How to Start Your Copywriting Career in Pakistan

So I’ve been in the copywriting business for almost 3 years now. The road’s been bumpy but there’s so much that I’ve learned in these few years. Today, I’m writing this post for youngsters, students and aspiring writers who’d like to gain some independence and start earning on their own. Hopefully, these pointers will provide you a sense of direction in terms of your career. Here goes:

1. Achi angrezi does not necessarily equate to good writing skills. Just like any other skill, your writing skills can only be honed by practice. There’s no way around it.
2. Please evaluate your writing skills before adopting this profession. Work on your grammar and read articles about writing content. At this point, nobody can teach you how to write. You’ll have to work on these things yourself.
3. If you’re an absolute newbie (with no contacts), I’d suggest you start your career by working for an organization before becoming a full-time freelancer. I started off with a nominal wage and then worked my way up. You’ll learn a lot from your seniors plus it’ll add credibility to your resume. When I started my career, I knew nothing about content writing but I learned a lot just by reading what my colleagues wrote.
4. If you’re freelancing, please visit the person’s profile before moving forward. I’ve heard of a lot of horror stories about writers not getting paid for their work. You might call it a stroke of luck but that’s something I’ve never experienced.. so far anyway. I’m very particular about who I work for so I’d say being picky definitely pays off.
5. Never stop learning. Period. You’ll have to be very versatile and there will be challenges down the road so be prepared.
6. The client is always right. If that’s something you can’t deal with, there’s virtually no point in carrying things forward with said client.

For now.. that’s it Please free feel to add to the list. I’m sure a lot of new content writers will learn from your experiences (I’m sure I will too)

By: Marvi Masud 

The Rishta Brigade: A Humiliating Experience

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Perhaps I wouldn’t have written this piece if I had not met her. She is my friend’s student; a girl of only 17 years of age. She compelled me to write this blog post down. I met her for the first time, only to realize that she was upset with her family. After listening to her story, I became troubled.

She got engaged to her cousin when she was only in school, as per her parents wish although she never wanted to. A few months ago, this relationship was brought to an end, but surprisingly she wasn’t the one to end the engagement: her in-laws were. The worst is yet to come, that’s her family. Yes the girl’s family. Her family does not understand that she isn’t interested in getting married, instead she wants to study. But her mother is busy in finding new proposals for her 17 year-old daughter. And when she told me how different people come to see her every day on her mother’s wish, I was shocked.

Unfortunately in our society, this is one of the worst stages of a woman’s life. As soon as a girl passes out from college, their mothers start to worry about their marriage. They start to contact ‘rishte wali’ aunties and try to secure a number of proposals.

After every alternative day, a new family is visiting the girl’s home to see her or rather to inspect her. The girl is to be decorated and presented like a show piece. Several eyes inspect her from every angle, paying attention to all her flaws very carefully. In our society, it is considered a crime if a stranger even glances upon somebody’s daughter but on the other hand, families consider it perfectly alright to present their daughters infront of strangers.

The story doesn’t ends here, the families coming to see girl oblige in asking them all sorts of weird questions, they point out thousand faults in her and reject her as if their son is a flawless example of perfection.

Unfortunately, mothers too encourage their daughters to use different cosmetics, wear make-up, wear specific colors etc etc etc. But why? Do they think their pyari beti is not pyari enough to be accepted the way she?

In our society, after marriage a girl has to move to her husband’s home, not the husband. Then why do these people come to inspect the girl’s house and her family? Fairly speaking, it should be the girl, who should visit the boy, his home, his family etc. That is the only way she can decide whether she wants to spend her life there or not. No boy or his family has a right to reject a girl on the basis of idiotic reasons.

People need to understand that this tradition is one of the worst traditions persisting in our society and should be altered. Many girls who face such rejections continuously go under depression and start to look down upon themselves. Their self-confidence is completely shattered and in some extreme cases, these girls resort to committing suicide because they can no longer stand being humiliated by strangers.

