Muslim Writers, where are you?

[Salt]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in here. Any Muslim writers on board? What are you guys writing about? What are you guys reading?

[Sophia]

I'm in the planning stages of my current WIP at the moment (I'm very much an outliner). It's SF, set around two centuries from now.

I'm currently reading classic epic fantasy - The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny.

[Salt]

I wish I was more of an outliner. I guess I could always start, but I'm usually writing as inspiration comes to me, then cleaning up and finding (and hoping) that these scenes can actually connect to form a good plot.

[Salt]

I see 58 views and it makes me wonder how many lurkers are too shy to speak up. Is it really just two of us? How lonely...

[Delayed]

Originally Posted by Salt

I see 58 views and it makes me wonder how many lurkers are too shy to speak up. Is it really just two of us? How lonely...

Not shy. Just too lazy to contribute .

Wasalam.

[Salt]

Oh. well, I'm glad your not one of them. Welcome to the AW forums

[Sunwords]

Salam,
I hope I still find somebody here.
This subforum was one of the reasons I registered. I write in german, my mother language, and I have been member of a german writers' forum since years.
In Germany, religious writing is rare, very specialized and mostly frowned upon as the German society in general is much more distant from any kind of religion than in the US. Muslim writers writing fiction show up just now a little here and there.

I regret this deeply, because among the books I like are several that are rather educational without preaching about religion - but unfortunately rather judaism than Islam. Writers like Noah Gordon or Faye Kellerman do a fantastic job and that is a direction I would love to go to with my own writing. Just actually I am finishing/revising a criminal story with a somewhat muslim background.

So I hope to find some more muslim writers here.

[aa1888]

I'm here

I'm muslim but hardly practice the religion, grew up with girl chasing friends lool. London is very diverse, have atheist, jewish, christian etc friends.

A lot books coming out with islamic element to the story or a character in SF, i know a few big writers who do use elements, it does afterall make a change to characterisation.

I try to always make my own creative worlds in SF, thats what i love about fantasy.

I already planned my book, no i don't have any religion in the book, only orders. But few stuff might leak out unintentionally such as a character might wash his hands, face and leg after a fight. Little things like that it actually make the character more real and unique.

[Psychomacologist]

Whooooaaaaa I did NOT know this forum got added! I'm Muslim, usually I write about Muslim characters (or at least about SF/F analogous Muslim-esque characters). I'm normally hanging out in the Cantina in the SFF forum.

But now I will be here too!

[Sunwords]

Please do - I would appreciate some company

So two of you rather writing SF - not me. I found out that neither SF nor F is something I am interested in. I tried reading Tad Williams "Shadowmarch" recently, but it turned out to be a book that I could only read very, very slowly.

Did you read it? I was wondering if here, too, someon had included something like old osmanic customs in the description of Xis.

[dah]

*salaams*

I'm writing YA contemporary. I've been working on this one for almost two years now and just began revising it.

I love AW and sad to say, had to wean myself from it so I could concentrate on finishing my WIP. Now that I'm in revision mode, I'm allowing myself the occasional indulgence here and there!

I'm so glad to find this subforum. Looking forward to hanging out here!

[Sunwords]

Nice to meet you. Very quiet here. I checked the NaNo-Forums, but there I did not see muslim writers either.
I still look for someone who would write muslim fiction, not SF, in english or german. I know it exists in turkish - arabic I cannot say, other languages? Maybe.
Ok, question is, what is muslim fiction. I would not want to take it too narrowly, but it should be something where muslim people act and are depicted in not only negative way.
I find it with jewish MC all the time - but still search for some in muslim context.

[Salt]

Wow! I've been gone for some time, but it's great to see so many people checking in!

[Salt]

Salaam Sunwords,
to answer your question, yes and no. I say Muslim fiction is about Muslims, the good, the bad, and the ugly. When I see religious characters being portrayed as the only saviors of the world and everyone else just inherently evil, it comes off as preaching. I've read books written by Muslims that make sure to show the ugly side of the Ummah as well as the beautiful side. The religion is beautiful, but the people are not. There should always be that distinction, IMHO.

Also, for it to be Muslim fiction, or Islamic fiction, I think there should be clear lines drawn. For instance, a Muslim character named Ahmed who doesn't pray, fast, give zakat, and does the complete opposite isn't really Islamic fiction. It would be if there was a concentration on his inner struggle with doing all these and knowing it's against his religion.
But that's just me. I think there can be Islamic literature that falls into other categories.

There's a lot of religious symbolism in Lord of the Rings and its far more apparent in Narnia, even Harry Potter. Same thing goes for Neo in The Matrix (even though that's not literature) Yet not a single one mentions Jesus (A).

Sorry for the long winded response.