Tag: Writer

There and Back Again

A writer’s journey towards finding purpose

Recently, I have been binging Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings”, and by that, I mean, having it playing in the background throughout the day. Relistening to the familiar scenes made one thing clear to me: the last decade of my life is no different than a Baggins’ adventure.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Bilbo was right about that one. I have experienced a lot of being “swept off” over the last few years. The latest twist in my journey came right around today except in late 2024: I got laid off from my job.

Now, getting laid off is a dangerous business, and it can do a lot to you. When the Balrog of Unemployment came trotting along, my wife consoled me, and I did my best Gandalf the Grey impression as I fell into a pit of depression:

Unfortunately, the popular mantra of “this too shall pass” didn’t stand a chance in my confrontation with this demon of the corporate world for it certainly “did not pass.” Getting laid off meant a lot of things. For one, it emptied a large portion of my savings. Second, it scrambled my brain and packed a wallop of stress. Sounds terrible, yes. But there was still hope.

So, while I sat there, much like Frodo,

In my case, replace “the ring” with “the lay off”.

I realized something else:

And I did. I got perspective. A year’s worth of bountiful perspective when all I could do was to continue walking and seeking. Being lost was the first step to finding the right path, and this was undoubtedly my eureka moment. Being unemployed helped me realize what I really wanted my day-to-day life to be. To make it happen, I had to wait patiently and bid my time.

It was challenging but I somehow persevered, and a job prospect, much like the esteemed reputation of the wizards of Middle-Earth arrived precisely when it had to.

So, what exactly am I up to?

Well, I’m diving headfirst into a full-time writing career. Freelancing is one way to put it, but I get to try the entire palette, at least from the writer’s perspective. The opportunities that await are multifaceted with a tablespoon of science writing, a teaspoon of script writing, a dash of tutoring, and a boat load of creative writing and art.

The journey up to this point has been very much a “there and back again” tale. Yes, there is a veritable measure of uncertainty attached to freelancing. Still, I’ve realized it offers me the freedom to indulge in my creative spirit as an individual and flexibly juggle my responsibilities as a father. Do enough of it and the savings eventually start adding up too. Further twists may yet come to pass, but for now, I’m more committed than ever before toward my writing and creative aspirations. As such, it felt great to jump into the tail end of the year by sharing with you my latest success in the science writing realm.

I’ve always enjoyed writing about the what and why of science, but now and then, I love taking a deep dive into the how. How did we get to where we are now? Whose contributions have set the foundations for modern-day innovation and knowledge?

Science history allows writers to unravel stories of the past. This year, I got the chance to do the same with a lesser-known ancient scholar, and the first of the major mathematician-astronomers of the Indian subcontinent: Aryabhata. From explaining solar and lunar eclipses to proposing Earth’s rotation, Aryabhata was far ahead of his peers. His contributions to astronomy and mathematics profoundly influenced Middle Eastern and Western thought.

I’m all the merrier to wrap up this year with the opportunity to publish a feature about this great scholar in the December 2025 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. It is now available at your nearest bookstore! You can order your copy here.

Let’s stop here for today. This is just a taste of what is to come. After all, keeping up with the Lord of the Rings metaphors,

All in preparation for what will be a glorious 2026.

Return of the Lost Blogger

If I were to wait a few more months, I could cap my absence to one complete year since my last update. Incidentally, the subject of that last post also sets the stage for discussion on the progress I’ve made thus far. I left describing the steep learning curve that accompanied my aspirations to become a writer/comic book artist. A year down the road, those same aspirations are now ambitions that I’ve decided to fully commit towards.

Setting aside the myriad happy developments in my personal life, I struggled to consistently keep up with my writing and my art-work. While this was initially frustrating, it turned out to be a gift in disguise. My lack of consistency was largely due to the hectic schedule of my doctoral studies. Rather than spreading myself thin, I decided to focus on my immediate concerns while taking it easy on myself (which being as stubborn and obsessed as I can be about my goals, it took some time getting used to).

Those immediate concerns culminated, just a few weeks ago, in a closed-room event involving a three hour session of what was my PhD candidacy exam. I’m glad to say that I was able to pass what was ultimately a challenging but wonderful learning experience. Having completed what is often perceived as the greatest obstacle in doctoral studies (aside from the final defense itself), I can now look towards a clear-cut, and focused journey in scientific research over the few years before the final defense.

But, this journey is not all about science. While I was busy preparing for the candidacy exam, I took every opportunity available to build on my thoughts and set the foundations for my art and writing aspirations. Funnily enough, stepping away from my writing and art work helped me discover what I was missing and the skills I required moving forward.

