M is for Mosque
As I enter through the doors of the mosque, my heart feels at rest, knowing that I am closer to god.
Knowing that this was my safe place.
A safe place from the cruel world that I went to every time I heard the news.
About the Muslim ummah, news full of lies.
Lies that falsely accused the ummah of being terrorists.
Lies that spread like a wildfire across the world.
The world that I thought was accepting but turned out to be deceiving.
This was what led me to come to the mosque.
This was what I prayed for when I sat down on the prayer mat.
I prayed that the world would see the truth.
The truth that we are not terrorists but in fact an ummah that is peaceful, friendly and accepting.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I touched the holy book in front of me.
The holy book that comforted me as I caressed the fine pages.
The pages that had every single madd,paish carefully written inside.
So delicate yet so beautiful that the pages sunk into my brain.
As I read them with sorrow, raising my hands in prayer.
With tears in my eyes, to the only one who could help Muslims in this time of need
Allah.
What to do: Find a quiet spot. Places are not always tranquil. You could go in between prayer times when the church or mosque or temple is emptier and calmer; you’ll also draw less attention to yourself. Right about memories of prayer, your own or a characters. Invent a reason for them being in the house of prayer at this point in life. What do they need to resolve? Write about the texture,light,sounds and smell.
E is for Emergency room
As the lazy nurse slept
The patient was struggling to take a breath.
Struggling to keep her eyes open as she turn her head to face me.
Reaching her arm towards me to help her out of this distress.
When suddenly, her eyes closed.
And her hand fell back onto her bed “Beep…beep……..beep……………..”.
Someone’s life ended, as I peeked through doors reading Emergency room in big bold letters.
“Someone come see this” I cried, doctors rushing to respond to my voice.
Ever so fast that it was unbelievable, towards me with a comforting hand
Asking “What happened”
As I pointed to the room next to me
They smiled
She was gone for anyways they laughed
Among them laughter was spreading
Although this was a moment of sadness they seem to be laughing
What was this gesture I thought
Nevertheless they didn’t seem to care
Until an employee pointed me out
With a confused look I stared at them
What was laughter a while ago turn into sadness
“We are sorry to hear this child”
They said with a frown on their face
And fake sadness that they showed me
Before they entered the room to check her
E IS FOR EMERGENCY ROOM (ER)
What to do there: Watch and write. Write about different times you’ve been to the ER. Focus on the staff. The doctors, nurses, cleaners, x-ray technicians, volunteers. Eavesdrop or talk to people, both staff and patients. Later, or while you’re there, connect the people into a story. As you write, discover who the main character is, the one who holds the story together. For one example, read Denis Johnson’s story ‘Emergency’.
Why it’s good for you: Gets you to explore work environments and complex relationships between people who don’t live together. Observation constitutes knowledge.
E is also for: Estuary, Elevators and Escalators, Employment Office.
W is for waiting room
This is how they met.
Passing by one another,looking at the screens on their phones.
Trying to get out of this stuffy place, not knowing when fate would make them meet one another.
Of course one had to leave and the other would have to catch up to them
Exactly as narrated
One got a phone call and the other trying to find the phone that they had dropped.
One walking fast towards the exit eventually stepping on the phone of the other.
Without realizing the damage they had done.
After watching the beloved phone of of theirs crack in front of her eyes
They pulled the shoulders of that person and yelled at them.
As that person confronted the person that had pulled them.
The other was mesmerized.
This was how they met,before the doctor called me over.
W IS FOR WAITING ROOM
What to do there: As in a lot of these writing strategies, the purpose is to observe people in various non-domestic settings. You could find a waiting room to sit in for this exercise, or do it next time you’re waiting to see a doctor, a dentist, or the headmaster. Waiting rooms can be mind-numbing places – waiting in general is a suspended state – so invent stories to liven up your wait. Tell the story of a romance initiated in a waiting room. Start with the words: “This is how they met . . .” Be as schmaltzy or as catastrophic as you can.
Why it’s good for you: Practice using tedium as a starting point for creativity. “I’m bored!” is the hunger for an engrossing narrative.
W is also for: Woods, Waterway, Wall.