Achievements & Setbacks in 2018 by Nada Adel Sobhi

I've set targets for myself and I have to admit to myself that I have failed several of them. BUT that was in February and a little in January.

This post is not about my failures but it is merely to highlight where I have fallen prey to procrastination and sloth. Even with the setbacks, there has been progress and it is important to remind oneself of the progress and the achievements not just the failed attempts at going forward.

In November, I hit a major milestone and made an achievement I didn't know I could do. I've been basking in that achievement since and that's WRONG! But to make that achievement, I've had to make some sacrifices at the time. Now life is back in the mix, which is making it hard for me to get things straight.

Sometimes, one simply wants to waste time. And as many already know, time tends to move slowly when you want it to fly past, and literally slips through your fingers when you want it to slow down so you can take a breath and work on yourself.

Time's a lot of curse words. But I digress. Time is not only to blame, but I'm to blame as well.

In February, I set my 10,000-word writing plan, along with some editing plans. Instead, I only wrote 388 words in Darya's story by pure coincidence.

Midway through the month, I decided I would not pressure myself. February is a short and busy month (half my team at work had holidays, I caught a cold towards the end) and it just wasn't working out.

I decided that I would let this month go, no targets, and no regrets (well slightly) and I would start March with new vigour and targets.

In January, I set out a few resolutions to help me track my progress throughout the year. I'm not moving as fast as I hoped; there have been a few setbacks, BUT there is progress and here it is:

·        I started attending online writing bootcamps and I'm working on improving my freelance writing

·        I've taken an online paid course to develop my career

·     I learnt that I need to create a writer's website so I'm planning to launch that in March (this month)

·        I've finished reading one short self-help book and I'm halfway through the second.

·        I've created my portfolio on Contently.

·        I've written around 3 poems in January

·        I've written a combined total of 8,377 in January (5,616 in Darya's story, 2,439 in personal articles on my blog & a 322-word flash fiction piece titled "A Boom of Blue" – poems excluded)

·        I've listened to several hours of Udemy courses in both January & February. Haven't completed any courses but I'm halfway through three courses, which I hope to conclude in March.

There are a few things on my resolutions list that I have not yet approached but there are 10 more months in the year and I will achieve them – God willing.

A piece of advice I recently came across was finding an accountability buddy for certain tasks. I've not taken that step yet because I'm trying to be accountable to myself first. I don't want to get depressed by not doing what I planned and simply skipping on my unnamed accountability buddy just yet.

As for the blog, I've been on an off, but the writing prompts are ongoing. I also have a few author interviews sent out and some underway. I'm still trying to finish up a piling list of accepted book review requests. You can check out the newly added reviews along with what's in the works here.

Now that I've made the admission to myself – I even have it down in writing, it's time to begin March with new hope, vigour, and willingness to improve oneself, and move forward with the resolutions (set forth on this blog :D)

Mid-NaNoWriMo? Progress Is Progress - Blog post

Is it truly 15 November? Whoever invented the term/idea that "time flies" wasn't joking!

We're mid-month, mid-NaNoWriMo and I'm way behind on my word count!

I must admit, I wish I weren't working full time to I could at least catch up.

There were days when I didn't write at all, when I just desperately needed to sleep! There were a couple of others when I sat in front of the laptop screen not sure how to continue from the point I had reached.

But here we are the 15th that's two weeks in with 17,500 words out of 25,005 words!

But do you what's the best thing about this?

In these 15 days, I've almost accomplished what I had accomplished in my other writing project in the past three months!

Between August and October, I wrote around 18,500 words in Darya's story. In my NaNoWriMo project I've jotted down almost as much with my 17,500 words. Can you believe that? Or better can I believe that?

It means I can do it! And I will do it!

It also means I can raise my target, build on my accomplishments and enjoy writing and seeing my projects grow.

I'll be doing another post on 1 December with my overall NaNoWriMo word count accomplishment(s) and provide more updates in the novel I'm currently working on. All I can say now is that it's a paranormal cozy mystery.

If you don't know what a cozy mystery, it's a sub-genre of mystery that's lighter and where the protagonist, or main character, is usually not a detective but an amateur sleuth looking to solve a murder.

Find out more about the cozy mystery genre in Kirsten Weiss' joint article titled "What is a Cozy Mystery? How have Arab readers been introduced to the genre?"

Feel free to check out my book reviews of other cozy mystery books I've read.

