(I have a two-pronged answer to where this story idea came from.)
First, around the same time that I began struggling with sleep disorders, my 11-year-old niece, Alaina, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She tried to put on a brave face as her whole world changed, but this was such a heavy, unfair, life-altering situation, she sometimes broke down in tears of frustration and grief. She said she felt "cursed" as she struggled with this new disorder that would be a permanent part of her life.
Second, my struggle with sleep disorders was--ofttimes still is--debilitating. (*Moving my experience with autoimmune & sleep disorders to the end of this post to save space here.*) One day, when I was feeling especially defeated, I reached out to a narcolepsy support group I frequent online and asked something like, "This is so horrible to go through as an adult--what was it like for those of you who developed this as a child?" A lot of people answered, but one DM was especially poignant to me: They said something like, "At first, my teachers were kind and woke me gently by patting my back. Then, they got frustrated, assuming I was lazy, and started slapping my desk or kicking my shoe to wake me. But, then it got worse; they stopped waking me at all. They treated me like furniture. I felt like I was disappearing."
-- Chills --
The idea of a kid going through this inexplicable, confusing, awful torture that is the diagnosis process, with everyone assuming the kid is lazy, that they stay up too late, that they just don't care... The idea that they would feel so alone, as disposable as furniture, a child disappearing from their own life... It made me cry, and gave me chills. I had never seen or heard a story like that before.
When kids read Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales, I hope that kids enjoy the quest to find their own truth in fairytales, that they laugh at ferret antics, medieval insults, and fantastical ideas. I hope they understand that it's okay to grieve, and that it's okay to feel whatever you feel when invisible things knock them sideways. Most of all, I hope they feel seen.
Because, Everyone Deserves To Be Seen!
Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales is available now anywhere books are sold in
hardback, kindle, or audiobook.
*Autoimmune & Sleep Disorders & Me* (Here's the rest of the story):
My first bout with autoimmune disorders was with Graves Disease, where the immune system attacks the thyroid and causes a goiter (mine was wider than my neck), bulging eyes, rapid/irregular heartbeat (You could see my heart beating through my shirt), hair loss, tremors, and short term memory loss. This was a tough, confusing, experience, and they eventually surgically removed my entire thyroid to combat the effects. I've been on meds for decades to make up for the fact that I do not have a thyroid anymore. HOWEVER, as hard as all that was, it was nothing compared to how difficult it was for me to cope with a sleep disorder that knocked me sideways.
Five years ago, I started falling asleep mid-sentence as I typed-- though my fingers would keep typing gibberish after my brain had checked out. Over and over again, I'd type, fall asleep, startle awake, delete the gibberish, find my place, start to write, and fall asleep again-- sometimes as often as every minute. This was the worst anytime I was stationary, but I'm a farmer, and sometimes sleep attacks would hit even in the field. (I scared my kids once when they found me lying flat in a field and thought me dead.)
During these attacks, my limbs, head, and even eyelids feel incredibly heavy, as if filled with sand. My whole body wants to melt right into the floor. My words slur so I have to fight to enunciate words clearly, my balance becomes wobbly, and my breathing changes, becoming deeper and louder--like a person deep in sleep. (Often, the sleepy-breathing is an early warning for me when a sleep attack is coming on.) But despite my extreme and debilitating fatigue, I can be painfully tired, and yet wide awake lying in bed for hours at a time at night. (Please assume I've done *all the things* to combat insomnia and fatigue and having my sleep cycles totally jacked. Not looking for advice here. Just sharing my experience.)
Honestly it felt like I was losing my mind, and it was so hard to explain to people what was wrong. "Sorry, friend, I can't drive the 30 minutes to your house because . . . I'm tired." It sounds so foolish--feels like such a copout, I felt ashamed that I could not overcome this on my own. It was made harder because diagnosis with sleep disorders is often a lengthly, costly process with a lot of insurance battles. Writing sessions left me in frustrated tears on a daily basis. I felt like a failure when I had to call my publisher, Shadow Mountain, and beg for more time on my WIP because I literally could not keep my eyes open. (They were so understanding, and gave me as much time as they could)
In the years since, after much trial and error (and mountains of frustration), I've found doctors who listen and care, and medications with scheduled naps have given me my life back. Every day is still a struggle; I still have a lot to learn, and a long way to go, but I've improved so much that I typed THIS WHOLE PAGE without falling asleep once--and four years ago, that would have been a miracle.
