How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 2

In the last post, we explored the different stereotypical characterizations of Muslims. In this post, we will look at how to write a Muslim better. Muslims are like any other human being. They have needs and wants, they have family and friends, they have aspirations and goals. Therefore, ground your character in these qualities. The […]

How Not to Write Muslim Characters Part 1

I was recently asked to beta read a book for a writer friend that featured Muslim characters. It is always a difficult task writing about a diaspora that you are not from or intimately familiar with. So, the aim of this article is to provide you with a foundation to avoid the common mistakes. All […]

The Ink that made me

Every hero (and writer) has an origin story, here is mine… I tell people that my aspirations for becoming a writer began when I heard my teacher read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis to the class. That story got me into reading and wanting to write. It makes for […]

Writing Update March 2025

This is a straight forward writing update in which I do not intend to waffle about random things (but may still end up doing). I’ve written three chapters of Alauddin and its already longer than the original thing I wrote in my teens. I’m also already making mental notes about things I want to go […]

Islamic vs. Muslim Fiction

A common misconception is that fiction featuring Islamic themes is Islamic Fiction. It is easy to confuse or conflate Islam with Muslims and is often done by the media and politicians, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this post, I will define these two key terms before explaining the conundrum of this blog’s title. Islam is […]

Muslim Historical Fiction

1. Introduction Historical fiction is difficult to define in the academic sense. Is it all fiction that is set in the historical past of our world? Brown (1998) suggests that its not that simple. Books set in Ancient Greece or during WW1 may easily be identified as having a historic setting. However, what about stories […]

So You Want to be a Writer?

2025 has started and lots of people have begun the year resolving to write a novel. There is lots of advice out there about what a new writer should do, some great and some just plain bad. I have been writing now for over two decades, but I still wouldn’t consider myself an expert. However, […]

2025 Projects

Its been a pretty good year for me. But for the world, It’s been a tumultuous and disturbing one. Humanity seems to be losing … to itself. Despite the best efforts of scientists and science fiction authors, we continually move towards self-destructive tendencies. Climate change, wars, human rights violations, famine. And Donald Trump is yet […]

Fictional Violence vs Reality

Depictions of violence are a staple of genre fiction. This can serve a number of purposes, least of all the glorification of violence. War in The Lord of the Rings was a reflection of the trauma experienced by Tolkien in the trenches. Abercrombie shows the fruitlessness of the cycle of violence in his First Law […]

Magic, Faith and Fiction

Introduction Fantasy fiction has long been linked to the mystical, the unknown, and the extraordinary. This genre contains a unique strand of storytelling. It draws from rich cultural and spiritual traditions. This is known as Muslim fantasy fiction. Combining elements of magic, faith, and folklore, these stories explore new dimensions of the fantastical through a […]