Welcome back to Alchemy for Authors!
In this episode of Alchemy for Authors, I sit down with 16-year-old indie author Rutendo Shadaya. Despite not excelling in writing at school, Rutendo discovered her passion when she wrote her first book as a birthday gift for a friend. We discuss her journey into self-publishing, her writing process and routine, and her thoughts on building a career as a young author. Rutendo also shares invaluable advice for aspiring teen writers.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about creativity, perseverance, and daring to follow your dreams—no matter your age!
Connect with Rutendo on Facebook here.
Connect with Rutendo on Instagram here.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Learn more about the Ages of Pages book fair here: https://agesofpages.weebly.com/
- Grab your FREE copy of Affirmations for Authors with a Day Job here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dnj980xva5
- Listen to Episode 98: Tips for Surviving the Day Job as an Author here: https://jobuer.com/episode-98-tips-for-surviving-the-day-job-as-an-author/
- Listen to Episode 82: Writing Lessons from a Centenarian with Babette Hughes here: https://jobuer.com/episode-82-writing-lessons-from-a-centenarian-with-babette-hughes/
- Learn more about the Creative If podcast here https://jmartain.substack.com/podcast or listen on your favourite podcast app.
If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe, rate and review. You can also support the show by buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jobuer. Your support helps me keep this podcast going and is greatly appreciated.
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, or a topic suggestion for a future episode, leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlchemyForAuthors
Follow me on Instagram: @alchemyforauthors and @jobuerauthor.
Follow me on Facebook: @alchemyforauthors and @jobuerauthor.
Join the Alchemy for Authors Facebook Group here.
Join my Alchemy for Authors newsletter and download your FREE copy of Manifestation for Authors here.
Check out my Author Resources page here: https://jobuer.com/author-resources/
If you enjoy Gothic Suspense, you can join my reader’s newsletter and download a FREE copy of my short story collection, Between the Shadows, here. You can find all my books at https://jobuer.com or visit https://Books2Read.com/JoBuer for links to your favourite store.
Find the full transcript of this episode below.
Episode 99: A Teen’s Perspective on Writing & Publishing with Rutendo Shadaya
Jo: Hello, my friend, welcome to Episode 99 of Alchemy for Authors. Today’s episode is called A Teen’s Perspective on Writing and Publishing.
So something that I really love about this podcast is I get to talk to so many different authors and writers all around the world on such a diverse range of writing and author journeys. And then I get to share that with you in the hopes that maybe it inspires you or inspires somebody close to you.
This is one of those episodes that if you have children or teenagers in your life who maybe aspire to be an author, then this is the episode that I recommend that they listen to. It is clean, there’s no swearing, and my guest is 16 years old and publishing her third book. As somebody who, in my day job I teach teenagers, this is really exciting for me to see somebody who has ventured out into the indie publishing world, who originally never had any interest in being a writer. Personally, I think that wherever you are on your writing journey, through hearing the stories of others, we can still learn so much. And I just find it so interesting to hear from the perspective of the next generation of authors coming through.
In this episode, you will hear a couple of words that are Māori words that are spoken here in New Zealand. You will hear today’s guest talk about tamariki. Tamariki means “children” here in New Zealand, and rangatahi means “young people”, usually teenagers or young adults.
This is also a fantastic episode to listen to and compare to episode number 82 where I talked with the lovely Babette Hughes who didn’t publish her first novel until she was in her late 80s.
What I find so exciting about the world of indie publishing in particular, is it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, or how old you are, the accessibility to publish your books is there. It’s available to you.
Today’s wonderful guest also gives some insights on the importance of having support on your author journey, and I think that’s incredibly important to remember too, that we can’t do this alone. Ideally, we will have somebody or many somebodies in our circle who will be there cheering us on and supporting us. And if that’s not the case physically, then ensuring that we are connecting with other authors online, through social media, or Substack, or even listening to podcasts like this can sometimes be that thing that just makes you feel a little bit less alone on a journey that sometimes can be a little lonely.
