The Story of Syahrul Abdullah, UIN Jakarta KPI Student Successful as a Novelist & Content Creator
Ciputat, UIN News Online – Syahrul Abdullah is one of those students who has successfully balanced university studies with remarkable achievements in the literary world. The student from the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting (KPI) Study Program at the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication Sciences (FDIKOM), UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, has published several popular novels, reaching major bookstore chains nationwide, including Gramedia.
Syahrul shared that his success began with a fondness for reading Wattpad stories and novels during his school years. This interest inspired him to write his first novel, titled Ukhti Girls Love Story, in 2020 while in the 9th grade of junior high school amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Far from merely passing the time, he went on to publish another novel, Married Step with Brother, on the Noveltoon platform. The pinnacle of his literary achievements arrived with Samudra Hindia, which successfully entered Gramedia bookstores in 2023, as well as his latest work, Lautan Selat Gibraltar, born out of two years of in-depth legal and social research. Furthermore, his short story manuscript secured 12th place among national favorites.
Alongside his novel-writing endeavors, Syahrul remains active on campus as a member of the Student Activity Unit (UKM) Fatahillah Researchers for Science and Humanity (FRESH) UIN Jakarta. Additionally, he co-founded Konek Kampus (@konek.kampus), a community platform dedicated to helping students develop soft skills, and is frequently invited to speak at various literacy seminars.
Reflecting on his journey of publishing numerous works at a young age, Syahrul noted that his motivation to write first emerged when pandemic restrictions limited daily activities. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, once school assignments were completed, I felt empty with nothing to do. So I decided to start writing a novel,” Syahrul shared during a conversation.
Initially, he was uncertain about how to promote his work. Following a friend's advice, Syahrul leveraged TikTok to introduce his stories, which subsequently caught the attention of more than 20 publishing houses. “At first, I was confused because I didn't know how to promote it. But a friend suggested promoting my stories on TikTok, and it worked. My Wattpad readership surged, to the point where over 20 publishers offered to publish my book,” he explained.
Through the process of creating best-selling titles, Syahrul identified key elements behind his success, notably meticulous planning. By conducting two years of thorough research, he proved that manuscripts written by students from religious universities are fully capable of competing alongside the quality standards of major national publishers.
Like other accomplished students, Syahrul highlighted time management across academics, organizational duties, and creative projects as his primary anchor. He maintains strict priority scales to ensure coursework remains paramount. “University comes first. In the morning, I dedicate time to exercise, research, and writing for about three hours or around 10 to 15 pages of manuscript daily. Campus assignments are never delayed so that schedules never fall behind,” he explained.
When confronting challenges like writer's block or burnout, Syahrul relies on a dedicated routine to recharge. He sets aside a full day for personal time, reads novels, or watches movies to refresh his mind and enrich his vocabulary. “Ending with journaling and manifesting every night helps maintain positive energy,” he added.
Syahrul expressed gratitude for the unwavering support he receives from his parents and the academic community at UIN Jakarta throughout his career and education. This backing grew even stronger as his published works gained traction.
His experiences while studying at UIN Jakarta have also enabled him to dispel negative stigmas surrounding faith-based campuses. “To all university students across Indonesia and my fellow UIN peers, never feel discouraged by the stigma that studying at a religious campus limits your growth. That hasn't been true for me at all—studying at UIN has enabled me to thrive even more than before,” he asserted.
Looking ahead, Syahrul aims to continue producing creative works, develop his path as a public speaker, and envisions seeing his novels adapted into feature films.
For fellow students wishing to follow in his footsteps, he advises embracing the opportunities of youth without hesitation while continually sharpening personal potential.
“Don't be idle, because so many doors open when you're young. Keep building your personal brand around the stories you create so more people discover and appreciate your writing. Try something new every day and never stay stuck in one place,” he concluded.
Currently, Syahrul is active as a content creator regularly sharing literary works. Through social media networks, he has built a wide readership base, with his Instagram account @aksaravel surpassing 74,000 followers, while @cakrawalavel holds over 43,000 followers.