The role of the entire family holds a great importance in such situations. They should not make their daughters feel like a burden and instead should encourage and support them to live their lives to the fullest. They should wait for the right time for the right proposal. And above all, families should always respect the opinion of their daughters regarding these proposals as it is she who has to spend the rest of her life with the boy.

Written by: Asra Sheikh

Heaven Lies Under The Feet Of Your Mother

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Who is a mother?  She is a woman who brings up her child with care and affection. She always guides and loves us no matter what we do. The heart of a mother is full of kindness; she forgives us for any mistake either, big or small. We all have a special corner in our hearts that can only be filled by a mother’s love. Her courage and her cheerfulness changes a dark day into a bright and cheerful one. She has the ability to recognize our needs from birth, even when we do not possess the ability to speak. She is the only person who stands with her child in good and bad times. She sacrifices her life for the well-being of her children. She takes notice in her child’s interest and loves her children, more than anything. A mother is the only person who truly knows who we are.

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A mother contributes her life to her family. She works as a glue that binds the family together because it is up to her to provide the support needed to raise growing children. Mother is considered as the shining example of service, symbol of love and care in all religions of the world. However, aMuslim woman has an exceptionally important role as mother. The value of the word “mother” has great significance in Islam. There is no doubt that as a mother, woman is superior to man. There are so many AAYATS and HADITHS on the importance of respecting and obeying mothers. There are many instances where the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) commanded believers to respect their mothers. The Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said to his followers that “yours mother is the most worthy of your good companionship. The Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) declared the importance of mothers by this HADITH “heaven lies under the feet of your mother”.

Mothers are priceless teachers in the classroom of life. It is a blessing, a gift, a relationship that never ends and her love never dies. I think the relationship you have with your mother is the most reliable relationship of the world. It is the best part of life.  Women who adopt children and look after since childhood also share the same respect and honor. Nobody can fulfill our needs and wants like our mums. We should dedicate our lives to appreciating our mothers and not simply pay attention to them only on Mother’s Day. I for one will never be able to forget my mother and will remember her till my last breath.

Written by: Zona Yaseen

A Hidden Gem: Lale-i Rumi

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Have you ever tasted delicious Turkish foods? Perhaps, you have some Turkish friends or have visited a party where you may have gotten the chance to taste them. When I first moved to Karachi, I would always crave for my favorite Turkish dishes. Though, I can prepare most dishes by myself, I still long the authentic taste of home cooked meals that my mother would make. The Turkish cuisine is very complex and is not widely eaten or found in Pakistan. Because of its unique flavors and intricate techniques, you cannot easily find Turkish traditional foods everywhere, plus these foods are very difficult to cook. As a Turkish person living in Pakistan,I really miss my country, citizen and  of course, the food. To get over our nostalgia, my friends and I often gather to cook together.

However, finding the right ingredients becomes a problematic a task so sadly, it becomes quite difficult for us to recreate the same dishes. Fortunately, we were able to find an adorable Turkish restaurant by the name of  Lale-i Rumi in Defence, Karachi. When we first found out about this restaurant, my friends and I were all over come with joy however at first I was prejudiced and hence didn’t expect the restaurant to have too many dishes and would be up to par. After all, we are living in a foreign country that has a completely different culture. When I went to the Lale-i Rumi, I realized I was wrong about my prejudices.

Image Credits: Hacer Çapraz

Trust me, the moment you enter Lale-i Rumi, you will be beginning your journey toTurkey. Everything is very well designed according to the Turkish tradition. The ambiance is quite good. Everything is in harmony. The food is prepared by talented Turkish chefs. The menu is filled with delicious foods such as  as lahmacun, pide, adana, iskender, ayran, kadayıf etc. I also want to share what one of my friend had to say about the restaurant: “The place feels like any other restaurant in Turkey. When I enter the place, I felt little emotional, actually. I couldn’t understand the reason behind it all but I guess it is because I miss Turkey so much and this place reminds me of my country and those kind and sincere people remind me of my family’s warmth. Trying out foods from different cultures will allow you travel different cities while sitting down for your meal.”

I sincerely recommend you visit Lale-i Rumi, taste the delicious food and enjoy the amazing ambiance.