Before I jump into today’s episode though, just a really, really, quick, brief personal update. I am back in my day job, I have my Affirmations for Authors with a Day Job up on my wall in my office there to inspire and encourage me when I need it. I have already seen that a lot of you listeners have downloaded your free copy. I just wanted to remind you that it is there. I’ll put the link in the show notes. It is there for you. There’s no need to sign up to a newsletter list or anything else. It is simply there for you to download and have for free and use as you desire. So if you are an author with a day job and if you haven’t already, you might want to go back and listen to Episode 98: Tips for Surviving the Day Job as an Author. But otherwise, I highly encourage you, if it’s of interest to you, to go download your free copy of Affirmations for Authors. And it is on my website as well, if you follow the Alchemy for Authors link there.
At the moment I am busy prepping for an upcoming book fair in April. It takes me a while to get my head around these things, trying to work out how many books to order and what my table setup’s going to look like and all that fun stuff. If you are in New Zealand, on April the 26th, 2025, there is the Ages of Pages Book Fair in Hamilton, where I think there is 90 or so authors who are going to be attending, selling their books, talking about their books, doing all that wonderful stuff. And today’s guest will also be there.
And finally, I just wanted to do a little bit of a shout out for a wonderful new podcast that has just launched. That is the Creative If podcast by my wonderful friend, Jennifer Martain, who is also an author. She was on this show way, way back, I think in one of the beginning episodes, and she has just launched her first podcast, the Creative If. So if you are wanting to be inspired with some creative problem solving ideas, and just, Jennifer’s just a fantastic person. She’s a huge cheerleader and support for me on my author journey, and yeah, I just encourage you to go check it out. Have a listen. It’s available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and probably in a multitude of other places as well.
But on that note, I guess we’re going to get into the show. So when you are ready, grab a drink, find a comfy chair, sit back and enjoy the show.
Hello my lovelies, welcome back to Alchemy for Authors. In today’s episode I am chatting to Rutendo Shadaya, a teen author based in New Zealand. Rutendo is born to Zimbabwean parents and is proud of both of her cultures. She started writing at the age of nine and since then she hasn’t looked back.
Rutendo has accomplished many achievements such as self-publishing two books at the ages of 12 and 14, being published by Toi Toi, being a part of the Y2Five 2024 cohort, and many more. When Rutendo isn’t busy writing, she’s reading fantasy books or binge watching shows on Netflix. So, welcome to the show, Rutendo.
Rutendo: Hi, guys. Thank you for inviting me.
Jo: I would love if we could start with you sharing what inspired you to start writing.
Rutendo: So what inspired me to start writing was my best friend. So back in primary school every subject that I didn’t… I used to be bad at, I would not like it. So writing was one of them. So I used to always be a bit behind in writing, but my friend encouraged me to start writing because I used to be crazy with like birthday presents and everything. So I would always go with something that my best friend liked. So, she had this book club at the time with her friends and they’ll do reading stories, sharing, like, you know, writing stuff, pieces, and do these crazy challenges. So I was like, Oh, your birthday’s coming up. And I was like, you know what would be crazy in my mind? Why didn’t I secretly write a book for her and give it to her as a gift? And since then I decided to write. It took me three months and I managed to get it done, but my parents were not on board. They thought that it was just a crazy idea that I just came up with and was not going to like, you know, make it a book. And since then I’ve continued to write. After getting my parents on board, they managed to commercialise the idea. Instead of making it just one book, into like more than fifty.
And she loved the gift. And it took two years to get it done. Cause, you know, COVID and everything. And after that, she really enjoyed it. And I was like, why don’t I just make it a series and enjoy it and then try and inspire more people. So, yeah.
Jo: I love that. So just to be clear, you’re 16, is that right?
Rutendo: Yeah, that’s correct.
Jo: This is just so awesome. I’m so pleased that we’re talking to you because I think having this perspective of being a teenager and everything, and the mindset that lead you on your path of writing, is really quite inspiring. Because you said that, you know, writing wasn’t a strong subject for you. And yet, because you thought the best gift for your friend would be to create a book, you didn’t let that hold you back, and you did it anyway. Did you have any sense of like imposter syndrome? Or what gave you that confidence to write a book, even though writing wasn’t your strongest subject?
