April Check In

Hey,

I just wanted to come on here and say thank you so much for all the support from the past years as I've been growing this website. To show you some real-life data, I present a side by side comparison of how big this blog has grown in just a few months. 

September 8th, 2024

April 18th, 2025

In just 6 months, over 8000 people have looked at my stories, whether they be the same person or different people and I just wanted to send my appreciation to everyone. Although I originally started with just writing fictional stories, I have now branched out and wrote all different sorts of pieces, whether they be about my life, pop culture or my accomplishments. I hope this page continues to grow and all readers find some resonance with my stories.

Thank you for reading my words and continue sticking around in the future for more!

Reflections on 2024

As 2024 draws to a close and 2025 is nearly upon us, I've decided to look back on some of my New Years Resolutions I created this time last year, click for New Years Resolutions for 2024 and see if I have accomplished any of them. 

The first one was publishing my solo book and I'm so grateful to say that I've achieved this resolution. It took me a few years to write and many people put a lot of hard work into this creation but I'm happy to say its out in the world. If you've been following along, I published it in my birthday month and for more information, go to "The Sword" Release. If you are still wanting to order, you can reach me through my email, which can be found if you click on "my complete profile". You can also always comment down below :)

My second New Years Resolution was to be more active on Goodreads. I tried to refresh it nearer the start of the year but eventually forgot about it and it became something I pushed aside until it faded. But on a more positive and unexpected note, The Sword is available to add on Goodreads! I always imagined what it would be like to have one of my written works on Goodreads especially as it is a platform that readers use all the time. For more information, go to "The Sword" is on Goodreads to discover how to find my book on the website. 

Another of my Resolutions is to start writing more and this was definitely a resolution I was expecting to not really occur. Writing has been more pushed aside as I focus more on school and marketing for my book but I'm glad to see that I pushed through some writer's drought and managed to write a few stories over the year. Writing stories is the reason I started this blog and I'm glad that I managed to return to my roots.

Finally, my last resolution was to drive and yes, I got my license! 

Some other amazing things happened to me this year. I got my first job, and I'm really enjoying it so far. Its been nice to earn some money and makes you feel really independent. I also got a prestigious award, where I earned Dux, which means top of the year in terms of academics. The award really validates all my hard work this year, through balancing publishing my book, working for the first time, writing stories, social life and still keeping up with my schoolwork and assessments. 

Next year will be a year of lasts where I actually have to decide my future path. I will definitely still be updating as well as writing stories and wishing everyone a happy holidays!

See you in 2025 :)

"The Sword" Release

The Sword by Najwa M

It's finally here! I am incredibly happy to announce that my debut novella, "The Sword", with an exclusive bookmark launched on my birthday and is available to order by reaching through my email, which can be found if you click on "my complete profile". If you can not reach me through there, you can comment down below :)

I appreciate anyone who can buy the book and I've had so much wonderful support while writing it. It took me a few years to write as I managed writing, editing and all the logistics as I still had school and exams but I'm very proud that I got it published. Many people put a lot of hard work into the creation of this novella so show some love. 

Celeste Albus is the heir to the throne of Aerion, a kingdom in the midst of a realm ripped apart from the Great War, a conflict that forced the Energy Guardians into near exile and left a bruising mark on the Elemental victors. With the tide beginning to turn and the wounds of an old war beginning to heal, Celeste is preparing for her ascension with a sword gifted to her on a momentous twentieth birthday. 

But the sword harbours some deceptive links to her origins, establishing the unravelling of her own existence, as the past, present and future collide. Facing uncertainty across all paths, she starts to uncover secrets that have consequences on everyone, especially on the growing peace within. Now racing to prevent another war, both inside and outside the kingdom, Celeste must truly fathom her purpose and what it means for the new world. 

A rant from a writer

Hello,

I thought I would come on here to give you some exclusive looks on how my book is going. I'm nearly at the finish line but I haven't hammered down a release date yet as I haven't sorted out the next stages after the editing progress but we are getting very close on my end :) 

To describe what my days have been lately, I've been working in the mornings, trying to aim for 1000 words everyday (writers count in words not pages). The skeleton of the book is complete and I've been focusing on ironing the details, making sure there are no plot holes, which is why there is a lower word count. I work for a solid three hours before I have lunch and the majority of the word count would have been completed in this time. In the afternoons, I either continue to edit (while watching a few shows because I am also a teenager guys) or if I've done a considerable amount of work in the week, I just clock off entirely. Sometimes I do pick it back up in the night. I've learnt that I gain the most inspiration at night and my words always flow the best so its a great way to end the day. 

