Penulis - Buat Sampai Jadi Buku

 Apa nak buat dengan karangan-karangan yang dah ditulis atau sedang ditulis? 

Tengok punya tengok, karangan sudah hampir sampai ke penghujung, sudah hendak temui perkataan TAMAT.  Tinggal beberapa halaman penutup saja. Atau, tinggal dua perenggan akhir saja.

Perkara pertama yang perlu difikirkan adalah untuk mencari seseorang untuk menyemak karangan itu (selepas ini dipanggil manuskrip, mss).

Boleh minta suami untuk semak. Boleh juga minta isteri, anak-anak atau kawan baik.

Nak minta bos di pejabat semak? Boleh saja. Kuat komplen, kan. Buat ini tak kena, buat itu tak kena. Nah, amek kau! Hahaha...... 😅

Tindakan paling bijak, hantar kepada editor.

Apa yang akan disemak oleh editor ni?

Mudah saja, editor akan lakukan kerja membuat semakan dan pembetulan untuk ejaan, tanda bacaan, bilangan jarak antara perkataan, bilangan tab, huruf besar/kecil, tatabahasa, logik dan lain-lain yang perlu.

Dalam hantaran ini, saya tidak menggunakan perkataan KESALAHAN ejaan, KESALAHAN tanda bacaan dll, kerana setiap kita terdedah kepada kekurangan.

Apa yang menjadi kekurangan pada kita, kita uruskan dengan mendapatkan bantuan luar.

To err is human. 

This is nature. 

Every manuscript needs an editor. 

Dan...  saya editor anda.

Subhanallah

Alhamdulillah

Allahuakbar

#editor #editorbebas #freelance #writer #ghostwriter #penulisupahan #penyelaraspenerbitan

Aidil Fitri 2017.....a remix!

     I await aidil fitri with trepidation. It's been this way for a while. Somehow, something bleak happens just before Eid rolls around.
     This time around, my grandnephew met his maker almost 3 weeks ago - the only baby in my large family who had never set foot into his family home. Who didn't get to wear even a piece of his new clothes - except for booties. Who many family members got to meet for the very first time...as a corpse.
     It's very, very difficult to bury the young. We've buried two young adults before this. However, the pain is always new. Always intense. Always heart wrenching.
     For years we've balked at staying home come raya. We haven't received raya guests since mak passed on. Raya morning would see us locking our home and driving off to wherever our fancy took us. Last year was Perak.
     This year, we've decided to chase gloom and despondency out of our home. We've been running for too long. We're going to open our doors again. We're going to invite people into our home. We're going to make new memories.
     There's no way we'll ever be able to forget our dear departed. But we're going to remember the happy moments that we shared with them. A sort of wake I guess.
     There's no stopping the tears. There'll always be sights, sounds, smells that'll trigger memories. But at least there'll be smiles along with the tears.
     The lights are up. The house is all spick and span. The buffet station in a line.
     The stage is set....to lighten our hearts.....

     SALAM AIDIL FITRI. MAAF ZAHIR BATIN.

Farewell 2016

      I hardly sat at my PC for the last couple of years. There were many things I wanted to write about....I just didn't seem to be able to sit and stare at the screen long enough. Not because I didn't have the time. More like I didn't have the will. And blogging isn't the only activity that I neglected.....
      I haven't read much.
      I haven't gardened much.
      I haven't interacted face-to-face with friends much.
      Thank goodness for social media. At least I know what's happening in the lives of people I care about. And those I don't....too much of this most times.
     
      On the plus side, I reconnected with long lost friends.
      Also made new ones.
      Visited new places.
      Started driving again (albeit under duress). I still don't pump my own gas. Bagi tip kat mamu stesyen Petronas to do that :)
      Learnt that the tube/hose (whatever) right below the car's water tank cap (or whatever u call it) is supposed to just dangle merrily.
      That kangkung is the easiest vegetable to grow.

      I lost my favourite brother.
      Also several close buddies.
      It reminds me of how fragile life is.

      I need to make everyday....my best day ever.
      This...from someone who never makes new year's resolutions.

      HAVE A BLESSED 2017 Y'ALL!!

Another bleak raya.....