Rutendo: Me and my friend were like really close, we were like best friends. So when I moved to my town, I was one and me and my parents were like good friends with her, and then we ended up becoming good friends. So we were basically friends since I was like one and she was like three. So I really wanted to give her a good birthday present because she was my friend and she had been my longest friend. I didn’t really have too much of an imposter syndrome. I just kind of wrote based on the inspiration. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what genre she liked, but I was thinking fantasy because I know she read some Percy Jackson books at the time. So I really was just trying to combine ideas. And if I felt like giving up, I was like, no, I need to give this birthday present. She would love this birthday present. And I have to, I said, keep it a secret.
And at one point, when we were getting the book into a book, my mom was like, you know, you can hand it on paper as a birthday present. And I was like, no, I do not want to do that. Cause you know, cause paper’s not like a book, you know. A book needs to be… you know, so I was kind of like that.
So it took two years because Covid and everything. And with that, I decided to give her a fake present. And then as like, as leading her just to, you know, keep the book going. Like I still had that motivation and fortunately I was able to give it to her. And the things that mainly motivated me was imagining her reaction, like, imagine her reaction when she gets that book. And that’s what kept me going.
Jo: See, that is amazing to me. Because I work with teenagers, because I’m a teacher in High School and everything like that, I find it insanely crazy that you were able to keep that motivation to write a book for such a long period of time. For two years. Yeah, but I love how you said it was because you had that goal that you were just imagining what it would be like for your friend to receive that as a gift. Do you think you could have written a book without having that as a goal?
Rutendo: No, I don’t think I would have because I didn’t like writing and I probably just would have just started writing and then I’d be like, Oh, this is boring and then given up and stuff.
Jo: So what’s keeping you motivated now then? Because since then you’ve put out a second book and you’ve got a third one launching in February.
Rutendo: What’s motivated me to keep writing is now I’ve enjoyed it as I’ve gone on this writing journey. I believe, like, it’s a lot more fun and it’s a way of expressing myself. And what’s motivated me now is just, like, me completing a series at a young age, because I feel like that’s been a goal of mine. And also, I want to inspire other people to go into writing, not just myself. I’ve had a different story comparing to others going into writing, but I want to inspire many other rangatahi and tamariki to go into that passion and try something else.
Jo: And I think you will, simply because you have said right up front that writing was not your strongest subject. That alone, I think, will give students, and well, anybody really, the courage to maybe give it a go. If they love writing, but maybe they put off, Oh, I’m not a good speller, or I don’t really know what I’m doing, maybe there’ll be more inclined to give it a go regardless. So I think that’s really cool.
What does your writing process look like? Do you have like a routine or anything? Or do you just write when inspiration hits you?
Rutendo: So recently, I’ve been writing as like plotting and pantsing at the same time, cause I’ve learned how to be a bit of both. So usually I would plot like the first, like 10 chapters on Google docs, cause I’ve been watching a lot more author tubers to help me be a bit more structured. But then once, like, I run out of the plotting from the document, I tend to pantser and go with my creativity, and continue writing until I feel like I’ve finished that first draft. And then after I finish the first draft, I give a little bit of a break, because I want to come to the second draft with a fresh mind. And I believe that it’s good to come with a fresh mind after writing the first draft, because you don’t want to get burnt out, and you also need to take some space. And then after that, after getting a break, a breath of fresh air, you go into the second draft. And then after I go through the second draft, I go through many edits because I need to make it good for my parents to read. And then, so yeah, so once I get it good for my parents to read and they approve and everything, I send it to beta readers, then I go to editors, and that’s how I usually make the book.
Jo: That is awesome. So you’ve mentioned a few people who are kind of helping you behind the scenes and that. But can you talk a little bit more about the role that your family and friends or teachers or anybody else actually plays in supporting your writing journey?
Rutendo: The roles that my parents play are obviously as financial providers. So I had to get them on board and, you know, self-publishing, it’s not like traditional publishing where you have to get a publishing deal, everything’s like covered, and that you get royalties. For self-publishing, you have to pay expenses, pay for printing, pay for editing and everything else.
So my parents were a big role, and I’m fortunate enough that my parents had enough financial income to pay for those stuff. And I also believe they helped me edit. Even though they’re not like writers or readers, they were encouraged to get on board because I was writing a book and they’ve obviously had to read multiple drafts of my book, get sick of me. Like, what does this mean? This doesn’t make sense. And like criticise me and be like my mini editors.