Written by: Hacer Çapraz

The Most Precious Blessing In The World

Since this is the last blog I’m writing for this session, I’m dedicating this blog post to the most beautiful person in this world. I believe she is one of the greatest blessings that comes from ALLAH and that blessing is none other than my “MOTHER” .

Your mother is the most precious gift from ALLAH. We are lucky to have been bestowed such a blessing from Allah. But unfortunately, there are many who do not realize and consider their mother as a blessing and instead always have negative things to say about their parents.

As we know, our religion always emphasizes on the respect of mother and ALLAH has given a high status to mothers as He has narrated: “Paradise lies under the feet of Mother” This shows that even our religion teaches us the importance of caring and loving our parents. But here’s where many of us need to ask ourselves, do we really follow these teachings?

Unfortunately, the answer is “No”. It is so easy for us to pass rude remarks and show irritation when our mothers scold us and monitor our social networking websites. Quite often, we neglect our parents and spend time on trivial tasks. We argue, fight and sometimes adopt a very hard tone when speaking to our elders. We become so impatient if they are unable to comprehend with the latest technologies and ask us for some help.

Here are a few more questions we should ponder upon; Have you ever wondered why your mother is so concerned about your wellbeing?  Why is she so possessive about you? What has she scarified for the family? Unfortunately, many of us do not bother thinking about such issues and simply go on with our daily lives.  Even if we were to try, we would not be able to capture or sense what our mothers feel inside.

A mother is a  strong woman who promises to stand by her daughter in every challenge of life. She holds her hand and promises to never leave her alone. She acts as her best friend and share her secrets, cooks for her and sometimes might even scold her or express anger. However, all this is only a reflection of how much she loves her daughter. She promises to protect her daughter and thus patiently waits for her at her university. Every day she waits for her daughter’s class to end, picking and dropping her daughter to and from university. That beautiful and strong lady is my Mother I’m so lucky to have her in my life.

Towards the end of my post, I’m hoping that you have realized what mothers actually are and how much they sacrifice for us. This is my plea to all of you, please respect your mother and not take this blessing for granted. Express your love for your mother,  not just on mother’s day.

All pictures are by the author 

Written by: Rimsha Iftikhar 

Notes From Her Diary

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While sitting down to write my blog, my attention was diverted to a girl’s diary whose name I don’t want to disclose. From what I read, I could think of nothing but how alone she felt despite having a family. It gave me a whole new insight of how heartbreaking it is when nobody understands you.

These are some excerpts I have written from the girl’s diary who was once a joyful and hardworking soul but with time and difficulties, she lost everything including herself.

Jan 2015

“I wonder why nobody understands me, even my family members. Each step I take is rendered as an act of disobedience.  Whatever I say, whatever I do, it is never right. But on the other hand, my elders can say and do whatever they want.  . I have no friends, my friends deceive me. I only have class fellows and I remain a step away from them because I do not want to be harmed anymore.”

June 2016

“Once again, I am being criticized for the career path I have chosen. I’m the youngest that’s my mistake; my father is no more, that’s my mistake.”

Aug 2016

‘I am cruel, I am insane, I do not care about my family. These are the comments I hear from my family members on a daily basis. No one sees what’s in my eyes and my heart. They only see how I misbehave and shout but they never see the pain inside me.

I don’t want to live anymore. My family members do not consider me important.”

This is not the story of a single girl but of many girls who are not being understood by their families and if they raise their voice, they are considered to be disobedient. Why don’t be take a moment to understand our children? Why do we keep scolding them? Thinking about death at such a tender age shows that the person is under a high level of depression. This is simply a result of generation gap. Parents do not want and make no effort to understand their children.

I am not saying that only parents are wrong but there it is a communication gap. Providing your child with facilities, money and material things is simply not enough. Every child is not the same and being a teenager is very difficult. Circumstances have changed, children are immature, it is thus the duty of parents to understand them and listen to what they have to say.

