Author: Raidah Shah Idil

Raidah Shah Idil is a student counsellor, poet, writer, and creative instructor with a passion for YA (young adult), fantasy, sci-fi and detective fiction. She was born in Singapore and moved to Australia at the age of 12. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (English) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from the University of New South Wales in 2005. After working as a marketing copywriter and studying the Islamic Sciences in Amman, Jordan for nearly two years, she returned to Sydney, got married, then moved to Malaysia. While working as a part-time tutor at Axiom Learning, she works as an online counsellor for Seekershub Global. She has completed her Diploma of Counselling through the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. Her full-time job is raising her baby daughter. Everything else is squeezed in between. Literally. Her writing has been published in The Feminist Wire, SISTERS magazine, Daily Life, Lip Mag and Venture Beat. Raidah’s poetry was recently published in the ‘Armed With Only Our Souls’ online DDFS chapbook by New York poet Caits Meissner. Her debut double-featured novel, “Finding Jamilah and the Story of Yusuf” was published by MyLegacy publications in early 2014. In her spare time (ha), she reads, listens to audiobooks, goes on walks, and is always on the lookout for tasty noodle soup. She currently lives in a green, leafy suburb in Kuala Lumpur with her husband, three small children and mother-in-law.
Movies

Review of “The Sapphires”

Raidah Shah Idil

The Sapphires

The Sapphires was a fantastic movie, based around the lives of four incredible Aboriginal women who sang for the US troops in Vietnam. I have a weakness for musicals, and the vocal range of these women gave me goosebumps! I also really loved the very realistic portrayal of the relationships between the sisters, cousin, mum, dad, aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas. The bumbling manager was a nice touch. He’s a perfect example of the flawed hero.

Without giving too much away, The Sapphires describes the challenges faced by Aboriginal people in Australia, and how much of an uphill battle it was for them – and still is – to be respected. Watching this movie made me wonder abut the Stolen Generations – how unimaginable it is for me, but how much of a reality it is for so many Aboriginal families.

In Conversation With The Real Sapphires was a fantastic interview with the real-life heroines. Check it out!

Islam, Life, Opinion, Writing

Being a Muslim Single Mum

Raidah Shah Idil

Muslim Mum

Check out my latest Daily Life Article: Being a Muslim Single Mum

Here’s hoping that my article will shed light on the everyday battles faced by single mums in general, and Muslim single mums, in particular. One of my close friends is a long-time convert to Islam, and she finds it really puzzling when Muslim families skirt uncomfortably around the topic of divorce, even if that’s their reality. It’s only as awkward as people make it out to be. Accepting the reality of divorce doesn’t make people more prone to it. Rather, I think that acceptance generates compassion and understanding, which is never a bad thing.

Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), was a single mum! My seerah (Prophetic biography) teacher in Jordan taught us that in pre-Islamic Arabia, single mums were desirable because everyone knew they were fertile. Now that’s an interesting twist on single mums….

On another note, it’s a crying shame that the government has made drastic cuts to the welfare payments for single parents – single mums are the ones left with raising the kids and juggling jobs with less money coming in to help them. Isn’t the Labour government meant to help the most vulnerable segments of society?

 

 

Islam, Seekers Guidance, SeekersHub Global

Bricks and Mortar

Raidah Shah Idil

SeekersGuidance_Capacity_Building_Slider_v0.03_2013-01-16Help support SeekersHub Global! The scholars and team behind SeekersHub have done an amazing job, offering classes for free through Knowledge Without Barriers. Expenses still need to be met, so please click here to donate. The teachers at SeekersHub still need to feed their families, so every dollar counts.

I’m studying Meccan Dawn: The Life of The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with Ustadh Abdullah Anik Misra. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a deeper appreciation of the context behind Revelation, and who wants to increase his/her love for the Beloved of Allah. Knowledge brings about understanding, and that’s a gateway to love.

Health, Life

Fruits that are berry good for you

Raidah Shah Idil

1365716_berry_mix

Ha, forgive the pun, but I’ve come across this fantastic article: Eating Berries Linked To Lower Heart Disease Among Women.

I love strawberries and blueberries, so this is good news for me, and for all berry lovers out there. Food really is medicine, as traditional Chinese medicine says.

