Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 3

We are visiting with Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer friend from Cairo, Egypt. See part 1 of the interview here.

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.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question: What was it like for you when the “pro-Mubarak” supporters attacked the protesters?
Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 2

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…

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question:  The police disappeared around the same day that the prisons were opened. What did people think of that?  
 
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

The Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside

Friends,

I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Ahmed, a writer from Cairo, Egypt, who has lived through this amazing revolution.

Ahmed, can you give us a feel for who you are?

My name is Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, I’m twenty years old and I’m a Civil Engineering Student in the British University in Egypt, however, my real passion is to be a writer. I was born in Alexandria –the second largest city in Egypt, and then moved with my family to Cairo when I was four or five years old. I’m currently unemployed but planning to train in few construction companies next summer.

How did living under the previous government affect you personally?

The previous government lasted for thirty years; I was unlucky enough to have been among the living for twenty years of this period. It’s been said that those years witnessed the worst of this government. The lack of freedom—of democracy was the main aspect that affected me. The feeling that I did not have the freedom to say what’s on my mind, that I could be arrested if I questioned the methods of the previous government and the fact that the government controlled everything, even the media. Another thing is that they robbed us, and we knew about it.

They stole huge sums of money that could’ve been used to make this country a better place. The increasing levels of bribery and sexual harassments, murder and rape, and the hypocrisy of false-democracy. I hated it, I seriously wanted to just get out and leave this ghastly place behind. It was dirty, over populated, heavily polluted, but at the same time, to me it was beautiful. It’s my home. The simple fact that I felt like I could not do anything about it hurt me the most.

What do you think made January 25th different than any other day in the minds of the Egyptian people?

This country was a time-bomb bound to explode at any moment, the series of events in the last year paved the way leading to this revolution. From the torture at police stations, the forging of the parliament elections and the bombing of the Saint’s Church in Alexandria—every little detail built up the resentment, which led to the uproar. It’s a symphony you see, a symphony that took thirty years to be composed, and on the 25th of January, the world witnessed its grand opening.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question: Why didn't people back down this time?
 
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Come to Storymakers 2011 Writer's Conference with me!

Storymakers 2011 conference is coming May 6-7 in Salt Lake City, Utah!


Last year was my first year attending, and it was wonderful! I had dinner with Jessica Day George, James Dashner, and David Farland to name a few. I learned so much about how to be a better writer and what’s more, I made friends that are a big part of my life now.

The other day, my daughter and I were looking at books in a store and I pointed to eight different authors who I knew. It is so cool to know that those great stories were written by people who are nice and fun to visit with.

So, here’s the info if you’d like to check it out.

Storymaker's Conference

Storymakers Website

Storymakers Facebook Page

Storymaker’s Blog

It would be more fun to see you there in person, but if you can’t make it, I’ll still report back on the highlights and tips I find there.

BTW, If you register and blog/tweet about it, you can win a seat at the dinner table with Larry Brooks, agent Sarah Crowe, senior editor Marcia Markland, James Dashner, and Becca Stumpf. Details are  here  at the Show Your Love Contest.

Here's the good news I told you about

Here’s the good news I told you about.


I participated in a flash fiction challenge for the Canadian emagazine, Open Book, and won! The rules stated that the story had to be 500 words or less, 3rd person limited, and funny. The winner would be published in the next month’s issue.

My flash fiction, Stroke, might feel a little risqué, but stick with it, and I hope it makes you smile.

You can go directly to Stroke here.

Or you can check out the emagazine, Open Book, here and scroll down to see the January Flash Fiction Challenge Winner.

I find writing comedy to be hard. It seems like it should be easy, but I don't think it is. I'm never quite sure if what I think is funny will tickle other people's funny bone or not. Do you have the same issue or is comedy easy for you?

Good News is Coming!

Darlings,

I received some pretty cool news today. A short story of mine will be published in a magazine! I'll spill the details Monday so be sure to check back.

Quote for the day:

"It is better to shoot for the stars and fall short, than to aim for the manure pile and hit."

 

Exactly.

Believe in yourself and keep working toward your dreams. You are worth it.

Come, young grasshopper, let's be Ninjas!

Editing? You are not alone. My friend, Ali Cross, has declared this month to be Ninja Novel Revising Month.

Many of us bust our butts during NaNoWriMo and enjoy the friendly competition and encouragement…but then what?

First off, congratulate yourself for having written something because "You can't edit a blank page." — Jodi Picoult

I can hear the whining already, I hate editing, wa wa wa. No. Stop it. Editing is the refiner’s fire where you sift impurities and plain old crap out of your writing.

I struggled with editing until my good friend, Renee Miller took the time to go through my first novel with me. A light bulb went off in my brain and I realized that while editing is hard, and sometimes painful, it’s doable and even—dare I say it—fun!

If you don’t know how to edit, spend a few days and research. Highlight all the ly’s, that’s, and just’s in your WIP and stand back as the screen explodes with a case of the unnecessary-word-pox. Watch for was, were, could and all those other sneaky passives.

Most of the time you can find a more active way of saying what needs said. And all that pretty prose, you favorite bits that are beautiful but add nothing to the plot? Put them straight in the crosshairs of your delete button and pull the trigger. Like Stephen King says, sometimes you have to “kill your darlings” to make the book worth reading.

My goal is to finish COLORLESS by the end of March and have it ready for readers.

What’s your goal? Want to be a Ninja too? You can. Check out these other Ninjas.