M S Rayed | Sci-Fi and Fantasy Author
@msrayed.bsky.social
Aspiring sci-fi and fantasy author. Currently editing a Roman Empire historical fantasy, a South Asian dystopian fantasy, and a cyberpunk noir with a South Asian setting.
Milestone alert! 🎉 I finished the initial copyedit of Imperial Dawn. I did a massive sprint over the weekend and edited the final 22 chapters in two days. My brain is toast. 😅
The draft is now in Atticus for formatting, and I'm doing final proofreads on my Kindle.
The draft is now in Atticus for formatting, and I'm doing final proofreads on my Kindle.
December 8, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Milestone alert! 🎉 I finished the initial copyedit of Imperial Dawn. I did a massive sprint over the weekend and edited the final 22 chapters in two days. My brain is toast. 😅
The draft is now in Atticus for formatting, and I'm doing final proofreads on my Kindle.
The draft is now in Atticus for formatting, and I'm doing final proofreads on my Kindle.
Productive Thanksgiving! Reading Golden Son has me inspired. 🚀
Updates:
- Making progress on Vol 2 of a Substack serial.
- Drafting short stories.
- Copy-editing Imperial Dawn: 15/40 chapters done!
Feels good to have the momentum flowing again. #amwriting #RedRising #SFF
Updates:
- Making progress on Vol 2 of a Substack serial.
- Drafting short stories.
- Copy-editing Imperial Dawn: 15/40 chapters done!
Feels good to have the momentum flowing again. #amwriting #RedRising #SFF
November 30, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Productive Thanksgiving! Reading Golden Son has me inspired. 🚀
Updates:
- Making progress on Vol 2 of a Substack serial.
- Drafting short stories.
- Copy-editing Imperial Dawn: 15/40 chapters done!
Feels good to have the momentum flowing again. #amwriting #RedRising #SFF
Updates:
- Making progress on Vol 2 of a Substack serial.
- Drafting short stories.
- Copy-editing Imperial Dawn: 15/40 chapters done!
Feels good to have the momentum flowing again. #amwriting #RedRising #SFF
Reading Red Rising and Sun Eater inspired me to tackle my own series outline. I've now mapped out 7 books for the Blessed Empire series (starting with Imperial Dawn) and found the ending. 🧵
November 27, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Reading Red Rising and Sun Eater inspired me to tackle my own series outline. I've now mapped out 7 books for the Blessed Empire series (starting with Imperial Dawn) and found the ending. 🧵
Finally got a Kindle Colorsoft for Black Friday! 📚 The anti-glare is a huge upgrade from my phone. Currently speeding through Red Rising. 🧵
November 24, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Finally got a Kindle Colorsoft for Black Friday! 📚 The anti-glare is a huge upgrade from my phone. Currently speeding through Red Rising. 🧵
Finally slowing down after a productive 2025, and I'm at peace with it. My creativity is cyclical; I drafted for months, but in Nov, I've written maybe 5 times. And that's okay. 🧵
November 20, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Finally slowing down after a productive 2025, and I'm at peace with it. My creativity is cyclical; I drafted for months, but in Nov, I've written maybe 5 times. And that's okay. 🧵
Some days it's tough to figure out what to post! 😅 I often skip it, but I'm trying to be more regular.
I'm focusing on more short stories for Substack lately—thinking they'll be a more accessible entry point for new readers. 🧵
I'm focusing on more short stories for Substack lately—thinking they'll be a more accessible entry point for new readers. 🧵
November 18, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Some days it's tough to figure out what to post! 😅 I often skip it, but I'm trying to be more regular.
I'm focusing on more short stories for Substack lately—thinking they'll be a more accessible entry point for new readers. 🧵
I'm focusing on more short stories for Substack lately—thinking they'll be a more accessible entry point for new readers. 🧵
If you love the epic scale and political betrayal of Game of Thrones, but wish it had more Roman legionaries, you might like my book, Imperial Dawn.
#amwriting
#amwriting
November 13, 2025 at 3:24 AM
If you love the epic scale and political betrayal of Game of Thrones, but wish it had more Roman legionaries, you might like my book, Imperial Dawn.
#amwriting
#amwriting
Navigating identity as a writer is complex. I write vital South Asian/immigrant stories, but also Roman historical fantasy and European settings. 🧵
November 12, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Navigating identity as a writer is complex. I write vital South Asian/immigrant stories, but also Roman historical fantasy and European settings. 🧵
It’s been a long grind, and now it's all about patience. I’m copy-editing Imperial Dawn (9/40 chapters done in six weeks). It's slow, but I'm building editing tolerance! Hoping for major headway during the holidays. 🧵
November 11, 2025 at 3:49 AM
It’s been a long grind, and now it's all about patience. I’m copy-editing Imperial Dawn (9/40 chapters done in six weeks). It's slow, but I'm building editing tolerance! Hoping for major headway during the holidays. 🧵
The Zohran Mamdani victory in NYC has me feeling genuinely hopeful. This year has been a real struggle, often leaving me feeling completely hopeless, but wins like this are proof there are things to look forward to. 🧵
November 6, 2025 at 2:12 AM
The Zohran Mamdani victory in NYC has me feeling genuinely hopeful. This year has been a real struggle, often leaving me feeling completely hopeless, but wins like this are proof there are things to look forward to. 🧵
I respect people who don't want politics in their fiction, but I can't write while keeping real-world influences out. Some stories tackle current issues; others use the SFF setting as a stage to explore uncomfortable questions. 🧵
October 26, 2025 at 5:33 AM
I respect people who don't want politics in their fiction, but I can't write while keeping real-world influences out. Some stories tackle current issues; others use the SFF setting as a stage to explore uncomfortable questions. 🧵
You like "Grumpy x Sunshine"? Try "Immortal Traumatized General x Morally Flexible Shapeshifting Assassin Who Is The Only One Who Can Handle Him" in Imperial Dawn. It's a niche.
