trilogy. My novel was published in 2011, and I’ve since had other writing endeavors as you’ll learn soon.

Anyway, that’s a nice little introduction, but it’s time to discuss becoming a writer. When did I discover my talent and how did I realize that becoming an author is my goal, my ideal career? A lot of people out there always ask me these questions either because they, too, want to be writers or because they have a big dream tugging at their heart, calling out to them, and they want to be inspired to take that first step. Here’s my journey from that very first step to now:

How I Became an English Speaker

For those who don’t know, I wasn’t always an American. Aleppo, Syria, was the destination I was fated to be born at, and it was there that I learned Arabic along with some basic French, Armenian, and English. When I turned 12, my parents and I moved to Orlando, FL, where the rest of our family lived. I started school—seventh grade—like a fish out of water. I understood some of what went on around me, but I couldn’t communicate with my classmates and teachers.

That first year was the hardest, feeling like an outsider and not being able to do anything to fix it. Still, I forced myself to think thoughts in English, and that helped a bit. Then I met another Arabic girl (who I am still friends with), and for some reason, the school assigned me to be her translator even though I had only been in America for a few months. They placed her in all my classes, and from that day, I went out of my way to translate from Arabic to English and vice versa and to talk to other students. It was a struggle, but it was also a great push. Within a year, I was practically a decent English speaker.

When it came time for eighth grade, we had moved to New Jersey (where we lived for the next two years before returning to FL). I can’t tell you why, but I didn’t tell anyone that I was new to America. When asked, I said I was from Orlando, and people seemed to believe it. I didn’t have an accent (people can testify to that); this made it easier to blend in and continue learning English without people needing to use simpler words around me.

That year, I read school-assigned books, and the urge to write emerged. I kept thinking, it would be great to have an entire novel with my name on it and people could read the thoughts that constantly pop in my head and which I can’t get rid of. And so, just like that, I started my first novel.

Discovering My Passion

Keep in mind, I was still not the best English speaker or writer. When I sat down to write my first book (a novel about a princess who was being hidden by an Aladdin type-of-guy so a gang doesn’t discover her and her jewels—I know the story sounds ridiculous!) there were many misspelled words, sentence fragments, grammatically incorrect sentences, and what have you. Plus, my vocabulary was limited. So this is what I did: I continued writing.

I knew my story sucked, but I enjoyed writing. It was a therapeutic experience, like meditating. As a result, I didn’t care that what I wrote would never get published or read by anyone. In fact, that freed me to continue writing. After all, no one was judging my words, and I was able to learn and advance my language at a faster rate.

That first book was no more than sixty pages long; although the story never had a chance to see the light of day, it helped me discover my passion. It was then that I realized that I wanted to be a true writer at all costs.

Transforming into a Writer

I recently read somewhere that you don’t have to publish a work to be called a writer; you simply have to write to be a writer. Therefore, I have been a writer since I was 13 years old. And I can honestly say that not giving up on my talent has helped me grow as a person and as a writer. My courage to write terrible words until those words became not-so-terrible led me to write several novels before publishing my first serious one: Dance with the Devil.

I was only 18 when that novel came out, and since then, I had gone to the University of Central Florida and graduated summa cum laude (meaning “With Highest Honor”) with a BA in Creative Writing. Not only did I graduate, but I earned several honors and awards, such as the “Outstanding Proofreader Award” from The Florida Review, a literary journal where I interned.

Today, I work at a marketing agency called TCDG Studios where I write marketing content such as business blogs and social media posts. At the same time, I am working on my second novel (title pending). Hopefully, my future book will be another testament of my improvement and success as a writer.

As you have probably figured out by now, my success is tied with my persistence and refusal to give up. Becoming a writer was as hard as deciding to take that first step and write and write and write . . .

Your Journey

Whether you want to be a writer or something else entirely, take that first step. Don’t be afraid. Besides, if you never try, you’ll never reach your goal. No matter how scared and worried you’ll fail and get rejected, you have to try. Just try and see how far you can go. Good luck!

 

You can read a preview of Dance with the Devil here.

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