Friends,
Whatever you're going through, please don't give up. There's hope, even when answers are hard to find. Have courage to hang on, reach out, and share your story. Your feelings are valid. Your story matters. I believe in you, because you deserve to be seen.
I went to the 5th Annual American Falls High School Powwow yesterday and was wowed by the dancers' talent, the splendor of their regalia, and the kindness people showed me. It occurred to me that many of you have not had the chance we've had to experience things like powwows, and I thought you might like a look at ways that living here, surrounded by the Native American culture, has touched my family's lives.
I have lived on the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation for the last twenty years. My husband grew up here, and my children were born and raised here on the Rez. Native Americans are our neighbors, our customers, and our friends. In short, we're surrounded by good people, and we love it here.
At the bottom of this post, I share how the legends and beliefs are part of our lives, but first, the dancers! It's almost impossible to get a good picture with just my phone because it can't focus on everything at once. My favorite dance is the fancy feather dance in this video.
The young man in this video is Wrendon Osborne, son of the Hunter & Karen Osborne (they served as the head man/lady dancer for our Pow-wow) and is an 8th grader attending William Thomas Middle School.
Traditional Crafts and Celebrations -
5th AFHS Powwow
Levi Running Eagle & family
* Powwows - The Shoshone-Bannock Indian festival is one of the biggest tribal celebrations with Native Americans of from many different nations participating. They have bareback Indian relay races, a parade, softball tournament, art show competitions, a pageant, crafts, excellent food, singing, and of course, dancing! The regalia these talented people wear is magnificent. Bells jingle around their ankles and hang from belts. Copenhagen tobacco lids rolled up into cones hang from jingle dresses as beautiful, musical decorations. Angora wool, porcupine hair, and a multitude of feathers make impressive headdresses. While you can buy traditional dress, usually a dancer's family helps them make their regalia. Special dances mean different things and young and old alike compete in many categories, but the round dance, also known as the friendship dance, is welcome to everyone. * The pictures with this post are from the 5th Annual AFHS Powwow which was a senior project for Levi Running Eagle who did an excellent job. (Note, I asked permission before taking pics of people not performing)
Shawl Dancer
--Storytime -- Once a cousin of mine from California (blond, long haired, lanky surfer dude) came with us to the Sho-Ban Festival. When I explained that everyone was welcome to dance the round dance, he grabbed my 4-year-old daughter's hand, ran right out in the middle of everyone, and started dancing his heart out. He had zero rhythm, flailing his arms and legs around all over the place. (Imagine Chicken Joe from Surf's Up dancing to drums) The crowd loved it. Everyone pointed and laughed--not mocking--just sharing the joy of the moment. When the song was over and my daughter and he came back all smiles, the people around us patted his shoulder and said he did great. It's one of my favorite memories.
Fancy Feather Dancer
Hunter Osborne
- Fancy Feather Dance (or fancy dance)- The dancers wear two bustles, one on their back and one on their waist, is believed to be originated from the Oklahoma tribes and has been one of the most popular dance styles across the plains. It is flashy, colorful and very highly energetic!
Grass Dancer
- Stomp dancer- This picture (the boy and his dad) is of a grass dancer or stomp dancer, this style of dance does not consisted of bustles, besides the feathers that may be worn on the porcupine roach. It consists of bright fringes primarily made from ribbons, yard or sometimes leather, or cloth. It has been told that the origin of the dance is, prior to a celebration (Pow-Wow) the grass dancers would stomp down and bless the grass, flattening it for the celebration. * Medicine Bags - Medicine bags are also believed to be a "Protection" of bad thoughts and evil. It is not uncommon to have medicine bags blessed, and each medicine bag is made only for that particular individual, and may contain various items.
Fancy Feather Dancer
-- Storytime-- Once one of my children went up to a tall, muscular man in full regalia with the porcupine-mohawk head-roach, a tall splay of feathers sprouting from his shoulders, and another from his waist, ribbons, bells, everything--one of the coolest regalia I'd seen. My little daughter was awed by him and asked about the leather pouch hanging on his chest. He crouched down and explained that it was his special medicine bag--that the things inside were special and just for him. (of course she asked to see, but he gently explained that only he could look inside) He advised her to make her own medicine bag with her own special things. I bought her a beaded pouch at the powwow that night, and for weeks afterward, she ferreted shiny stones, beads, feathers and things into her little pouch. I will always be grateful for how kind he and others were to my children. **This interaction was inspiration for some of the conversations my character Sophie has in my novel, A Monster Like Me.
