So you call yourself a writer?

So, you call yourself a writer, huh?

Where’ve you been published? Can we watch your films? What’s on your IMDB profile? Oh… you’ve self-published… on your blog? Oh, you’re just, sort of starting out? Oh, so are you even a real writer?

Ignore all that. You are a writer. You love words. You find them delicious and eat them for breakfast. You love putting them together and tearing them apart. You love testing and teasing them. You. Love. Words.

Except sometimes your own words terrify you. What do you actually do with them?

This might be you. Seeing those other writers, crowding your timelines with their awards and …and… joy, because they’ve finished something and shared it with the world. The whole world. Now you’re looking at your writing, thinking, “Screw it! It’s too hard to get these words out to the whole world!”

You’re right. It is hard.

Hi, I’m Taku Mbudzi, a writer like you. If I have to describe this podcast in two words, I’d say PIT STOP. Two Words with Taku is a show about writing, but unlike other shows about writing, only we are the pit stop for writers you’ve never heard of, giving them rest when they’re about to give up on their words and extra fuel for when they’re ready to keep writing.

And why?

The doors are slowly starting to open for unknown writers like you and me. Competitions, writer call outs, guest spots, magazine submissions — OMG so many new places to throw our words. But now we’re overwhelmed by how to write, package or present our writing in the best way, especially if we haven’t studied the industry, inherited legacy within the industry or just gone ‘viral’ around the world.

I say come and rest your mind. It’s okay. The truth is our writing will need good time to make it good. We’re going to write a lot of shitty first drafts, but we’ll keep writing. We’re going to pitch here, and pitch there and hear back from nowhere, but we’ll keep writing. We’re even going to get tired of our own unfinished stories, but I don’t know about you, mine sit on my heart till they’re out. They come out eventually and the best feeling is when I can put my pen down.

But beyond ‘keep writing’ is more work until you can finally put your pen down. What that looks like and who you collaborate with will look different – for me that’s TV producers, film directors and my book publisher. My stories are taking time. Your stories are going to take time. And that’s perfectly fine.

Every word you write means something to you and you know it’s good not just for yourself but for the people in your world. Yes, in your world, not the whole world.