Novel writing, sports editing

We are down to the final third of the year. Time really does fly by. It has been an interesting year thus far. Highs and lows, weeks of no writing or reading for pleasure, and plenty of time writing the day away. Things are looking really good at the moment and these final four months of 2017 have a massive potential to shape my writing journey.

 

There is a real sense of excitement right now. I am making really solid progress on my YA novel. I have made a promise to complete the first draft of my novel by the end of the year. I am on track to doing this. Life is only getting busier but I need to get the words on the page.

 

The Footy Almanac is heating up with the finals kicking off this weekend. It has been a bloody good season of writing so far. The finals will only draw out the best of the writers and myself.

 

I have just notched up three years as writing group facilitator at the Wordsmiths of Melton. It has been a very satisfying time thus far with writers getting published, winning awards and competitions. We have all set ourselves challenges and I can’t wait to see the amazing rewards of our hard work at the end of the year.

 

I have just finished reading Demet Divaroren‘s first novel Living on Hope Street. It is a ripper; it packs one hell of a punch. I have always admired her work and I am so happy for her. Congraulations Demet!

 

Time for me to get back to my novel. By the end of the year, I will have the first draft done. It feels like a big moment; and it will be. But I have to focus on the writing and the story for now.

 

Keep writing and creating,

Matthew.

Mid year happenings: Japan, Footy Almanac and novel writing

It is virtually the middle of the year and things are looking great. I have been flat out between work, writing, travel, moving house and trying to find time to socialise. Thankfully those busy, stressful days are behind me and I am now settled into my new place and well rested after my holiday.

Travelling around Japan for two weeks was a surreal experience. Everything people say about Japan is true: the food is incredible, the people are beyond friendly and the nature is beautiful. There is nothing quite like immersing yourself in another country and embracing the local customs. I ate eel at the fish markets in Ginza, wrestled with sumo’s, and drank craft beer in Shinjuko.

 

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Enjoying the night life and craft beers in Shinjuko. Photo by Michito Goto.

The Footy Almanac is going great guns. I am enjoying my role as web editor and working with so many talented writers and editors. I also wrote a memoir piece a couple of months ago that I am really happy with. Please give it a read below:

http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-memoir-cold-mornings-clearing-torps-and-the-limitations-of-lankiness/

I have rediscovered the fire for my YA novel after a few months of absence. There is something powerful about getting that surge of energy again for a project that means so much to you. The goal is to finish the first draft of the novel at the end of the year.

As always, another project idea has popped into my head and we’ll see where that goes.

The second half of 2017 promises to be an exciting stage for my writing journey. Here’s hoping there is more good news to come.

 

 

 

 

April Happenings

April is here already. The year is flying by. Time to write is becoming harder to find. But I still make time here and there. Between work, writing, planning for travel and moving house, life has been hectic to say the least. However, I am staying on top of things and keeping sane however I can.

I am busy editing at The Footy Almanac. I have been involved with the Almanac for a few years, so to now be an editor for them feels great. I am currently working on a piece for the site about my footy journey and I look forward to you reading it.

I am really enjoying my time at the Wordsmiths of Melton. The writers are continuing to put some cracking pieces together. More publications will be on the way for them, I am sure of it.

I have also been looking for a new house for the past month and a half. Today, I got the keys today and the moving process will begin tomorrow. Change is always nice and I feel that it will refresh my creative energy.

In other news, I am heading to Japan in two weeks. I can’t wait to recharge the batteries and find inspiration. I hope to get some solid writing in as I always do when I travel.

This has been a busy time but it will be worth it. The holiday is much needed and will ensure I can deliver strongly for the rest of 2017.

‘Drifter’ has landed

My short story Drifter has found a home in The Regal Fox. This story is grungy, raw and unflinching.

I am delighted to have a story published in The Regal Fox; this publication is dedicated to giving a voice to new and exciting writers. Looking forward to seeing this publication grow and grow.

Please leave a comment on The Regal Fox website if you like my story.

http://theregalfox.com.au/2016/12/07/drifter-by-matthew-naqvi-nsfw/

NaNoWriMo 2016 Wrap

Just like that, another November has come and gone. This was my second NaNoWriMo attempt and while I didn’t hit the same target as my first attempt, I still got a lot of writing done.

I ended up writing 12,062 words with an average daily count of 402 words per day. It was fun to watch the word count rise and less fun when it was stagnant. In the end, writing a page and a quarters worth every day was productive and exciting. It was real progress and it made me feel like more of a writer.