Seymore Eagle Speaker
(Traditional Dancer)
* Drums around the Farm - about four times a year, we'll hear drums and singing. I'll often do extra farm work to keep busy outside just because I like the sound. One of our nearest neighbors takes turns with others to host a Native American religious prayer ceremony; so he cuts a perfect circle in his lawn and smooths the dirt. Then they erect a teepee over it and people gather to pray. Inside the teepee to pray to the holy sacrament, peyote, and sing and beat drums--all as part of their traditional prayer ceremony. I love it when he hosts the event because then we hear singing and drums inside our house. It's very cool.
Jingle Dress
* Trading - Several times a year --especially during corn season-- folks will stop by with handmade, beaded jewelry to sell or trade for fresh produce. The beadwork is A-MAZE-ING. It takes real patience and skill to turn leather pieces into beautiful works of art. Last year, a gal traded a beautiful bone necklace and my daughter loves it with a capital L. When I asked some neighbors what they thought would be cool to have portrayed in a book with a 12-yr-old Shoshone girl character, they said beading and dancing for sure. ** In my new book, Wishes and Wings, (coming Jan 2020) one of the main characters, Kimana, does beadwork to raise money for her regalia--a very common practice here as regalia dress can be quite expensive.
* Funerals - Our farm is quite active with helping the community, and one of
the ways we can give back is to give them last-year's straw for funerals. The tradition is that the loved one will lay on ice in a tent for several days. (Sometimes a teepee, sometimes a normal tent) The direction the deceased faces is important and the long observance gives family and friends a chance to say goodbye. But when the weather turns cold, chill wind blows under the tent and they need straw as a wind block. Not everyone does this kind of funeral. It's up to the family to decide how to honor their loved ones. Local legends are Awesome: My kids have grown up with stories of water babies, coyote, wolf, owls, and more. It's not all myth and legend here. It's real to some of our neighbors and sometimes feels real to us too.
* Water Babies -- Our friends describe them as water spirits who can mimic the sound of babies or
women crying to lure people into the water. The advice is to be respectful and give offerings if a water baby frequents the canals by your house.
-- StoryTime-- Being young and stupid kids, we once drove to bridge here at night and rolled down the windows to see if we could hear any water babies. There were no other cars or anyone that we could see. We listened to the water lapping at the bridge below, and then--I kid you not--the most blood-curdling scream I've ever heard blasted from what sounded like right beside the car. It was like a woman had her face right next to the open window and screamed like a banshee. We saw no one. But the screaming was almost right on top of us. It scared the driver so bad, she stomped on the gas (which flooded and almost stalled the engine) and we raced away, never-ever to return at night again.
We tried to come up with some logical explanations for what we experienced, like, maybe the water made a weird suction sound on the bridge, or maybe a panther screamed nearby, or maybe some teens were hiding and wanted to scare us. None of that really explained what we heard. Another inexplicable detail: most of us in the car heard the scream at the exact same time and reacted accordingly, but two didn't hear a thing. Regardless, I'm content to never, ever go back and try again. I still get goosebumps when I talk about it.
* Owls - Are believed to be messengers of bad news and can be the harbinger of death so it's considered bad luck to hear them hoot, and especially bad to have them land on your house. One of our neighbors came home to find an owl sitting on their roof and the father wouldn't let his family enter the house again until after he'd cleansed the house with sage smudge sticks.
--storytime-- we have huge tall trees around our house that owls love. Once during corn season, a pair of them were roosting in a tree by our corn stand and were hooting like crazy back and forth. An Elder customer pulled pulled me aside and advised I go check all my kids right away because the owls were restless which means someone might die. Happily, the kids were fine, but I did keep them closer the rest of the day.
* Spirits - Spirits are believed to be quite active in many areas of the reservation. --Storytime-- One of the roads here is Cemetery road, which has a --you guessed it-- cemetery. When I was in high school, I was visiting one of my best friends who lived on Cemetery and I suggested going for a night walk over to a different friend's place not too far away. He refused and said, "If you walk Cemetary at night, you'll hear footsteps behind you. The spirits follow you at night." Since then, I've asked other friends if they'd heard of it, and most have heard of it, though not everyone believes it.
* Coyote - with a capital C, as in The Coyote. But we usually only hear people talk about him after something malfunctioned on a day when the person happened to see a coyote. It seems the trickster is around, but subtly and on the sly.
