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.
freelance, transcription

Freelancing

Raidah Shah Idil

On Wednesday, I looked up ‘freelance writing’ on YouTube, and came across a fantastic introduction by expertvillage. Intrigued, I googled ‘freelance’ and clicked on the Freelancer website. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I signed up, and started working on my profile. Then I searched for writing projects.

THERE WERE SO MANY. From ghostwriting, to editing, to copywriting, to article writing – I was astounded! Ripe for the plucking! Once my excitement wore off, I realised that the tricky part for me was to actually get selected by an employer, being a newbie and all. I had to start from scratch and build up a reputation as being a freelancer with high quality work. Sure, at this point, I have my portfolio and my qualifications, but the world of freelancing, as in any industry, requires experience. By this stage, I was all freelanced out, so I called it a day.

On Thursday morning, I took the next step in my budding career as a freelancer. I placed a bid for a project! The project that interested me required me to edit mistakes in transcripts that were done by a computer. So to place my bid, I wrote a polite message to the potential employer, saying how I have transcribing experience and how pedantic I am when it comes to picking grammatical mistakes. There were other far more experienced freelancers bidding for the same project, but lo and behold, I was picked! I was delighted, and by Thursday afternoon, I was typing away on my first project. I actually have a JOB! Whee! For all those similarly inclined to this lifestyle, go for it. Take a leap of faith and put yourself out there. And when you do get the job 1) Take regular stretching breaks 2) Drink lots of water 3) Don’t forget to eat.

It’s now Friday afternoon, and I’m still typing away. lol. Wish me luck on meeting my Sunday deadline!

 

 

 

 

Movies, Reading, Writing

What makes a great character?

Raidah Shah Idil

Think of your favourite books and movies, and ask yourself – what made you love or hate these characters? What made them so…compelling? The Write Practice wrote a post on this, titled Han Solo, Scarlett O’Hara, and Your Characters: What Makes Them Compelling? Definitely worth a read! To me, I can think of a few memorable characters, right off the bat:

Bella Swan. Now, when I think of Bella, I immediately think of the following synonyms: annoying, insipid and ungrateful. Read this great article on Fifty Shades of Sexism: Why Are Our Modern Heroines So Weak? and you’ll see what I mean.

On the other hand, when I think of Anne of Green Gables, I think of a very flawed girl-turned-woman with agency, passion and determination. I’m telling you, the classics are called the classics for good reason.

Having read the Lord of the Rings trilogy and watched the movies, I vastly prefer Eowyn over Arwen. Eowyn is a strong, focused, brave heroine who literally jumped into the jaws of death. Remember that scene? “I am no man!” Oh, goosebumps! Her courage is way cool. Arwen actually didn’t feature much in the LOTR books, unlike the movie, and..well…she was very ephemeral, beautiful, and useful for Aragon’s dream-scenes 😛 She doesn’t have as much independent substance as Eowyn.

To me, the best kinds of characters are the ones who grow throughout the story. I want to see someone who is flawed bumble through the pages of his/her story, and then triumph over his/her inadequacies and be in a better place by the end of the book. There needs to be some kind of motivation behind their actions, something I can understand and perhaps even relate to. Samwise Gamgee had so much love and loyalty for Frodo, and that made him my favourite hobbit 🙂

On the other hand, the biggest turn-off in any character is the P word – perfection. The last thing I want is to pick up a book, invest my time and emotional energy engaging in the story and character(s), only to find him/her in the exact same headspace, 600 pages later! I don’t want to read about a static character who is beautiful in the start of the novel and is still beautiful by the end of it. Give me some real, messy, problematic points that shake up the protagonist and compels him/her into motion. Give me something I can relate to.

With that in mind, it’s my hope that Jamilah, the protagonist in Finding Jamilah, did just that. She grew into a different young woman by the end of the story, and in all honesty, so did I!

Opinion, Writing

On writing opinion pieces

Raidah Shah Idil

I’ve always been a lover of fiction. Since I was a little girl, I’ve had my nose in some kind of book. I always imagined myself as a writer of fiction, especially after focusing my English major on creative writing. That’s how Finding Jamilah came about – I had the tools and motivation to craft a fictional story from the bits and bobs of my own life experience.

