I found a love, we talk two hours to midnight, then text each other our feelings…a bit of lie coated in truth, but oh how it keeps me awake.
“Really?”
“Yes, we talk way past midnight but when we are at work, he just smiles at me,” she said.
I found a love, so dear and true, a love that thrives behind keypads.
A love filled with emojis and texts.
A love so profound on whatsapp, telegram and messenger.
I found a love, she says…so here I am telling everyone about it, not because it intrigues me but because it’s beautifully seasonal…and I can’t help but listen.
It’s been a while since I posted anything and the gods of writing have summoned me here.
How’s your week been?
My week has been cold. I’ve been in Ol-Kalou in Nyandarua County and it’s always around 11° and 14° Celcius and for someone who is used to temperatures of 28° Celcius and above, this has been like living in a deep freezer.
I got to visit the Aberdare Ranges and took some photos.
More like a mile, but here I am sitting on this bed in a hotel room, braids hanging on my shoulder, thoughts keeping me company.
I was in Mwilala, some place in Khwisero in Kakamega. I’ve been to many more wards in this county, Bungoma, Siaya and a bit of Kisumu and my heart yearns for silence.
A bit of thrill amidst the chaos.
A bit of sunrise when it pours in Kakamega.
A bit of coffee, an afternoon at Java and a dash of fried fish…it’s these thoughts that led me here.
A subtle reminder that I love being on the road, that new places, experiences and people enrich my perception.
It’s been a while.
More like a while but for what it’s worth, I am glad that it’s led me here, and I’m able to write about it.
The weekend’s here. I’m so happy and well rested I could read three books and listen to some Sauti Sol.
So, I have been on the road daily since Monday.
It’s great traversing Siaya County and talking to farmers about their expertise and food security. I had fish stew at some hotel “Furaha Hotel” on Monday night and my stomach rumbled for two straight days!
I had to wade through mud to get to a school called Malunga and this three year old kid kept staring at my gumboots before stating that he never knew boots could be green in color.
I really miss home food and being on the road has exposed me to different kinds of people. I am learning that:
It’s good to say hello to people.
Farmers are the most hardworking people and they don’t even know it. I have been calculating how many days they spend on the farm from land preparation to harvest.
Sweet potatoes and black tea is the best meal ever.
The best way to heat your feet is to wear gumboots the whole day.
April’s coming to an end and I can’t wait for May.
Why? Well, schools resume here in Kenya and that means…oh well, nothing much but it beats being mistaken for a 16 year old.
So, two questions: One, “do you read books?” and Two, “Do you know a Writer?”
stocksnap.io
If your answers are “YES” and “YES, ” then by all means read on. If your answers are “NO” and “NO” then read on…it might just be what you need to know. If your answer is either “YES” or “NO” alternatively…then you’re also awesome for reading thus far, stay a while.
I’m a Writer and whenever I say this most people say “wow! so you like write books?” I am often tempted to say, “No, I write blocks,” but nonetheless, it’s always a great feeling when someone recognizes my effort and passion.
Writing takes work. So, with the increased access to internet and need to live voraciously through social media networks- writing and access to books has been made easier. You could read an ebook, a PDF version or simply get an App that allows you to read chapters every day.
stocksnap.io
So, what can you do to actively support a Writer? It’s simple, enable their creation to thrive. How?
Buy the book. Yes, buy the book. If it’s in print or digital format, take your time and money and actually buy the book.
Share your honest views on the book. If you can share a sentence or two about it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads or Amazon, then do so, this way many more people would know about the book. Yes, a friend asked me, why I review books on NetGalley and I said that as a Writer, getting feedback on a book is great motivation and being able to read a book (often before it hits shelves) is epic but it also introduces me to new Writers, new writing styles, genres and publishers.
You have a mouth, use it! The greatest marketing tool to date is the word of mouth! Talk about the book you are reading and you may gain insights on great conversations and make friends too.
You are not a Distributor, so don’t give out copies that the author has not authorized you to do so. In 2016, I came across a PDF copy of my book “Fire” and it had been shared by a close friend in their whatsapp group and somehow being in close circles someone shared it in the group I was in and I remember being in a matatu and wiping away tears as I looked out the window. It hurts. If a Writer attaches a price to a book, and you had the effrontery to buy it, then accord other readers the same opportunity. Just because you felt the need to share it, does not mean that it’s not piracy.
Certainly not…I mean, maybe, just a little…okay, I may be.
Have you ever given this kind of response?
If you have, then thank whoever made you realize all that because they are precious and as few as can be in this world.
You’d think that for someone who has written a story or two and published, that I’d be confident and certain of the next step when writing a story. Truth be told, I’m not. I struggle with every step of the writing process and not every story I’ve written has made it to publication.
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There have been many stories that sounded epic in my mind but fizzled out on paper.
There have been characters that I loved but readers hated.
There have been also sales expectations that have never been met and yet, I still fret over one sentence, a cover image or just keeping the reader’s attention from the first to the last page.
So, today has been one of those days for me because I feel like time’s running out on me and I’ve got to set a story free. So, I found myself wallowing in my thoughts and constantly refilling my cup with tea until my sister asked “what’s wrong with you?”
I said “nothing, why do you ask?”
She said, “You always drink so many cups of tea when something is bothering you is it work again?”
“Really? Me…tea? You’re joking.”
“It’s true, but if it’s nothing then stop drinking all that tea, you’ll keep going to the toilet.” I had just been served the raw sauce by my sister and truth is, I am scared, not because this book will be out but what if it is nothing like I’d envisioned and what if it makes it to a reader’s hand and it doesn’t have an ounce of impact, not even an “I didn’t like the cover,” kind of impact?
I had a list of all the what if’s and just when it seemed like it would all make sense, my Mentor sent me an email detailing his thoughts on my writing and one sentence stuck out “this is new for you and it’s worth thinking about.”
So, if your dream scares you- great! Let it, maybe it’ll make you either shy away or push on. Whatever you do, if it involves fiction and writing- there’s nothing as satisfying as creating worlds with words…isn’t that how we’ve often known of the past?
nilichoandika 