Monday, November 30, 2009

My nano wrap up post



So nanowrimo is officially over, and I am still writing as of noon on the 30th, but have already validated. I am planning on finishing and re-doing the word count once I get to the actual end of the novel... Which I'm thinking needs another 3k or so words. I have learned many things in this month... Such as: the more you write the easier it is... I can actually find something to write 2000 words about every day... and the most shocking of all, DH is very supportive of my writing. You have to know DH and his snarky nature to know that he would tell me if he thought I was just a silly woman writing a silly book. He actually likes the story and has been great about pushing me to go write when I am behind on my word-count, masha'Allah. Whoda thunk it?

So here is my official synopsis and excerpt from the nano page on my novel:

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Synopsis:

An American Muslim working as a teacher in an Islamic school and raising her three children is confounded when her husband's trip home to Cairo pushes her head-first into a plural marriage. Her engineer husband is as surprised as she is by this development, but a strong connection with his new neighbor in Cairo makes him take this path. The second wife is of an age where she has given up on getting married and in spite of reservations about becoming a second wife she accepts and enters into this new family.

They soon enter into a strange domestic dance that involves rivalry, pain, betrayal and eventually friendship.

Excerpt:

My body must weigh 1000 pounds. I can’t get up, I can’t speak. The cat jumps onto the couch and lays on my yarn, I just leave her. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to rip his balls off. But wait, wait. Is Kareema confused? Is she reading into this situation? Of course. She would never make that call unless she was sure. Unless he had talked to her about it specifically. Of course he talked to her about it specifically. Shit.

“Kids, just get ready for bed and go to your rooms when the movie is over, OK?” I say, and I rush upstairs to my room. Once I get there I’m not even sure if I should be angry or upset. I start crying, those horrible hiccuping sobs that catch in your throat and make your chest hurt. I feel like I am going to explode. What an asshole. The first time we are apart for more than a week and he does this? I knew he believed in polygyny, but actually marrying again? I guess he's lucky he’s across the ocean right now because if he was in the room I’d hit him square in the face.

I try to breathe deeply. I try to control the sobbing. The feeling that I’m too heavy is still there. And when I close my eyes it's like I’m on a tilt-a-whirl. Puking is a real possibility. So is setting his belongings on fire. Maybe changing the locks and sending him divorce papers via Fed-Ex. You see Muslim women don’t delude themselves about sister-wife, one big happy in the celestial kingdom… Polygyny is a man’s right and a woman’s test. In my estimation it’s also a mans test because there is such an emphasis on fairness with your wives, but that‘s another subject. And leave it to an engineer to be confident that he can do the math on fairness in marriage.

Now what am I supposed to do? Call him and get it over with, wait for him to call me, never speak to him again. All these seem like arguable options at this point. I take a few Tums from the dresser and chew them angrily. I need to take the day off tomorrow, does “just found out my husband is marrying again” fall under the family and medical leave act? I sure hope so.

10 comments:

Aneesah said...

LOL wheer can I get a copy of the whole story. I am so loving it Im a big reader and I hate being in suspense I want to know what she does next lol.

Anonymous said...

and then what? and then what??! More please!!

Kristin said...

I agree! I want to see what happens next.

Anonymous said...

This sounds amazing. I am so happy someone is finally spilling uncensored thoughts about Muslim women's lifestyle in an honest and raw way.

I want to read the full version!

Anonymous said...

The Galilean taught carefully that two become one flesh. The Prophet (peace be upon him), found it easy to divert people to his Muslim belief, which fostered zealots pursuing heavenly rewards by bringing infidels to their faith.
But they are WRONG! The Muslim faith does not reflect the reality of God..
Abott's 'Flatland' explains contiguous dimensional worlds in which spirits unseen can live right beside us. Jesus, the Anointed One, was from that higher world, telling us many things that are quite impossible, even ridiculous, if this material world is 'all that there is'. 'Techie Worlds' (available at Amazon.com) examines Jesus' statements, finding them mechanically logical and very possible in Flatland's higher worlds. This is the way science verifies theories: examine many phenomena and if the theory makes them understandable, that theory is probably true.
Centuries ago Muslim philosophers were noted as good philosophers. 'Techie Worlds' gives us a new view of the worlds God made. This view is so new that most Christian thinkers are not aware of it (but 'Techie Worlds' explains how Love leads to higher worlds where the Triune God lives.). C'mon, use your intelligence. Get your brains in gear and learn how our worlds are really made and how they work
GeorgeRic

Anonymous said...

Ok the last commentator was probably a missionary!

Anyhoo-- I am here to tell you you are spectacular. You are a great writer dear friend and Kudos on the very controversial topic. I WANT MORE!

Anonymous said...

WOW!! That is EXCELLENT!! Bravo! You make sure whe you have the book published you let us know so we can get a copy. Sounds terrific!

Christine

Anonymous said...

LOL!!!!GeorgeRic! That was the most all over the place comment... I assume you suffer from ADHD?

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure why you chose this subject. Plural marriage hardly ever occurs in Islam today. If anything it's discouraged even in Islamic countries. It's an exploited and exaggerated aspect of Islam in my opinion. The Prophet himself said it's only okay for a man to have more than one wife if he can treat them all as equals but that no man is capable of doing that. We have to be wise and read between the lines when it comes to faith.

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