Young Fancy Dancer
Cambri Buckskin
My friend Tonia
Diversity is the norm: Besides Shoshone-Bannock, Navajo, and other tribal members who stop by, we also have a lot of folks with hispanic heritage. I speak Spanish, so I love visiting with everyone. When my kids were younger, they would talk about this great new friend they met, or so & so they played with, and when I'd ask which kid it was, they would say something like, "The boy with the blue shirt," and not use skin tone to describe them. Friends are just friends. Our neighbors are just neighbors. We are all people.
The CUTEST dancer
I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. It's not surprising that Native American characters and ideas sometimes end up in my stories because my life is enriched by the people all around me, and Native Americans make up a huge part of my world.
If you ever have the opportunity to go to a powwow, do it! If you ever are driving through Fort Hall, or any other reservation, stop! Go to the stores, explore the museums, talk to the people, and experience what you can.
Kindness and compassion is universal to all nationalities and cultures. Offer a smile, be respectful, and don't be afraid to say hello. You just might make a new friend.
**HUGE thanks to Georgette Running Eagle for proofreading this post for me. You're the best!
Here's the littles doing dance in the "Tiny-Tots" category. SO DANG CUTE!
Retreats vary according to who organizes them, but usually, the best parts are universal:
* Time to write. -- Away from your family, friends, job, house, chores, farm, pet dinosaur, and anything else that interferes with your writing time.
* Little or no responsibility for meal preparations -- As a mother of five children, let me just say how awesome it is to have people make food and feed me. Not mac and cheese either. We're talking crepes, Hawaiian haystacks, salads, fruit, roasted chicken. Heavenly.
* New friends! -- even the most introverted of writers comes away from retreats with a few new friends. Writers usually get along famously when tossed in a room together. Don't be surprised if you hear snippets of conversation like, "Would a body be harder to find in a lake or in the ocean?" Plotting murders make for great bonding time.
* Free help. -- With a house full of writers, it's no biggie if you get to the end of your novel and can't figure out how Joe rescues Fifi from the White Lord, because you've got a captive audience that loves to brainstorm! With all these brilliant minds bouncing ideas off each other, there's bound to be something that sparks the idea to get you over the block. (this feature is also extremely helpful for spelling and punctuation advice. Don't fear the Grammar Nazi's, they are harmless as long as the chocolate doesn't run out.)
* Nice rooms -- Most retreats offer nice accommodations, though you might be expected to share a bed. If that is a deal breaker for you, consider bringing your own cot and/or mattress.
* Bonus Prizes! -- At many retreats, there are door prizes or swag and awards for the highest word count, early birds, night owls, best quotes, or most pages edited.
* Classes and/or Workshops. -- Sometimes they offer classes on marketing, brainstorming, or any number of other subjects. They can even watch and analyze movies and discuss plot points as they come up.
As I write, it's the last night of the iWrite retreat in Heber, Utah, and we're all up late to savor the last of our freedom here. I won the award for being most cheerful (I think it's probably my funny writer shirts). It might be silly, but I almost teared up that people enjoyed being with me as much as I loved being with all of them. Alas, it's time to go, but I'm already looking forward to the next one in the fall.
If you can swing it, GO. Retreats are wonderful!
I'm in the hat next to Canda Mortenson, as we roast marshmallows over the fire. Cindy Hogan is the one photo-bombing in the back. This was taken during a break the last night. So. Much. Fun!
Do you have an infestation of
Fans? Have no fear. Follow this simple guide and you’ll be rid of those pesky Fans in no time!
Fans find you in many ways...
TIP #1
Be sure that your website is very hard to find. Don't use tags or labels that people might think of to search for your stuff.
Blast! They found you? Don't worry.
That first moment of contact is easily broken.
Tip #2 Be Paranoid and Accusatory.
Still a fan? No worries. Tip #3
Become a cyber-stalker.
TIP #4:
Publicly argue with them over their opinions.
TIP #5
Be Really, Really, Really Negative.
Tip #6:
Ignore ALL Deadlines.
Keep them waiting as long as possible!
TIP #7:
Don't Deliver What You Promised.
Plot lines? Pfft. Just make it up.
Tip #8
Follow Trends.
Be sure to crank out the same stuff everyone else is doing.
TIP #9
Make Sure Your Fans Feel Unappreciated!
Fans are a dime a dozen. Make sure they know it.
Tip #10
(This is crucial!)
