Light, sickness, and going on...
Your series on Lit Mags is still ON and coming soon!
It’s been a wild couple of weeks - I can’t even get into everything, but it all began with a weird nagging feeling in my chest about mid-September. From there it spiraled. SPIRALED! and I mean it! Anyway, cut to the chase, let’s only talk about one weird thing - I got sick during my birthday month, in fact, on the day of my birth. Again. UGGHHH! Guess spending birthdays in the hospital is turning out to be a bit of a habit. (Gosh, I hope not!)
This is me not having fun on my birthday!! ://
Even now as I write to you my brain is all fuzzy and lazy and doesn’t really want to think, work or write. But does that mean I’m lying on the bed, doing nothing? Yes, exactly!
But also no. I’m frustrated. I’m tired. I’m angry. And all I can do is to think about everything I’ll be doing a few months from now - the city I will be in, the work I’d be doing, the food I’d be cooking for myself, and most importantly, the writing I’ll be doing (sigh!)
My writing, my precious, precious writing that I could not do, is what hurts the most. I had it all figured out this time - I don’t think I’ll ever again have so much time on my hands as I do now - I had made lists of WIPs, lists of places to submit, and for the very first time I had gained enough confidence in my work and myself as a writer, to submit to contests!! (I even submitted to one and got longlisted. You can check it out here). Mid-September, I managed to finish two short stories and submit one of them to a contest, the results of which will be out next year (in case you’re wondering). In case, you’re also wondering - No, I’m so not getting it! But that wasn’t even the point! Submitting was the point, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to submit to the contests I wanted to, now, simply because I do not have the mental energy required to write at all, forget about writing to a deadline. All the plans have gone down the drain. But it’s okay. (I’m learning to say the phrase wayyy more in this life than I thought.) And hey, at least you still got time! So, I’m sharing a snap of my Contest-Deadline Notepad for you here. You should submit to the Deodar Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
Give it a shot!
But anyway, enough of me crying and complaining to you (but thank you for listening - it felt sooo good!) I learnt something about life - same old, same old you’d say, but for me, it’s new. Or let’s say, anew.
I learnt time is less, and every moment I get, getting to do what I love to do, cooking or eating the food I like, spending time with my family, my dog and a few lovely friends, watching sunlight fall through leaves, the smell of autumn air in my city, etc. etc., all these moments are measured, all are given, all are to be cherished more than I realize. Don’t get me wrong, I had this sense when I came back home, but now that it’s almost time to go back again, and I’ve spent too much time being sick, reality is hitting hard, and I have ‘the sense’ in a fresh way. And I’m kinda glad reality is hitting hard. I want to be present. and know. and see. and feel. and everything, you know?
You know.
THREE THINGS:
The Literary Magazine series that I mentioned I’d be starting in my previous newsletter is still ON. I’m slow as my late pet-snail Snizzles, but I’ll get there. Just take it all in stride, okay? Much like the publishing journey itself.
I am still just as crazy and ambitious as before. I was thinking if I should do my own version of NaNoWriMo this November? I don’t know what that version would be - I’m definitely not writing a novel. But lemme think about it and see what happens. I’ve never done NaNoWriMo before, and now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever done any writing challenge. This just might be my chance to try it out before I get busy. Let’s see what happens.
Would you like me to be writing to you more regularly? Sharing tips, saying things? I’m seriously thinking. I like writing to you more than I thought I would when I started this newsletter. I said before, I’d say it again - like friends ringing up friends. Also, if you have any questions you’d like me to answer for you, feel free to drop them in the comments or reply to this email. Maybe I could answer those in a separate letter :)
Here is a picture of me in my ward’s balcony, looking at the big blue sky after days and sipping pomegranate juice before a friend’s visit.
Signing off!Until next time!
XOXO!
