Writing 9/11

9/11 was the catalyst to move me out of the classroom and push me toward pursuing my dream of becoming a novelist. Of course, the first novel I wrote had to be about 9/11.



Innocent People was my most difficult novel, not only because it was my first, but because it was laden with so many minefields.



When I wrote the first chapter, telling about the 9/11 attacks, I cried. It was more than a year later and I felt the emotions all over again. After that first chapter, though, I was careful not to let my emotions get in the way of the story.



I didn't want to present evidence for or against the 19 alleged hijackers. I didn't want to condemn anyone, except those who had done the act--but I didn't say precisely who they were. As I wrote, I strove to portray many innocent people--the dead and wounded in the attacks and their families, Muslims who were wrongfully accused, and the American people who lived in fear. Also the Afghanis whose country was bombed in an attempt to wreak justice.



This book was a balancing act. I wanted to portray American Muslims sympathetically, but not at the expense of other Americans. I used many real life examples, from my experiences and from the headlines. I wanted to convey a lesson out of this mess.



Innocent People isn't my best-written book. It was my first, and it's rough in some places. It was, however, the book I had to write. And Innocent People presents an earth-shattering time in history to young people who can't remember 9/11.