If you've been rude to a fan, or hurt their feelings, NEVER say you're sorry! Let them wallow in their own little world of miserable disillusionment.
Wait for it...
Success! You've officially lost a FAN.
Whew! That was close. Fans can breed like cockroaches, spreading their fan-ness from one to another by word of mouth until a whole mess of them clamor for your attention and--I shudder to think--purchase your stuff.
Just follow these ten simple steps and you will never have to worry about Fans again!
Good luck!
*Have you ever seen/experienced a meltdown from an artist/writer? What's the fastest way people can lose you as a fan?*
My latest completed novel is a dark YA suspense called FIREBUG which takes
place in my hometown. I chose to use my town as the setting for a couple
reasons. First of all, there had been several cases of arsonists here over the
last several years. One summer about three years ago, we got a call in the
night because the haystacks on both sides of the farm were burning. It turns
out that an arsonist was walking across country and setting fire to any stacks he
ran into. Fortunately for us, he missed our stack, though many of our neighbors
lost their supply of feed for their cattle.
A bonus to setting the story in your hometown is that people
who live there often know things that an outsider might not. It’s easy to set
the scene at a high school where I walked the halls as a student.
It surprises me that I've had several beta readers say
that they would never write a story about their hometown—that the bad things
that happen to the characters feels too close and too real when the setting is
just down the road.
They also worry about offending people. If the story calls
for a dirty cop or an unethical mayor, then they worry that the real mayor or
police of the town will be bothered by a story written about them.
Here’s the part that intrigues me: Why does it make a
difference if the crooked cop is in your town or another town? Whatever town
the story is set in will have things made up about the people living there, be
it bad or good. Does distance from the made-up corruption make it easier to handle?
Sometimes our stories require the setting to be somewhere
far from where we live, but if your story COULD happen in a place like your
town, would you set the story there? Why or why not? Does writing about your
hometown bring things too close to home?
Imagine 4 days in a condo/cabin by Park City, Utah, where
everyone has a quiet nook of their own to plug in and write. There were enough
of us there that we only had to help with one meal for the whole time. Can you
imagine? Meals done, quiet time, no kids, almost no calls, and house full of
people who shared your same passion for writing. After months of busting my
rear on the farm, it was exactly what I needed. We also had prizes for word
count sprints, early birds and night owls.
If you ever have the chance to go to a retreat, do it. You
deserve it.
To celebrate writing season, I’m giving away 2 copies of
Variant by Robinson Wells, a hot new YA dystopian that has been heralded as having
the best YA twist since Enders Game. Also, Publishers Weekly has named Variant as one of the best books of 2011. That’s some high praise, my
friends.
You can read the synopsis and some of its great reviews on goodreads here.
Follow my blog and leave a comment with your email like myemail
AT wherever DOT com so spammers don’t find you.
If you would like to tweet or Facebook about the Book Bomb
or this post, then you win good Karma and my appreciation for passing it on. J
I'll draw a winner on November 20th!
So, to all you crazy nanowrimoers out there, good luck! (and
don’t forget to occasionally do boring things like eat, sleep, speak to your family, and bathe.) To
everyone else, may you have a very excellent writing season. I know I will.
Grammar is an evil hag that haunts writer's dreams and laughs as they dither
into the wee hours of the morning--staring at the computer screen with haunted
faces, agonizing over punctuation.
We've had our disagreements, grammar and I, but over the years, we've
learned to tolerate each other fairly well. We give each other our proper space
and even, dare I say it, respect. She's learned to bend just a little now and
then, and I've learned to stay on her good side whenever possible.
The good news is that the more time we spend together, the better we get
along. I don't know that we'll ever be friends, but I think we have developed a
good professional working relationship.
How is your relationship with grammar? Do you love her, obsess over her,
hate her? How do you deal with all the rules?
A good Tweep of mine, Dorothy Dreyer interviewed me. Read it here for a glimse at Unlocked, my writer's journey, and woolly mammoths.
I want you know how much I appreciate your support and friendship. Give yourself a cyber squeeze from me, and have a cookie. (When sharing with friends, calories don't count.)
Hello awesome cyber-buddies! I'm thrilled to report that I got a request for a partial this weekend for COYOTE DREAMS! Yay! Would you like to hear my pitch? This is how it went...
After she smiled and shook my hand, she said, "so tell me about your story."
My pitch:
It's a coming of age story about sixteen-year-old Jenna who lives on the Sho-Ban reservation near Pocatello, Idaho. After her father has a near fatal accident, she has to run the family farm alone. But the dog that caused the accident is still harassing and killing her animals. This is no ordinary dog, but the fabled Coyote spirit.
