AMERICAN HEART MONTH
How to Join February’s Most Heart-Centric Writing Challenge
Join us for a collective exploration of the quantum mechanics of the heart
Dear Belovers,
February is American Heart Month, so during the shortest month of the year, Beloved takes time to reflect on matters of the heart, from the physical to the metaphorical and beyond.
Yesterday (Feb. 2) was National Wear Red Day, a date to raise awareness around cardiovascular disease as the number one menace to women’s health.
With this in mind, we are set to have this month’s writing spree revolve around the heart.
Fortunately, in 2024, February will have 29 days, giving us some extra mileage to jump into the rabbit hole and pull those great stories out of the labyrinth and into the spotlight of your readers’ hearts.
It’s time to tap into your emotions, share your stories, and let your words be the heartbeat that resonates with our readers.
So we’re thrilled to announce our new writing challenge:
Quantum Mechanics of the Heart
Serendipity works in mysterious ways! After watching the film years ago, I’ve recently read The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, a book written by Mathias Malzieu, lead singer of the French rock band Dionysos, who deals with the intricate mechanics of the heart.
“We love each other like matches in the dark. We don’t talk, we catch fire instead”― Mathias Malzieu, La Mécanique du cœur
I hope this prompt works like a match and ignites your creativity like wildfire.
Why the heart?
In many cultures, the heart has been considered the symbolic epicenter of our emotions and connections.
Thus, love, passion, and the intricacies of relationships often find their symbolic roots in the heart and all its crooked and unhinged mechanics.
“I love you crookedly because my heart’s been unhinged from birth.”― Mathias Malzieu, La Mécanique du cœur
This February, we want to delve into the various facets of the heart through your words, celebrating the beauty and complexity of the beat within us.
I believe we humans exist within a multilayered plane made of hyper-dimensional plateaus.
“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller
Why Quantum Mechanics?
I’ve always been fascinated by quantum mechanics. My poetic opus is also an exploration of this enigma.
In the world of quantum mechanics, particles are known to exhibit behaviors that challenge our traditional understanding of reality.
That’s also why I write. To flip the switch from the myopic everyday perspective of life.
“I just want to escape my own body and project sunlight on to the walls for her to see, so she warms up and yearns for my arms.” ― Mathias Malzieu, La Mécanique du cœur
It’s easy to draw a parallel between the laws of the quantum world and our hearts, as they too have a myriad of emotions, shifting and intertwining in ways that often defy explanation.
You may not understand it, but your heart is in itself a multiverse of experiences beyond the surface—a panoply of emotions, connections, and energies that influence the very essence of our being.
So we’ve put together this highly metaphorical prompt to serve as a catalyst, channeling and amplifying the creative outbursts within you.
We hope it plucks your heartstrings.
Our prompt challenges you to explore the quantum states of love, the entanglement of emotions, and the uncertainty that often accompanies matters of the heart.
If quantum particles can exist in superpositions, your words have the power to create stories that exist in multiple emotional states simultaneously.
“Futurists imagine multiple possible futures, as quantum physicists are set on multiple present realities.” ― Roger Spitz
How to harness the Quantum Mechanics of the Heart
- Think beyond boundaries: Break free from conventions and explore the limitless possibilities of emotions and connections.
- Embrace uncertainty: Let yourself go into the gravitational pull of your inner supernova by realizing that your stories can embody uncertainty and unpredictability, adding depth to your personal experiences.
- Connect the unseen threads: Link into the invisible threads that connect hearts, exploring the quantum entanglement of emotions in your writing.
- Take a quantum leap of creativity: Dare to tap into your inner sanctum and defy the laws of the expected.
Beyond the metaphorical
This February, we also want to raise awareness about heart health. So, we would love to publish stories drawing parallels between caring for our physical hearts and nurturing healthy, positive relationships.
Everyone knows the importance of caring for our hearts for a healthier life, but do we also look forward to nurturing self-awareness and mindfulness in all matters of the heart?
Our body and mind are interconnected in our inner multiverse, and there’s no way to care for the whole system if we neglect one of its parts.
Ideas and creative threads for you to explore
- Heart health and self-care: How does taking care of the well-being of your physical heart align with practicing self-love and self-care in your relationships?
- Emotional resilience: Time to draw parallels between building resilience and caring for the health of our hearts.
- Love languages: Share how understanding your own and others’ love languages synch into the heartbeat of your relationships.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your stories by February 29. Aim for at least 1,000 words. We value substance and quality, so let your creativity flow.
If you aren’t a writer with us, please read our publication’s guide and submit your application.
When you’re finished writing, in the story editor, choose “submit to publication” and click on “submit your story.” Select Beloved and share it with us.
Remember to include the following tags under your story’s five topics: “Beloved” and “Beloved Challenge.”
Why join the challenge?
Apart from the joy of sharing your story with the Beloved community, we will amplify its reach in multiple ways:
Top Picks: Our editorial team will select outstanding stories for special features and promotions on our social media platforms.
Featured on Beloved: All challenge stories will appear on the publication’s homepage.
Cross-pollinated on Alchemy Publications: Beloved is now part of the Alchemy umbrella, offering you the chance to become part of our extended family.
Closing thoughts
This month, Beloved is your go-to haven for heartfelt stories on everything related to the heart.
Lawrence M. Krauss once said: “At the heart of quantum mechanics is a rule that sometimes governs politicians or CEOs—as long as no one is watching, anything goes.”
Remember, your words have the power to inspire and uplift all in a heartbeat.
Thank you for reading, and happy writing!
With love,
“The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed.”— Charlotte Bronte
Editor’s note:
Our publication’s lasting commitment is to give you the space you need to celebrate love, relationships, and the profound connections that shape our lives in all their wondrous and diverse ways. This is why Beloved is always open for submissions.
Ongoing monthly challenges on Alchemy Publications:
“Close the Care Gap” on Zenite
“The Chinese New Year 2024” on Engage:
