Writing for Truth

I just recently stumbled upon Sr. Fatima Martin's blog, Writing for Truth. Sr. Fatima is the author of When the Mountains are Scattered as Dust, a novel that won the novel category of the Muslim Writers Awards 2008.

Although Sr. Fatima is a "slow blogger," I assure you that her posts are worth waiting for. This is definitely the blog to visit if you are interested in knowing the thought process behind writing a novel.

The Muslim Blogger

The Muslim Blogger is an informative blog that is devoted to Muslim blogging topics, such as:

Why (More) Muslims Should Blog

How to Keep Your AdSense Ads Halal

21 Practical Solutions to Overcoming Writer’s Block

If you are interested in Muslim blogging, you might want to check out the Brass Crescent Awards, too, and vote for your favorite blogs before Dec. 19th.

Jobs for Muslims and Other Resources

After a long absence, my Jobs for Muslims blog is back on-line. Please share the opportunities with any job-hunters you may know.

I've also started two directories that may be of use to people in the Muslim community:

Muslim Community Services
Muslim organizations that provide financial assistance, shelter to victims of abuse, healthcare, and other social services.

A Directory of Islamic Schools in North America

Both lists are still in development, but I hope they will be a good resource for the future, insha'Allah.

Ramadan Journals

Several Muslims (including some professional writers) are blogging about Ramadan this year in daily Ramadan journals:

Aaminah Hernández of Writeous Sister Speaks

Faten Abdallah of Mama Needs a Book Contract

Umm Yusuf of A Glimpse into the Life of a Muslimah

Enjoy the insights these blogs offer!

The Avid Writer

Here is another Muslim-authored writing blog to add to your list of favorites: The Avid Writer.

According to the blog description, the Avid Writer "shares her personal experiences as she works to build a thriving freelance writing business from the ground up." This is an excellent resource for professional freelancers of all backgrounds.

In the Pursuit of Writing

I happened to stumble upon Juli Herman's new blog: In the Pursuit of Writing. Sr. Juli is an accomplished Muslim writer from Malaysia who has lots of great insights into the lives of moms who write. Among her many projects, Juli is planning to submit an essay to the Mothering across Cultures anthology, which sounds like something many Muslim writers would have material for. I also noticed a link to Today's Tomorrow on Juli's blog. This is an interesting on-line magazine for Muslim homeschoolers that I have been meaning to mention for a while. If interested, you can submit articles and ideas on this page.

Islamic Ink and IWA Blog

The latest issue of Islamic Ink has been published. This is an on-line quarterly magazine that features work authored by members of the Islamic Writers Alliance. I wrote an article for this issue called: A Catastrophe Brewing under Your By-Line! This article provides tips on what to do if an editor changes your work before publication or inserts typos or factual errors without your knowledge. If you are a freelance writer, it is only a matter of time before you face this situation, so it is a good idea to prepare for it.

In other news, the IWA has launched a new blog. As Web Administrator for the IWA, I will be adding new resources of interest to this blog each week.

More Blogs of Note

Here are some new Muslim-authored blogs that you are sure to enjoy and benefit from:

Amirah Musings
Musings of a Female Muslim Prison Chaplain

An-Najm Publishers
A discussion of all things literature from the Muslim perspective

OptimizeIt.Designs
Business and marketing tips from a design pro.

New Blogs for Writers

Sister Widad has started two new blogs of interest to Muslim writers. Check them out:

http://islamicfictionbooks.blogspot.com/

http://islamicfictionbooks.wordpress.com/

A Page for Muslim Writers

The Silly Bachi describes herself as “a writer of fiction aimed at young adults/teens, with Muslim characters.”

Check out her page for Muslim writers here.

P.S. Anyone know what a bachi is?

Musings of a Muslim Mouse

Here is an interesting blog authored by a Muslim teen: Musings of a Muslim Mouse.

“AnonyMouse” (as she calls herself) posts reflections on writing and has compiled a list of book ideas she is working on. Click here to see the list.

My Favorite Blog

There are numerous blogs out there to visit, but the one I really like the best is the Light of Islam blog run by Sister Ruth. Her blog is a daily chronicle of what it takes to open an Islamic bookstore in Houston, Texas - everything from buying equipment to registering the business to promoting the idea and raising funds. She takes you right inside the process so that you learn about the struggles, the lessons, and the rewards of taking on such a monumental project. The bookstore, which is scheduled to open in spring of 2008, will be more than a bookstore - it will also be a place where people can go to learn about Islam.

The blog is relevant to writers since it shows you the amount of effort that goes into marketing an idea or product. This is something all writers need to be aware of. Writing is the fun (and easy) part. But no one will know about your product (whether it is a book or something else) if you don't know how to get it into people's hands.

Sister Ruth is gearing up to host a table at the MAS convention and plans to blog about the experience. You can support her efforts to open the new bookstore by making a donation and telling others about this unique project.