      Since mak passed on, raya has never been the same. The last couple of raya were spent away from home. Chances are it will be the same again this year.
      Raya has just been too painful in recent years. This year's raya will be the same, if not worse. My "little" brother met his maker last month.
      We try to put on happy faces for the kids. We buy kuih raya and baju raya. I'm sure there'll be plenty of fireworks come the last week of puasa - for the kids.
      It's all about making the occassion as normal as possible....for the kids.
      Open house? We haven't had one since 2013. Not sure if we'd even open our front door on raya morning......
      Maybe I should just spend raya with the homeless.
      Because that's how I feel........

      May your raya be happy.
      May you appreciate and cherish the moments you're still given with those closest to you.
      May your hearts sing whilst your back is breaking getting ready for raya.
      For you'll never know if you'll feel like celebrating it next year..............

I miss you.......

      I've missed you for a long, long time. We've never been away from each other for this long.
      And now I'm going to miss you even more.
      Because now.......
      ....you are away.....
      .....forever.....
      You're never coming back.
      Except in my memories and reminisces.

      It's hard!

      It has taken this long for me to come to terms that I'll never get the chance to speak to you again.
      Or see your face in the flesh.
      Somehow, I still believe that you'll come back home when you're all done with your mission.
      That things will be back to the way it used to be.
      For the last few days I behaved like nothing happened.
      In this age of social networking, I couldn't find the courage to spread the news.
      I guess I was (and maybe still am) in denial.
   
      Today....I found a little strength to tell my friends.....
      ....that my little brother is gone.
      Gone for good.
      Gone forever.

      FOREVER....is a long, long, long time............

      Ya Allah, ampunkan segala dosanya.
      Lindungilah ia dari siksa kubur.
      Luaskanlah dan terangkanlah kuburnya.
      Lindungilah ia dari siksa neraka.
      Dan masukkanlah ia kedalam syurgaMu tanpa dihisab.

      Aamiin aamiin ya Rabbal 'alamin.....
     
     
     
     

Sakit....dan Mati.....

      Sakit kritikal (aka sakit teruk ya amat) ni bagus. Ia mengingatkan kita tentang mati. Provided kita masih sedar dan mampu berfikirlah time kita sakit teruk tu.
      Sakit kritikal ni jarang menyerang kita dengan tiba-tiba. Lazimnya ia build up over time. Cuma kita tak perasan.
      Atau buat-buat tak perasan.
      Atau buat tak dengar bila orang lain perasan dan memberitahu kita.
      Atau outright denial.
      Atau mungkin ada death wish dan buat tak kisah. Kategori ni rasanya tak ramai.
      Kaum hawa memang excellent (selalunyalah) dalam bab detect penyakit. Cepat aja nak pi klinik, hospital, mak cik urut, kedai sensei, farmasi, dan lain-lain.
      Perempuan jugalah yang akan simpan Panadol, minyak kapak, ubat batuk, koyok, Yoko-Yoko, plaster, charcoal pills, antihistamines....and the list goes on. Salah satu sebab handbag kami perlu besar okay! Jangan dok buruk sangka ingat kami bawa make-up berkati. If only we could get a bag like Mary Poppin's......
      Sorry...terlebih membebel pula.......
      Sakit kritikal ni sinonim dengan mati. Jika lambat didetect dan dirawat.
      ATAU.....tak nak dirawat.
                 .....melengah-lengahkan rawatan.
      Part "melengah-lengah" ni kaum adam memang tera. Superb. Amazing. Tak pernah nak mengaku dia sakit dan perlu dirawat. Cuba kalau kaum hawa yang sakit....cepat aja dia nak bawa pi jumpa doktor dll. TAPI bila DIA sakit.....umang aaiiii.....it's worse than pulling teeth. Majoriti akan macho...."eh, I'm okay. I'm good! Sikit je ni".
      Dapat selsema. Pi doktor tak nak. Makan ubat tak nak. Minum air honey and lemon pun tak nak. Lepas tu bungkus badan. Sekejap minta air. Sekejap minta tisu. Sekejap minta pasang air-cond. Kejap lagi minta tutup. Sekejap-sekejap panggil nak itu ini. Tak laratnya kalah kita dalam pantang! Anak kecil pun geleng kepala tenguk perangai dia.
      Membuatkan kaum hawa fikir pasal mati. Sebab rasa nak cekek-cekek je kaum adam tu........
      Balik kepada topik sakit kritikal dan ingat mati........
      Alkisah saya ada dua orang kawan baik yang sedang sakit kritikal. Dua-dua pun berusia 50-an. Both were super smart students with impressive academic achievements. Both made it big in the corporate world.
      Both are equally scared. Bezanya N1 (no 1 friend) masih sedar, waras dan boleh membuat keputusan sendiri. N2 (no 2 friend) - induced coma, totally helpless and at the mercy of his family and caregivers.
      Dua-dua terpaksa kehospital sebab masalah pernafasan - N1 sesak nafas dan nak pi dengan sukarela, N2 sebab isteri naik angin dan jerit kat dia sebab dia dah tercungap-cungap dan batuk tapi masih tak nak pi hospital. Dua-dua pun kena admitted dan diberi oxygen.
      N1 was referred to IJN. Mestilah sebab sakit jantung kan. Doctor kata kena buat bypass ASAP. Memandangkan dia masih boleh membuat keputusan sendiri, macam-macam keputusan dia buat. Yang kadangkala memudaratkan penyakit dia tu. Yang membuatkan kita semua fikir pasal mati...like strangle him for one! Alhamdulillah kami masih waras. Dan dia pun dah "diwaraskan". All's well here insyaaAllah.
      Not so for N2. He opted to be transferred to UMMC. Dan itu merupakan kali akhir dia membuat keputusan sendiri hingga kini. Keadaan kesihatan dia sangat kritikal sehingga doktor terpaksa melakukan induced coma. Dengar khabar dia beransur pulih. Tapi masih belum boleh "disedarkan". May all go well for him.
       Tadi saya kata mereka-mereka ini...Both were super smart students with impressive academic achievements. Both made it big in the corporate world. Mereka bijak. Mereka berjaya. Mereka biasa membuat pilihan. Mereka biasa membuat keputusan. But when it comes to their personal wellbeing.....belum tentu kepandaian mereka itu membolehkan mereka membuat keputusan yang terbaik untuk diri mereka.
      Pilihan mereka kadangkala memudaratkan diri mereka sendiri.......
      Saya berdoa sangat-sangat agar sakit mereka itu tidak membawa mati buat masa terdekat ni. Tapi saya doakan mereka sedar, sihat dan memikirkan tentang mati setiap hari........
      Lagi satu.....DENGARLAH CAKAP BINI!!!
     

