Nillu Nasser's Blog, page 4

The Lost Months

Photo by Natalia

Six months since I was last at my desk in a quiet house. Six months since the pandemic drove the world to close borders and ground planes and shut people in their homes. Six months during which close to a million people globally have died from coronavirus. And now, in England, a tightening of lockdown rules again.

It’s still surreal that this has happened. That a pandemic of this nature can sweep across the globe. That our generation is living with this, and not some distant peo...

Isolation and Writing

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In the Armchair: Reena Dobson

I have someone special to introduce to you for todays instalment of In the Armchair. Reena and I have been online friends for a few years. I came to know her mostly through the brilliant short fiction she shares on Twitter. Shes one of those people whose timeline is filled with honesty and beauty. 

Twitter can be a mysterious land. Its a treat to have Reena in the armchair here on the blog, so we can get to know her better. Shes here to talk about her anthology Falling into the Five Senses,...

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Lockdown

[image error] Photo by Kevin Gill

Were completing the third week of lockdown in England due to Covid-19. Historians suggest we jot down our thoughts during this time for future generations. This is a letter to myself.

How quickly this new normality descended. How suddenly cities quietened: trains empty, playgrounds taped off, motorways deserted, tourist spots barren, churches shut, flights grounded, weddings cancelled, shops shuttered, shelves emptied. As if we all retreated into burrows rather than our...

Audiobook Release: All the Tomorrows

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I’m so excited to tell youthat the audiobook of my novelAll the Tomorrows, narrated by Daki De Alwis,has been released on Audible.

Daki has a voice like melted chocolate and Ican’t wait to see what you think. There’s a sample on the Audible site. Here’s the blurb for those of you who need a reminder:

Sometimes we can’t escape the webs we are born into. Sometimes we are the architects of our own fall.

Akash Choudry wants a love for all time, not an arranged marriage. Still, under the weight...

My Favourite Writing Tools

[image error] Photo by Silvia Sala

Susan Kaye Quinn–all-round superstar, speculative fiction writer and scientist–often inspires me with her Facebook posts. She recently shared the writing tools she uses, which prompted me to update an old post of mine.I hope you’ll find some new and useful tools here. Please share in the comments any tools you use to make your writing life easier.

Writing and Editing

Scrivener: plotting and drafting manuscripts. I like the corkboard and binder, and how you can move...

My Wishes for You

[image error] Happy Valley in Coulsdon, UK.

Happy new year to you all!

I hope the coming decade is kind to you: that you grow wiser and softer, that you enjoy good health, long walks and wonderful books, that joy and comfort never leave your side, that long-buried dreams find the light and you always find your way through storms.

If you feel lost, I hope you find your path. Be gentle with yourself. It’s okay to be human and flawed and to not have figured everything out. You don’t always have to be a...

In the Armchair: Bianca Bowers

For the latest instalment ofIn the Armchair, I’m thrilled to welcome Bianca Bowers, who is here to talk about her novel Cape of Storms. I learn from Bianca all the time. She is fierce, passionate and warm. Her poetry is exquisite and so are her stories.

‘They would debate every subject under the infinite karoo sky, from the time the chameleons stalked the sun, to when the crickets began their nocturnal orchestra.’

– FromCape of Stormsby Bianca Bowers

I was lucky enough to be a first reader...

In Pursuit of Perfection

[image error] Photo by Alice Popkorn

Do you remember that classic answer to the interview question: what is your biggest flaw? The answer that still does the rounds and is intended to impress: I’m a perfectionist.

Although, perfection is not a goal I chase nowadays. It has taken years to understand that perfection takes a toll. It breaks backs and spirits. The sheen of perfection is neither real nor a blessing. Perfection doesn’t value flaws. It neglects to honour the importance of doing your best, in spite of the outcome. It...