So, summer is almost over, and I can't help but reminisce (to use a cliched word) on how it has been.

I had my ups and downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly, which is the typical life trajectory of any creative creator, or any human being for that matter.

To keep it real, let me start with the bad and the ugly. I sent my manuscript of my upcoming novel Karma Unleashed to an agent who was excited to read it. After a couple of weeks, I received a rejection, which, of course, gutted me and made me question my ability as a writer and wallow in sorrow.

That lasted a few days, and then I got up, licked my wounds, and hired a professional editor to help me improve my manuscript so that I could present it to the world soon.

Yes, life knocks us down, and we usually choose to either wallow or keep creating, so I chose the latter.

Now, the good. A lot of exciting things happened this summer.

First, I was approached by an editor at the Markaz Review who asked me to submit a new short story. So I submitted my short story The Agency, which I had been working on for years (on and off). It got accepted and ​published here.​​

I also appeared on several podcasts here and here.

I also beat my procrastination curse and finally launched a free five-day Email course on how to monetize your writing (which has been on my to-do list for almost two years). You can get it here.

So, overall, despite the setbacks, it has been an excellent, productive summer.

How was your summer?

Keep the spark!

P.S: I'm selling the E-book version of my novel They Called Me Wyatt for only $2.99. Grab it here if you want to read a speculative literary murder mystery set between Jordan and the US.

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🖼️ Photo of the week

🤩 Things that wowed me

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Thread: Sometimes they tell you repetition is a writing buzz killer, but occasionally repetition makes your writing sing, as eloquently described here in this thoroughly researched thread by Michael Dean.​

🎥 YouTube: As I have said many times before, I'm a huge fan of Ali Abdaal's work, so I enjoyed watching his video "How I became a millionaire in my twenties. Abdaal credits the book The Four-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss for shifting his mindset about what financial success can look like, emphasizing the value of time, freedom, and independence rather than just accumulating wealth.

🎙Podcast: Like a good suburban soccer mom, I love real crime stories, so every once in a while, I take a break from self-development and writing podcasts and listen to the Crime Junkie podcast. This one was the latest one I listened to while taking a walk.

📚 Book: I fell in love with the book Circe. I didn’t know much about Greek mythology before reading it, so it was an eye-opening, entertaining journey for me. I reviewed it in a short Instagram reel here.

✍🏻 Quote:

🎬 The YouTube experiment

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​Liz Alterman, the author of the thrilling suburban novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, appeared on my podcast and shared her insights on seamlessly blending humor into a dark and suspense-filled narrative.

​Watch this fascinating discussion that offers a glimpse into Alterman's world and her unique approach to storytelling.

And while you are at it, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. I have been trying to get monetized, but I have less than 100 subscribers. 😢

🎙️ Read and Write with Natasha

During my interview with Amanda Blackwood, she opened up about her harrowing journey as a survivor of human trafficking, not once but three times, beginning at the age of 18.

Amanda's tale is not just one of survival, but an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit, as she transformed her traumatic experiences into a platform for advocacy and education.

Listen to the episode here.

✍🏻 Content creation

In the past few weeks, I have published several essays. Here are some highlights:

• ​"The Agency" is a short story I wrote for The Markaz Review. It's about a shrewd businesswoman who runs a successful matchmaking agency in Amman that finds brides for male clients based on a virginity scale. Read it here.
• I launched a FREE five-day Email course on how to monetize your writing. In this mini-course, I will share with you the different methods I use to monetize my freelance writing. You can enroll for free here.
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Are you looking for a content writer for your company's blog or publication? Let's chat. Email me at: natasha@natashastynes.com ​.com​

Connect with me

Do you need help with your digital media strategy? Are you looking for someone to write your newsletter? Are you trying to get published and looking for a book coach to guide you through the murky world of publishing? Do you need a ghostwriter?
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Let's chat!

Email me at natasha@natashastynes.com ​

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