Two neighbor boys, a farm boy and an Indian, offer to help, but their interest develops into something more than friendship. Jenna finds their attention both exciting and unsettling at the same time.
As the problems on the farm and the Coyote's attacks increase, she learns that accepting help is not weakness or failure. But when the Coyote goes after her little brother, she has to overcome her fears to save both their lives.
Coyote Dreams is 74,000 words and is similar to HATTIE BIG SKY, but with native mysticism and modern day characters.
Do you have any questions about my story?
The first thing she said was, "wow, that's a really good pitch. It sounded like the back of a book." Then she asked some questions and it ended with a partial request.
The reason why I'm posting this is because everywhere I turn people are saying shorter! Shorter! make it a one liner! Last year I did what they said and hacked at my poor query until it was something like this:
"After Jenna's father has a near-fatal accident, she must run the farm alone, but the dog which caused the accident is around and killing her animals. But this is not ordinary dog, it's the fabled Coyote."
The editor said, "so it's a horror then?"
Um, no. Not even close.
I was so worried about getting it short, I'd lost the feel of what my story was about. This year I trusted my gut, listened to Elana Johnson on how to write an awesome query, and then followed the advice at Pitch University. And this time, I feel that regardless of what comes of this, I gave her a true look at what my story was really about.
***Update! I learned that your one liner/elevator pitch doesn't have to sum up the story, it can be a simple comparison to give the reader a feel for your story. For instance, my one liner for COYOTE DREAMS could be, "It's a contemporary coming of age story with Toni Hillerman aspects." Tada! Now you know it has some Native feel aspects but you also know it is a coming of age. I love learning new things!
Would you like to hear one more cool moment from this weekend? My boot camp instructor, Sheralyn Pratt said, "your writing is like the Mississippi; it's smooth and deep. It flows and takes you on this journey."
I'm going to write that one down in my journal. I'm still thankful that she said that about my story.
I'm very excited to go to Storymakers this weekend and meet all the wonderful writers, authors, editors, and agents! Last year I got several books signed by James Dashner, Jessica Day George, and David Farland. This year I'm bringing two great YA novels (The Hourglass Door, and The Golden Spiral) in the hopes that Lisa Mangum will sign them!
I learned so much last year that I decided to be brave this year and sign up for a pitch with an editor there.
In a valiant effort to NOT look like an idiot during the pitch, I've been researching everything I can find on what to do. My favorite website help for struggling would-be authors is Pitch University. I love, love, LOVE the lesson that says "don't memorize it" because my memorized speech was flat and mechanical.
So, if you are as crazy as I am and have signed up for a pitch, I wish you the best of luck.
I promise to take good notes to share with all of you again this year.
Cross your fingers for me!
P.S. Don't forget that you have a couple days left to put your name in to win DEPTH OF DECEIT by Betty Briggs. Just leave a comment HERE to enter. Giveaway ends May 10th.
What is your goal as a writer and as a citizen of Egypt?
My goal has always been to revolutionize the arts in Egypt, because I’ve always felt like people have lost interest in art around here, I wish I can revive that. My goal is to change the way people look at Egyptian writers who write in English, it’s not like they look down on them or anything, it’s just that they do not take them or their writing seriously. And at the same time, I think that the standards of books that’d been published in the past two years have had very low standards in comparison to the international market, the reason is that the authors are poor writers and poor editors at the same time. Writing is not easy, especially if English is not your first language, but this does not refute the fact that they shouldn’t pay more attention to their craft.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Thank you for having me here, I’m really glad that people around the world paid attention to this historic event. I wish I could’ve answered your questions better, but I’m still recovering from the shock of it all.
One more thing, please do not take things for granted, never let anyone silence your thoughts, fight for your freedom and give peace a chance.
Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Ahmed. We may be half a world away, but our hearts are with you and your country. I think we all hope for a world where freedom applies to every man, woman, and child, and where religion is no longer used as an excuse for violence. I loved the pictures where Muslims and Christians stood side by side. It gives me hope.
Take care and good luck. May this new freedom you enjoy be a part of your life, always.
You can follow Ahmed @ANadarGretly on twitter. Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
Please join me in thanking him.
We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of this interview here.
Who is now in control of Egypt?
The Armed-Forces are in charge right now, they’ll stay in charge along with a transitional government until the presidential elections in about six months.