For my friends, after I wrote the first book, I decided to have beta readers as I was starting to watch more writer videos and stuff. My best friend ended up becoming the beta reader for my first and second book. And then I decided to get some of my other friends to beta read for my stuff, and I believe that they’ve been really helpful. And I feel when you have friends that are also into writing, it can be easier because you can connect with them in different levels. And I believe that it’s good to have friends. Even if they don’t support like your writing, I believe it’s good that they support your journey. And I feel like having a good foundation of friends is really good. And, yeah, I think my family has helped me financially, helped me go into like, go and commercialise myself and try and like, inspire and get out of my comfort zone, and same as my friends too. And I believe that has continued and motivated me to go on this writing journey.
Jo: That is really cool. I agree with you that I think it’s really, really important that we build for ourselves a support network of cheerleaders and people who can help us out. And that’s so wonderful that your parents are on board and supporting you on this journey too. That’s fantastic.
So you’ve talked a little bit about, um, you’ve got beta readers and everything. You’ve got an editor, you’re doing all those things. Was self-publishing your books always your first choice or did you look at other options as well?
Rutendo: So I looked at other options. So basically, you know, when I started writing my book and after I got it done, my parents were like, okay, let’s go for some publishing houses. Because, you know, when you hear of books or like read fiction books, you obviously don’t hear of self-published books. So we went to a traditional publisher in Rotorua, I’m pretty sure. And we told them about the book. And then they were like, eh, she’s a bit too young. And like, you know, this is not really to our standards. Which was expected from my parents and myself, because who’s really going to publish a 10-year old’s like draft and stuff? So then after that, we were like, thinking about alternative ways. And then my parents heard of self-publishing and then we’re like, why don’t we try self-publishing and maybe go into publishing later on into the career. And since then, we’ve been in self-publishing and I’m yet to try and go back into the traditional publishing fields.
Jo: So is there a part of self-publishing that you’re actually really enjoying, or a part that’s really challenging for you?
Rutendo: I personally like self-publishing because you get your own creative freedom, and I can get all the royalties to myself, which is different to traditional. I feel like the thing that is difficult with self-publishing, which most self-published authors will agree with, is marketing and sales. There’s this crazy statistic that I read that not many people make profit as self-published authors, and like romance is the most popular genre to make profit off self-publishing. And I believe that’s kind of sad. And I believe that we should, self-publishers should have more resources, and should go out there and be a bit more normalised in the writer society, as now more AI books are coming out. And because I feel like, when I’ve been going to these author events and these markets, I realised, oh, there’s more self-published authors. And, you know, it’s nice to see that because you don’t really see them much in our society, like when it comes to libraries and stuff. And I believe that it’s really good. We should learn how to market better. Even though it’s hard and it’s good that seeing self-published authors as a self-published author myself.
Jo: Yeah, I find that really interesting because you’re right, a lot of indie authors or self-published authors, we’re not necessarily visible. So we’re not necessarily the names, uh, like the author names that people think of when they think of authors because you don’t necessarily see our books in bookstores or, you know, and all those kinds of things. However, there are a lot of, indie published authors out there that are still making really, really good money. Like we’re talking six and seven figures, who nobody’s even heard of because they’re not necessarily in bookstores and that. So we’re like that hidden kind of group of people who are still being able to be successful without necessarily being out in everybody’s face, but just the people who are our key audience and everything. So I think there is still potential there and it’s good to see so many indie authors doing their thing.
So you mentioned AI there. What are your thoughts on AI?
Rutendo: I have kind of a negative perception of AI. So I just feel like it’s kind of a shortcut, cause like in class, like it’s become a major issue in class because everyone, most people would have used AI like to cheat or like, so that kind of thing. I know it can be helpful, but I just feel with creative writing and like writing in general, it shouldn’t really be touched. And I feel like it’s better to use your authentic style of writing. And even if it sucks, it does get better. Like if you put effort into improving it. I think AI, we should kind of like get it monitored, in my opinion. Cause I feel like, you know, technology has advanced so far because we wouldn’t be, some people wouldn’t even believe that we would be able to make it on the moon, and like AI could be so advanced that, you know. That it controlling the world wouldn’t be a too crazy theory and stuff. And I believe that it should be monitored. And I believe that people should just give writing more of a chance instead of leading onto conclusions and cheating and stuff.