If you're taking part in NaNoWriMo, feel free to share your progress updates below so we can support each other.

For those who are unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, it stands for National Novel Writing Month, and takes place every November. It is a time when authors huddle behind their computers, ditch the housework, and work on writing 50,000 words in a month. 

No an easy feat, I assure you!

Nadaness news, updates & giveaways

I've wanted to do a sort of quarterly report on my reading progress and keep my readers/fans/friends updated on Takhayyal and other ongoing bits on the blog.

This week, I decided to make my Takhayyal prompts once every two weeks instead of weekly to give myself and others time to write.

Takhayyal Week 7 and Week 8 both got more responses when the prompt was extended. (updated note)

I'm feeling optimistic and excited about the prompt for week 8, which was posted last week. So starting that, prompts will be two weeks long.

As for my reading progress, I've crammed myself so much in March to the extent that it was hectic and tiresome for me. But luckily, my reads were amazing and made up for my mistakes.

Although I read or finished around four books in March, Goodreads has me at "One book behind" in my reading challenge for 2014.

I must say, I'm lagging behind on The Sham by Ellen Alan, which is very embarrassing. I signed up for several tours and these are bound by dates, so I had to put Ellen's book aside for a bit till I can meet my deadlines.

I also haven't started on my New Year's Resolution of reading Arabic books – again this because of book tours and review requests, all of which are in English.

Hopefully, I'll have more time to do my Arabic readings in May and June. (I don't think I'll have time in April, which is almost half way through).

I want to thank authors, who accept my delays and postponements in posting reviews. Recently, someone asked for a review and I told them I'm book till June – which is true – and they said they didn't mind. It really made me feel appreciated.

Here is a list of the reviews of books I read in March:

Seasons of Time by Miriam Khan

Bound by Spells by Stormy Smith

Just Pru by Anne Pfeffer

Insanity (Mad in Wonderland, book 1) by Cameron Jace

The Outcast Star by I.M. Tu

I recently announced a massive YA giveaway. Yesterday, I won two books from the giveaway! More on my to-read list but I just couldn't miss the opportunity.

I hope others have won what they wanted too.

I compiled a list of ongoing giveaways, while the massive YA one has ended, the others are still in progress, so hurry up and get a chance to win one or more of these amazing books. Check them out here.

Several of these giveaways are via my blog so you have a bigger chance of winning.

Having read 8 out of 36 books in my 2015 reading, I have so far covered 22% of my target, which I was hoping to take up a notch to 40 books – but that's for another time.

This week I started reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War. This is the first paperback I've held – to read - in almost a year (buying from bookshops and the book fair don't count as holding). It feels strange when you want to highlight something and you're afraid you'll spoil the book. I got used to highlighting and writing notes on my Kindle.

My upcoming reviews for April are: (in particular order)

The Sham by Ellen Alan

The Huntress by Nadja Losbohom

Family Secrets by Kat Nicols (less than a week before the giveaway for her book ends, check the above link)

I almost forgot!

In March, I hosted our first Poetry Recital for 2015 at Cairo University.

In April, I'll be moderating a seminar with scholar and translator Samah Selim also at Cairo University on Thursday, 16 April, 2015. The theme of the seminar is "Why We Translate: Some Notes on Love, Loss and Longing".

Wish me luck!

Check out the Facebook event here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/420375108123935/

I am also considering revamping the Book Reviews Page. It is currently divided according to the type of book, but I'm thinking of doing it in alphabetical order of book titles (or authors). What do you think?

The thing is, I review novels, novellas, short stories, poetry collections and anthologies, so I wanted to have things separate but I feel that it looks weird.

Feedback would be highly appreciated!

I'm doing another call for artists and photographers who might be interesting in sharing their work on my blog as part of the Takhayyal series. Rules can be found here.

There are several interviews in the pipeline. So stay tuned!

I'm not sure what else I wanted to add in this "quarterly" report. But that's all folks!

Books, Takhayyal and more to come!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Takhayyal launched yesterday, Thursday, 5 January and it’s already received entries!

Check out the picture prompt AND the entries in English here.

This week I’m taking part in a Jennifer Carole Lewis’ Revelations book blitz, added to a blog tour for Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Allison; I’ll be posting a book review.

Also, check out the blitz with the prologue and half of chapter one from Miriam Khan's newly-launched Seasons of Time. I'll be reviewing the novel in March, so stay tuned.