Over the past few months, however, I’ve started to delve into writing opinion articles for the mainstream audience. What It’s Really Like To Wear Hijab received a lot of FB likes, which is always exciting. HSC: The Not-So-Final Frontier was just published today, and I’m feeling all kinds of happy by the positive responses. I was also very pleased with my piece From Lakemba To Lane Cove. Opinion articles require a different style of writing entirely, and I’m enjoying the break from writing fiction. There’s a whole new level of vulnerability and honesty that comes with writing opinion articles. There’s also the ongoing challenge of refining my writerly voice. I can’t hide behind a character in an opinion piece. It’s all me.

Because I’m still new to the world of opinion articles, great editors have made all the difference for me – Sarah Oakes from Daily Life and Josephine Mandarano from Lip Mag have been nothing short of supportive.

The world of writing and getting published is always fraught with rejection, and it helps to remember that the key is to keep trying and refining your work, and not to take an article rejection personally. Because really, it isn’t. What you’ve written probably isn’t suited to the publication, in which case, look for another one. Look at J.K. Rowling! It took a lot of courage for her to keep sending her manuscript after multiple rejections (12 publishing houses turned her down!), but it finally paid off, and well, the rest is history. This article describes why rejection is good for you. Think of it as an exercise of pushing yourself, and then growing as a result. If you don’t try, then you’ll never know.

Keep writing! Your opinion is an important one, and the only way to get it out there is to keep at it.

Interview, Marketing, Reading, Writing

Book interview

Raidah Shah Idil

Hello world!

Sorry about my hiatus. I got married in January, and that tends to throw a spanner in the works 🙂 Irfan is my personal non-pharmaceutical kind of joy, but now that I’m out of the newlywed cave, I’m back on the marketing bandwagon! Check out my book interview with Mehal Krayem.

I feel like one of the best ways I can promote my book is by writing another one! More info on that, later…

As I write this, I’m listening to some ambient nature sounds in the background. How do you write best? Do you need silence, the sound of nature, or anything goes?

On another note, I’ve just finished reading the three Dragonships books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Brilliant work, as always. I adored the Weis and Hickman Death Gate Cycle series (from ye olde highschool days), but their Dragonships series is an entirely different ballgame. It’s inspired by Norse mythology, with its own twists on magic and mayhem. If you love fantasy and dragons, you won’t be disappointed!

Poetry

A Palm Tree

Raidah Shah Idil

A palm tree stands in the middle of Rusafa,

Born in the West, far from the land of palms.

I said to it: How like me you are, far away and in exile,

In long separation from family and friends.

You have sprung from soil in which you are a stranger;

And I, like you, am far from home.

– Abd al-Rahman, Emir of Cordoba, d.788 CE

History, Marketing

Muslim Spain!

Raidah Shah Idil

One of the best ways I procrastinate is by delving into my deep love of history. Yes, sadly, I haven’t been writing! Inconceivable! Ah, time organisation is critical when one has a job, studies, family, friends, pets…time to slowly brush the dust off my writing and get back to a daily routine.

I’m currently watching The Rise and Fall of Muslim Spain with the avidness that only a fangirl can muster. Fascinating, absolutely fascinating. The story of Muslim Spain is exhilarating and of course, heart-breaking, because the inevitable fall of Muslim Spain is a sad story 😦 To think that once, Muslims, Jews and Christians thrived under Muslim rule. With the backdrop of the 21st century, that notion can be inconceivable.

Only a writerly note, I’ve gotten my professional author photo shots done! Now I need to decide which one to pick for my Amazon author page. lol. Decisions, decisions!

 

Uncategorized

My radio interview!

Raidah Shah Idil

I was approached by Y-Factor’s Miran Hosny about having an interview with them about Finding Jamilah, my articles and travels! You can find the interview here. My segment comes up midway through the hour-long program.

It was really encouraging to hear positive feedback from friends and family who tuned in!  I was particularly touched by the mothers with babies who were upset that they missed it, and who then asked for the link so they could hear it 🙂 May Allah reward you all for being so supportive!

—

On another note, I really enjoyed this short TED talk about Losing Everything. It really made me stop and think. If I lost everything the way David Hoffman did – my writing, my paintings, my sketches, my personal effects – would I be able to make something good out of it? Food for thought.

 

Marketing

Egads!