That being said, I have continued to slowly develop the script for my graphic novel. Although the story is fully developed in my mind, a few more months may be required before I complete the first draft of the script. In what will ultimately be a long-term project, I intend to transform the script into art and a full-fledged graphic novel. These efforts will also accompany the development of a new writing project involving a story of the political genre that has been in the workings for more than a year.

Much of this is just the beginning of what will be the first step towards my determined pursuit of a career in writing, and possibly one day, in animation. Having found a common love in writing stories and communicating scientific knowledge, I’ve decided that the Pensive Reverie will remain an outlet where I can share my daily adventures in the artistic landscape. Additionally, I will be starting a new blog that will be more focused towards discussing topics rooted in science and research in an effort to support what may become my future day job as a science writer (at least until I’m able to establish a foothold on my artistic aspirations).

This is all I have for today, but I will return very soon with a new post!

Memories of a Forgotten Summer

Hi everyone,

Firstly, this post doesn’t pertain to any discussion On the Nature of Knowledge. I’m still piecing together my ideas for that post, and will post it later this week. I’m here today to simply talk about the fun I had this weekend revisiting old memories! Just this Saturday, I attended a series of events celebrating Indie Author Day at the Edmonton Public Library.

indieauthorday_webbanner_780x150_sept2016-670x129

The experience was a lot of fun, and was a motivational reminder on my aspirations to become a successful writer. Having attended a few sessions ranging from discussions on self-publishing, marketing, to friendly advice on just getting your stories heard, I was thoroughly enthused to get back on my writer’s bandwagon by the time I returned home. For those among my followers who may not know, I’m a self-published author. My first book was Our Last Summer: A Personal Memoir detailing my experiences in Sudan where I completed my secondary education. The book is dedicated to my closest friends, in memory of our time together at Khartoum American School (K.A.S.), as well as my loving family.

picture-21

I started writing the book back in 2009, and it was published around the summer of 2013 after having undergone a tedious but highly enlightening process of editing, book binding, and marketing with the assistance of iUniverse, a self-publishing company. My original intentions were to continuously promote the book afterward and hopefully help in its sales. My earlier blog, ourlastsummer2013, was meant for this. But, life happened, and following the publication of the book, I became quite jaded about writing and myself. I was also enmeshed in my personal identity crisis. Consequently, my promotional efforts were cut short, and I took a break from writing.

Three years down the road, I found myself sitting in a room filled with Indie authors, spending a few hours re-reading the passages in my book, and revisiting many forgotten memories of my past. I had recovered from my identity crisis thanks to my friends, and family, and am now close to completing a second book that has been in the works for two years. By revisiting said memories of a forgotten summer, I was able to reassess my growth as an individual during the last seven years of my life, ever since I commenced my post-secondary education at the University of Alberta. I was also able to recognize the significant influence writing Our Last Summer had in my life, and felt sad that the book never got the personal recognition it deserved from its own author.

Ever since my childhood, I’ve been passionate about two things: learning and asking questions. These two attributes contribute to my personality as an autodidact and have been the main benefactors towards my motivation for higher studies, and academic pursuits in various fields from astrophysics, biophysics, plasma physics, and in the near future, robotics. My academic interests were also complemented by my love for writing, music, and art. Throughout my life, I’ve been able to engage and enhance my creativity and skills in these different subjects.

Having completed my Masters, and on the verge of finishing my second book, I’m now motivated to unite my interests toward a unique career. I have no idea what exactly it will be, but it certainly will have a mix of everything from being a scientist, writer, and an artist. It will be an infusion of the freedom and happiness I’ve found in my writing, engaging my imaginations and bringing them to fruition through my art and music, and sharing my comprehension of what I learn about the surrounding world to my friends, family, and to all of you! Part of that effort will now involve my dedication toward revamping the promotions on my first book  Our Last Summer: A Personal Memoir. I will use The Pensive Reverie (and the Facebook group) along with my Twitter account to provide for promotional materials every now and then ranging from tidbits from the book, to free e-book passes, and reviews.

I sincerely ask all those who follow this blog to help and support my efforts by spreading the word as much as they can and getting others to tune in to the blog as well as my book. The book is available online (just Google it), as well as on popular bookstores (Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Kobo etc.) I will provide more info, including some promo materials, and sneak peeks on Our Last Summer along with my next post On the Nature of Knowledge. 

 

bfb619f7ad5bac6e2f1d7c856b3ad917
Until then, thanks so much everyone, and have a great day!