My Writing Update

So I have been working hard to finish these two books that I am working on. The hours are punishing and I cannot seem to get enough done in 24hrs. Between a day job, commuting, writing, reading, family time, eating, relaxing, me-time, sleeping, exercising …. 24 hrs are not enough. I have been reading from the experts on how to get stuff done daily by prioritising the items, shutting down email and chat, being strict with distruptions etc. Its all very nice when you read and take notes …. try it and a whole new world of organized chaos emerges.

So I am working on two books, one a work of creative fiction another non-fiction. I have also been consulting the experts on publishing and am scheduled to get down to my lawyers office so we can discuss legal perspectives of this while publishing thing. I used to think that getting the words is the hard part, but the publishing industry here in Kenya (and am sure everywhere) is unforgiving and very daunting for first timers. I have read about self-publishing and all its pros and cons. I dunno.

Am just wondering, do we have some kind of agents in Kenya who do the leg work so that we writers concentrate on writing? Hallo, any agents out there? And then what about publishing abroad? Publishing online? Oh, this is so confusing …. I need a poem to help me clear my mind ……

Spinning the Yarn

It was wound taut, and
Sinews around the centerpiece
Unrelenting in its tightness,
It was almost constricting
Trying to purge it was a
Tall order, day or night

The yarn had been spun
For many years, or is it eons,
And it formed a tight, thick
Harness around his chest, such
That his heart beat an unsteady
Tattoo inside his ribcage

The yarn had started as a tiny
Wispy strand, but with constant
Spinning, stretching and tightening
Had evolved into a tight bundle
That now threatened to choke him
Like unruly weeds among flowers

Not to be outdone, the flowers
Had all intentions of blossoming
Tight yarn or no, and this meant
A constant struggle to blossom
Against all odds and even ends
Which would justify the means

As the struggle endured and wore on
The yarn became tighter and tougher
The flower became longer and brighter
For in the end the yarn could only
Stretch so much, but the flowers could
Always grow and blossom in new life

Having won the battle against the
Tight ball of yarn, the flowers
Smiled at the sun rays which
Shone directly and kissed them
On all sides and covered them
With warmth and nurturing life

The End

Now that my mind is clear, what do you dear reader have to say about writing and publishing in Kenya, or online? Oh … and self publishing too. Let me hear your comments.

…. after the weekend

Saturday mid-morning. I sat at my balcony, kicked off my shoes as I powered up my hp nc6120 laptop (been admiring those sleek, razor-thin Macs, but that’s a story for another day). 5 hours later, I had done an impressive 3000 words, on my other fiction book, titled The Well. I was ecstatic! I was jumping up and down around the house showing everyone who cared my impressive word count of 6,000 plus. Did I mention the new Word 2007 counts as you type (see earlier post). I was impressed. Just goes to show that with the right discipline and concentration, one can achieve alot. Writing wise that is.

Which begs the question, why am I not writing full time? To that am still looking for an answer.

Of Facebook and Writing

I must admit am a late adopter to social networking, but am now totally hooked. Been Facebooking like crazy. I never knew the power of social networks and how easy it is to find people. I have connected with old friends, have made new ones, joined networks of interest …… The possibilities are endless.

This could not have come at a better time, as I need all the networks possible to help me promote my upcoming book. It is in very good shape and am optimistic that it shall be a hit.

I have been listing all the places I shall donate my book including churches, schools, youth groups etc since it has a positive message for everybody. I am also convinced that it is blessed to give 😉

Am off to Facebook!

New to Microsoft Word 2007

I have been drive testing the above, and one cool feature is the word count thingy at the bottom left on the status bar. Nothing could be more exciting as you write a book! I can literally see my word count grow in tandem with the soreness of the finger tips. This “live ticker” of word count into numbers keeps me motivated and hungry for more!

Am at the phase of wrapping up the my book and it has come out well. I have a list of publishers whose doors I shall be knocking soon, so all you publishers out there, am coming !

I also discovered Notepad ++ ver 4.8.5, a great application that I write my blogs (like this post) offline and do other plain text editing. It is also great for XML and HTML editing, other things am learning! Did I mention 7Zip? Check out these utilities, and donate.

Am also waiting for my new Ubuntu CDs to be shipped, since downloading the ISO image on this side of the digital divide is a real pain in the back side. Are the ISPs and the fibre optic cablers reading this? I terribly need broadband (real, not imagined) on my balcony, barefoot (bila shoes). Talk to me people!

Still, hey life is truly phenomenal! Am enjoying it!

5AM Dispatches

This morning as I was opening the door to venture out jogging, it started raining heavily. I was taken aback by the sudden downpour. It is unusual at this time of the year, but then unusual climatic conditions have been the rule rather than the exception in the recent past. Back in the house, I dusted off my stepper, calibrated it was was off huffing and puffing. The closest I could get to the outside weather was pumping the stepper next to an open window. The fresh air was as sweet though. The chirping birds resident in the bushes that grow on the riverside outside my window added to the ambience.

To me writing is very important, it is a way of life. As long I can remember I have been penning pieces on various topics. My first love though is creative writing, especially fiction. I am enrolling for a course soon to help sharpen my writing tactics in other areas like freelance journalism, children writing etc. It should be thrilling.

To write is to express oneself. To write is to mirror the environment around you. To write is to tell a story that would otherwise have been not been told. To write is to liberate one’s thoughts. To write is to capture one’s desires. To writes is to articulate ones aspirations. To write is to bring the world together. To write is to sing a song. To write is to conquer.

For me, to write is everything.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow is another day.

