Breathing Again

Hi Scribes!

I've been locked in the bubble for a few months, working on a novel.

New Book Cover

This experience has been one of the most challenging times of my life. I challenged myself to write a 70,000 word book within 12 weeks. I missed the deadline, by 4 weeks, but I still celebrate the fact that I finished! Let me tell you, writing a novel is no easy feat, but the hard part is not the writing; it's the work that goes into the book launch. Marketing and promoting take time and resources. From Kirkus and Net Galley reviews to press releases, podcast interviews and writing content - the daily tasks feel like a constant volcano of ash falling on my head. I pray that by the end of this, the fire will purify me and I'll be like pure gold. There is a scripture in the Bible testifying to that promise. And, I'm rubbing pennies together by now, praying for a miracle or a blessing.

This is a goal I've wanted to achieve for years. Honestly, I started writing a novel in 2003 and accidentally deleted it. I took that as a sign that God didn't want me to write it. But all these years later, something woke up in me and I realized that I wanted to tell a specific story.

In December of 2024, I challenged myself to write a short film in three days. A short film is only seven pages. You have to hook the audience, create a character arc, and tell the story in 7 minutes! I took a moment from my life and developed two characters. Nitty, the main character, has unspoken anger toward her mother for an incident she overheard as a child, which she didn't understand. Joyce, her mother, had a tumultuous relationship with her mother and was afraid to have children. That short film inspired the novel.

Genre: Novel

Logline: A woman must understand her mother's story in order to confront her fear of being

an unfit mother. In a way, I wanted to honor my mother. I'm in my 50s now, and there are many questions I wish I could ask her. I didn't get to know her as a woman, I knew her as Mommy or through others as Marilyn. Diving deep into these characters, I think I embodied some of my story, my mother's story, my sister's story, my aunts’ stories, and my daughter's story. I wanted to create conversation starters for women to have healing conversations in sister circles.

So, that's why I've been quiet for a few months. I'd love it if you'd join stay connected to me.

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Pick up the pen and let your heart speak,

Penda