Fiction Is My Middle Name : 2018

Chapter 1

It was a bright sunny morning, one where you would expect the day to be just as perfect. But that was not the case then. That day was one straight out of Hell!

I went out for my usual morning jog around the neighborhood; though, for some reason, I was a bit hesitant. There was an itch in the back of mind that I couldn't get rid of, but chalked it up to paranoia and shoved it aside as I kept going.

However, just as I reached the end of the street, I heard it. A loud, screeching sound that instantly had me covering my ears as my eyes squeezed shut, and I stood paralyzed as the sound continued.

After what seemed like hours but we're probably seconds, the sound stopped. Hesitantly, I pulled my hands away from my ears and looked up. There was no one around me and it was dead silent; not even the birds sang their melody nor the crickets made a sound. But then, my eyes locked onto the entrance to an alleyway a few feet from me.

I don't know what it was but something told that's where the sound came from. My feet moved on their own, carrying me to the entrance. Reaching the edge, I leaned back against the wall and inhaled deeply, before peering over the side into the alley.

There was nothing there!

The alley was empty except for the dumpster that sat next to a wall, by the back door of the restaurant.

I didn't know what to think. I was sure that noise came from there, my gut told me that much. Coming out from around the edge, I walked into the alley and glanced around; and it was then that I saw it...

The blood!

Okay, so I’m a little new to this; but, here goes…

I want to thank Yvonne Wabai of Randomly Creative for nominating me for the Blogger Recognition Award. It is a tremendous honor for me to have my writing accepted, appreciated, and loved by all those who share my passion for the art.

For those of you, who don't know what this award is all about, I'll give a brief introduction. This award is here to recognize the work, the effort, the hours, that go into writing each post, each draft. It is to show all bloggers that we hear you, we see you; your efforts do pay off.

So, if you’ve been nominated, there are a certain rules you need to follow:

Thank the blogger who nominated you.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief history of how your blog came to be.
Give two pieces of advice for new bloggers
Select 15 of your fellow bloggers to give this award to.
Comment on their blog and let them know that you nominated them and provide a link to your post.

With that said… Let's go!

How I started Fiction is my Middle Name

I have always wanted to be a writer, a novelist to be specific and that dream begin when I watched the movie National Treasure. I loved the idea of my name written across the front cover of a book and people loving my writing, enjoying getting lost in the stories I create; it may sound conceited, but that was the dream.

Fiction is my Middle Name came about because I wanted to kick start my writing career - see where I can go and how far it can take me. Sad to say, i haven't given it much thought the way I should have but this award definitely makes me want to take it up again. So, thank you Randomly Creative.

Advice for Newbies:

Considering, I am not an expert myself, I can't give you professional advice. But, because I write for a living, I can tell you what I learned from experience.

First, don't lose hope! It's gonna be a bumpy ride. You're gonna need to put a lot of effort into writing new material every week, if not daily. And, you are going to need to go visit other bloggers, invite them to your blog and spread your name around the block. Honestly, it's tiring, exhausting, but if you enjoy writing, then keep at it, persevere for you know the saying “Good things comes to those who wait!”

Secondly, I would say, follow others bloggers on social media. Not just bloggers, but also blogger sharing groups like @FierceBloggers or @BlogBoxUK. They are for people like us, who have a passion for helping others, changing lives or creating alternate universe with the power of words. I would tell you to join those who understand you and help the community of bloggers grow.

Also, don't feel discouraged and disheartened if there are more accomplished bloggers than you. It is fact of life, that there is bound to be someone who is better than you at something. The key is to take it with a stride and learn from them; rather than feeling unsure of yourself. Be confident and learn to move at your own pace.

My Nominees for the Blogger Recognition Award

Iffat Tafseer of Add a Life

Madiha Jamal of Happy Living

Neverontimemum of Mummy's Memmories

Ade of Riches and Writers

Fi of My Life on Show

John Poehler of The Bipolar Battle

Purllsofwisdom of Purlls of Wisdom

Amy Jane of Beautifully Eurasian

Stephanie Jay of Variety Tales (website coming soon)

Anya Vitaly of My Fit Mind

Tahia Tabassum of The Brown Review