Oh, how I danced
Draft 1, Koba 3, complete, but ...
That’s me, just before year-end, 2025, celebrating finishing the first draft of my last Koba book, ‘Daughter of the Kalahari’.
I have been in a writing frenzy, racing to finish Koba 3, producing a chapter a week, sometimes two. I have never written so fast. I ignored the news, the weather, fingerprints on glass, dust on surfaces. My typing fingers felt frayed as I tried to record the narrative galloping through my imagination. How was it going to play out for Koba and Mannie and the cast of characters I’ve created over this series?!! Honestly, I didn’t know. I couldn’t wait to see what I wrote.
Yup, I’m one of those writers
I don’t plan ahead. Typically, I just follow the leads presenting themselves on my screen, dilly-dallying down Endless Possibility alley in my make-believe world — one reason why writing the Koba series has taken me so long, I guess.
Did you know that author John Irving (The World According to Garp; The Cider House Rules, etc.) started every book backwards? That is, he wrote the ending first and then worked back to the beginning? And J.K. Rowling knew she was going write seven books in the Harry Potter series before she even began. Oh, to be such an efficient planner and writer. I confess that until recently I had no idea I was going to write three Koba novels. Thank goddess * that reader interest has compelled me to. I have found the process of writing a series, fascinating. More on that another time, perhaps.
Now, the editing begins
I love this part of writing a novel. It’s less scary than facing a blank screen every day. My words appear on the screen, in screeds. Though I sweated to write them, I seldom struggle to delete or change them. Why? Because editing feels like polishing, a part of the craft of writing that will reward the reader with clarity and occasionally, delight. And thereby, reward me. For I write to entertain and educate, dear reader.
Paid subscribers’ bonus
As soon as I’ve edited Koba book 3, Daughter of the Kalahari, to my satisfaction, I will serialise it weekly for my paid subscribers. These beloveds help me to support the Village School Feeding scheme and contribute to the small miracle that took place deep in the Kalahari late last year, when a new mother-tongue school was officially opened.
If you would like to help me with my philanthropic publishing venture (100% of my profits from sales of the Koba books goes to the charity, the Ju|’hoansi Development Fund in Namibia) please subscribe. The cost is just £4 or $5 a month, discounted if you pay annually.
Prepare for Koba book 3
Catch up by reading the first two in this epic, historical fiction series. Koba is a unique character in saga writing and the series depicts an extraordinary time in recent Black history. The novels have been well reviewed and are available in print and digital form. Salt & Honey, Koba book 1, is also an audiobook.
Please excuse me now while I get on with editing. When I finish you will be the first to be offered a chance to tell me whether or not the Koba series has satisfied you.
Hmmm, working under pressure. Nice.
May you too have an interesting project to get into in 2026.
* (Maybe Seshat/Seshet, the Egyptian goddess of writing and Mistress of the House of Books. The Egyptians depicted her in leopard dress with a star hovering over her head. I’m imagining her being followed by the three wise men.)
Yay!