Jo: Yeah, I love that. And I love that for a few reasons. Like I agree with you, I think AI has its place, and is really useful in different circumstances. I personally don’t write creatively with AI, at all, and I have no inclination to do so. I feel like it’ll take away from my writing, to be honest. I like just being able to write. It’s my words and everything like that. But also, being a teacher, I wanted to get your perspective because of course that is in the classroom a lot more. A lot of students and that are wanting to use AI to help them write their essays and their creative writing and everything like that, and, yeah, it is an interesting kind of topic. I was interested to hear from you what your thoughts were. So thank you for sharing that. That’s cool.
So for anyone that is listening to this, who’s maybe similar in age to you or just starting out as an author or something, can you talk a little bit about what the steps are and some of the key things that you have to do to self-publish a book? Like what your experience has been?
Rutendo: Honestly the steps are like, it goes through many steps. So first you obviously need to complete the draft, like complete writing the first draft. And then I would probably recommend going under at least three to four drafts. Like the second draft, that can be a good edit, and then like a good edit through the messy draft because first drafts are always messy, talking from experience.
And then usually after the second and third draft, the third draft you can get friends to go through, your friends or family, to go and edit for you, if you’re comfortable doing that. If you’re not comfortable sharing with family or friends, because I know some people are not, you can go onto beta readers. And after going through beta readers, just go through the edits again. And then when you go into the fourth draft, try and look for some professional editors. I wouldn’t recommend using beta readers and not going with the professional, because, you know, people can catch errors when reading that book, getting published.
And then probably the next one is, if you want to have illustrations like I did, then you can look for illustrators on like Reedsy, Instagram, or ask anyone around, because some people like to have illustrations, and I’ve had illustrations in all three of my books. And I think the next thing is if you don’t want illustrations you need to format your book into a manuscript. And I feel at that stage you can either go and pay to get it serviced or learn how to do it on yourself by watching videos.
And after, getting the cover and text, you can do the book cover if you want to make it yourself or you can get an artist.If you want to make it yourself, I recommend apps like Canva, cause Canva is really helpful and it’s free. And after that you can choose Amazon or get printing done by companies in New Zealand, like your book supporting a local business and stuff.
And then after that, once you get that printed, you kind of watch social media stuff to learn how to market your book, collab with other authors, or meet other people, open yourself up to many opportunities if you really want to make sales. And yeah, that’s all I recommend.
Jo: Wonderful. That’s cool. So we’re a little bit unique here in New Zealand in that we are a really small country. What are some of the things that you do to market your books and to advertise your books to get people to buy your books?
Rutendo: Honestly, like I go and do interviews like this, or go into schools. I try and go into schools and talk about my books, or go into markets. I feel like using platforms or going onto youth platforms, because I kind of work at this magazine called Create Happy, which is a teenage based thing. And I feel like going into those spaces, getting interviewed or like writing pieces, can also promote yourself to the rangatahi over there.
And I feel like posting on social media helps because social media is very vital these days. And I feel like if you don’t use social media to promote, like you won’t really get much of a market. And I believe like going into markets as well is a very good idea because people still go to them. Because, you know, things are very expensive these days and people like going to markets just to see what’s around and nice alternatives. And yeah.
Jo: Awesome. That’s cool. So I’ve had a little bit of a look online and that in regards to what formats you sell your books. So can you talk a little bit about what formats you sell your books in? Because I saw, I think you’ve got one up on Amazon as Kindle, so it was an eBook. But yeah, so where you sell your books and what formats you’ve put them out in.
Rutendo: So I’m still getting used to the Amazon thing, the eBook thing. We managed to do this eBook printout of my first book. So I decided to put it up and it’s been all right. The paperback, I usually sell paperbacks. So for the first two books, I have them in retail stores, Paper Plus in Rotorua, Books for Kids in Hamilton. And then when I went back to Zimbabwe, I managed to donate two of my books into the National University Library in the University of Zimbabwe. So that’s a kind of, yeah. So then I’ve gotten my books into most of the schools in the South Waikato region, which means Tokoroa, Putāruru and Tirau, and I’ve gotten some of my books in Hamilton, and some in Rotorua, and my first book is inHamilton library as well. So I’ve been trying to go in stores, in libraries, and schools to make it like very, you know, like very diverse and get people to like read it and yeah.