October 12, 2025 at 12:39 AM
You like "Grumpy x Sunshine"? Try "Immortal Traumatized General x Morally Flexible Shapeshifting Assassin Who Is The Only One Who Can Handle Him" in Imperial Dawn. It's a niche.
Writers, let's talk about the "for me" drafts.
I was just looking through my files and found a couple of novel drafts I wrote purely to get them out of my system.
I was just looking through my files and found a couple of novel drafts I wrote purely to get them out of my system.
October 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Writers, let's talk about the "for me" drafts.
I was just looking through my files and found a couple of novel drafts I wrote purely to get them out of my system.
I was just looking through my files and found a couple of novel drafts I wrote purely to get them out of my system.
Copyediting is a cruel mistress. 😅 I've only made it through 5 chapters out of 40 in about a month. This kind of detailed, draining work takes so much more energy than the initial joy of drafting new chapters. 🧵
October 7, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Copyediting is a cruel mistress. 😅 I've only made it through 5 chapters out of 40 in about a month. This kind of detailed, draining work takes so much more energy than the initial joy of drafting new chapters. 🧵
Describe your favorite SFF book using only a terrible, one-sentence summary. I'll go first for Dune: "A local teenager is very upset about sand."
October 5, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Describe your favorite SFF book using only a terrible, one-sentence summary. I'll go first for Dune: "A local teenager is very upset about sand."
Imagine Gladiator meets Game of Thrones, but the conspiracy threatening the empire is from another dimension. That’s the world of Imperial Dawn.
October 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Imagine Gladiator meets Game of Thrones, but the conspiracy threatening the empire is from another dimension. That’s the world of Imperial Dawn.
I've seen America called a “third-world nation” lately, and as someone from a country that went through a long period of authoritarianism, I have some thoughts. 🧵
September 28, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I've seen America called a “third-world nation” lately, and as someone from a country that went through a long period of authoritarianism, I have some thoughts. 🧵
Every book starts with a question. For #ImperialDawn, mine was: What if the Roman Empire had super-soldiers? I've always been obsessed with Roman history, but I wanted to see how figures like Nero and Agrippina would handle weapons they couldn't fully control. 🧵
September 27, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Every book starts with a question. For #ImperialDawn, mine was: What if the Roman Empire had super-soldiers? I've always been obsessed with Roman history, but I wanted to see how figures like Nero and Agrippina would handle weapons they couldn't fully control. 🧵
I've streamlined my publishing plans and now have three novels in editing! My Roman historical fantasy is in copyediting, and my South Asian dystopian fantasy and cyberpunk noir are in developmental editing. I'll be sharing more about all of them.
September 22, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I've streamlined my publishing plans and now have three novels in editing! My Roman historical fantasy is in copyediting, and my South Asian dystopian fantasy and cyberpunk noir are in developmental editing. I'll be sharing more about all of them.
It’s been a rough day mentally, and that anxiety is connected to a larger fear: that the US could descend into a kind of authoritarianism I’ve already lived through in Bangladesh. Writing felt nearly impossible, but I pushed through. 👇
September 19, 2025 at 12:55 AM
It’s been a rough day mentally, and that anxiety is connected to a larger fear: that the US could descend into a kind of authoritarianism I’ve already lived through in Bangladesh. Writing felt nearly impossible, but I pushed through. 👇
My writing's been slowing, but my motivation is back. My current read, The Sword Unbound, is inspiring a new, traditional Western fantasy idea - a subgenre I haven't tried yet. I always keep a first draft going to keep me moving!
September 15, 2025 at 12:29 AM
My writing's been slowing, but my motivation is back. My current read, The Sword Unbound, is inspiring a new, traditional Western fantasy idea - a subgenre I haven't tried yet. I always keep a first draft going to keep me moving!
Social media politics often feel like a no-win situation. Instead, I explore political divides in my stories, from S. Asia to governments that monitor thoughts. My fiction is where my politics live. #writerslife #politicalfiction #speculativefiction #fantasyauthor
September 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Social media politics often feel like a no-win situation. Instead, I explore political divides in my stories, from S. Asia to governments that monitor thoughts. My fiction is where my politics live. #writerslife #politicalfiction #speculativefiction #fantasyauthor
Felt low yesterday, closest I've been to depression in years. Pushed through to line edit my draft and Pro Writing Aid gave me 20k suggestions. 😂 A sobering reminder of the work ahead. Publishing it has to be its own reward. #writerslife #writingcommunity
September 6, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Felt low yesterday, closest I've been to depression in years. Pushed through to line edit my draft and Pro Writing Aid gave me 20k suggestions. 😂 A sobering reminder of the work ahead. Publishing it has to be its own reward. #writerslife #writingcommunity
Hello, Bluesky! ✨ I'm Rayed, a Bangladeshi-American author. My first novel is Imperial Dawn, a Roman historical fantasy about an immortal champion commanding legions of super-soldiers. It's the first book in my shared universe, The Deepline. Say hi! 👋
August 31, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Hello, Bluesky! ✨ I'm Rayed, a Bangladeshi-American author. My first novel is Imperial Dawn, a Roman historical fantasy about an immortal champion commanding legions of super-soldiers. It's the first book in my shared universe, The Deepline. Say hi! 👋