My name is Mary Njuguna. Am author and and an ICT Project Manager. I started writing when I was in class 7. I would get inspired by short stories and real life experiences. I had a notebook where i would put down notes and ideas. One of my sisters came across my cute notebook and got interested. She then mentioned that I should consider writing a book, to which I did not pay much attention.
I liked reading, reciting poems and any literary work. Compositions were my favorite; I could start a story from any sentence provided, and create a story out of it. Fast forward to 2011 I got a push to publish. My content was all scattered in hardcopies and some on my cellphone’s notepad. I compiled all these and created one folder, separating documents per topic.
In the same year, I opened a Facebook page, with the aim of drawing inspiration as i inspired those around me through God’s word and short real life stories. I also wanted share quotes from my writing as I structured my content. However balancing this with school was an uphill task, but i kept at it.
In 2013, I started a blog to keep my writing alive and engage my audience. I compiled my pieces and enriched some to form part of my blog posts. I was inconsistent in this process until 2019, when I developed a writing plan and the discipline to write. I compiled my entire manuscript, reviewed it and realized my content was outdated. This meant that some of that content needed restructuring , a process i embarked on, re-writing 80% of my content. During this time, I looked for a writers accountability group and I luckily found one to help me with the consistency.
Surrounding myself with a like minded team played a huge role in the success of my book. 2020 came and Covid 19 brough about lockdowns, and the working from home, and by September that year, I completed my manuscript. It was just the productive distraction i needed to navigate the new normal and especially after work.
At the same time in September 2020, I kicked off the editorial and proofreading stage having reviewed my manuscript. In March 2021, I was ready to print but added a customer review stage. I got good insights and this encouraged me to get more manuscript reviewers. This gave me more time to bond with the book content and fine tune it. This lasted me 7 months, to this year when I self published.
My book went through a series of transitions and the book EVOLVED. The title was inspired by many factors; My career in ICT, due to the many changes that takes place in the digital space, we can emulate the same in real life. The book also inspired the title – I thought my work was done when I got my manuscript ready, the editing process was another journey ,deleting, the moving of paragraphs, character alignment etc….
I respect all authors!
You can find me on social media on the link below.
Evolving involves surrender. Its tough to evolve. Growth can feel like you are disconnected from the known self.
Grace as we evolve when seasons call on us.
Thank you for this book.