March 2024 Writing Goals

You may know this already from my most recent blog posts, but I have a lot planned this month. Mayhaps too much. But alas, biting off more than I can chew is kind of what I do best. So, here we go:

I spent most of the end days of February and the first of March working on getting a range of weekly blog posts scheduled (character introductions, this week's writing lesson, etc.) so that I can clear up any additional work during this month, allowing me to focus more on my main projects for the next ≈30 days.

Before I get started with any of the main focuses of the month, however, I have an amazing MG fantasy manuscript I'm beta reading, which I want to complete and send out my feedback for, and I still have a few more posts to schedule - mainly snippets and worldbuilding posts. I'm going to split up today and tomorrow between these tasks.

Once that's all completed, however, here's what's on the docket for this fiction writer:

1. Ramadan 1445 - Scrittorio Magazine Special Issue
2. (More) Editing for Murder in Heliopolis

Ramadan 1445 - Scrittorio Magazine Special Issue

This one's the one I'm super excited for this month. As always, I'm tackling it last-minute, but I believe in my ability to create something good within a tight time frame. Especially if it's something I'm passionate about. 

This is the cover design for the Ramadan 1445 issue, featuring a lovely photograph of Earth's moon by dayamay on Pixabay.

 

The Ramadan 1445 issue of Scrittorio is going to be the first issue in the (short) history of the magazine which focuses specifically on Muslim fiction writers. As a Muslim fiction author myself, there are lot of experiences that I have had specific to that particular segment of fiction authors, and I think I'm definitely not alone in them. So, I wanted to start talking about it, at the very least either here on my blog or in my magazine. Hence, the Ramadan 1445 issue.

It's something I'm deeply interested in, but I also want to know more about what other Muslim fiction authors have experienced throughout their writing careers, so I'm emphasizing the experiences of Muslim writers who want to share them. Please click on the link if you are a Muslim author of fiction who would like to share their thoughts and experiences. Your responses will be presented in the Ramadan 1445 issue. Learn more about the issue, the topics it will include, and the form in one of my most recent blog posts.

I will admit that I'm a little nervous to be reaching out to a range of amazing Muslim fiction writers for this issue, and on such short notice with Ramadan literally days away, and I'm even more nervous to be writing articles about Muslim fiction writing, Islamic fiction, and the like. But we take our first steps somewhere, and little by little, we increase our knowledge and get better at what we do. You just gotta take those first steps, though. 

So, here I am. Taking my first steps. ﷽

(More) Editing for Murder in Heliopolis

I've lost a bit of steam over the past week when it comes to editing Murder in Heliopolis. Even as confused as my yWriter can be with my laptop's weird calendar and time issues, it speaks the truth regarding the past 10 days: absolutely 0 words added, edited, or removed. 👍

This doesn't mean I've done absolutely nothing, though. I've been working on character profiles (which include fine-tuning dynamic character arcs), and I've been working on worldbuilding. I've even been reviewing the plot at large, which is really what's slowing me down at this juncture, because as much as I want to rev up the engine and go go go!, I still have to make sure I'm going in the right direction. 

So, for the rest of this month, as the Ramadan 1445 issue will be taking up most of my time, I'm going to focus only on editing my plot in particular and fine-tuning it. This is the only thing really standing in my way, so it's better to get it all smoothed out before I go about actually writing the rest of the book past Chapter 4, where the most significant plot change to date has occurred.

🎯

So that's that! My goals for this month may be lofty - especially my Ramadan 1445 issue - but they're goals I'm excited to dedicate my time to. I hope that readers and writers everywhere can get a lot out of the Ramadan 1445 issue, inshaAllah. 

If you are a Muslim writer of fiction or an Islamic fiction author, take the quick Google form interview and be featured in Scrittorio this Ramadan 2024.