Opening up your project makes it better
On rediscovering the joy in letting curiosity lead and the importance of collaboration | This is a 5-minute read.
Hello and salam my friends,
I pray this meets you in the best of health! I’ve been nursing a combination of a flu, cough, cold etc for over a week now, and it’s not been pretty. Since I fell ill, I couldn’t stop thinking about the newsletter and how committed I am to not missing a Friday. BUT my mind or brain also reminded me of my commitment to giving myself grace this year. Grace, self-compassion, is a habit I’m trying to cultivate until it infuses every aspect of my life. So I’ve come to a sort of middle ground – a short and quick newsletter.
I started the year with quite a few goals, but I’ve been trying to focus more on stripping back, rediscovering things that bring me joy and leaning more into my curiosities. I’ve been crocheting a lot – three bucket hats so far (after one hilarious failed project – more a bucket than a hat) that have been claimed by cousins & a scarf. I’m currently on doing a joint laptop-sleeve project with a friend, and it’s been bringing me a lot of joy.
I used to crochet when I was much younger, I generally loved making things as a kid, and I’m trying to get back into this. What I love about crocheting is that it’s a form of active rest. A lot of the patterns I follow are quite repetitive once you get to the third-ish row, so I find myself able to relax while enjoying the process of creation. Sometimes, I find my subconscious working out a thought, an issue or even an idea as I sit there and crochet.
I’m currently in the middle of my research placement with Storymix, founded by Jasmine Richards, and working with them – albeit for a short while – has been a good lesson on exploring curiosity. Storymix is an inclusive fiction studio that develops concept ideas for children stories (up to young adult). Then, they find the writer(s) for the story, pitch the project to publishers, and work with the writer to bring the story to life. The beauty of their system is that they are very nurturing, and hands-on from ideation to publication. It’s an amazing training ground for writers to learn, grow and develop their craft with the help of a supportive team (side note: they are always open to taking on new writers).
I had the opportunity to sit in on one of their meetings, and it was so refreshing to see them exploring ‘what if’ as they played around with story ideas. I came away with this immense feeling or need to be freer, more playful as I worked on my own writing projects.
That meeting also reminded me of the joy of collaborating, of creating with community. Writing is such a solitary project, but I try to think of ways to include other people in my work, especially during ideation. I have a few trusted friends I talk to about my ideas, and the questions they ask encourage me to push the boundaries of my ideas – and this for me is a kind of collaboration. I think this is also why I value writing community or critique groups even if it only includes one other person, because someone else reading your work and engaging with it, can bring about insight that may never have crossed your mind.
Sometimes someone may suggest a solution or an idea to a problem you may be facing with your writing project, and while you probably won’t take it forward, that idea might the thing that sparks just the solution your project needed. And it may not even happen immediately too. Sometimes we may be resistant to ideas because our writing is so precious and our way of telling the story feels like the only way, but I’ve found that it’s only from being open and trying things out that I can truly get to the core of what I’m trying to say.
This is why I value working with editors, as well as working as an editor. It’s a kind of collaboration. The right editor knows or pulls out what you’re trying to say and helps you get to the heart of it. I really enjoy working with writers to develop their story/thesis, and it’s always such a joy when a writer comes to a final draft that we both know is doing just what they want it to do.
But I’ve also often read books where I’ve felt like the editor could have done more with it, and I see this more with books by authors of colour. It makes me wonder if the editors are operating from a place of fear – would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Also, you’ve been in a writing group or have worked with an editor, I would love to know what your experience has been like – the good, the bad and the ugly.
As usual, if you found this beneficial at all, please consider paying for a subscription, and share this post with your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances!
Till next Friday,
Suad x
I’ve always loved writing workshops and circles for that collaborative feel but they were temporary and often after I worked on something in isolation. I just started a new critique circle that meets biweekly with a few other Muslim women and I’m writing a novel as I go with their feedback and ideas which feels scary and exciting at the same time! Inshallah this process works better for me!
So sorry to hear about your illnesses! 🤲🏻 Praying for your recovery. You’re a real trooper for putting this out.
Collaborative writing was the first writing I ever did. Roleplaying on forums and emails brought me to where I am today, alhamdulillah, and I still enjoy it greatly. Hoping to co-author something with someone soon!