#aspiringwriter

Have you ever returned to a draft and felt like the intention is clear, but the impact isn’t quite there?

It reads well but doesn’t fully connect.

• the idea comes through, but feels distant • the scene moves, but lacks tension • the moment passes without much weight

When I was 13, I was told that wanting to pursue writing as a college degree is useless.

Now that I am 23, I am told that pitching stories to a publishing or a production company is unrealistic.

And it's amazing just how easy it is for people to crush other people's dreams—with words. Then again, that doesn't matter because the minimum job requirement is experience, which is also impossible to achieve if no one is willing to take a risk with someone who has none.

If the battle of yesterday is that it is easy to become a writer without a college degree, then the battle of today is whether a non-degree holder can become a writer and still earn the attention of yesterday.

But all my life, all I've ever dreamed of doing is write, write, write.

Book Review Of “Tangled Minds”

Author: Huma Adnan

Author’s Intro: Huma Adnan is a Pakistani Writer whose stories reflect the emotional depth of relationship and the silent struggles shaped by societal norms. With a background in science and experience as an educator, she uses fiction to challenge stereotypes and sparks meaningful conversations. Her work often highlights mental health, gender bias, and emotional complexity. Featured in multiple anthologies, Huma believes stories can heal, inspire, and hold up a mirror to society.

Genre: Anthology

ISSBN: 978-969-2269-92-6

Pages: 13

Publication date: 21-04-2025

Publisher: Series Of Words

Rating:

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Review:

Some books don’t need dramatic twists or loud heartbreak to stay with you. They just quietly settle into your heart—and this was one of those stories for me. This story is not a typical love story which mostly we get to read. It’s emotionally weariness, quiet strength, and a connection that doesn’t try to save you but gently stands beside you. Zaara felt incredibly real— guarded, tired, and quite brave. I could feel her longing for peace and understanding. And Arman? His calm presence was like a soft exhale– the kind of love that doesn’t demand but simple stays.

What struck me the most is the honesty. It does not romanticize pain or try to fix it— it just lets it exist. That’s what makes Huma’s writing so special. Her stories aren’t just stories— they are mirrors. They open up conversations we don’t always know how to start…….

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Extra:

Review by: Sharmeen Javed ( @pages_sharmeen )

Picture clicked by: Huma Adnan ( @wordsbyhumadnan )

Book written by: ( @wordsbyhumadnan )

Book Published by : Series Of Words ( @series.of.words1 )

Time taken to write: 1 day

Rating: 4.5/5

Music: Lovely ( @billieeilish & Khalid)

Twelve, in a collection of writing prompts. Rolling out a handful of "Story Blasts" to help you hone your storytelling skills through daily efforts involving repetition and experimentation. Each "Story Blast" contains a collection of random components. A photo and a paradox; A pair of opposites with an inherent conflict of polar choices to incorporate, explore, use, and build on, along with five additional random items; such as concepts, actions, places, intentions, etc.

The goal of these "Story Blasts" is to spark a daily use of your creative skills by writing a minimum of 250 words a day. You can write more, but consistency is the objective to reinforce the desired outcome, which is Habitual Professional level writing. The other side of that coin is utilizing "random" components that you did not seek out, which will take you to different places than you would typically go to. Breaking ruts and delving deeper into various aspects of your stories by forcing your creative combinations of the listed components mixed in with other concepts. I will be posting the writings, short stories, poems, and musings that are generated from these Story Blasts on

https://edwardlacina.substack.com