Fayaz Shah

28/07/2026

Something happened to me in lower Manhattan that I have never been able to explain.

I was walking south through the city when the fire escape shadows narrowed, and I knew, without looking, that someone was behind me.

What arrived in my body in that moment is what near-death survivors keep describing.

I wrote about it:

https://fayazshah.com/something-strange-happens-to-the-human-body-when-it-believes-it-is-about-to-die/

I was walking the entire length of Manhattan when it happened. I had started that morning on the Upper East Side, moving south through the long grid of the city on a summer's day, and by the time I reached the streets of lower Manhattan, the light had changed. The buildings pressed closer. I could B...

27/07/2026

Have you noticed that there is a curious moment that every writer encounters?

You begin because an idea won't leave you alone.

You write simply because it feels exciting. Hours disappear unnoticed. Characters begin speaking for themselves.

Scenes unfold that you never consciously planned.

Then, somewhere along the journey, writing starts to feel like work.

Word counts start to replace wonder.

Algorithms replace imagination.

Publishing replaces play.

We begin measuring ourselves against bestseller lists, reviews, social media numbers and expectations we never had when we wrote our first page.

This week, I'd like to gently suggest something.

What if we remembered why we started writing?

Writing has given me far more than completed manuscripts. It has made me more curious, more observant and more appreciative of the extraordinary stories hidden inside ordinary lives.

Every chapter has taught me patience.
Every rewrite has taught me humility.

Every finished novel has reminded me that impossible things become possible one page at a time.

The joy was never waiting at the end.

It was quietly present in every sentence.

If you're struggling today, don't chase perfection.

Enjoy writing one paragraph.

The rest can wait.

20/07/2026

When did writing stop being about books?
People often ask me what I've gained from writing my first novel.

They're usually expecting me to mention publication, reviews, or finally holding the finished book in my hands.

The truth is that none of those things changed me as much as the writing itself.

Writing has quietly trained me to notice things I used to rush past.

A conversation that reveals someone's hidden fear.

The pause before someone answers a difficult question.

The way two people can hear the same words and walk away with completely different meanings.

Writing taught me that every person is carrying a story that nobody else can fully see.

Ironically, I started writing because I wanted to create stories.

Instead, writing taught me to appreciate everyone else's.

That's a lesson that reaches far beyond novels.

Have you ever had a hobby that quietly changed how you see everyday life?

13/07/2026

No time to write? Let’s make time.

It might sound counterintuitive, but you do have time; you just need to claim it.

Imagine writing time as a meeting with your future self.

Would you skip a project meeting or a doctor’s appointment? Probably not.

So why skip writing?

Last year, I started scheduling my writing before breakfast, 15 minutes per day.

Every morning, I showed up at my desk as if it were a work meeting. The result? After a few months, I’d added thousands of words to my manuscript without sacrificing family time or my day job.

Actionable tip:Experiment: block out even a single 10–15-minute slot on your busiest day. No matter what, open a notebook or doc and write something. Use an alarm or reminder if needed.

Engagement question: What’s one small time slot in your day (mornings, lunch, or evening) you could commit to writing?

11/07/2026

When we treat writing as optional, it often gets skipped. But if you put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable appointment, you’re far more likely to show up.

In fact, one study found that writers who forced themselves to write on schedule produced three times more pages than those who only wrote when inspired.

Those disciplined writers even had creative ideas twice as fast.

Tonight, grab your planner or phone calendar and block a recurring daily slot (even 10–15 min) labelled “Writing.”

Treat it exactly like a work meeting. Turn off notifications during that time.

By prioritising writing time, you remove the daily “should I?” decision.

You signal to your subconscious that writing matters.

Engagement question: How do you protect your writing time when life gets hectic?

09/07/2026

No time to write? Let’s make time.

It might sound counterintuitive, but you do have time, you need to claim it. Imagine writing time as a meeting with your future self.

Would you skip a project meeting or a doctor’s appointment?

Probably not.

So why skip writing?

Last year, I started scheduling my writing for 15 minutes before breakfast each day. Every morning, I showed up at my desk as if it were a work meeting. The result? After a few months, I’d added thousands of words to my manuscript – without sacrificing family time or my day job.

Actionable tip: Experiment: block out even a single 10–15-minute slot on your busiest day.

No matter what, open a notebook or doc and write something. Use an alarm or reminder if needed.

Engagement question: What’s one small time slot in your day (mornings, lunch, or evening) you could commit to writing?

08/07/2026

Schedule your writing time like an important meeting.”
When we treat writing as optional, it often gets skipped. But if you put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable appointment, you’re far more likely to show up. In fact, one study found that writers who forced themselves to write on schedule produced three times more pages than those who only wrote when inspired. Those disciplined writers even had creative ideas twice as fast.

Actionable tip: Tonight, grab your planner or phone calendar and block a recurring daily slot (even 10–15 min) labelled “Writing.” Treat it exactly like a work meeting. Turn off notifications during that time.

By prioritising writing time, you remove the daily “should I?” decision. You signal to your subconscious that writing matters.

How do you protect your writing time when life gets hectic?

07/07/2026

Many aspiring authors think a novel needs long, uninterrupted writing sessions.

But what if 15 minutes a day could do the trick? In fact, research shows even very short daily writing sprints add up impressively over time.

If you write just ~100 words each day (about 15 minutes), you’ll reach a 70,000-word draft in two years, enough for many novels.

The key is consistency. Those small bursts keep the story always on your mind, and you gradually train your writing “muscle” without exhaustion. You might even find yourself looking forward to your 15-minute break, because every word you write is progress.

Actionable tip: Pick a daily time slot, maybe right after your morning coffee or before bed, and set a 15-minute timer. Let go of the pressure to be perfect; just write something. Over weeks, those minutes will compound into a manuscript.

Engagement question: Have you ever tried writing in short bursts? What time of day works best for you to steal a few minutes for writing?

06/07/2026

You can finish your novel by writing just 15 minutes a day.

What if you really could finish your novel by writing only 15 minutes each day? Many writers feel stuck staring at a blank page, thinking they need hours of inspiration. But writing is like exercise – consistency matters more than marathon sessions. Think of 15 minutes as your daily writing workout.

Try these simple tips today:

Set a 15-minute timer: Sit down without distractions. Write anything—even a rough line—until the timer ends.
Make it a daily habit: Schedule writing at the same time every day (with morning coffee or before bed). Small daily sprints become automatic.
Even if it seems small, 15 minutes a day adds up: it’s over 90 hours in a year! Remember, progress is progress no matter how small. Those tiny steps turned into my finished draft.

This approach helped me finish my debut novel Breaking Point. I wrote a bit every day, and those sentences eventually added up to a complete draft.

"Even a tiny writing session moves you closer to the finish line."

How do you fit writing into your life? Share your habits or tips below – your comment might inspire someone else!

ONE MATCH. ONE MIND. ONE BREAKING POINT. The crowd roars like a living force. The sun burns relentlessly over Centre Court. Sweat blinds him. Pressure consumes him. Rafa stands at the baseline, gripping his racket as the world around him begins to blur. Every movement should feel familiar, every ...

01/07/2026

Wrote something about Wimbledon before it started, not a sports post, more about what a place that has held 149 years of supreme human effort might accumulate. Connects to why I set Breaking Point there. If you're watching this year:

https://fayazshah.com/wimbledon-149-years-something-gathered/

Every great Wimbledon champion has described the same moment, where conscious thought stops and something else takes over. No coach has ever taught this. It can only be found. And 149 years of finding it on the same ground may have left something behind. Every great Wimbledon champion describes a mo...