Written by: Aiman Mahmood 

 

Female Harassment: A Norm In Our Society

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With the progression of internet culture, the privacy of life has become questionable. As compared to before, it is easier to obtain personal information about people and have a look into their lives. While, it is a great way to connect and communicate with the people we love, sometimes the internet becomes a common tool for conducting crimes such as blackmailing and harassment.

A recent incident left me in great shock, and surely, many others as well. The case of Prof. Farhan Kamrani is an example of how the internet has altered our culture in negative ways. Being his student for a year I observed that there is definitely no doubt in his good teaching skills and visibly positive character. But the incident lifted my faith over blind trust on a person’s personality. To be accused and arrested for cyber-crime is nothing minor in today’s world. Also after the law passed against it, cyber-crime is just as worst as any other crime even if some people take it lightly. Moreover, harassing a respectable woman is utterly disgusting; no matter what reason the criminal has to justify his act.

Another aspect of this story, what I truly support, is bravery and standing up for your legal right. In our society, just as many others, the dignity of women not only represents her individual character but also her family and others in her life. Her undignified actions become a matter of family ‘honor’ and social well-being. Even in cases where she is an innocent victim.

Career women with a family and life ahead are likely to witness life changing experience that ends up affecting not only her but many others. Following the social norm, most women avoid socializing or choosing particular career paths for the fear of having to face harassment and violence that may end up ruining their lives. Many victims also avoid seeking legal refuge after such incidents, fearing the suffocating social pressure that follows women in these situations. This, however, strengthens criminals.

The proved victim in this incident bravely reported against the criminal of this unpardonable attack on her dignity and character. I sincerely respect and praise her courage. Women should stand for themselves and others in these situations and take possible action against criminals, because when we don’t, they become ignorant of their crime and grow stronger. No person should have the nerves to disgrace respectable women and men. I hope this becomes a learning lesson in strengthening women, also at encouraging many sealed lips to speak up and hushed voices to raise against this common gruesome act in our society.

Written by: Huda Ibtisama

Peeling Off The Mask: Being Yourself On Social Media

Picture Artist: Rafael Alvarez

Being who you are and avoiding the race to be liked on social media has increasingly become challenging over the past few years. With all of its benefits, one major disadvantage of social networking websites is that it readily makes it possible for people to portray an image of themselves that is far from who they really are. While posting a glamorous selfie of yourself might momentarily boost your self-esteem, you are actually brewing your insecurities in the long run.

Don’t get me wrong, I use social media as much as the next person but I strongly believe that it suppresses individualism. Which is quite ironic because isn’t the whole point of twitter to express what YOU want?

It gets worse when young girls get depressed and become victims of severe inferiority complex. I was the same until I figured out how simple it was to mold yourself online. I’ve seen people posting pictures of books they haven’t read, check-in at places they haven’t been and support causes they haven’t even heard about. Some of us are wearing a mask that’s glued so tightly on our faces that it might be difficult to peel off.

In a world filled with hashtags, it might seem futile to try and be yourself. However, it is absolutely worth it because it will lead you to people who actually care about you and appreciate your quirks. Establish your own identity and work towards building a life you are actually proud of instead of gloating over the one you have concocted on social media. It takes courage to go against the crowd and think outside the box.

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Some of us have become so satisfied with our fabricated lives that we no longer make an effort to budge. Everything appears shiny once it has been run through several filters. All that might be well and good but what’s the point if you end up going to bed feeling lousy and miserable?

Yes, social media has several benefits and social media marketing is a real thing. However, you can’t help but admit that all this attention we can now readily get has caused us to become vain and conceited. Presenting yourself in an authentic way on social media might be difficult at first but it is the best thing you can do to yourself if you are suffering from insecurities and want to live a life you are actually proud of.

So, give yourself a break. Live life and watch it through your own eyes instead of a lens. Trust me, the view’s going to be much better.

Written by: Marvi Masud 

A Horrible Crime: Killing The Blessings Of God

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A few days ago, my cousin was blessed with a baby girl. Excited, I went to visit his wife at the hospital. There, I came across a situation that I had never witnessed before but had previously heard a lot about. A woman lay on the neighboring bed, crying. When I asked her why she was upset, she exclaimed that she had just given birth to her third daughter and her husband had left her alone as soon as he heard the news.

Unfortunately, the birth of a baby girl is unwelcome in many families even today. It may seem ironic to sensible people but yes, it’s a bitter truth of our society. Aside from the new born, the women who gave birth to her is also made to face the wrath of her in-laws, husband and others for this ‘inexcusable crime.’

In our society, people wish and want to have a son. Unfortunately, such mentality is not only restricted to the in-laws or husbands but I have even heard pregnant women themselves praying to have a son. Unfortunately, giving birth to a boy is the only way they can escape the anger of their families.

Many couples opt for an unsafe abortion, avoiding anti-abortion laws of Pakistan once they find out about the baby’s sex. They don’t even care about a woman’s health but they can’t allow the birth of a girl in their family.

In Pakistan, we come across many news items about how badly women are treated for delivering a baby girl. On June 6, 2016, woman from Khairpur district was seriously wounded by her husband and relatives for giving birth to a girl. On July 2, 2013, a woman from lahore was beaten to death by her husband for the same reason. On 19 January, 2011 man in Khanewal tried to kill his wife after her ultrasound reports revealed that she was about to give birth to couple’s third daughter.

If people think that giving birth to a girl is such a heinous crime then they should also know who is actually responsible for it. Even an Intermediate or an A-level student knows this. According to the Laws of Heredity, it is actually the man who contributes the Y chromosome that leads to the birth of a baby boy. The combining of chromosomes is something which is planned by nature. We humans are not responsible for it.

So, scientifically speaking, all the in-laws who feel angry on the birth of a girl in their families should beat the Man, the father of child and not the mother. The men forget that they were also born from a woman who was not killed before being born. They forget that our Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was blessed with only daughters and He declared daughters as a blessing of God hence we must respect them.

Written by: Asra Sheikh 

Women Are More Talkative Than Men

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You’ve probably already heard about how women talk a lot and are constantly looking for ways to initiate a conversation. While women may deny it, it is actually the truth. Researchers have found that women have higher level of foxp2 protein. It has also been claimed that women speak about 20,000 words a day, 13000 more than the average man and scientists say a higher amount of foxp2 protein is the reason why women are usually chattier than men. Foxp2 is known as the “language protein” it has been found that women have 30% more of the foxp2 protein than men. Some researchers say that girls learn to speak earlier and more quickly than boys. After their birth, they are able to utter their first words and sentences much earlier and have a better vocabulary. Girls also have a clearer ability to explain various topics in various ways.

Some people assume that chattier people are much more interesting and have loads of questions to ask. Quite often, people assume that being talkative means you have developed speaking skills and are much more intelligent than those who choose to remain quiet and listen. We usually think that if a woman talks, it means that she has something constructive to say and that she has the confidence to voice out her opinion, making her smarter and intelligent. But this is not the case. According to me, quiet women have several advantages over talkative ones. Less talk gives the brain more time to relax while women who are talkative use their brain nonstop. So if you talk, talk and talk all the time, you are using up all your precious energy and have no time to renew the ‘operating system’ inside your head. Staying quiet refreshes the mind and gives one the power to make good decisions.

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Just because a person does not talk much, it does not simply mean that they are shy, they are introverted. Shyness and being an introvert are two different things. Shy women are afraid of being judged by others whereas introverts simply find pleasure in living in their own beautiful worlds. They may appear lonely but it does not mean that they do not have friends and do not like to be in a circle of friends.

I have personally witnessed that talkative women are mostly focused on their speech and on themselves but less talkative women notice the things around them. They think about the world in general and can see various aspects of life in more details. A quiet woman will never reveal what’s in her mind and that creates an aura of mystery. They are good listeners and absorb all the available information and turn it into knowledge. Chatterboxes (talkative women) often ignore the most important things which they hear because they speak even when it’s time to listen. These things make quiet women smarter than chatterboxes (talkative women). There are so many hadiths that discourage us from speaking excessively. Hazrat Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said “Speak only when your words are more beautiful than silence.”

Written by: Zona Yaseen