There were clear moments of some great writing happening and conversely, moments where I was writing anything to have the pen moving and the page filling up. Most importantly, I wrote. I wrote every day. No matter how busy my day was, no matter what other commitments were lingering or what mood I was in. Finding that routine again and sticking to it has helped me immensely. It meant greater focus and direction for my novel, new short stories and a slew of poems.

The middle of the month proved to be the time that hurt. I didn’t write as much as I should have. It put me a little behind and I doubted myself. But I pushed on. I refocused and got myself on track and the final week saw some big numbers. And quality words too. Not just hitting a daily word count or filling pages for fun.

The novel has come forward and is taking shape. The short stories are in a decent shape ready to mould into a complete being. The poetry has potential to be decent. With some mish mashing, there may be a few goodies in the mix.

Social media engagement played a factor in my writing too. Twitter has it’s up and downs, but seeing other writers daily word counts was a real drive to keep going. Getting words of encouragement from strangers helped push me along. Words from friends really lifted me when the words weren’t coming or I simply didn’t feel like writing.

The website posts also made a difference. I received great support, feedback from my posts and gained followers. It was a pleasure to share my NaNoWriMo journey with everyone.

I honestly recommend every writer have a crack at NaNoWriMo at least once. Whether you are someone who writes 1667 words a day all the time or someone who writes 50 words here and there, it is an exciting task to take on. One you will definitely learn form.

I am looking forward to getting some more writing done over the holiday period. I have some solid editing to do, whipping the novel into shape and getting those short stories ready to at least show my trusted readers.

I hope everyone has enjoyed my NaNoWriMo updates. It has been a refreshing experience and I am glad I got to share it.

 

Melton Short Story Awards 2016

On Friday night, the Melton Short Story Awards presentation took place. It was a delightful evening. I gave my speech as the judge of the teen short story section and presented the awards. It was great to see the talented teenagers who had written the finalist pieces. It was also uplifting to see their smiles as they collected their prizes.

In the adult section, three of my writing students from the Wordsmiths of Melton had made the finals. And it went amazingly! The three women took out the trifecta! The top 3 was dominated by the Wordsmiths of Melton. Their hard work, determination and belief got them over the line and they deserved their places. And I was chuffed. I still am.

The fact that all of the group was there, bar one member, made it all the more special. Our claps and cheers erupted throughout the room. There may have been a fist pump or two by me. Our celebrations afterwards were well deserved. It was a truly incredible night. I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

 

NaNoWriMo – Week 3

The third week of NaNoWriMo was a promising time. Once again life tried to get in the way, but I was more focused and intent this week. I managed to write 2000 words for the week; an average of 285 words a day. My total sits at 7151 words.

I managed to write almost double last week’s figure, which is just what I needed. Good progress was made with the novel and one of my short stories. The humid nights were conducive for late night poetry too. One or two may end up being good enough for publication.

I had a short story rejection along the way, but the publication has asked me to submit another piece. So it’s time to polish up another piece.

Keep following my progress over the course of the month on my website and daily updates on Twitter.

Write till you feel satisfied.

NaNoWriMo – Week 2

The second week of NaNoWriMo was an interesting one. Life threw up some interesting curveballs and distractions with Trump, work and sport. I managed to hit 1122 words for the week; an average of 160 words a day. My total sits at 5151 words.

It is safe to say I am not over the moon with the weekly progress. While it has been a struggle some days, I have still managed to write every day. The novel took a back seat as short stories got the focus. There are two stories that have promise and I intend to get the first drafts done. I aim to write a lot more words this week; I have some making up to do.

Keep following my progress over the course of the month on my website and daily updates on Twitter.

Keep writing my creative friends.

NaNoWriMo – Week 1

The first week of NaNoWriMo has come and gone. It has been a solid start for me, with day one beating the daily target while my lowest daily count was a measly 146 words. I managed to hit 4029 words for the week; an average of 575 words a day.

I am happy with this progress. It has been great to get back into the practise of writing every day. No matter what. Some days have seen not enough time to write and others too much time. But the words are flowing and the brain is ticking over with ideas.

As I intended with NaNoWriMo this year, I have been working on my novel, short stories and poetry. Some good, some bad but ideas are developing and stories are forming. I will beat my figure of 20,005 words from 2013. Keep following my progress over the course of the month on my website and daily updates on Twitter.

Good luck to those taking part in NaNoWriMo this year!