Followers

6:14 PM

Winner: The Stained Hijab

Wrote: American Muslima Writer |

Thank you for all those that voted on last month's Poll "Which book would you read based upon the title?" The winner was "the Stained Hijab" followed close by "the 4th Wife". Insha'Allah they will ALL be written and published by me but let's have a chat about "The Stained Hijab".

This was a title me and my close high school friend (who isn't muslim) Amanda, were bandying about one afternoon. She made it up and it's been in the back of my mind for a very long time. So many different possible plots came to mind depending on the stain. Just imagine blood for example "who's blood? how did it get on there? it is a dark stain a fresh stain? Where was it found? Does she still wear this hijab? why would anyone wear a stained hijab?" Ooo the questions are astounding!

So I thought after it surprisingly won why not let you guys chime in. Why did you choose it? (or if you didn't choose it pretend that you did for the sake of this post) When you picked that title what did you imagine the book was about? What stain came to your mind? What kind of book sprang to mind? A horror? A romance? A good girl gone bad chick lit? A mystery?



How many times have you seen an intriguing title and then read the back and it was NOTHING like what you imagine the title to behold within it's covers. Let me tell you it's happened to me countless times. I usually still buy the book but I'm always imagining the OTHER book that sprang to mind based on the title.



This is YOUR (the readers) chance to think like an author. If this was your book and it was called the Stained Hijab what would be the plot? Answer a few of the following questions in your own way no matter how weird or silly. I'm all ears. I'm thinking it could be a cool series so any and all ideas will be thought deeply upon. You can also take the poll at the top of my blog (quick, take the poll, take the poll!) . I thought this might be a fun continuous way to show some people how a writer's brain thinks by formulating a book here on my blog so get to it people! (and this IS supposed to be fun so don't think TOO HARD about it :D )





What is the stain?
What is the hijab color?
What does the stain look like? A splatter? A streak? A huge blot?
What is the genre? Murder? Mystery? Romance? Chick Lit? Inspiration? Horror?
How did the stain get on the hijab?
Who owns the hijab?
What continent does this hijab owner live on?
What is the book about?
What do you imagine a brief scene showing of how the stain got on the hijab.

Answer any or all these questions and more you can think of to start a dialogue. No one is right or wrong :)

10 intelligent thoughts:

Anonymous said...

I think the hijab should be hidden away in her closet and she sees glimpses of it and it reminds her maybe from a previous encounter that causes much termoil in her life but she can not part with it....I don't know I am working on my own short stories so I do not want to mix the two thoughts in my brain...

Jayne said...

The stain appeared to be blood, but don't be fooled by first appearances.......
Black hijab
A long, untidy streak kinda stain.....
Mystery, involving....oooooh, all sorts!
How did the stain get there? Not by her own hands, that's for sure!
The book's about missing signals & automatically thinking the worst.

Here's an opener for you:
Yasmin opened the passenger door of the car & was hit by the immediate force of a scorchingly hot & humid day. Wearily, she made her way around to the back of the car & opened the boot (trunk)to take out the grocery bags. Her back ached with the effort, even though the shopping wasn't heavy. She felt the sweat start to trickle from her hairline & just as she was about to close the boot, she saw a crumpled up hijab, tucked discreetly in a corner.............

Jayne said...

You get my creative juices flowing & it's nearly 11pm & I've got an early start tomorrow!

HF said...

umm i kinda have jumbled thoughts on this....like when i think of "stained hijab" (i voted for that one too btw) wat comes in my mind is maybe a muslim gal who lost her virginity? she cud be a born muslim but happened to commit fornication? Then cud even be a gal who murdered some1 in self defense orrrr cud even be about a muslim woman whose forced into prostitution by certain circumstances?
ok it just clicked me :| is it spose to be like a VISIBLE stain? i mean theres this saying in hindi similar to a "stained hijab" which im not able to explain properly but i really never thot of a visible stain when i read that title.......orrrrr sumthin of the sort that ummabdur rahman said.

umm sorry did i confuse u? i told u it was jumbled up :S sowwie, i dint make any sense!

Anonymous said...

I have nothing noteworthy to add except when I saw the title of your post with out reading anything I immediately envisioned blood.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, I remember that afternoon too. The title brought on such a long hilarious conversation. And it should totally be a series. I mean, really, who can choose just one?

~Amanda

Anonymous said...

I can't resist sharing my vision of, "The Stained Hijab."

One nice weekend many years ago, my husband and I took a bus from Riyadh to Mecca, for Umra. The bus stopped just outside the Miquat, and I remember standing in front of the rest stop buildings, admiring the many birds that flew around chirping and cooing, without fear of the people.

Suddenly I felt something plop on top of my head. I reached up to investigate, and...you can imagine the rest of the story!

American Muslima Writer said...

ummabdur-rahman: Good idea for her to glimse it and remember. No matter what the stain is, seeing it again woudl bring the story back.

Jayne: those a great ideas, although i'm surprised you picked black hijab because most stains don't show unless they are opposite colors. I like the missing signals and your opener is fab. thanks for taking the time from your busy night to do this :D Although you coulda done it the next day ;) thanks.

American Muslima Writer said...

Hab those are realy cool ideas and though jumbled yes still clear and all writers thoughts are jumbled lol. I esp like how you didn't think the stain was apparent. A hidden stain is intruiging and a stain liek on honor and not really on her hijab like a metaphor woudl be interesting too.

Thnaks for your input Anon #1 :)
The majority seemed to liek blood!

Anon#2 aka Amanda ;) hehehe girl i wish i could remeber the rest of those titles we made up....they were a riot!

American Muslima Writer said...

marahm i was so shocked and laughing i didn't see that coming at all (and netiehr did she apeprently)
I'm imagining a girl who always gets into nasty situations lie that that always mess up her hijabs that she always tries to keep imaculate btu it never works. People accidenlt pouir things on her, birds go on her, maybe even a few moquitos full of blood get squashed on her... heheh it would be mostly comic.

Support Earth Hour March 26, 8:30pm, Turn Off Your Lights!

Earth Hour - Proudly Committed