I’ll also be posting my interpretation of my own prompt sometime this week and I’ll be updating the Takhayyal page once we are more than two weeks in.

Photographers and artists are still encouraged to send their work to be featured on Takhayyal and it gives me great pleasure to say that I’ve already received several pieces.

Others that I have contacted have expressed readiness to have their work posted too *feeling overjoyed*

That’s all for now!

Looking forward to reading and commenting on all your pieces for the challenge

So, come and imagine with me! #Takhayyal

2015 blog plans & 2014 recap

2014 ends in a day, and I hope 2015 will be a more fruitful year for everyone.

I'm not going to recount all that happened this year, simply because I don't remember much but I did, however, write some 26 reviews, give or take, though I haven't posted all of them on the blog but I think I posted around 20.

I did not complete my reading target, due to several changes this year, but I realised I had set one too big for me. I originally planned to read 50 books, and was progressing well till June. I cut my target to 40, but I practically finished around 36.

I started a reading challenge that even I couldn't commit to till June; but I have better plans for 2015.

I saw two poems published this year; one in Scripting Change's new volume Beyond the Words, and also in Paragram's anthology Remember.

I have been mulling this over and over; I want to start a weekly writing prompt – something similar to VisDare, five-sentence fiction and Flash Friday, only like the first two it will not be contest but a simple picture to prompt me and others to write.

This prompt will be open to all, English and Arabic writers, whether poetry, flash fiction or just artistic prose. More details to be posted when I have jotted them down better. But I must say, artists are welcome to send me their work to be featured as the weekly prompt.

I will need your help for publicity, tweets and retweets, and of course writing.

I'll be taking part in blog tours in January and February.

I will be posting a massive giveaway in January as well, so stay tuned.

Another blog highlight? I passed 25K views! Thanks to all!

Have you written your New Year's resolutions? I'm finalising mine and will post them soon.

Until then, Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate on 25 December and to my friends who celebrate on 7 January, and Happy New Year to all!

Great news & November recap

I have been withholding some good – awesome – news for a while now just until the release dates. It gives me great pleasure to announce that two of my poems have been published in two anthologies, both of which are coming out this month!

As some of you may have seen or read, my poem "Words" was published in Scripting Change's new anthology Beyond the Words. It is a small collection of short stories and poetry by various authors. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to charity organisations, with a focus this year on literacy.

Another poem titled "Remember" has been published in Pragrammer's poetry anthology by the same name. I believe it will available on Amazon and other outlets soon. It's a print-only edition, though.

Blog update: Another month has gone and I have succeeded in committing to my bi-weekly posts of Friday and Tuesday, with some additional bits and pieces here and there. I did fail to keep track of certain days and ended up doing my post on a Saturday and Wednesday in one week though – how embarrassing! Lack of sleep can do that.

In November, I took part in my second blog tour and my first with Xpresso Book Tours. I have officially taken part in several cover reveals, book blitzes and giveaways for them and I must say it's been a fun and enlightening experience that I intend to keep going.

I'm still lagging behind with my reading but what I promised will be done in 2014 shall be done as such - *fingers crossed*

I sadly did not finish all my intended reads for November, though whatever is lagging will come out in December or depending on my agreements with the authors.

I hope some - or all - of you have had the time to visit the blog and see the makeover. Let me know what you think!

Book reviews posted in November: 

Hand of Fire by Judith Starkston

Krymzyn by BC Powell

Strings by Darren Gallagher (a short story collection)

The Duality Principle by Rebecca Grace Allen (Blog Tour, 28 November)

I have decided not to disclose which books I'll be reviewing in December simply because there have been so many changes added to my lagging behind; so, I'll just have to surprise you as I go.

I'd also like to wish all my readers and friends a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Routine Change

At last my routine will change!

I may grow lazy but I feel I have been given this opportunity to finally work hard on improving myself and on doing all the things I have been postponing for months.

I will certainly read more. Write more. I have to write more!

I have several books on writing that I need to read and use their exercises to prompt my own writing. I’ll try to challenge myself more with the weekly #Visdare, five-sentence fiction, and Flash Friday! contests.

I will certainly continue to work on finding a new job but in the meantime I’ll take some time to relax, work out, enjoy life, go out, spend more time with family and friends and did I mention read more? ;)

And I will certainly get back to blogging twice to thrice per week.

I have never been so excited in my life!

Thank you God, for everything!