How do you feel about the military?
I respect and trust the military. You see, there’s this relationship between the military and the people, the military is the most respectable sector in all of Egypt, and people just love them. The Armed-Forces even sends everyone text messages every now and then. Do you get the connection between the people and the military? It’s just wonderful.
What is next for your people?
We’re in a state of recovery right now, trying to shack off the past government. I personally see a bright future for all Egyptians. People are cleaning the streets, painting pavements and other projects are being made to push this country forward, to re-build our country and make it a better place. You should see it; the youth of Egypt are cleaning their country, such a beautiful sight.
Do you think it’s fair to have free and fair elections there, or do you think there will be the same problem of ballot stuffing on Election Day like there used to be?
I think the next election will be the fairest election in the history of mankind, but that’s just me, I’m very optimistic.
Do you feel that you have greater freedom now than before?
Of course I do, freedom is in the air. No corruption, no dictatorship, it’s the New Egypt Mrs. Swore.
How do you feel these changes will affect you as a writer?
Well, I’m currently overloading on inspiration, but it’s like I still cannot fully comprehend what happened, and at the same time I feel like I cannot put my infinite thoughts into mere words. The thing is that the market will feast on this revolution, songs, movies, and books, which I’m not sure is a good thing or not. I think if I’m ever going to write a novel about this revolution, it’s going to be like 3-5 years from now. But I like the atmosphere, there’s this creative sense in the air all around Cairo which is something new over here, artists of all kinds are working really hard to create something relevant. I think this is not just a political revolution, I think it’s also an evolution of the mind.
Do you read many books that are from popular writers here? Do you have a favorite genre or author?
Well, I started with horror and thrillers. Stephen King and Thomas Harris taught me a lot, ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ is one of my favorite novels of all time. In my point of view, I think Hannibal Lecter is one of the most well written characters in modern fiction.
Lately, I’ve been getting into the beat generation. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and others are just mind blowing. I’m changing my voice from horror fiction to like a narrative, dream-like voice. I took that Goodreads 50 books challenge at the beginning of the year. So far, I’ve read ‘Big Sur’ by Kerouac, and I’m currently reading ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ by Stieg Larsson, which I’m really enjoying.
We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nadar Al-Gretly, an Egyptian writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of the interview here.
What was it like for you when the “pro-Mubarak” supporters attacked the protesters?
I was baffled actually. I couldn’t understand what was going on, I kept asking myself, were these people hired? Did someone pay them money to do this? But I knew that this was an effort made by the previous government to divide the unity that held this revolution together. They tried to create a sort of a civil war between Egyptians. It saddened me to see my people being attacked by others of the same country, the same blood.
How did you feel after Mubarak made his last speech? And after Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had stepped down as president?
Mubarak’s last speech was highly depressing and badly written; I didn’t even hear the rest of it. We all waited for that speech and everyone expected him to step down that evening, but the speech itself was a slap in the face, it was very disrespectful to the minds and hearts of the Egyptian people. He was talking as if he didn’t care about this country, for example, he said “Your martyrs” when he was talking about the people who lost their lives in the protests, the use of the word ‘Your’ instead of ‘Our’ meant that he himself didn’t really care, it meant that he did not relate to these brave martyrs.
Now Suleiman’s (the vice president appointed on the 29th of January) speech –which lasted less than a minute, that was something else. I wasn’t home when they aired it on national television. I came down to park my car in the garage, and when I came out of the car, I heard something that sounded like a scream, but then after that, the screams turned into cheers of joy and I knew it. I rushed up stairs and heard the words that made Egypt cry tears of joy.
“President Mubarak has resigned from his role as president of Egypt…”
If you want me to sum up all these emotions in one word…I felt euphoric.
In your mind, what was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success?
It was the force; I’m not talking about Star Wars. I’m talking about faith. Faith gave people the power to go on and not back down; it was the fuel that kept their fire glowing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like “Hey, we’re gonna keep praying and eventually, God will prevail.” It’s more of “We’re gonna work, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna do the best we can and God will protect us because we have faith that we are on the right path”
People had faith in the higher power; they knew that God was on their side, and that they were fighting for a good cause. That –in my point of view was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success. Did you see that photograph where Muslims were praying, surrounded my Christians who stood as a human shield to protect them? Did you ever see that before anywhere in the world? That’s who we are Mrs. Swore.
A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week.
I understand that the police disappeared around the same day that the prisons were opened. What did people think of that?
