Writing a Story

Ya'qub —

While sitting on the microbus (only 10p to ride, but no oyster card system; I'm not sure if this means its better than London or not...) I started thinking about a far-off, fantasy world (as I often do)...but suddenly, it came more and more 'alive' inside my mind:

Characters, islands, history, all part of this 'made up universe'

Specific scenes developed, and slowly an overall plot formed.

Later on in the day, I was walking around town (lost), and I was thinking more and more about this...In my opinion it has the potential for a 'proper' story, like a novel.

So should I start to write it? Or is this a big waste of time, which I will give up on in a few weeks and then find the file on my computer and be hopelessly embarrassed of?

It would be for children/teenagers, but would deal with quite sophisticated themes/emotions/ideas. Not really like Seraph's 'Guardian Angel' at all, think more Tales of Earthsea, Discworld or His Dark Materials.

Is this a good idea?

Tags

Midnight — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 - 11:44

[quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???

Funzo — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 - 15:05

[quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.

Seraphim — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 - 21:58

[quote=Funzo][quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.[/quote]

Or maybe luck is Allah (swt) way of granting us blessings, in a way that is unexpected or unexplainable. And since we cant explain how, we call it luck.

Ya'qub — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 - 21:59

[quote=Funzo][quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.[/quote]

Funzo's got it. Well done, son.

Funzo — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 01:52

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=Funzo][quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.[/quote]

Funzo's got it. Well done, son.[/quote]
thanks dad, wait a second your not my dad!

Funzo — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 01:54

[quote=Seraphim][quote=Funzo][quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.[/quote]

Or maybe luck is Allah (swt) way of granting us blessings, in a way that is unexpected or unexplainable. And since we cant explain how, we call it luck.[/quote]
luck (lk)
n.
1. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck.
2. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck.
3. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take.

even the idioms are relatively full of shirk!

Courage — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 10:43

[quote=Funzo][quote=Seraphim][quote=Funzo][quote=Midnight][quote=LR]Awww thanks, sorry didnt know that you didnt believe in luck.[/quote]

How can you not believe in luck???[/quote]
how can you believe in luck?
to be believe in luck is to believe something is out of allah swt ability to change, astaghfirullah.[/quote]

Or maybe luck is Allah (swt) way of granting us blessings, in a way that is unexpected or unexplainable. And since we cant explain how, we call it luck.[/quote]
luck (lk)
n.
1. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck.
2. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck.
3. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take.

even the idioms are relatively full of shirk![/quote]

Not 2 and 3.

You — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 17:24

If you want something a little different, maybe use the Detritus and Henchman as surnames?

(two guesses at what the role of the guy with the latter surname will be...)

Another cool (and this time used in real life too) is "Havoc".

Now that is the coolest name ever.

Ya'qub — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 21:17

[quote=You]If you want something a little different, maybe use the Detritus and Henchman as surnames?
[/quote]

I like a LOT!! Are you sure they're not used anywhere else. If not, I'll put them in (for minor characters, obviously)

Ya'qub — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 21:20

[quote=Courage]
1. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck.
2. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck.
3. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take.

even the idioms are relatively full of shirk![/quote]

Not 2 and 3.[/quote]

The second and third definitions haven't got shirk, but the idioms 'we wish you luck' and 'just my luck' kinda do, dontcha think?

It's not like we don't have a whole lot of good Islamic saying for these situations, and we get reward from Allah (swt) when we use them, insha'Allah, so why not take the opportunity for more Barakah?

I feel like I'm stuck in Groundhog day. I've said this many times before (and I'm not budging with my point of view, thank you very much 😃 ).

Ya'qub — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 - 21:21

[quote=You]I have never seen either being used. as names.[/quote]

OK, they're going in. Don't tell any of your other author-buddies about them!

Courage — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 - 14:03

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=Courage]
1. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck.
2. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck.
3. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take.

even the idioms are relatively full of shirk![/quote]

Not 2 and 3.[/quote]

The second and third definitions haven't got shirk, but the idioms 'we wish you luck' and 'just my luck' kinda do, dontcha think?

It's not like we don't have a whole lot of good Islamic saying for these situations, and we get reward from Allah (swt) when we use them, insha'Allah, so why not take the opportunity for more Barakah?

I feel like I'm stuck in Groundhog day. I've said this many times before (and I'm not budging with my point of view, thank you very much 😃 ).[/quote]

We wish you good fortune/luck isn't really shirk. This good fortune/luck could come from Allah. But rule number one of hanging out with Yaqub: NEVER WISH HIM GOOD LUCK. 🙂

Ya'qub — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 - 16:50

[quote=Courage]
We wish you good fortune/luck isn't really shirk. This good fortune/luck could come from Allah. But rule number one of hanging out with Yaqub: NEVER WISH HIM GOOD LUCK. 🙂
[/quote]

That's rule number 3. After the prohibition of ketchup and orange juice, of course. I DO have a sense of scale, thank you very much.

