The power of storytelling with Toastmaster and YA novelist, Mohammed Maxwel Hasan.

 

Welcome to Mohammed Maxwel Hasan! I had the priviledge of hearing Mohammed do a webinar for the Orangeville Public Library and thought it would be fun to learn more about him and his books!  

 

If more people told exciting stories, the easier it would be to learn life's greatest lessons. After Mohammed Maxwel Hasan achieved the competent communicator status at Toastmasters and completed a creative writing course at the University of Toronto, he discovered the treasure trove of a well-crafted story. From organizing TEDx events to running youth programs, Mohammed found that the power of storytelling remains imperative for success. 

Youtube: @Mohammed Maxwel Hasan

Twitter: @MohammedMaxwel

Instagram: @mohammedmaxwel

LinkedIn: Mohammed Maxwel Hasan

Facebook: @M. Maxwel Hasan

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

Understanding that the story is not for me, it's for the readers. As a writer, it's very easy to get cocooned and to get easily discouraged when others don't share that burning passion about your writer. You aren't the sun in the solar system, so don't make everything revolve around you.

Proper pacing served as a strength in both novellas. When transitions between chapters move seamlessly, readers don't get jolted or ask questions. Great design is invisible.

Believable dialogue was another high point. One of the quickest ways to break immersion is to have incongruent dialogue (would you call someone "bae" in a 1500 medieval roundtable?) 

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?

I aimed for a daily word count. There were days where that elusive number wasn't reached, I still wrote something (even if it was a line). If I couldn't run, I walked. If I couldn't walk, I crawled.

The only strict part of my routine was to have something done each day. If the process was too harsh, it would have drained the whimsicality of storytelling. Fall in love with the process, not the product. 

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

If this pandemic taught us anything, it's to take things one day at a time. I see myself continuously growing and who knows, maybe a filmmaker could approach me seeing how to adapt one of my stories to the screen. 

If you could offer one piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

"Done is better than perfect, because perfect never gets done." The majestic feeling you get when you hold your book or see it on the shelves cannot be replicated. Don't let your stories wither away because of perfection. 

What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?

Your writing inspired me to write my own novella.

What are you working on now?

The idea of a mystery novella percolated for some time. If there's interest from readers, I'd be happy to hear it.

 

 

STREET STAR

Amber is a homeless girl who wants to be an astronaut. Cruel life on the streets weighs on her relentless desire to break through the diamond sky. Desperate to avoid crossing moral lines to survive, Amber strives to find her place in space.

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2NSFanS

 

 

CAN’T ESCAPE

Meet Oliver Masque, a lonely student caged by his constant search for belonging. His peers don't like him and his hope for acceptance dwindles day after day. When the largest annual public speaking competition begins, Oliver must decide to break free from his misery or continue walking in the shadows.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2M16f6C

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