Writer's block is a big issue that a lot of people face and it has been an obstacle for me. On days where I feel that I'm not flowing as well, I will do 20 minutes of solid work and then 5 minutes of just scrolling through my phone. Its a nice reward and when I start to write, I always feel more refreshed and it just works better. This doesn't mean you get to spend however many hours you want on your phone, I only stick to five just to stop my brain concentrating so much. Or I just grab a snack. I would read a book, except that I know I wouldn't want to stop reading and then I wouldn't write. If my mind is in a better place then I'll keep writing but if I'm continuing to struggle, its nice to take a longer break. The world won't end if you don't get your daily word goal, it just means you work harder the next few days. But I would like any writer to know that everyone goes through writer's block and it really helps to just take a break and think about something else. You might get inspiration from someplace else!

Speaking of shows, I've really been getting into Drive To Survive on Netflix and I've gone into an F1 deep dive. I definitely recommend the show, just be aware that a lot of the rivalries they try to portray aren't all true and you should go watch interviews of them on YouTube and I assure you there is NO tension whatsoever between the drivers. And I've learnt the rules very quickly but don't ask me to list every world champion because I'm not that deep into it.

I was trying to give you insight on my day but that did turn into a rant. If you did make it to the end, thanks for reading and be on the lookout as I post more updates!

New Years Resolutions for 2024

Well 2023 is nearly over and 2024 is nearly upon us. I've gained a lot of new experiences, achieved some goals and made some new friends this year. With the New Year, resolutions are always at the forefront of our minds. We always plan to achieve some goals, whether they be professionally, academically or just small things to strive for. By the end of the year, most of us may have accomplished a few, may have forgotten about a few or just thrown out the list altogether. Here are some of my New Year Resolutions:

• Publish My Solo Book

If you've continued to read my blog for the past few years, I have shared a few tidbits of me writing my solo book. I am still writing this book but its nearly finished. I hope to publish it in 2024 and you'll be the first to know of a release date or a preorder date. The process has been very long and I've been working very hard to get it into your hands.

• Goodreads

I have been noticing a few of my favourite people to watch on social media, mainly BookTubers, have been participating in the Goodreads Wrapped, which is basically Spotify Wrapped but for Goodreads. I do have a Goodreads account but I never really updated it. I essentially only have a list of books I want to read that is not organised and consists of mostly Tiktok recs. Next year, I want to actually utilize Goodreads and maybe even review a few books on there, we'll see how we go :)

• Senior Year

I'm heading into my first year of senior year which means I'm in the big leagues now. What I do academically this year truly will have an impact on my future. All along, I have just been studying the night before and I want to try and start studying a few weeks before to better prepare me. I do say this every year so we'll see if I actually stick to this or not. 

• Start Writing More

I want to start using the tools I have around me and start developing more stories. This blog has been a very fun, recreational activity but I want to try and write some more although that may be hard when I'm balancing senior year as well.

• Stop Caring About My Reputation

As any teenage girl living in this modern society, our reputation holds a very important part of our lives. Who we are seen with, who we associate with and especially what we seem to be to other people. Everyone has a very different version of themselves they present to certain people and while that will never go away - intertwined into our very core as a human being - I suppose I want to stop caring what other people think of me so much. A lot of people dropped out this year, leaving us with a smaller group of students. Most of which I will never see again. This is definitely the year to start trying.

• DRIVE

This isn't so much of a resolution but a goddamn fact. I am the youngest out of all my friends (yes, ALL of my friends) so they all have their license and I can't even legally take the test to get mine. The element of surprise is also ruined because I am so desperate to have it that they would all expect me to get it as soon as my birthday is over. Some of my friends have had birthdays passed and they haven't taken the test so fingers crossed, there is a 1% that I may get it before them. 

This is literally all I have for my New Years Resolution. I always only do a few anyways so I don't feel like I'm restricted because I HAVE to accomplish these. Maybe that's what should be on my New Years Resolutions next year. Have more resolutions...

I'm Back!

Hello 2023 <3
After a long hiatus, I will be returning to write as often as I can. Entries can range from book recommendations, discussions on tropes, book reviews, analysis on quotes and much more!

Currently:
Reading: Some Kind Of Perfect by Becca and Krista Ritchie.
Listening: The Great War by Taylor Swift. Good Riddance by Gracie Abrams, out Feb 24 2023!

Thank you and keep reading!

About me

Hi, my name is Najwa, I live in Australia and I'm still in primary school at the moment. I hope you enjoy reading all my stories in this blog. I hope my stories are inspiring to you. When I grow up, I want to be an Author. My 4 favourite authors for now are Ann.M.Martin, Belinda Murrell, Jacqueline Harvey and Lisa Schroeder. My Favourite colour is Turquoise. My Favourite food is Ice cream and Chocolate. My favourite ice cream flavour is Cookies'n'cream. My hobbies are writing,  reading stories, playing the piano and swimming.