What we eat really matters! I feel better when I’m eating veggies, fruits, and when I exercise. Making healthy food choices impacts on my general well-being, and it starts at the grocery store. Here’s to more berries, and to a healthy life 🙂

On an exercise note, it’s awesome having the sun out again! Swimming in the ocean is a great way to keep fit and have fun. My husband bought me an Ahiida suit to wear when I’m at the beach. Admittedly, I feel like the odd one out when we first hit the beach, but by the time we’re in the water, I don’t care anymore lol. Balmoral beach is an amazing swimming beach because it doesn’t have those crazy waves that send you tumbling upside down. Check it out if you’re in the area!

 

Cycling, Writing

Keeping up writing motivation

Raidah Shah Idil

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Sorry for the hiatus! After the excitement of my bike and the arrival of the new year, getting back into writing has proved to be quite a challenge – until I just sat down and started writing again. Then it wasn’t so bad. I had built up this invisible wall between wanting to write and actually doing it, and realised that the only way through Writer’s Block is to power through it. Otherwise, it becomes like quicksand. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink. Start off with baby steps, and get back into a writing routine, even if it’s 5 minutes a day. I wonder how many other writers out there are still recovering from the end of year holidays, and slowly getting back into a solid writing routine!

I really enjoyed this post by Ollin Morales – 10 Tricks To Motivate Yourself To Write – Right NOW

Check it out! And I think I’m going to print it off and stick it on my wall 🙂

On a cycling note, I’m happy to report that my bike and I have been enjoying some fun trips to the local shops. After cycling to the shops, I’ve realised how much more fun it is to cycle there instead of walking. Going downhill is super fun, and it’s relaxing to coast along. I need to get saddle-bag for my bike though, or a basket, so I can put the groceries in 🙂 My backpack can only fit so much!

 

Books, Marketing, young adult

What makes a good book cover?

Raidah Shah Idil

 

shiver2

What makes a good YA book cover? That’s as subjective as asking anyone what their favourite book is. Still, there are some trends across the board, and I’ve listed a few great websites about YA book covers:

Trends in Young Adult Book Covers: A funny and succinct snapshot of trends in YA book covers, with lots of pretty pictures. Lots.

Goodreads Best YA Book Covers: The best YA book covers, voted by Goodreaders.

How To Judge A YA Book By Its Cover: Here’s a clever and oh-so-snarky analysis of what to do (and what not to do) when deciding on a YA cover.

Uncovering YA Covers: 2011: My favourite YA book cover analysis. Fascinating! And alarming. There aren’t enough protagonists of colour, and there seems to be an awful lot of emphasis on dead girls -__-

If you ask me, a good YA book cover leaves room for the imagination, has great typography, atypical main characters, and stands out from the rest.

 

 

Cycling, Life, Short story, young adult

Review of New Year’s Biking Adventure

Raidah Shah Idil

669809_cyclists

I’m happy to report that Irfan and I had our first cycling adventure in the morning!

We left at about 9:30 am and there were barely any cars on the quieter roads. I’ve never cycled on the roads before, and I prefer easing my way into riding. Cycling on the quiet roads was a great confidence booster – and then I encountered my first uphill climb. OH MY QUADS.

That was a great way to figure out how to use the 6-speed Shimano gears.I was clicking frantically down to the lower gears when struggling uphill, and clicking back up to the higher gears when whizzing downhill. Am I glad my bike has great front and and back brakes. I actually flew off my seat when I jammed my front brake too hard. lol.

After the quiet roads, we rode down the cycle paths along the Pacific Highway and went up 2.2 km up to Artamon. We sat down in one of the parks in Artamon to cool off before we cycled back to Lane Cove. A  cyclist whizzed by, looked at my bike, then smiled at me. Hee! I guess she liked my bike. It’s so cool to now be part of a cycling community, and I’m looking forward to attending events like Try2Wheels 🙂 Free bike servicing, woo!

Overall, I’m really happy with the 5 km that I cycled today. There’s a freedom and independence to cycling that I’m really enjoying. I recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy workout, and an alternative way of travelling. Here’s hoping I’ll be able to cycle longer distances over time.

For the cycling enthusiasts out there, thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂 I’d love to hear from you.

On another note, I’ve realised the importance of stretching after (not before!) my bike ride. I made sure to do some stretches when I got home, to help loosen up the muscles of my legs, lower back and shoulders.

On a writing note, I’m working on designing my book cover with my publisher. Stay tuned!

 

 

Life

I bought a ladies vintage bike!