Jo: So you’re obviously really passionate about this because all this stuff takes a lot of time, like from even just posting on socials to visiting bookstores and writing the books and going through the whole publishing and that. Do you have any advice or anything for other teens or anybody writing a book, how to balance doing all those things around the rest of your life? Because, I mean, you’re going to school, you’ve got family, you’ve got other things going on as well. So how do you make all that work?
Rutendo: Honestly, I feel like you have to have a support group. Cause you need those people to console you like, Oh, why don’t you take a break? Or why don’t you just rest a little bit? Because like, if you don’t really have much of a support group, you’re going to burn out. And I feel like I’ve burnt out before, not because of a lack of group, but like, I’ve always had that fire in me to keep working hard cause I’m like a very goal-oriented person. But I recommend taking breaks. Maybe like having this week as a rest, don’t touch writing, or reduce the stuff that you want to do per week. And like, I recommend a schedule. Like you can be on this day I’ll just focus on writing my draft, or on this day I want to go into schools and I get my mom with me. And, you know. Just having a schedule and having frequent days to take rests will help you be routined and not get burnt out. And also it’s okay to take breaks.
Jo: Yes, yes, yes. I yeah, I think that’s a really important thing to share. That it is important to take breaks because I think a lot of us forget that. So that’s something that we all need to hear a lot. Right. So can you talk now a little bit about the books that you’ve written? Can you share what they’re about, and just give our listeners a little bit of an overview of what you’ve actually created and published?
Rutendo: So my first book is a fantasy children’s book and adventure. So the first one is called Rachel and the Enchanted Forest. And it’s about this girl named Rachel. She looks for her sister and she finds her in this forest, and she meets five elves and they realise they have this type of connection. Her grandma was connected or knew these elves, like family and stuff. And through there, Rachel ends up going into this adventure through the forest while knowing these elves, and joins this group as she tackles many challenges.
The second book is a sequel to that journey. She’s now friends with these elves, they’re like a superhero group, and now they were tasked to go to the sea to do this task for a mermaid. And doing that they fought many obstacles, like, Pirates and dragons. And my second book is called Rachel and the Chevene Pirates.
And my third book is about them as a group and them hearing about all these stealing cases around the city, and them trying to stop this pattern of crimes. And they’re trying to stop it before it gets really worse, and trying to connect all the dots and find out why they’re doing it. And this book is called Rachel and the Mischievous Thieves. And those books are for children between eight to 14 years old. So yeah.
Jo: Awesome. That’s really cool. I’m just so impressed that you’ve had that perseverance and that motivation to see through the publication of three books. I think that’s amazing. So cool. So, your third book is coming out in February 2025 or launching then. What are your goals after that? Do you have more books in the back of your mind that you want to write or publish, or is that all for you? Or what’s your thoughts on that?
Rutendo: So I have more books that is coming into the series. So I have this other project that will be launched in the same year, which is not related to my books. It was granted by Creative New Zealand. And after that, I’m planning to maybe release my fourth book. And after that, I’m planning to have five books in this series. And after that, I’m probably going to take a break, like a mini hiatus, because, you know, I feel like that would be a series done and I can like focus on stuff because I’m planning to go to university. And maybe once I’ve adjusted, and once I’ve had a long, enough well-deserved break, I can get back into writing and then maybe go into traditional publishing.
Jo: Amazing. I think this is a really good foundation that you’re building yourself so that you can be seen in the world of traditional publishing and that, like, if that is your goal. I think the fact that you are doing this on your own, you’re self-publishing your books and you’re showing your dedication and perseverance and motivation and that to get it done, is something that I think agents and traditional publishers and that are going to really smile upon. So that’s really awesome. Well done, you. Where can people find your books and how can they connect with you?
Rutendo: So you can find my books on Books for Kids in Hamilton, Paper Plus in Rotorua, Hamilton City Library. And for the first book, Amazon in the eBook Kindle edition. And maybe at markets, if you find me. And places to connect with me is on my Facebook and Instagram, which are Rutendo’s Books. So yeah. And that’s all.
Jo: Yay. Oh, that’s awesome. And I’ll make sure that links are in the show notes as well, so that people can follow you on social media and everything. Just as we wrap up, do you have any last advice for anybody, but also maybe particularly teenagers or whatnot, who have the dream of becoming an author and don’t know whether they can, or whether they should try, or anything like that? Any advice for them?
