Al-Fatihah

Assalamualaikum everyone,

Pergh lama gila aku dah tak update. Hihi. Hari ni ada sikit nak cerita ada la jiran selang beberapa rumah aku ni meninggal dunia. Pastu aku dengan mama pun pergi lah ziarah keluarga berkenaan kan, sampai la jenazah di bawa pulang dari hospital apa semua.. Ni nak cerita la ni, time jenazah tu nak dibawa ke masjid untuk mandi + Solat jenazah semua tu.. Family diorang tengok la jenazah sekejap. Ok, pastu yang membuatkan aku pun menangis jugak bila anak perempuan arwah tersebut cium jenazah ibu dia. Tiba-tiba aku terkenangkan dia yang baru je berusia 6tahun dan kehilangan ibunya pada usia yang muda.. Semua orang menangis bila dia cium arwah mak dia, dia kecik lagikan? Apa yg dia faham, mungkin esok lusa dia tanya nenek dia, mana mak dia.


Aku terdengar lah tadi time nenek dia borak2 dengan jiran2 lain, yang anak perempuan dia tu tnya kat nenek dia "Tokma, Mama dekat hospital lagi ke?" pastu nenek dia balas "Tak Liya, mama dah tkde." Semua orang sebak bila dengar cerita dari nenek dia :\

Ok... time jalan kaki, on the way nak balik tu, tiba2 hati aku terdetik "Aku bersyukur sangat sebab hari ni Allah bg aku melihat sesuatu yang boleh membuatkan aku bermuhasabah diri lagi.."


Tu je lah.. Bye :')

-diana-

How to become a novelist?

Hi everyone :)

There are plenty of books on the market to teach you how to write a book in 30 days, or 3 weeks, or 12 months. That's not really what this hub is about. This is a hub for those of you who don't have 30 days to write a novel in. This is a hub for those of you, like me, in the midst of life. Demanding wonderful families probably won't tell you to go off and do a couple of days of pure writing. Demanding wonderful bosses of well paid jobs won't tell you to take a sabbatical and go off to get your novel done in 30 days. In fact, no one will tell you to write this novel, except your own nagging conscience. And that voice will be increasingly dim in the face of all the other voices harassing you. Of course the title of this hub is facetious. You aren't going to actually write a novel in 30 minutes, just to commit, seriously, to doing it and layout out a roadmap.

What we won't be doing is writing the novel. That's the hard work that's left for you when we finish, and don't let anyone suggest it's anything other the most outrageously difficult thing to do. But it is do-able, no matter what your circumstances, and no matter how busy you are. You can still do it even if you only manage ten words a day (and believe me, you can manage that). And you can do it without quitting your day job, or setting your children up for years of therapy. You can do it secretly, hedging your bets, and still producing a wonderful, professional, exceptional book. I promise! So let's get started.

1. Why do you want to write the novel?

It's important to have a good understanding of where you're going if you're to get there, and understanding the reasons why - the reward you'll get - is an important motivating factor. If it's for financial reasons, you'd be better off stocking shelves at your local supermarket. I'm not trying to talk you out of it! There's almost nothing to compare with holding your beautiful finished book in your hands. But it's something wholly different from holding a pile of notes (or bills), and one doesn't necessarily lead to the other. For me, my key motivation was to be able to create something concrete, beautiful, and solid which would move other people; to share a fictive dream. I still get all shivery imagining someone in the solitude of their own room, being moved by my book. That visualisation is something which kept me going even when I flagged. You may have other reasons for wanting to write a novel - an image that will sustain you. But you need to be clear about it. So stop a moment and answer the question.

2. Putting it all together - the outside

Buy a looseleaf binder. One of those types with clear plastic sleeves at the front and back, and I mocked up a cover image, with title, image, your name of course along the bottom. It should look just like a book cover. Then write the kind of brief overview that you find on the back of most novels.

This is really important, because it will become your guiding principle. You can go back to this kind of positioning statement - what could be called an "elevator pitch" --again and again - while writing the book, and later, while pitching the book.

Under that, and more for fun than anything else, put a few glowing statements - what those in the industry call "puffs". Since this is for your benefit only, have fun with it. Give yourself great reviews. Seeing it will make you hungry.

