Taking risks

I have always loved to write and for many years I moaned that I didn't have enough time to pursue my passion. Finally I decided to quit my teaching job and dive into writing. I had no net, except for my kind husband. I'm still not selling enough books to make a living, but hope springs eternal.

I have been writing novels for four years now, and I want to move out of my comfort zone. This last summer I began writing poetry. I hadn't written a single poem--well, none for mass public consumption--since I was in college. Carter was president. But I have produced possibly a hundred poems now, maybe more, and I become more confident each time I write. I still have a long way to go.

When I was in high school I tried to write short stories. I even sent one or two off to magazines. They were rejected, of course. Very recently I've begun to dabble in the short story again. I have read short stories which dazzle and amaze me, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to compete in this category. But I would like to improve.

Writing is taking risks. It's often not recognized as a normal profession, and many make little money and no fame from it. We don't write, actually, for the money or the fame. We write simply because we must.

At some point we must be willing to take that dive. And hope Allah provides us with a safety net.