Navigating life’s uncertainties through fiction
Otlarongwa Kgweetsi | Thursday January 30, 2025 09:35
Targeted at a teenage audience, the book seeks to resonate with young readers by addressing challenges and uncertainties that many experience during their formative years. Ngoni describes writing as both an outlet for emotional expression and a means to process adversity. “Making art helps me process my feelings and experiences with adversity,” she says. “Through writing, I can communicate emotions that might otherwise be difficult to express, and this, in turn, helps me create stories that convey the complexities of the human condition,” she further says.
The title of the book was carefully chosen to reflect its themes and appeal to its intended audience. With the help of a friend, Ngoni explored different options that would capture the essence of the book and align with the interests of readers. She emphasises that crafting a suitable title was a critical part of the process of finding a title that resonates with the intended audience as it increases the likelihood of drawing readers to the book. The process of writing Journey of Uncertainties was not without its challenges. Ngoni highlights the difficulty of creating a coherent narrative that balances engaging characters, an unpredictable plot, and a thought-provoking conclusion. “It’s important for the story to grip the readers without being overly obvious. Planning, outlining, and revising were key to achieving this balance,” she explains. Interestingly, Ngoni notes that the book’s events and characters are not based on her real-life experiences. Instead, the narrative emerges as an exploration of broader themes, particularly those related to creativity, growth, and the role of uncertainty in life.
For Ngoni, unpredictability is central to both storytelling and life itself. “Uncertainty engages the imagination,” she observes. “When a story is unpredictable, it captures the reader’s attention and invites them to actively participate in piecing the narrative together.” Teenagers are the primary audience for the book, and Ngoni believes they will relate to its central themes. Adolescence is a time marked by uncertainty, making the book’s exploration of resilience particularly relevant. She hopes the story will inspire readers to confront obstacles in their own lives and find the strength to persevere. Ngoni’s creative process involved significant spontaneity, with moments during drafting when the narrative took unexpected turns. “It felt as though the story was leading me rather than the other way around,” she recalls.
Her writing style has been shaped by authors like Danielle Steel, whose vivid descriptions have influenced Ngoni’s approach to crafting emotionally immersive scenes. While the Journey of Uncertainties has just been released, Ngoni is already working on her next book, which she hopes to publish later this year. Although details about the upcoming project remain scarce, it is clear that her commitment to exploring life’s complexities through storytelling continues to drive her creative journey.