3. The Three Pillars of Fiction: Plot, Setting, Characters

Of course this is not going to be a lesson on how to create great plot (that's a book or two), produce a wonderful setting (another book), or create great characters (surely there are three books in that topic). What I will tell you is that you can't really progress in your novel writing until you've got a reasonably in-depth handle on that. So at this stage of the game, you should also add some additional dividers into your book and call them Plot, Setting, and Characters - one for each. Then spend some time filling in each one. The more time you spend on doing this at the front end, the less time you'll spend with your novel trying to make it work - so don't skimp!

Plot

Begin by nutting out your plot - just do a brief outline - first this happens, then this, then this until you've got a reasonably clear structure. If you tend to think in diagrams, a flowchart is a really useful way of doing this. Another useful way of doing it is to use mindmap. All of these are just tools, and it's easy to get caught up in evaluating different ones and never actually getting to the writing, so pick one and stick with it. Whatever you end up using to structure your plot, make sure you do it before writing. That way, with only a few minutes a day, you can get straight into the plot and not waste time wondering what to write. The structure will also help your creativity as your unconscious mind moves across it, pulling the story together for you.

Setting

So where is your novel set? You should be really clear about it. I'm not naturally good at this, so in the end I have to literally create my places by making my own little map. In the case of Sleep Before Evening, the settings were real ones. I had Long Beach, Long Island (which I fictionalised slightly and called Seahaven) , and New York City, so there were maps I could use, but I still had to customise them for my own specific places, and I had to take them back to 1982, which wasn't all that straightforward. If you aren't clear about setting your reader won't be, so you need to get each street right - to know exactly where your character is walking, visiting, and so on. Details are key to creating the fictive dream, and the more detailed and clear your maps are, the more powerful your writing will be, so this is a step to take some time over.

Characters

Ah, characters. I'm a little biased here, as I'm a character focused writer and reader, but I don't think that there is anything as important to fiction than character. If you don't know your characters as well as your real friends and family, they won't be real to your reader. You should create a list of key characters - protagonist, antagonist, important ancillary characters, and minor characters and flesh each of them out in as much detail as you can stand. You don't need to use it all, but it will make a huge difference in the ease of writing and the overall impact that your characters have on the reader.

Some of the many aspects of character you should cover include:

• Physical appearance • Profession • backstory • Emotional issues • Strengths, weaknesses • What they crave • What they are grateful for • Who they love • What they are afraid of

Try and get at least a couple of pages, but the more the better, for each character before you start writing the book.

Novel writing is a large commitment and it's easy to lose your way. If you spend a reasonable amount of time (it doesn't have to all happen at once either - See "Getting On" below) setting the work up, you can chip at it little by little later. But get the bones in place first - your work will be better for it, and the whole process will be significantly easier.

4. Getting On: How Do You Eat an Elephant

The plot is outlined, the characters are well detailed and your book is looking pretty nifty, even if it hasn't really been written yet. So what's next?

What's next is you put your bottom on the seat and get to work! It sounds so simple. You know where you're going and the only way to get there is to move forward. But life is so busy - the kids need you to take them to their activities, your partner wants your attention, your day job is howling for results and the house is a mess and...you can't let everyone down. I know, I know. I've been there. I'm there now. My daughter is pulling on my shirt even as I type this. But with your roadmap in place you just have to use standard time management techniques. Schedule in the writing - plan to do a certain amount each day. It doesn't have to be a lot. It can be as small as a few minutes and a single word a day. But when you're on a roll, you'll probably do a lot more. Don't let a day go by (or at least many days if things are bad - kids are sick - pressure is high), without opening your work and doing a little on it. Move your protagonist's hair out of her eyes, have her talk to the person sitting next to her. Write a scene. Just keep working on it.

What you'll find is that, with every bit of work you do, your brain will keep working on it as you do other things, and the regular dipping in, however small, will keep your work current and your writing sessions effective. If you push the novel to the backburner, your brain will move away from it and it won't progress. You've got to keep the voices in the novel up front with all the rest of the voices in your life. That's the secret. Then just keep at it. Keep chunking. Keep writing. Give it as much or as little time as you can, but give every day. In the end, you'll finish it, and you'll find, as I found, that the closer you get, the faster the work will move.

No one will care if the work took you one year or ten. You'll still be an "overnight success" and it will still look quick and easy to those who haven't been there with you while you worked. So, go and do your daily bit now.

