Hey, my name is Myra Trudea Okumu and welcome to my blog. If you have not subscribed to my newsletter, please do so and you get to receive updates, posts etc. in your inbox.
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For those who are new here, I am a writer through and through. I cannot remember a time when I was not writing. I discovered my love of books from an early age and, more, my love for learning new things. I have told this story several times but I will tell it once more.
When I was about 8 years old, I found a book in my grandmother’s house titled ‘Habitats’. I had no clue what that singular word meant so I took it to my dad on my weekend visit. My dad was an avid reader and even then, I knew he would know what it was. He sat me down for a full Sunday afternoon, reading the book with me and explaining every word I could not pronounce or did not know.
That was the beginning of my reading.
Every Saturday, my dad would take me to the Good Shepherd library and ask that I read as many books as I can. He would bring me a hotdog and a drink for lunch, and pick me up at closing time. From there, we would drive home and I would tell him about every story I read and why I liked/disliked it. Then, I would pull out a list of words I had learned that day after scheming through the dictionary for their meanings. I felt on top of the world each Saturday; I traveled into different worlds, met so many characters and lived vicariously through their journeys and adventures.
By 10 years old, I had read Meg Cabot, Cecilia Ahern, Danielle Steele, Stephen King, John Grisham, Eoin Colfer and the likes. I finished Lord of the Rings, Alex Rider, Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter by the time I was 11. And I read until I felt I had a story I could tell.
Given, my influence in writing stemmed from sites such as Wattpad but slowly, I found my voice. I found my way of telling stories and conveying a message. I found the stories I loved, the ones I wanted to read but could never find. I write every story for me, first.
I write stories I would want to read, stories I would give the time of day. How could I expect the world to love something I do not love? That would be an utterly ridiculous and delusional expectation.
I always joke to my friends that I would ran mad if I ever stopped writing, and I feel that becomes a possibility every day.
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The notion that writers spend their days leisurely in pajamas, sipping lattes while joyfully typing away is a charming thought, but the reality is quite different.
In truth, many of us juggle full or part-time jobs alongside our writing endeavours. Making a sustainable living as an author is challenging, often requiring multiple books or a blockbuster debut — which is rare (although I do hope ‘Sinful Basket’ will be a hit).
Balancing writing with an eight-hour workday, not to mention family commitments, self-care, exercise, blogging, and travel, poses a considerable challenge. While it’s tempting to think, “I’ll fit in my writing whenever I can,” I’ve found that this mindset often relegates writing to the background.
Personally, I prioritize routine, strategically allocating time to maximize productivity and planning ahead to ensure optimal use of every moment.
#1 – PROTECT YOUR WRITING TIME.
Many find it odd and inconvenient that my workday extends beyond the typical end time. This occasionally leads to missing out on social events or opportunities. However, if I make my writing easily reschedulable, it could establish a precedent for frequent rescheduling.
#2 – SET GOALS AND DEADLINES.
Think of them as your new best friend and your worst enemy at the same time. They are so helpful to achieving your writing dreams because they allow accountability and tracking milestones.
I would advice writing them down and pasting them somewhere you can see them. These goals could be number of words per day, the type of content you would like to write on certain days or writing deadlines that you have, including submissions.
#3 – COMMIT!
It only takes 21 days to form a habit, but you gotta stick with it! I know it is hard breaking down old habits of procrastination, but having the right motivations and mindset will help tremendously! If you can track milestones, or have an accountability chart, you do that.
#4 – BUT DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF.
Ultimately, things happens. Illness, work deadlines, dead computers, seasonal depression,just life. So give yourself a little grace – especially in the beginning – to adjust and do what’s best for your life. Writing is not a chore, it should be an extension of who you are.
Good luck to all the writers out there and you continue to bring stories into the light and make true your literary dreams!
With love,
The dreams that belong to the multi coloured girl🫀
For as long as I can remember I have loved words, reading and writing them. I was first introduced to books when I was 7 by my dad, who was a reading addict (if that is a thing ). I was rammaging through my grandmothers things and found a book about habitats, the cover blew my tiny brain away and it was the first thing I showed my dad when I went to see him that weekend. He read the whole book with me and then helped me define the words I couldn’t even pronounce (eg. wilderness).
My dad has always been a reader, and I think that rubbed off on me as the years passed. The first Stephen King book I ever saw and read was from his collection, an absolute delight.
Proud dad and daughter moment❤️📌
Once my dad saw my fascination with books, he made it a habit to drop me at the Good Shepherd library every Saturday at 8, bring me a hotdog at 12 and pick me up at 3. My job was to tell him the books I had read and all the new words I had learned that day. Memories! My vocabulary is not so bad because of the times I spent pouring over words and being shocked by big words. What do you mean impromptu or conglomerate? I laugh now but I used to throw words around never knowing what they meant but knowing how to use them in a sentence.
Writing followed, inspired by the teen romances I started reading and the eloquently written books I loved to spend my days drowning in. Crying at endings, heartbroken for days when terrible things happen in worlds that only ever existed inside the writer’s head. (I was inconsolable at the ending of Mirror image by Danielle Steele — then I read 4 more times just to be sure).
