The first time I seriously thought about venturing into professional writing was back in the summer of 2008. I started by setting up my online portfolio and published some of my articles on it. It was also during that year that Canadian writer Malcolm Gladwell, promoted the 10,000-hour-rule in his book Outliers. In his book, Gladwell explains how enough practice will help anyone to master a skill – be it music, sports or anything else. “Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness”, he wrote.
Fast forward to 13 years later and having invested more than 10,000 hours to develop my writing, I believe that it takes more than that amount of time practising a skill to achieve greatness, and making a decent living out of it.
From my youth, I have been curious. I loved exploring new hobbies and interests, and I believe that has helped me become a better writer. For instance, after I graduated from university and had more time on my hands, I enrolled in oil painting, photography and sewing classes.
Spending three hours a week with my photography instructor helped me look at life in a different light. He taught me to appreciate the small details and seek beauty in the ordinary. A water fountain, captured at a slow shutter speed, results in a tranquil piece of work that conveys movement in a still image.
Though my photography class only lasted a few months, the lessons learned help me with my writing to this day. Beautiful stories can also be found in ordinary places, and changing my perspective every now and then helps me when seeking inspiration.
Other pursuits provided more lessons. Three months spent with my sewing teacher taught me to be precise and patient during the garment-making process. I applied the same lessons to my writing process. Just like making an extraordinary piece of clothing takes time and patience, so does a great piece of writing. It is OK to work on your article, leave it for some time and come back when you have the mental capacity for it.
Learning how to paint in oils from a master painter taught me how important it is to have a mentor and a sounding board when writing. I dedicated time to enhance my creative writing skills with an editor and a writer from New York who helped me find my creative voice and fine-tune my first published book. My sister, a fellow writer, is my sounding board and always provides honest feedback on my work.
Dedicating enough time every day to master a skill – be it writing, playing the piano or photography – is necessary. I know, for example, that when it comes to writing, practice makes perfect but we cannot depend on that alone for a living. When it came to my writing journey, it was networking, being proactive and seeking opportunities that helped me reach an international audience and making a living out of it.
Exploring different interests, continuously challenging my capabilities and pushing my boundaries helped me think about incorporating my writing skill into other ventures. My passion for marketing and branding, in addition to my writing, inspired me to establish my consultancy. The more interests I explored, the more I realised that these skills could come in handy throughout your career. Lessons from my photography classes helped me perceive things differently when writing and strengthened my creativity when coming up with marketing ideas.
So, here’s the bottom line: Practice makes perfect, but it is networking, pushing your boundaries, accepting challenges and taking risks that ultimately help you to make a living and develop a professional career.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
