Writing in Joshua Tree: Finishing Fahli in the Desert

Dec 18, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Apr 30

For five days, I headed to the desert.

No notifications. No errands. No background noise except wind, birds, and the low hum of something in the background (which I think may have been an air force base up the road). I went to Joshua Tree with one clear intention: finish the prequel to IYANWA, a book called Fahli.

This is my first post about that writing trip. There’s also a video to go with it (below).

Steaming mug on a wooden table beside the middle-grade fantasy book, IYANWA, with a sunlit window view. Sunlight casts a warm glow creating a cozy atmosphere. — Tea...lots of tea

Why Joshua Tree Is a Powerful Place to Write

Joshua Tree isn’t just visually striking. It’s empty and that was exactly why I chose it.

The desert strips things back. There’s no phone distraction (I did take some photos of course), no TV in the home, no constant distractions. You see everything in one view: rock, sky, cactus, and what I soon realized to be the most important thing, air; space, and time.

I found a cabin far away from the roads. The main high street being 20 minutes away, so there was nothing to go to, or nowhere to be distracted by.

Writing Without Distractions (and Why That Matters)

What was crazy to me was I didn’t realize just how fragmented my attention had been until it wasn’t. All pressures of work/devices disappeared, the world became calmer (goodbye doomscrolling). I brought with me a few food items, and the tea…lots of tea. What ended up happening was my day became dictated by the sun. I initially thought I was going to stay up all night, but I ended up heading to bed earlier and waking up at sunrise.

All this meant I was able to expand my thoughts. Story development became deeper. Detailed. Without this distraction, scenes don’t stop halfway through. Characters don’t lose momentum because you had to switch mental gears.

Sunrise over desert landscape, orange sky fading to blue. Brush and mountains in distance, creating a serene and peaceful scene. — lots and lots...and lots of tea...

What Fahli Is (Without Spoilers)

FAHLI is the prequel to IYANWA. It's not a side story, not an afterthought, but a foundational piece of the world. I often explain that IYANWA is the second half of the circle, and FAHLI is the first.

It explores: