No. III: My Month of Rest and Relaxation
Notes on Progress, Passion, and Patience
“I'm taking some time off. This is my year of rest and relaxation.”
— My Year of Rest and Relaxation, a Novel by Ottessa Moshfegh
Dear Friends and Future Readers,
January has been a slow and quiet month. I’ve spent more hours dreaming than I have awake, and honestly, that’s just how I like it. This month, I’ve traded the noise of the outside world for the stillness of my own. It’s been deliberate, really; the first step in my editing process.
At the end of last year, I finished my novel. After scouring advice from the ‘greats’ on editing, one piece of wisdom stood out: “Put your manuscript to the side.” Easier said than done. The temptation to comb through it immediately was almost unbearable. But I reminded myself of the bigger picture, closed my laptop, and began to dream instead.
Editing Update
My editing process will look something like this:
Rest and Reflect. Set my manuscript aside for at least two weeks. This gives me a fresh set of eyes when I return. In this time, I’ll think about the emotions, themes, and questions I have about the novel.
This is an extract from my first letter. While the manuscript has been “marinating,” I’ve spent the past month reading articles and watching videos on editing your first draft. Instead of two weeks, I set my manuscript aside for close to a month. I began asking myself tough questions: What do I want people to take away from my novel? How do I want to impact them?
Saint Eustachius is more than a murder mystery set in a cathedral, it’s a story about religion, revenge, morality, and the lengths people will go in the name of God. It’s deeply personal, reflecting my own struggles with faith, but also rooted in meticulous research—cathedral architecture, religious histories, philosophy, the occult and real-life testimonies. I hope that this story resonates beyond the plot and lingers with readers in a meaningful way, making them rethink our purpose on this pale blue dot in the sky.
Writing Update
One piece of advice I wholeheartedly agree with is this: never stop writing. So, I’ve begun working on a new novel, Project Fatale.
As expected, starting something new wasn’t easy. My mind, still tuned to rest, resisted writing more than a page at a time. To keep moving, I shifted focus to plotting, creating my signature three-act structure, and getting to know this new cast of characters.
In February, I plan to write at least 10,000 words and flesh out the world I’m building. While I won’t say much about Project Fatale for now, I’ll share occasional updates alongside my editing and querying journey. For live updates, you can always follow me on Instagram. <3
Life Update
Now for the most exciting part.
Being an author has always been my biggest dream. But before I started writing, I was a reader first. Literature has been my constant love, and it shaped so much of who I am. Maybe it was after I watched The Dead Poets Society that I truly realised what I wanted to study and the legacy I wanted to leave in the literary world.
On a whim, I decided to follow my heart and apply to universities in England. The dream always involved the English countryside, and a few weeks ago, I got my acceptance letter. It’s surreal. While I’m thrilled to be moving forward, I realized I’m prouder of the fact that I tried than of the acceptance itself. In the next decade, when my books are in bookstores, I’ll be in the library with my group of students talking about literature and philosophy.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. It’s easy to feel like you’re behind when really, you’re just on your own path. Journaling has helped me reflect on this a lot and reminded me to be grateful for this strange, beautiful life I’m building.
To wrap up this quiet month, I finally watched Normal People, and I doubt I will ever be the same. To be loved is to be understood, and for now, fiction feels like the only place I truly feel seen.
On a lighter note, I started a TikTok account last year, and to my surprise, I’ve already reached 1,000 followers. To many that number seems small, but having over a thousand people interested in something I have to say has been the best feeling. Every day I get messages from people saying they want to read my book and asking when it’s coming out. It honestly makes me cry.
February feels like the start of something great, I can feel it in the air. Maybe it’s the love of a new chapter or just the thrill of possibility. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. To see what’s on my bookshelf, I’ve been reading Babel by R. F. Kuang in preparation for her next novel, Katabasis. What’s on your reading list this month? Visit my link tree to follow me on social media and stay updated with my writing. Until next time…
Love,
Megan Kazembe
P.S. The man on the cover is Albert Camus, a renowned French-Algerian writer, philosopher, and journalist. A key figure in existentialism and absurdism, Camus is best known for works like The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957, his exploration of the human search for meaning continues to resonate as deeply today as it did in the 20th century.