Raidah Shah Idil

mint_6_special

I bought this gorgeous mint bike from the Reid Cycles today! (Well, technically the baskets were sold out so I’m picking that up in Feb lol) I’m loving the comfortable bike seat and handles, and of course, the overall look of it. All I need is a summer dress, a straw hat, a few novels in my bike basket, and I’m set!

Irfan and I have been checking out different bike stores before I decided on my mint one. Aside from it being love at first sight, Reid Cycles has great customer service. In the other stores that we visited, none of the salespeople approached either of us. FAIL. The prices were pretty steep too, for that kind of non-existent customer service. In contrast, once I stepped into the store, the friendly salesperson came up to me to ask what kind of bike I was looking for. He made the interesting point that since I only intend to ride on smooth cycle paths and roads, there’s no need for me to have suspension. The 6-speed gears would really help me though.

I highly recommend Reid Cycles for anyone looking to buy a bike that suits you. You’ll get an awesome selection of bikes, fantastic service, and a great package of accessories when you do get a bike. Plus – 12 months of free bike servicing! How awesome is that?

Our New Year’s Day plan is to cycling in the morning around our green, leafy neighbourhood. Irfan is a more experienced cyclist, and I’m keen on following him around so I can learn where the cycle paths are in my neighbourhood, and beyond. I’m really looking forward to building up my riding stamina so I can cycle for longer distances. My goal is to build up my stamina to a point where I can cycle to Balmoral beach, then go for a swim to cool off!

Here’s to 2013 – a year of more exercise and greater well-being! What are some of your goals?

 

Movies

Review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure

Raidah Shah Idil

the_hobbit_movie_wallpaper[1]_FULL

I watched the Hobbit last night with my husband, mum, brother and sister. It was AMAZING. If you’re a fantasy fan or just enjoy a rollicking good movie, then you won’t be disappointed. The visuals were breathtaking (as my mum put it, “I liked the scenery.” lol) and the haunting soundtrack (“Song of the Lonely Mountain”) really gets into your bones. The characters ranged from a company of dwarves to a very scary giant pale orc. You’ll also see an assortment of ethereal elves, some familiar, and some new. It was really cool to see Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies as the Elf King Thranduil (Legolas’ dad). Bret (Flight of The Concords) also made another appearance as an elf.

Moving away from the elves – this first part of the Hobbit gives us much more backstory to the dwarves. In the introductory scene where we see the gorgeous dwarven city of Erebor, I was astounded to see how similar the architure was to Skyrim’s depiction of dwarven ruins. Is there some kind of unspoken understanding that dwarves are just architecturally gifted?

Speaking of dwarves, we only really met Gimli in LOTR. It’s refreshing to see a much larger cast of dwarves, each one very different to the other. The dwarf king, Thorin Oakenshield, is one intense, brooding fella, while the rest of them are the table-thumping, jovial sort.

As far as protagonists go, Bilbo Baggins is one of the most endearing. You’ll see plenty of character growth from the start of the movie to the end. I’ll always like the narrative of an accidental hero!

Random note: Watch out for the rabbit-sled when you see the Hobbit. I’ve never seen rabbits being used in a fantasy novel/movie before, and it works!

Short story, Writing, young adult

How to write a killer short story

Raidah Shah Idil

1386501_typewriter

I have great news! I’ve actually passed my minimum writing quota of 9,ooo words! I’ve just passed 11,000 and I’m really happy that my story is taking shape.

Here’s the first line:

My name is Yusuf. Let me tell you the story of how I turned my world upside down.

It’s amazing how fond of my characters I’ve become over the course of writing Yusuf’s story. Like every other story, it started off with a blank page, and now there’s a whole cast of characters jostling to take centre stage. The hard thing about writing a short story is that the action has to happen quickly, and I can’t spend too much time meandering through the plot. Reading 8 Unstoppable Rules For Writing Killer Short Stories really helped me organize my story. Check it out! One of the best pointers it gave was when to actually introduce the conflict while balancing world-building.

Going away to Port Macquarie has been great for giving me the mental space to just buckle down and write. I tend to get distracted when I’m at home, and writing in short spurts is the only way that works for me. Here, I’ve got the luxury of time, so I’m much more likely to sit down for longer periods of time and churn out words. I’m trying very hard not to fall into the trap of editing my work – that can wait until it’s finished.