Where are my fellow writers and book nerds at? Hello! How are you? This is going to be a bit of a long read so grab a blanket and a beverage of your choice and snuggle up.
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Salaam everyone and happy November! I’m sure you’ve already heard this elsewhere, but it’s truly wild that there are only two months left in 2020. I’m sure I don’t need to explain how tough this year was for everyone. While I’m sure the world isn’t magically going to back to normal on midnight January 1 (what even is normal anymore), I’m excited to bid 2020 adieu!
Oh my goodness! So much is happening in such a short period of time. My manuscript is almost complete. I’m getting closer to my goal of publication. And I got my very first feature in a media publication! It’s all surreal. I thought I’d take this time to step back and reflect on where I am. This past month was difficult in terms of writing and putting out content for my book. My mental health got to a low that I hadn’t seen in a while. My interpersonal relationships suffered a bit as well. I had no will to write. At times, I thought about giving up completely. After all, who would want to read a fantasy novel written by me? I really needed to stop for a second, and breathe. I needed to remind myself why I’m writing this book in the first place. I’d love to share with you all the story behind Khadijah Haq. Art by me
So. . . I haven’t posted for a while. My bad.
But I’m back with an exciting announcement: I’m writing a book! It’s been a dream of mine to be a published fantasy author, and it’s finally coming true! I’ve been working on my debut novel, “The Source of Hate,” since I was in high school. I was never able to fully dedicate my time and energy to it due to school and mental health. But since I graduated college, I’ve finally been able to give my all to my childhood dream. [Note: I wasn't able to post last Friday due to my workload, so y'all get two posts this week. Fun!]
I had so much planned for my last term at the University of Oregon. I wanted to study in as many coffee shops as possible. I wanted to hike Spencer’s Butte. I wanted to take more walks along the Willamette River. I wanted to throw Ramadan iftars for the MSA. I wanted to take grad pics in front of Lillis and Allen. Most importantly, I wanted to put on my cap and gown, and walk across the stage to receive my diploma. I won’t be able to do any of that now. In this era of COVID-19, almost nothing is certain. I sit at a window seat in a coffee shop on a rainy day. My workstation is set up for optimal productivity. My phone lies face-down on the table, next to my laptop. My journal is bookmarked with ideas in case I need inspiration. My Google document is ready for my flow of genius.
Too bad that rarely ever comes. Ugh. Why is writing so hard? |