Rutendo: So my advice would be always try new opportunities. I believe that if you don’t try, you’ll probably end up regretting it because like, if you try and take risks, you’ll learn from it. And I feel like trying stuff, like writing, there’s nothing to like, you can just start writing and continue because if it’s your passion then go for it. I believe if I didn’t go and try writing and complete that book for my friend, I don’t think I would be here now. And I also believe that going out of your comfort zone, even though you’re not sure, can prepare you on a challenge and teach you many things. And I also believe that writing is a way of expressing yourself. So I feel like, if you like writing, do it because it’s a way of expressing yourself. And don’t give up, and always make sure you have like, always make sure you have that good foundation of support from your friends, families, or even teachers.
Jo: Awesome. Well, thank you so much Rutendo. It’s been so lovely chatting with you. And I’m really hoping that our listeners are just so inspired by your writing journey. And yeah, I think it’s amazing. And I’m wishing you all the success with your book launch and your future as well.
Rutendo: Thank you. I’ve enjoyed having this interview with you.
Jo: Takeaways from today’s episode:
1. You can struggle with writing or feel that you’re not a fantastic writer, and still, you can be an author.
2. Sometimes having a goal, or a “why” for writing your book beyond yourself, can be a great motivating factor to see it through to completion.
3. Surround yourself with people who support your writing journey, even if they’re not your ideal readers.
4. Plan and structure your time around your writing tasks and incorporate rest to ensure you don’t burn out.
5. Be open to try new things. Take advantage of new opportunities as they arise, and be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.
So, I hope you enjoyed that episode. I, like I said, I found it so fascinating talking to somebody who is so young, starting out on their author journey. Already, at the time of the release of this podcast, she has three books out in the world. That’s fantastic. And is, yeah, did not come from a background of being, or feeling particularly skilled in writing. Didn’t even like writing while she was at school, and yet has found her passion and dedication to this new author journey for her. So if you know of a child or a teenager whom you think this might be inspiring to, make sure to share it with them. Personally, I’m really passionate about encouraging all people to embrace writing if that is something that they enjoy, aspire to doing, and particularly our young people as well.
Just as we finish up, I want to remind you that if you are in New Zealand on April 26th, 2025, there is, I think, possibly our largest book fair here in New Zealand, which is the Ages of Pages book fair. I will be attending as an author. Rutendo will be attending as well, to my knowledge, so that’s really exciting.
If you’re interested in Rutendo’s books and maybe you’re not in New Zealand, consider trying to connect with her online through her Instagram or Facebook pages. I will put those links in the show notes and maybe her and her family will be able to come up with some ideas to make those books available to you as well.
And finally, a reminder to go check out my lovely friend Jennifer Martain’s new podcast, the Creative If. It’s available probably on most podcast apps, but definitely on Spotify and Apple Podcasts anyway.
If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any episode of Alchemy for Authors, I would absolutely love if you could please leave a review or a rating on whatever podcast app you are listening to this to. It really does help me out. It helps this podcast become more visible to more listeners, which is not only encouraging on a personal level, but also inspires me to keep this podcast going and all that good stuff.
If you would like to support Alchemy for Authors, or myself in any other way, you can buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/jobuer. That is always appreciated. I know a lot of people listening to this podcast are authors or writers and sometimes podcasters as well, so you know that there are expenses on the back end behind these things. And so it is always deeply appreciated if you’re enjoying the show and want to support it, if you did want to buy me a coffee, that is amazing. And I will do a shout out for you on the show as well.
Thank you so much for joining me for Episode 99. This is getting very exciting for me. I cannot believe that we are almost at 100 episodes. That is of course excluding some of the extra bonus and minisodes that I’ve done in the past as well. But as always, I appreciate you showing up and spending this time with me. And I really hope that this episode is inspiring in some way to you or to somebody that you know whom you can pass this episode on to.
So with that, I just want to wish you a wonderful writing week ahead. A reminder to check out the links in the show notes for any of the resources or shout outs or anything that I have mentioned on this episode, and, yeah, until next time my friend. Bye.
author mindset, indie author, New Zealand Author, Self Publishing, Teen Author