Storytelling captures ideas merely imagined and realities shyly whispered about. They come in all known and still to be discovered genres. One of the most significant is creating a whole world out of thin air.

My Afrika Magazine reporter Lingiwe Sifelani (LS) had a chat with Award-winning author Audrey Chirenje (AC), who recently penned her 12th book.

LS: How is the art of writing going?

AC: I keep evolving and trying new things, so it’s going well. I can safely say that all my books have different angles, as I now have more confidence to explore. I have also participated in anthologies with other writers in my quest to learn. I have also written columns for magazines. The common denominator was that it was fiction with a contemporary flair.

LS: Please give us a rundown of the books you have published so far. Tell us more about the latest one.

AC: They are now 12 in total. The first one was Life Will Humble You, then Chances, Appearances Or Not, Guilt, Vana Mhofu, The Mhofus, Ompofu, Day In The Park, My Mother, My Hope, This Version Of Love, Hupenyu Hunokuninipisa, then the latest one, Dear Dad: The Precious Lessons You Left Me.

LS: Why write? What inspired you to start writing?

AC: Life actually did humble me when a life-changing circumstance happened in my personal space. I was angry, depressed, and broke, and had a three-month-old baby. I started journaling my thoughts, and it started with the tone of what was happening in my life. Thereafter, we had no TV for like 2 years, so I was reading a lot of books – hard-copy and PDF versions. I then saw that everything was always on the extreme with no balance; that’s when I decided to write my own book – with what I hoped was my own unique tone.

LS: Is it profitable? Please explain.

AC: It’s not always profitable, but it’s a labour of love, and it leads to other opportunities which can be monetized. So, I am grateful, and I will continue at it and pray that one day one of my books will turn into a recommended school text or become a bestseller. I also dream of a day when I will leave the corporate space and do books full-time; I always feel the most comfortable when I am in such spaces versus when I am sitting in boardrooms doing business reviews.

LS: Where do you get the stories you write about? Please explain your writing process.

AC: My first book is based on like 10% of my actual life; I then fictionalized the rest into my favourite genre. The rest I touch on topical issues, society misnomers and unjust scales, and some stuff that just puzzles me, and also positive stuff like love, faith, family, and culture. For the children’s books, I saw that there was a gap in the market with most children reading foreign material, hence my involvement in it. Then I dabbled in poetry as I evolved. I outline the chapters and the key issues I want to touch on, then characterization is built as we go along. My process is funny, and I am still learning the textbook way of doing it. I have written chapters from the back going to the front or vice versa. I write wherever I am, and I get inspired by what I see around me, and it can be anything: a song, movie, the sky, a statement, or a word.

LS: Which genres have you touched on since your first book, “Life Will Humble You?”

AC: That book was a contemporary Christian fiction drama; then I dabbled in drama with an action flair. Then children’s literature for 7 to 12 years, then for pre-schoolers up to 6 years. Then another book for pre-teens or Young Adults set in the rural area. I also then dabbled in poetry, with my poetry anthology. I also translated 2 of my books into Shona and Ndebele for the other one. My 12^th book is my first non-fiction motivational/Christian book written memoir style – released in June: Dear Dad: The Precious Lessons You Left Me.

LS: Help us understand your background and its impact in shaping the author you have become.

AC: I grew up an avid reader, as both my parents were into books. English was the subject where I would excel from junior school, always getting a prize. I was into the arts and participated in things like the choir, speech and drama club, Interact, and debate. I was a curious child and am glad my parents accepted me like that. By 12 years old, I had read too many books within my age range like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Enid Blyton, and obviously the fairy tales. From the pacesetters, I graduated into my Dad’s bookshelf without him knowing, with Authors like Jackie Collins, Judith Gould, Danielle Steele, John Grisham, Stephen King, etc. So, my approach is dramatic; I write in film, and some books connect to a prequel, or it comes like a sequel.

LS: How did Chances Inc. Publication come to be? Please tell us more about its objectives and future goals

AC: When I started, I discovered that self-publishing houses were limited, and they had their specific parameters that didn’t suit some genres. This then planted the seed, and people would always approach me asking for help with their books. So, I then registered the company in 2012. We have published over 140 books to date with a diverse group of people in terms of age, ethnicities, and backgrounds all across the globe. We then started a writers’ hub and a business hub, a WhatsApp-based platform, and we allow people to interact, and we even have some Guest Speakers coming to speak and share their experiences and journeys just to inspire the next person out there. As the full name is Chances & Inspiration Incorporated, our objective is to inspire, motivate, enlighten, and entertain our readers. We are now into Social Media Management, and we will be doing video book reviews, as I used to do book reviews for 3 years, and when I stopped, people still approached me.

LS: What special skill do you have that not many people know about?

AC: I have a marketing degree from a South African Institute; I also have a diploma in Procurement from a UK Institute and several other small certificates in various fields. I can MC, facilitate, and speak in public. I can also whistle – now this is special and weird for a woman.

LS: Who are your cheerleaders and support system? Why?

AC: My children – my beloved girls, 24, 18, and 8 years old. We have walked this journey together, and teamwork is our motto. I also have my family, immediate and extended. They have always been there. Then I have my friends from way back, like in my 20’s; we still vibe, and they understand me, as they knew me in another season of my life. I have my church family who are amazing, and they have walked with us. Then I now have colleagues in the literacy space and in the corporate space who are now part of my support system as well. I am grateful to God for all of this.