Writers' Hotline

Tackling Social Issues ~@smwritesalot

By our resident Knight of Social Issues smwritesalot!

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this chapter are my own and may not reflect the sentiments of other writers or writing experts/coaches. Take it with a grain of salt if you like.

As writers, we have the liberty to write whatever we want according to whatever our morals permit. However, if you have a passion for addressing social issues or find yourself engaged in discussing the world around you, perhaps writing a story that critiques society may suit you best.

It's one thing to pick up one social practice and critique it, but it is another to feel passionately about it, because passion is what keeps you going even when there's no cheers. The borderline is that you must be invested in whatever you write.

So, this is how you start:

Plot

Is there something that has personally affected you or someone you love? Something you saw rise and slowly wreak havoc? It could be the issue of dowry or poor education or even miscarrying of justice. Whatever it is, you saw the action and the consequence. You actively observed how much damage it can bring. So, use it.

You don't need to know all the ins and outs, the widespread effects or causes, you only need to know one. 

Taking the earlier example, the demand of dowry causes many problems, but one of them is delay in marriage. You get rejection after rejection because your family cannot meet the amount of dowry being asked for. You witness time slide by, delaying the process of getting married, which unfortunately leads to more problems, namely a decrease in self-respect because of rejections, being considered 'too old,' having others criticize you easily, settling for less, and in the worst-case scenario, being the black sheep of the family.

(Quick addition here: your marital status does not define your worth. Your ability to have gotten married by a certain age does not make you any more or less)

So, you see the action and the consequence, now you can either use that as the overarching theme of your plot or as a sub-theme that can reappear again and again, and/or adds to the plot.

For example, take your character who gets her first proposal and is overjoyed, but reality comes crashing down at the blatant demand of a big dowry. Now the dowry was the trigger, the action, and this initiates the response, being the catalyst. What happens after the trigger can progress the plot or can run parallel to the plot. 

This issue of dowry can begin a story that explores a character improving herself or embarking on an adventure that nourishes her self-development. It can also be focused solely on dowry and how it affects multiple characters, exploring themes of strained family relations due to outside sources, pressures on/of parents, need of/or breaking the curse of saving face in society, and many others.

Authenticity & Support

I always, always recommend taking inspiration from real life. Whatever issue you want to write about, research it. Ask your elders, watch videos, interviews, read about it in similar books. Make it your world as long as you are outlining or drafting the book. No one can give you better insight than someone who has lived through the pain of that particular experience. They can narrate little details you may have never known.

Similarly, very often there isn't only one issue that causes us distress, there's usually a multitude of things occurring parallelly. Speaking or hearing what others have to say can help you understand how to layer your story in a way that makes it more relatable. So, not only will these insights make your story more authentic and credible, it will educate you. And there's nothing more powerful than an educated and woke writer (figure of speech, obviously).

Additionally, for support, it doesn't always hurt to have a friend or mentor helping you. Discuss your ideas with a non-writing friend, get their feedback from a reader's perspective. And get help from a writer, which could be through a beta program or just a conversation in a forum. @IslamicFiction has both a beta program where you can ask a volunteer to read your work and offer suggestions or feedback, as well as forums on discord where you can freely talk about something causing you concern (there's islamic-issues-questions, writer's hotline and lounge). Your story will always remain yours, and you know it best, but some extra help doesn't hurt ♥

Writing

Learn and use the language. No, not the language you will write in (like English or Urdu or Bangla or Tamil or any), but the language of the tale. Every genre uses a particular language that adds richness to the story, which is essentially adjectives or metaphors that relate to it better.

For example, if I'm writing a horror story, I won't describe rain as melodious pitter patter, rather I might use ominous, foreboding dripping.

That's why it's important to research what you write, as well as read other books for reference.

On @IslamicFiction's discord there are forums for story-discussion where you can learn more about books here on Wattpad, and islamic-issue-questions where you can ask for advice or suggestions.

General Tips

When writing dialogue, don't be afraid to act them out. This helps in judging whether the dialogue sounds natural

When you're unsure where to add a comma, read out loud, and place the comma where you pause in your speech (to take a breath).

Research, research, and research. Whether it's your character's profession, story setting or something that affects the plot which you aren't particularly familiar with, research.

Profession: check out how long the course of study is (in your story's setting particularly) to determine your character's age (most don't graduate as doctors until 25-26, add in a couple more years before they can work on their own)

Setting or location: check the general weather report, culture and local events. Using google maps won't hurt either on getting ideas about naming streets, check out college pamphlets for a general idea about subjects studied, or floor plans for idea about house or dorm designs

Things you aren't familiar with: always google them, even if it's the most dumbest query (how long can a foreign driver's license be used before applying for a local one)

GET SUPPORT. Please, please don't stay tight-lipped even to those closest to you. People have a lot to offer if you allow them to, this won't only help in getting diverse perspectives, but will also make you tolerant to criticism.

This goes without saying that there's no right or wrong way to write, especially in the first draft, so don't obsess over these tips if you don't agree or rather want to dive in without planning. Do what suits you best, in'sha'Allah 😊

Happy writing!