2022 was an interesting year for me. I had begun writing the first book in my African epic fantasy trilogy (a book that went through major edits stretching up to 2024). This was the first book I genuinely enjoyed writing because it didn’t feel like work. I guess I had finally found my genre and the characters and stories I was meant to write.
Before I was done writing the book, I was excited. I started thinking about publishers and how I would go about finding them. I decided to connect with other writers on social media and join writer groups.
Instead of finding novel publishers, I discovered something so jarring, in part because it should have been obvious to someone who had been writing (and learning how to write) for a few years. I discovered the short fiction industry. Specifically, I learned about short story writing competitions and awards. I couldn’t believe writers could be awarded up to £10,000 for a short story!
Sure, I knew there was such a thing as a short story (I had published a free eBook of short stories some years back), but I hadn’t thought about there being a whole industry dedicated to that. Later, I would learn about the plethora of literary magazines/journals out there and professional/semi-professional paying markets.
As someone who had grown up mostly reading novels and nonfiction books, this was all new to me. In hindsight, I wonder how I could have missed it.
I decided to try my hand at writing and submitting to short story competitions. One competition caught my eye.
Getting Longlisted in the Bold 2023 Continental Call: Climate Change by Ibua Journal (Uganda)
Source: Ibua Publishing
I’m a speculative fiction writer at heart. I rarely get excited about writing a story if there’s no fantastical element to it. So, the climate change theme threw me off. Climate change is about science and fact, yet I delight in writing fantasy and adventure.
It was no surprise then that I ultimately decided to go the route of dystopia, violence, and murder. I imagined an arid world, discarded by the wealthy, whose people had been turned brutal and lawless as their resources dwindled. I particularly enjoyed writing about our traditional ‘macabre’ foods. And, so, Rain Dance in the Wasteland was born.
It would go on to make the longlist (top 5) in the competition before publication in the Ibua Journal. As per Ibua Journal’s description:
Rain Dance in the Wasteland is a dystopian narrative set in post-apocalyptic Zimbabwe, where a family of three, a mother and her teenage son and daughter, struggle to survive both human threats and the punishing landscape. The discovery of their life-source by a group of marauders quickly becomes a battle of wits as the teenagers reach beyond their physical strength to protect their semblance of life.
After making it to the longlist, I was assigned an editor by Ibua Journal. The editing stage was comprehensive and tough, during which time I went through three editing phases with my editor. But it was an enlightening experience. The story became richer, and what I learned about story logic and writing action scenes bled into my other works in progress.
You can read Rain Dance in the Wasteland here.
Romance Short Story Published by Afritondo (UK)
After experimenting with romance writing as a ghostwriter, I felt more confident writing this story (Singular Affections). But this is no conventional romance. It is set in precolonial Zimbabwe and littered with the absurd.
I was inspired to write the story after reading a scene in Jane Eyre, where her cousin was badgering her to accept his marriage proposal. I thought that would be an interesting bind for a female lead, so I took it to its extremes in my story.
As an aside: Jane Eyre was a true heroine. Despite the cruelties she endured, she remained humble, authentic, honest, and humane. She didn’t care for wealth or status; in fact, she rejected it when it was offered as a love token and benefit of marriage. She believed in working for her keep and was happy and satisfied with the fruits of her labour. Overall, she was just a good human being whose innocence was refreshing. I saw the movie first, and it had nothing on that book. Every teenager and young adult should read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte!
I enjoyed writing the peculiar characters and injecting humour in Singular Affections. I was also delighted when some readers told me they enjoyed it. You can read Singular Affections here.