5. Revising and Rewriting

I can remember clearly the day that I finished my first draft. I was so excited. I stopped typing, went to get a much needed glass of water, and spent the rest of the day in a wonderful fug of delight. I told my son when I picked him up - "I finished the novel." I kept saying it to myself. "I've written a novel. I'm a novelist now, for real." But the sad truth was that the novel was years off being finished. I wasn't even close. The first draft is just the beginning. Don't let that put you off. You shouldn't even be reading this yet. Go back and write and forget you saw this!

The real work of novel writing is not in the first draft, muse whispering at your ear and the wind behind your hair (okay it's not really like that, but it sounds good). The real work is in the re-writing. So have a drink and celebrate. Then go back to work. It took me ten rewrites! That's full rewrites. Before I was really finished. I won a mentorship grant from my local writer's group and had 30 hours of one on one with an experienced editor, and that really opened my eyes. My mentor, Greg Bastian was superb, showing me all the holes in my manuscript that I was unable to see. After working with Greg, I also utilised the services of another excellent editor, paying for it myself this time. While Greg helped me pull apart and put my novel back together in a much better, more organised way, Logos Editing helped me polish the novel - fixing timing and space issues and dealing with things like dialogue and pace. A third editing called a line edit, was done by my publisher (I worked on that too). So three edits involving other people were necessary. In addition to that, I spent time listening to my novel and picking up on mistakes by using Acrobat's read aloud feature. It was easier to spot errors listening to someone else's voice than to my own. Then I went through the whole thing backwards. Then I enlisted 3 trusted proofreaders to work through it (each with his or her own strengths). And my publisher did the same. And still there were a few minor errors! Editing and proofreading are separate functions, and both critical. If you're lucky enough to be able to do this prior to submitting the novel to a publisher, you'll be way ahead of the game. Oh, and give yourself at least a month after completing the first draft (you deserve a good break!) before starting the revision process. You'll come to the work fresher and be able to accomplish a lot more.

In Closing

This hub provides, of course, a brief, broad brush overview on a very big topic. I'm not suggesting that this is comprehensive, or that writing a novel is easy. In fact, I'm suggesting the opposite. It's hard. But what it comes down to isn't raw talent, inspiration, the muse, luck, or great potential. Those things don't mean anything against sheer tenacity. If you are committed to writing a novel, you can. And you will. Just keep at it, a little at a time.

Oh, and one more critical thing - the most critical of all. Start now. Don't wait until the children are grown, or until you finish that big project at work or until the kitchen shelves are organised. Just get on with it. I wish you great success, personal satisfaction, and deep joy.

Sincerely, Me. (Good luck for me in the future)

'Novel'

Hi everyone :)


Aku tadi duk bertapa dalam bilik ni macam orang tak normal. Hihi.. Tiba-tiba mata aku terpandang akan sesuatu objek dan serta-merta aku terkesima. Amboi ayatttt~ Hhaha. Rupanya "Novel" aku.. Hhahah. Bila aku baca balik, aku rasa macam "Perghhhhh, betul ke ni aku yg tulis".. Hahah.. Sebab panjang, aku tak sangka dulu aku ade time nak buat benda2 ni :D

Ni la salah satu contoh yang aku buat. Hihi.. Penat lah menulis ni, tapi bila baca balik, memang berbaloi dgn hasil kerja kita. Hahaha :P

-diana-

#MNH

Whether it was real or imagine. I knew that the more I put myself in danger, the more contact I would have with him..

-diana-

Kenapa?

Assalamualaikum.. :)

Kenapa tajuk aku tu "kenapa?".. Oh kenapa? Tolong bagitahu aku kenapa? Kenapa apa?




Okay, tengok gambar aku tu, Kenapa pipi aku besar? Kenapa aku punya diet tak pernah menjadi? Kenapa aku gemuk? Kenapa berat aku 60? Kenapa aku kalau makan mesti nak banyak? Kenapa? Kenapa? Kenapa? Pipi aku tu macam ada telur kat dalam tu kann? Hahaha. Bila senyum sikit je pun mesti dah nampak -.- Haihh


-diana-

Nak swift colour putih ?

Hi everyone. Aku tengah bosan tahap dewa dah ni.. Cehhh.

Aku nak keluar, at least dapat lepak mamak stall ke pun jadi lah dengan kawan2 aku -.- Aku dah dapat lesen, tapi tkde kereta. Kay bosan.. Ceh padahal baru 18 dah demand nak ade kereta. Hhaha :P

Semalam aku ckp dengan mama aku..

Me- "Ma, apa kata mama beli Viva or Myvi? Waja mama ni asik buat hal je.."

