Competitions Gallery
Creative Writing SUBMISSIONS
THE CONVICTION IN COURAGE: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FEAR AND RISK
JUDGES FEEDBACK:
JUDGE 1: “This is perhaps one of the most powerful examples of conviction and courage. Beautiful work capturing the emotions and different types of people who are affected by the conflict. Wonderful work Masha’Allah!”
JUDGE 2: “Mash'allah, beautifully articulated, brilliantly written. Your descriptions are heart-wrenching, and storytelling skills are brilliant, to the point where I as the reader definitely was in tears a few times. Beautiful integration of the Quranic verses as reminders, as well. Brilliantly written.”
JUDGE 3: “This was a well-written story and a good backdrop of the Palestine-Israeli conflict! I like how you implemented ayats and duas throughout the story. I also liked how you used each character to further your story. Overall, this was a great submission, keep writing!”
THE CONVICTION IN COURAGE: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FEAR AND RISK
JUDGES FEEDBACK:
JUDGE 1: “Loved the short story on Bilal! It shows how bullying affects others and the story was engaging.”
JUDGE 2: “Wonderful and heartwarming piece! A lot of us can empathize with the whole middle school phase that we either firsthand witness or otherwise see/read in movies and in books.
Bilal's journey to being a better person is admirable and something that I as the reader celebrated as well. You depicted the development of courage in a great way and made it something that Bilal loved and something that Abdurrahman aspired for as well. Word choice was appropriate for the middle school setting. And the theme ties up the story nicely at the end.”
JUDGE 3: “I really enjoyed Bilal's journey as he grappled with the different choices he could make and the consequences they would lead to. You have a gift for storytelling - the tension, emotions, and imagery all drove the story perfectly.”
THE CONVICTION IN COURAGE: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FEAR AND RISK
JUDGES FEEDBACK:
JUDGE 1: “Great work mashaAllah! You did a great job connecting the theme of conviction with responsibility. There were a few places where better words could have been chosen, but otherwise wonderful job!”
JUDGE 2: “Brilliantly written, some of your stanzas pack a mean punch and really resonate with the reader. "To connect with their soul, but also to connect with my grave / Because our faith coincides with what we do with the pain and there is always room for change" - so incredibly thoughtful and thought provoking. This is SO well articulated and brilliantly captured. Mash'allah!”
JUDGE 3: “This was a well-thought out and well-executed submission! I like how you used the analogy of feeling like a crab and the use of figurative language to further your ideas. One thing I would recommend is to build more on the idea of filling your father's shoes one day, given that it is the title and overall subject of the poem. Overall, great job at using your voice and I hope you keep writing!”