Category: Writing

Gaming, Writing

How narratives can help or hurt your game

Raidah Shah Idil

Check out this cool article – When tales wag the dog: How narrative can help or hurt your game.

I used to think that a strong storyline was critical for most video games. Turns out Tetris and Candy Crush don’t quite need a storyline, but games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age definitely do!

This made me chuckle:

Out of character. The story theme and characters must align thematically with the gameplay. Lara Croft is a good fit as a personality for the kind of tasks she tackles in a game. The Prince from Katamari Damacy, charming as he can be, would not be a good tomb raider. The humor of Guybrush Threepwood works great in Monkey Island, but would be a touch out of place in Silent Hill.

Does anyone remember Guybrush Threepwood? Ha, fond memories.

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Click this link for my dream job lol. Until then, I’ll be reading How Do I Become A Writer For Video Games?

Beauty, Writing

Brevity Mag piece: Cheekbones

Raidah Shah Idil

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I read an excellent short piece on Brevity Mag – Cheekbones, by Patricia Park.

Her piece was quietly compelling, and it felt like a glimpse into the inner world of North and South Korea. I’ve only ever heard about South Korea, so it was definitely refreshing to hear a different take on the North.This quote from the piece made me smile and shake my head. My mother has high cheekbones.

A woman with strong cheekbones is bound to have a hard life. “Her husband gonna die. Her children giving her the hard time. She has to do laundry and it’s so hard work.”

Gotta love these folk wisdoms.

 

freelance, Life, Writing

Peril mag submission

Raidah Shah Idil

Screen-Shot-2013-06-05-at-4.55.41-PMI’m happy to report that I’ve just submitted my Connected/Disconnected piece to Peril Magazine. Click on the link to find out more about the call for submissions. Binaries are always so fascinating (hot/cold, dark/light, good/evil) and it’ll be really interesting to read what gets published.

There’s still time to submit – the deadline is November 1st!

I really enjoyed this piece, Passing As An Asian. The author made me chuckle at several points, and I loved how she drew her piece to a close. The peaceful, funny and reflective note made me think about my own life and where I am today. There’s some real gems in Peril Magazine, so trawl through and enjoy!

Counselling, Family, Life, Love, Marriage, Writing

My thoughts on “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

Raidah Shah Idil

loveMy first publication on The Feminist Wire is What’s Love Got To Do With It?

This is my most vulnerable piece, and it was equal parts painful and purging to write. I’m still stunned and touched by the outpouring of support after the publication of my article! Thank you everyone, for your public and private messages to me, and for all of your FB shares. I’m humbled by and grateful for each gesture of support and solidarity, from friends near and far.

It’s hard being so vulnerable in the public sphere, and admittedly, I’m still feeling quite raw, but some stories need to be told. I’m hoping that what I shared will resonate with others like me, and provide some measure of comfort and support. The wounds we carry from our childhoods turn into scars which we bear as adults, and the right people will love us BECAUSE of them.

Please keep my loved ones in your prayers, especially my parents.

 

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Writing

Strange Horizons article – Don’t just write one story

Raidah Shah Idil

indexEid Mubarak to one and all!

Over the weekend, I’ve realised that there are some AMAZING science-fiction and fantasy magazines out there. Here’s a Top Ten Science Fiction Magazines list to point you to the right direction. With my recent focus on writing non-fiction pieces, I’ve forgotten how fun it is to be immersed in the world of sci-fi/fantasy, and how enjoyable it is to write in that genre.

I’ve been enjoying the stories on Clarkesworld Magazine as well as Daily Science Fiction. Personally, I’m a fan of flash fiction (1000 words), but I’m also liking the longer pieces. I really liked this flash fiction piece – Zombie Widows.

On the topic of writing for these SF mags, I read a funny and encouraging piece on Strange Horizons by Jed Hartman –  Don’t just write one story. Check it out! His article encourages writers to keep writing and submitting to different magazines to increase the likelihood of publication. Sounds pretty obvious, right? In a sense, it is (teachers teach, writers write), but it’s easy to get bogged down while waiting for a response from one particular SF mag.  Response times may vary from a few weeks at the very earliest to a few months. Plus, knowing that you’ve got several other stories sent out to different mags makes rejection a lot easier to handle. Don’t give up!

I need to make a spreadsheet of the different stories and articles I’ve sent out, and the estimated times the various editors will take to get back to me….

 

 

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?

 

 

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!

 

Short story, Writing, young adult

How to write a killer short story

Raidah Shah Idil

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life, Writing

I’m on holiday!

Raidah Shah Idil

1381969_tropical_island_holiday_2Since last Friday, I’ve been at Port Macquarie with my husband, in-laws and close family friends. The effect of sun, surf and general relaxation has been amazing for my writing productivity! I highly encourage a getaway if you’re facing writer’s block. I made the intention to finish up as much of my 9000 manuscript as possible (preferably, all 900o words!), and I’m really glad that I’ve passed the 6500 mark. I’ll worry about editing later. Now, I need to keep writing. I have today

I’m several shades darker and sunburnt after sitting at the beach. This morning was a highlight – my husband and I hopped on some bikes, cycled down to the beach, then dove into the water to cool off. Good fun! That’s the plus of being at a more deserted beach 🙂

I’m writing this from one of the Port Macquarie shopping centres, using my phone as a WiFi hotspot. The reception from our holiday house is poor, and we barely pick up signal at certain spots. That’s why you’ll find some of us congregating at, say, the dining table, catching up on Whatsapp conversations lol. We have to cross the ferry (it costs $3.10, one-way) to get to the city centre. Getting here was the first time I actually boarded  a ferry, while still being on a car. You can’t even tell the ferry is moving, then voila, you’ve reached the other side. Very cool.

2012 has been a busy year for me and I’m really glad I’m on a holiday to wind down, and reassess what I’d like to achieve when 2013 rolls around.

Have a great holiday!

Writing

Finding a writing mentor

Raidah Shah Idil

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Writing mentors. Ever heard of one?

I find that writing is a largely solitary process. It’s me, my keyboard, a mug of ginger tea. But getting the encouragement to continue to write is a whole other story! That comes from my family and close friends, and a continual renewal of my intention behind why I write.

Because I live in Sydney, it helps to narrow down my mentor search to what’s close by. The NSW writing centre talks about their mentorship program here.

This is my first thought: OMG SO EXPENSIVE.

Second thought: So this is how writers can earn money.

Third thought: Well, it’s a service, and if it means making my manuscript the best it can be, then sure thing! That’s a wise investment.

Well, at this point in time, not only can I not afford a mentorship assessment, I also don’t really need one. I’ve already got a publisher waiting for me to finish up my second manuscript.

However! For future manuscripts which I intend to pitch at other literary agents and publishers, I would definitely consider a manuscript assessment. You know that glazed-eyed feeling when you’ve looked at your own writing for too long? A sure-fire way to fix that is by paying a team of experts to look over it for you, and give you constructive feedback. As usual, what I need to keep doing is write!

Here are a few very handy articles I’ve found on writing mentors:

How to Find A Mentor in 10 Not-So-Easy Steps

Writing mentors: What they do and where to find one

On another note, here’s a lovely review from Subhi Bora:

Raidah, I read Finding Jamilah. I loved it. It is so beautifully written mashallah! and I must say, I may have shed a few tears toward the end. 🙂