Dawud — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 - 15:24

I know Barakah means blessings but in its context I think we can understand 'I wish you luck' as 'BarakAllahu Feek'.

Ya'qub — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 - 15:26

[quote=Dawud]I know Barakah means blessings but in its context I think we can understand 'I wish you luck' as 'BarakAllahu Feek'.[/quote]

'May ALLAH (swt) bless you'

If you said 'may you get barakah from a completely random set of events that no-body can control', then it would be similar to 'I wish you luck'.

Dawud — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 - 15:36

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=Dawud]I know Barakah means blessings but in its context I think we can understand 'I wish you luck' as 'BarakAllahu Feek'.[/quote]

'May ALLAH (swt) bless you'

If you said 'may you get barakah from a completely random set of events that no-body can control', then it would be similar to 'I wish you luck'.[/quote]

Oh, but would it?

I guess it depends upon your world view. In a state of wahdah, there is no shirk. What I was getting at was that for some people, the concept of luck is literally Barakah. They don't concern themselves with its origin as they don't concern themselves with the origin of rain but when it does rain they acknowledge the origin with 'AlhamduliLlah, whether that rain is literal or metaphorical.

Ya'qub — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 - 15:37

[quote=Dawud][quote=Ya'qub][quote=Dawud]I know Barakah means blessings but in its context I think we can understand 'I wish you luck' as 'BarakAllahu Feek'.[/quote]

'May ALLAH (swt) bless you'

If you said 'may you get barakah from a completely random set of events that no-body can control', then it would be similar to 'I wish you luck'.[/quote]

Oh, but would it?[/quote]

Yes, because that is what is meant by the word 'luck'. If you don't mean that, then you should use a different word.

There's no point having a language if we just use words how we feel like, with no actual sense of their real meaning (well, there is, but only if you first explain to everyone that when you say the word 'luck' you actually mean a completely different concept, which would be rather time consuming).

Anyway, my thread has been hijacked (I know I was stoking the fire, but that isn't an excuse), will everyone PLEASE stop encouraging me!

Ya'qub — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 - 15:58

[quote=Courage]Are you gonna explore this concept in your story?[/quote]

The concept of being the only person who'd correct when everyone around you is being silly? Maybe.

The concept of luck? I wouldn't waste my time on something so pointless.

Dawud — Fri, 7 Nov 2008 - 10:11

Some names:

The organisation to overthrow the government
Alfihar meaning "elf army"

Protagonist (main character):
Okay I'm thinking 'Bilbo Skywalker'
MAHAVIRA Means "great hero" from Sanskrit
AKIO From Japanese 昭 (aki) "bright" combined with 夫 (o) "husband, man", 男 (o) "male" or 雄 (o) "hero, manly".
STÍGANDR Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.
DORAN From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Deoradháin meaning "descendent of Deoradhán". The name Deoradhán means "exile" or "wanderer" in Gaelic.

Uncle:
Reynard From the Germanic name Reginhard, composed of the elements ragin "advice" and hard "brave, hardy".
PEREDUR Possibly means "hard spears" in Welsh. This was the original name of the Arthurian knight more commonly known as Percival.

Possible Love interest
lempi Meaning love (Finnish).

Best Friend:
LEANDER From the Greek Λεανδρος (Leandros) which means "lion of a man" from Greek

Empire
KIMBALL From a surname which was derived from the Welsh given name Cynbel meaning "chief war".

The New Coalitiony thing:
LOION meaning "more desirable" or "better" (greek).

The people of the Island:
LEMUEL Means "belonging to God" in Hebrew.

Dawud — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 - 20:52

Hai Hai Ya'qub! Are you naraaz with me. No cheeky reply, no sharp quip. Have I done something to displease you? I'm sorry.

Seraphim — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 - 10:41

[quote=Dawud]Hai Hai Ya'qub! Are you naraaz with me. No cheeky reply, no sharp quip. Have I done something to displease you? I'm sorry.[/quote]

He's just busy chill. He's traveling inbetween places at the moment.
Give him some time.

Ya'qub — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 - 16:26

[quote=Dawud]Hai Hai Ya'qub! Are you naraaz with me. No cheeky reply, no sharp quip. Have I done something to displease you? I'm sorry.[/quote]

Thanks.............(insert sharp quip here).

They are very good... but I've got names for most of those characters now! Haha, don't worry, I'll use some of them elsewhere, insh'Allah.

I need to do some research about big machinery, now...

TPOS — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 - 19:48

ye its a good idea - i was going to say "good luck" but then i remembered ur not supposed to say that evn though i dnt mean it like that, if u get wot i mean?!

i luk forward to reading it!

Ya'qub — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 - 19:58

[quote=ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE]ye its a good idea - i was going to say "good luck" but then i remembered ur not supposed to say that evn though i dnt mean it like that, if u get wot i mean?!

i luk forward to reading it![/quote]

THANK YOU!!

It's shaping up nicely, insha'Allah.