Horror. Sheer and utter horror filled all our hearts. Who did this? Why? How? The constant questioning and fear that echoed through the streets of Cairo on those days was just unspeakable. That’s when people formed “The Civilian Resistance”. On Saturday, the 29th of January at around five or six in the evening, the sound of an Imam’s* voice echoed through the streets of Sheraton Heliopolis (My neighborhood). The Imam called for all the men to go down into the streets and protect their homes. That’s when we found out about the prisons and the police stations, about the escaped convicts (Which were about 2,000 convict) and thugs that roamed the streets of Cairo, armed with guns and machine guns stolen from burnt police stations.
The Civilian Resistance is what you might call Neighborhood watch, we created road blocks, formed teams to guard and protect our families and homes. That day, something clicked in me, it wasn’t the thought of being killed, it was the fear of the unknown. We did not know what to be afraid of, we were sitting ducks armed with swords, knifes and Molotov cocktails waiting for gangs of thugs to drive by in stolen cars and kill us all. The howls of the men, the screams of the women in the balconies…I was scared, in fact, I’ve never been that terrified in my life. Even in the middle of all that horror, we still made jokes, we still laughed the sorrow away with the sounds of gunshots being fired echoing through the night.
I remember standing, engulfed by fear and desperate for sleep, holding my sword sometime in the early morning. As I scanned the parameter, I saw strangers that had become friends, I saw the man who talked a lot, I saw the kid sleeping on his father’s lap with a tiny stick in his hand, and I saw the old man who kept walking around with his head up high and a faint smile on his face. All of them gathered around several bonfires, offering each other tea and cake on that cold dark night. I couldn’t help but smile. The murmurs, the cries of fear and the speeches of hope are still echoing in my mind, because that’s who we are.
[*An Imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the Imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services.]
How did the events in the square affect everyday business in the rest of the city?
When the government ordered the curfew on the 28th, the whole country went off. The majority of the people on the streets were ether going to the Square or shopping for food. All the stores were closed after curfew hours, but there weren’t any food shortages, however, panic made things a bit harder. The hospital a few blocks away from home was working fine, day and night.
We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer from Cairo, Egypt. Be sure to check out part 1 of this interview.
There have been uprisings before, but people always backed down when the water cannons and tear gas came out. Why didn’t they back down this time?
There have been uprisings before, but none of them erupted with the magnitude and intensity of this one you’ve witnessed. We have our flaws, but Egyptians are loving tender people. They’re good people who never cease to make jokes when things get rough, we stand by each other. Take a walk in the streets of Cairo and look at their faces, look at the smiles, look at how complete strangers help each other; this is my Egypt, our Egypt. When Egyptians speak, they never say ‘I’, they always say ‘We’ because that’s who we are, we love this country, and on the 25th, we were determent to get it back, to free it from the hands of a greedy government. So to answer your question, fear made them want to escape and hide, but determination made them stand their ground and fight for their country.
Did you have friends that were in Freedom square that we saw on TV? Where any hurt in the clashes?
Yes, I did actually; several of my friends were in the protests on the 28th of January (A.K.A “The Friday of Wrath”) none of them got hurt in the clashes –thank God, but other people did. Tear gas bombs, rubber bullets and even live bullets were fired on the protesters by the riot squads; load and loads of innocent, unarmed civilians were killed on that day, and the days that followed. The hired thugs, the “Camels Incident” left thousands injured and hundreds dead or missing. But you have to understand something; this revolution is a gold mine for conspiracy theorists, who hired those thugs? Who burnt the police stations? All these questions have a cloud of suspicion surrounding it. I don’t blame the riot squads themselves; I blame the man who ordered them to do what they did.
Some members of the squads threw their weapons and joined the protests, some wept while they were beating up civilians, but everything that happened in that period was unacceptable. The government killed its people; they murdered them in cold blood, what kind of human being gave these orders? I’m known to my small group of fans as a gut wrenching horror writer, but this was something else. The brutality of it all, my God! Egypt wept for its children…
Five years ago, I started falling asleep mid-sentence as I typed-- though my fingers would keep typing gibberish after my brain had checked out. Over and over again, I'd type, fall asleep, startle awake, delete the gibberish, find my place, start to write, and fall asleep again-- sometimes as often as every minute. This was the worst anytime I was stationary, but I'm a farmer, and sometimes sleep attacks would hit even in the field. (I scared my kids once when they found me lying flat in a field and thought me dead.)