Raidah Shah Idil

So last night, I attended a very awesome Kindle publishing workshop with Stephen Lewis. His parting advice was very sage: do not, under any circumstance, start a flame war with a reviewer who doesn’t like your book. Eeek. On that note, for those of you who’ve read my book, please leave a review!

Finding Jamilah is up, and now I need to market it. It won’t sell itself, as much as I’d like to think! Stephen made a good point. If I don’t talk about my book, who will?

And now, my dilemma. My Author Central photo! Le sigh.

I’ve been doing some research, and it looks like most of the male authors have very serious photographs. I suppose it fits into the genre they write in (crime, thrillers etc). Look at John Grisham, for example. Grim! But very fitting. Compare his photograph to Nicholas Sparks. Do you prefer head-shots, or upper body ones? Aha, I like Robert Jordan’s photograph. That photo has character!

Female author photographs are very different! I’ve scanned through a few, and most of them are smiling. Some of them are leaning against trees or have some kind of greenery in the background. I like the ones with bookshelves in the backdrop. Hmm…

In my case, after I find a nice bookshelf to stand/sit/pirouette in front of, it all boils down to:

1) Which hijab do I wear?

2) Do I strike a pose?

3) Which cat do I pose with?

Decisions, decisions…

Reading, Writing

On reading

Raidah Shah Idil

When I decide to write in a set genre, one of the first things I do is to read only in that genre. Tunnel vision! I find that by doing that, I’m better able to find my voice when I write.

Here’s a list of some YA/coming-0f-age books which I read while writing Finding Jamilah:

Now that I’m working on my next novel, I’m delighted to finally be able to read some epic fantasy novels! A good friend of mine recommended C.J. Cherryh’s work, and I have been an avid fan of her work since her Morgaine Stories. If you enjoy a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, brilliant prose and horses (lol), read her work!

Now that I’m back to writing and reading fantasy, I’m happily devouring the second book from the Fortress Series, Fortress of Eagles, and I continue to be astounded by C.J. Cherryh’s masterful prose and vivid characterisation. And yes, Tristen is my favourite character. lol.

Audiobook-wise, I’m currently listening to Samuel Butler’s translation of The Iliad. (Audibly is one iPhone app you must have! Classics! For free!) I love the beautifully crafted language. Be warned, there’s a lot of blood and gore in the battle scenes. You can almost imagine yourself there, in the thick of battle, watching men fall beneath the slash of swords and spears.

But with all this reading, listening and pondering, what of writing? Ha. Procrastination has many forms!

Writing

Why write?

Raidah Shah Idil

“The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say.”

— Anaïs Nin

I’ve lived an interesting life spanning many continents. My childhood, adolescence and adulthood each had their raptures and ruptures, and the threads that kept me together were faith and fiction. I remember being 12, new to Australia and the labyrinth of highschool. I had my own minotaurs, and no Ariadne to guide my way. My sanctuary, however, was the school library, where I was safe in the cocoon of Tamora Pierce’s Wild Magic. There, I lived vicariously through Daine, who was more afraid than I was, yet she grew through her trials and, of course, saved the day. Now that was a good book – it gave me respite from reality! Most of all, I could relate to Daine, and hoped for her courage in the face of adversity.

As an adult, writing gives me a healthy outlet for the drama of daily life; my “Are You Married Yet?” article spawned a lively debate. I’m very grateful for the outpouring of support, and as for those who disagreed…well, there’s always two sides to a fence 🙂 Writing that piece was fun and therapeutic, and personally, I find writing opinion pieces much, much easier than fiction.

Finding Jamilah, on the other hand, took months of concentrated effort. I made a point of writing every day. When I procrastinated, my mental “You should be writing!” would finally reach melting point, and tip me over to writing something. It could be a word, it could be a sentence, sometimes two…but that first step of opening up my word document was the hardest thing. Akin to pulling a tooth out. Minus anaesthetic.  Once that was done, then usually, the story flowed. Usually.

When it didn’t flow, I would try another day, and another day, and another day, and slowly, my story came together. Supportive friends and family made all the difference during my writing slumps! Friends and family are a tremendous blessing, particularly when it’s late, you’re tired and wondering why you started writing this story to begin with. They remind you that your story is a a story worth reading, so get on with the writing! So if you’re writing your own book – keep going. Don’t stop. Have a supportive group of friends and family around you who 1) encourage you 2) hold you accountable when you get lazy and start chilling out at Writer’s Block!