A decade and years later, writing has become the backbone of my existence. It has saved me from myself, the world and most things that threatened my sanity. Sad? Happy? Grieving? Anxious? I write and my crooked world is suddenly upright and all is well with the universe. What are the habits that allowed me to transition from teen romance writer straight out of wattpad to following my head and writing every thought and building stories from scratch:
I realised that success is a broad term in any and every aspect. Success means different things to different people. Success for me means achieving my writing goals and living a life of contentment knowing that I shared, though my writing, what I know and what I feel. Knowing that I educated, entertained and inspired. Ultimately, success is whatever you make of it; it is defined by what you strive for and what you consider to be important. Success is an individual journey, and each person has the opportunity to define their own path to success and mine looks like being a bestseller, book tours and sharing feelings, thoughts and stories.
Live a life that is more meaningful and fulfilling to you. I can not stress this enough. It is important to define things for yourself including yourself. Do not let people define who you are for you. What matters to you? What works for you? Finding my writing space, mentally and physically, requires finding a certain level of balance in all aspects of my everyday life – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Practicing self care and mindfulness. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I know it can be hard to find time to for yourself, but do it anyway. Listen to your mind and to your body and know when to stop, when to give yourself breathing room, when to rest.
I’m not a seasoned writer yet and i hope to be, to have my multiple award winning books listed on the first page, headed “Also by Myra Trudea Okumu”. Yes, I dream big and I dream in fabulous colours. (Update: I spent the better part of the cyclone editing my manuscript) and I made a new friend!
We live and breathe words. …. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt–I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling with you.
Writing has always been that one thing I have never lost passion for: that everlasting fire in my heart. I mean, yes I have gone months without writing because I can’t get past the idea phase, or times where all I can write is gibberish and the frustration results in writer’s block, but words and I have never parted ways.
Despite working 18 hour shifts and running a full time business, writing still is a big part of who I am (and what I will always be!) and what use is writing if I can’t share that joy with others? What purpose does a story serve if not to be told? To be passed down? To entertain, educate?
Writing has always been second nature to me, something I was not taught but self-learned from reading others, and publishing (a) book(s) has been a goal I haven’t been able to shake off. That expensive, time-consuming, heart-wrenching goal that lives rent free in my mind.
Reading Danielle Steele, Meg Cabot and Cecilia Ahern, my love for stories grew with each read and each mind-blowing ending. Being from a third world country, my reality is different. The hurdles to be faced are different but very much real and very much unavoidable. Here is what I am learning in trying to get my books out and on the market:
ISBN application
When I decided that I wanted my books available on the international market, the one thing I needed was an ISBN, an international book serial number, which I wasn’t sure I could get in Malawi. The internet said we had a national archives where I could get one but their digital footprint is non-existent (gruesome story for another day). Buying an ISBN was out of the question as one was being sold for close to $200 on some sites! Several Google searches later, I stumbled upon the Archives office in South Africa and ISBN application was free, all I had to do was send an email with my book information and of course, a copy of a hard copy once published. Was that it? No. They reply hours later that I can use the archives in Malawi and at this point, I feel I am out of luck because the system in this country would involve me kicking and screaming all the way.
Fortunately, I was able to locate them in Zomba and I got my 3 ISBNs at less than $7 and the condition that I send them copies.
Book Cover Design
A book cover is sometimes the difference between someone reading your book or putting it down. I don’t have this down to a science but I have picked up a book solely because the cover was appealing to look at. This isn’t to say I haven’t read good stories with horrible covers but hey, good covers are eye catchers.
Finding a good designer is imperative, someone who is good at their job but also listens to your wants. The final result should depend on you, just don’t get in their creative well in the process.
This part needs you to know your book specifications including book trim size, cover paper, paperback or hard copy. All those trifling details for your perfect book. If you have any questions, you can always email me or write that in the comment section.
Getting Quotes From Publishers
If your ultimate plan is to get your book into a paperback or a hard copy, you will obviously need some people to print your book into existence. Regular printing and book printing are very different things and should be treated as such. Do not carry your precious book to any company that has the words ‘print’ on their door! Find the companies you feel can do the job and ask if they do book printing. Here are some questions to ask:
Do you offer book printing services?
Any reference material on any books you have printed?
Can I get a quotation on a book with Xyz attributes?
How long does these process between submission and printing take?
For my books, I chose TAG graphix (former: IPPL printing and packaging) and they have been such wonderful help through everything. I really can’t wait to work with them in publishing my books this year! A link to their website: http://www.taggraphixmw.com/
Choosing Editors
You have written every word you could muster and you feel this is your best work. You have edited all you could and this looks likes the goose that will lay golden eggs. It’s not there yet. You need a fresh set of eyes and someone willing to tell you the cold hard truth. One should be ready for constructive criticism and be willing to learn and grow from it. Editors are there to cross out what shouldn’t be there and help you build on your story. Think of it as the final layer of much needed colour on your masterpiece, the whole thing is you but it needed a step back and a fresh set of eyes to add that zing! to it. I picked 3 editors, each with a passion for story telling and all willing to point me in the direction of much needed change in some areas. They also do have a lot of experience in storytelling and writing and let’s just say, my manuscripts will be hitting their desks soon.
I am not a seasoned writer (yet), I am just a young woman who loves to write and share her writings. I write from passion and from my love of telling a good story. When I do publish my books, that will be an absolute dream come true and I will be sharing my journey here and on my YouTube channel as I go along, bare with me.
I hope whoever reads this finds it helpful and is a dreamer just like me, a true lover of words.
Love,
The girl who dreams in colours yet to be discovered.
About the blog
Myra Trudea Okumu is a personal blog that documents an individual’s journey through different aspects of living. Don’t forget to follow me on:
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