Mama- "Tuh la, tapi Viva kecik, nak keluar sekeluarga susah.."

Me- "Apa salahnya , Along dgn Angah kan dah ade kereta."

Mama- "Alaa nana, tak pyah laa nak suruh mama beli Viva tu.. Mama tau dah isi hati nana.."



Hekkkkkkk. camne mak aku boleh sense isi hati aku ni? HAHAHAHA



Ni gamba Lesen aku. Lawak kannn? ada orang cakap muka aku macam Gangster. HAHA. Sebenarnya aku nak tergelak lah time amik gmba ni. Sumpah..!! Aku memang tak boleh kalau nak amik gmba formal macam ni. Mesti muka pelik keluar. Lol


Till then, Adioz Amigosssssss :D

-Diana-

Just some thoughts

Hi everyone.

Seriously, I'm bored to death.. Duk rumah duk rumah duk rumah.. Yesterday, I've asked my mum "Ma, nak kerja?" pastu mama cakap "Boleh, tapi siapa nak hantar...?" Kay kecewa je. Hahaha


Actually itu bukan lah cerita sebenarnya pun, aku nak cerita pasal benda lain. Hihikk.. Sekarang ni aku punya mood buat cerita datang balik. Wehooo.. macam last year, aku ade 3buah buku yang aku buat sendiri. Alaa, buku sekolah mana yang tak pakai tu aku rembat la pastu tulis cerita dekat dalam tuu.. Aku ni jenis suka menulis and cerita apa yang aku rasa menerusi tulisan.. Pergh gelabah siot ~.~ Aku minat menulis ni since darjah 3.. Nak terflash-back jap aku ingat lagi masa darjah 1 aku ada buat cerita pendek pasal 'My Scooter'.. Tak sangka wooo cerita aku tu masuk Majalah Sekolah *Hidung kembang jappp*.. Pastu masa darjah 3 aku masuk competition buat karangan pasal 'My Pet', tapi dapat tempat No.2 je pun :P

Ermm.... Konon-konon dah besar nanti aku nak jadi Novelist gituu.. Hahah Eh betul lah.. 2 buah buku aku buat in English and 1 in Malay.. Semata-mata aku pegi kedai buku beli pen feveret aku 2 3 batang pastu setiap malam aku menulis.. Hihi.. Buku-buku aku tu pun entah memana entahh.. Tapi ada lah dalam bilik aku ni.. -.-"


And aku penah lah berangan kalau aku dapat buat novel nanti aku teringin nak jadi penerbit.. Erm, drama tv3 tu pun jadi lahh. HAHAHAHA Nak buat filem? Tu jauh sangat.. tk pernah terfikir pun.. :) Pasni rasa macam nak buat balik la, tapi malas dah nak tulis.. type terus je lah kan? Dulu tu sebab buku sekolah banyak sangat lebih :P


Aku ni terlalu banyak sangat buku yang aku tulis perasaan aku dekat dalam tu.. tapi aku tak considered tu as Diary.. Pastu bila baca balik, sumpah rasa macam nak bunuh diri. Hhahaha. Malu gilaaaa -.-

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Joanne Rowling


Korang layan kan cerita Harry Potter.? Haaaa, Ni lah novelist dia.. Dia ni dah jutawan tahap apa pun aku tak tahu. Hhihi.. Yela, bayar royalty dekat dia untuk setiap cerita.. :D
and aku salute la dengan imagination dia nak buat cerita Harry Potter ni..

-Diana-

It's not a waste of time.....

It’s not a waste of time even if the bliss is temporary or only last for so long. It’s not a waste of time if you feel like what you’re chasing after or what you’re feeling for isn’t going to be reciprocate because honestly, even if the results in heartaches, at least you tried and took the chance of leaping the faith rather than not at all. Take chances because without taking risks, who knows where you guys would lead? You guys would stay in one place or perhaps in the same zone and not go to any other level. Sometimes, it is better to remain friends than lovers, but if someone’s really worth it, they’d take the risk even though things may not be the same. That’s what most things are about in life, right? You take risks even though the result you want may not be there, we learn from them. You can either take the lessons and let it build you to become stronger or you can let it burn you down and dwell on it making you become weaker. I just like to believe that it’s not a waste of time if someone genuinely makes you happy even if it’s just for a moment because every moment you spend being happy by someone else is a moment you’ll never get back.

-diana-