It's all about Power.....

   
      pow·er play
      noun

      1.  tactics exhibiting or intended to increase a person's power or influence.


      I have to be a hermit to not notice it around me. Politicians, office higher ups, homemakers, alumni members, ketua kampung, abang long/kak long/ayahanda.....
      Even the schoolkids are at it! My grandson has just started at a new school before Chinese New Year. You know what it's like to be the new kid on the block. Unless you're weirdly wired like me, you'd feel the need to belong real bad. And my grandson is the average Joe. And somewhat timid. Also spaced out at times. Who looks like a nerd - a handsome one....ahem! Anyway, he came home one afternoon and earnestly informed me that he had to be early at school the next day. "Nak fight maktok", was his response to my questioning look. Besarlah biji mata maktok kan!!

Me:  "Why? What happened?"
He:   "Tak tau"
Me:  "Hang nak pi fight and you don't know the reason???"
He:   "Ketua kelas suruh"
Me:  "So, if ketua kelas suruh hang terjun dari tingkat atas, hang terjunlah?"
He:   "Hehehe"
He continued.....still earnest....."If Kama tak pergi fight nanti ketua kelas marah!"
Me:  "Tell him that maktok ganti Kama. Apa2 fight, panggil maktok. Tell him that Kama diamanahkan pi belajar je okay"

      I guess all's well as he didn't come back with a bruise or anything. This is power play at its lowest form I figure. The kids in the house have an unwritten power hierarchy - Abang aka Danish, 13+, whom the primary schoolers will taat setia menjunjung perintah tanpa huk atau hek, Imman, 16+, whom even Danish kowtows to, the 2 almost 10-year olds, and, lastly, Kama, 8+.
      However, absolutely no one reigns the kingdom at No 30 like Adra, 2++, does. She's the current Queen of the House. She does, listens, or otherwise, depending on her mood. Most times, she just lives life by HER rules, HER way and everyone is expected to do HER bidding regardless of logic or ethics. Woe and behold those who don't!!
      Exactly like the politicians of today and yesterday........