When I decided to start blogging, I was simply looking for a place to track my creative writing journey.

I used to write on pieces of paper whenever I felt inspired to write a poem, story or idea down.

These papers disappeared after a while thanks to carelessness.

Even when I write in books, they sometimes got missing because my family was constantly in motion. We never stayed in one place for long.

A blog therefore made my write-ups accessible irrespective of where I found myself. And I could continue adding up posts from time to time and watch the improvements.

I wrote things that sounded interesting to me, initially. But I noticed after a few days, I found my fresh ideas stale.

Soon, I attributed it to growth. One is only impressed with previous work if one isn’t growing. Growth makes you see the rooms for improvement in a really good work well done. It doesn’t mean you can’t pat your own shoulder when a satisfactory job is done.

Then there was the question of what to post. The stories were more original and captivating when they stemmed from real life events or incidents.

But whose stories should be written?

Mine or those of the people around me?

Many of my friends were following my write-ups and they could easily smell something they’ve told me in my writings.

In order to not betray a friend, I needed to watch my steps as I write.

Sometimes, the story I am writing coincidentally resembles something someone told me about themselves.

Unfortunately for me, my friends like to confide in me and that posed a challenge. What do I write about so someone doesn’t feel leaked into my pieces?

There were days no idea would come. No matter how hard I struck my head in desperation, no idea lit up.

Initially, I would only write things I felt were good, on days I felt good.

But later, I decided to write anything that comes to mind. In digging a well, dirt and muddy waters gushes out first before the clean water. One  must keep going, keep digging till the desired water comes out, clean.

These days, many minerals are found deep below the surface unlike back in the days when some precious minerals were found even on the soil surface especially after heavy rains.

Then I discovered that when you time yourself and let’s say, you give yourself 45 minutes each day within which a write-up must be completed, the brain is forced to come up with something quick and sometimes surprisingly good.

Moreover, I also discovered instead of waiting to really dream up a wonderful idea to write about, every day happenings is magic worth capturing.

Things happen spontaneously in our every day life and business that are sometimes more captivating than a story we long to go up some high mountain and imagine and write while in that isolated place.

WinterABC2025 Storytelling Festival

#WinterABC2025

#afrobloggers

Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839