5AM Dispatches

I usually take it easy on Sunday. It is a day for worship. It is also a day for rest, reflection and family bonding. These are very important to me. Yesterday was spent typically in that fashion. So are other Sundays.

Today I continued to think about my writing. I had slept with images of my books having become world best sellers. Indeed I prayed for God to continue giving me the wisdom to write even better and impact on people’s lives positively. I am sure it shall come to pass. My thoughts then drifted to publishing. I realised I do not know much about the subject. Therefore I am embarking on a research mission. I made a mental note to speak to a friend of mine who is more knowledgeable on the subject and industry. The little I know is that publishing for new writers is usually a daunting task. Many a Kenyan writer has ended up doing self publishing. Thoughts to ponder as the books take shape slowly. I also thought about editing. This should be a publishing function, but the little experience I have on editing should set me on the right path. I think my editors shall have an easy time, but then they are a different breed all together. Hard to please these fellows.

My jogging is progressing on well. I discovered that I just need to maintain the same pace, speed and distance for a couple of weeks, then increment the same and in a year’s time I shall be doing great things on the roads. This is a country of running greats, so I have lots of inspiration. I just need to watch the evening news. Record holders abound.

Thank you for reading. Tommorrow is another day.

5AM Dispatches

Saturday is a great day. I get to make for lost time in my writing and other things in my life. As I jogged today, a big smile was playing on my face. Pity that it was dark and no one was watching, but no problem. Last night I made the mock ups of my books (real and imaginary) on top of the best-sellers list. I printed the list and stuck it on the wall. It was very exciting. As I pounded the road today, I could see myself receiving accolades globally for great works of fiction and other literary greats. I actually created two lists showing three of my books (real and imaginary).

The Caine Prize for African Writing is held every July. The deadline for submission is usually January 31st of the same year. I am gunning for the 2009 prize, and others there after. I have read the requirements and memorized them. So my writing plan is now SMART. This morning, the cool air was tasting better, as I envisioned myself awaiting to receive the writing prize. I was smiling as I entered my house again after an exerting run. It cannot get better.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow is another day.

5AM Dispatches

This morning, as I tried new breathing techniques used by world-class marathoners, my mind seemed fixed on the Caine Prize for African Writing. In fact I am doing a mock recording of the winning announcement today. Of course after that pin drop silence that punctuates the air before the winning name and book is announced, my name shall be announced. It will be the culmination of a dream well dreamt, if you may. I want to play this over and over in order to get my inspiration and spirits up. I am also doing mock-ups of all the best seller lists I can get. Of course my book will be at the top. This will help me keep my dreams passionate and focused. Visualization is very important, I learnt today.

Pounding the tarmac this morning, I discovered that you do not focus on the distance you need to cover, it will discourage you. I keep my mind on other things and let the legs take a life of their own. Translated in real world terms, if you focus on the obstacle, it will intimidate you, and you may end up not overcoming it. Instead think of ways you can conquer it, or circumvent it. Using this principle, even though am not the athletic/marathon type (but will soon be), I am able to do quite a good distance every morning. I am preparing for the Nairobi Marathon which is run on our city roads every October/November as part of the four Great Races of the Earth (the others being in Mumbai, Hong Kong and Singapore see the http://www.greatestrace.com). I have purposed to run all four, not to mention the most grueling in Kenya, the Lewa Marathon run in a wildlife conservancy every June in the north of Kenya.

Yesterday night I shared some experiences with a friend on visualization, focus, passion for your dreams and such stuff. It formed very good food for thought as I jogged this morning. Am also doing some reading on how the athletic greats do it. Luckily for me, here in Kenya, marathon types are everywhere in the morning preparing to conquer the world. There must be some formulas that I can apply. It would be great to win a marathon, or half marathon soon.

Let me run.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow is another day!

5AM Dispatches

This morning the jog was very invigorating. I pushed my distance slightly more. My intention is to slowly increase the distance I cover every morning without increasing the time. This is by working on my speed.

My thoughts swirled in all directions. Even though I did not resolve any outstanding global problems, I learnt a few things. First, it is important, very important, to have well cushioned running shoes. This cannot be overemphasized. The other thing is the running surface has to be as even as possible. You do not want sudden changes on the road under your feet, as this usually gives unexpected results, like tripping or spraining an ankle. Totally unnecessary at 5.14am.

In my neighbourhood, I am able to jog on the road primarily because it is safe. The hard tarmac surface is not very forgiving. So street lighting also helps, but oncoming motorists headlights do not. So while I prefer to be on the side of the road where I can see oncoming traffic, the blinding lights do not help much in the morning. Neither do the fumes they belch.

So much for running shoes, potholes and stones, traffic and tarmac etc. I tried to focus on my writing again. My goal of 5 pages a day came up. I need to come up with a strategy for achieving this. Thing is my thoughts and ideas at times seem to crystallize randomly. I know I must set aside specific writing time and achieve the 5 page rule. Since am not into writing full time, I need to juggle my daily activities and ensure that before I sleep, I have put in my 5 pages per book. I am sure I shall achieve this somehow. Yesterday I did so, but lost an hour of sleep. Every hour counts, if I have to pounding the tarmac at 5am.

I also thought about music, or jogging gadgets if you will. An ipod strapped to my upper right arm would be nice, but to me that is too predictable. I was thinking more along the lines of an mp3 player with voice recording feature and probably FM radio. I can load it with the stuff I want to listen to, switch to FM for some early morning inspiration, or record my thoughts as I gasp for air. An ipod is still nice, for those long haul flights maybe. So I shall have both 😉 Just a thought.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow is another day!