“Life happens in a series of moments”, is my mantra. “Wounded: Diary of a Nameless Woman”, attained its 29th position on the Amazon bestseller list and a Hot New Release in a week. This is my way of remaining productive and sticking my finger at my diagnosis of depression and fibromyalgia and lupus (which will be in my second book).
My health had deteriorated, as I slipped further into depression and I lost my mobility. I needed something to do, to avoid getting more depressed. I live with reactive depression as I am high functioning and I entered the fight of my life. The concept of the book wrote itself as a whisper came through my mind “write the book”. “ What” I answered as I walked out of Charing Cross hospital. “You got to be kidding” at this point!
I had started writing my first book in 2006, but for some reason, the ingredients were not mixing well in mind and writing. I could not seem to engage in its content. I got to understand in an exceedingly small way that there was a plan. It would be later I would understand it was intended to be a sequel. As a Christian I always take my projects before God, at least now I do. I believe I got the Heavenly nod, but things did not work out as I wanted. I had decided I could write in 6months to a year. That did not happen I went into depression and a fibromyalgia flare that lasted 6 months as I left work. I can honestly say I had less than 23,000 words of the current book in winter 2017. I could not write. It took me 5 years with a lot of bumps but my book was published on 23rd March 2021.
I knew my style of writing, as I had shared a couple of chapters with professionals and they said I was an author. You will find me chuckling when I introduce myself “Hi, I am Wairimu Warobi Best Selling Author of “Wounded Diary of a Nameless Woman” etc. It seems surreal for the girl who told her dad emphatically at the age of 10 “daddy I am going to write 5 best sellers and then we retire”. This is the one thing I am proud of accomplishing.
I am therefore an unintentional writer, but there was a greater plan that I still do not know. As a child, I loved reading and my report writing skills were excellent. I worked in media so the pressure of putting together and proofreading articles from other houses allowed me to practice my skill. Over the years I had forgotten the promise I made to dad but he kept nagging me and the dawn arose although not in the way we expected.
I started a blog, unfortunately, I had truly little response and I gave up. I started another blog on my webpage and then the disorder took over my life. I suffer from fatigue which meant I had to rest more than writing. Brain fog my nemesis meant that the days I was exhausted I could not string a sentence in speech or writing. I would go through any written work and find words missing and it was soul-destroying.
I first wrote for Mo2vatemagazine in June 2020. It was one of those things you see the challenge and the opportunity, you grab it without knowing where it is going. That moment gave me my second accolade as a writer “Editor’s Choice”. The award gave me the courage to write better, as writing for a magazine and a book are totally different.
Writing a book is not particularly easy. The biggest challenge is Why are you writing and Who is your audience? You constantly have to revisit this question and I will share what I know on this journey.
Open your word document and start typing as we journey together!