Award-Winning Indie Author Dineo Kodisang Talks Writing and Her Motivations
With the rise of independent movers in the book industry, gone are the days where literary gatekeepers stood between the entry point that separated ordinary writers from published authors. Through DIY platforms like Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing, and Smashwords, age is nothing but a number now for modern-day wordsmiths with nothing but a heart full of stories and fingertips dripping with ink.
One such author is Johannesburg-born writer Dineo Kodisang, who calls herself a simple girl from the South. The young author followed the trend of self-publishing creatives, leading her to the publication of her debut novel Love and Sorrow by the age of 17.
“Love And Sorrow is a book that came out of the blue if I’m being truly honest. It was never planned; however, I can say that it was inspired by my surroundings, my school life to be exact. It was a time whereby I was fully exposed to teenage mothers, and I wondered how life turns out for them so being as creative as I was, I formulated a story line for my imaginary characters,” Kodisang said about her maiden book.
As part of the youth living in the Age of Information, where access to people’s lives is only several finger clicks away, Love and Sorrow is, according to Kodisang, a body of work inspired by present-day social ills. Centered around the themes of “depression, rape, ‘young motherhood, and incest”, the novel positions itself as a challenger of the struggles women and children worldwide have to wake up and face every time the sun comes up. As a self-styled champion of mental health and the importance of spreading awareness about it, Dineo especially highlighted the importance of one of her themes: “young motherhood”.
“In terms of ‘young motherhood’ I believe that it is essential for society to understand how hard it is to navigate life as a young mother that also suffers from undiagnosed mental health because many young mothers go through that,” she said.
Love and Sorrow is a tribute to young first-time mothers, who usually have to navigate motherhood in an employment-void economy that’s tough to make a living in, and, at times, without the help of an active father. As circumstances may have it, many young mothers have to drop out of school and start fending for themselves and their young ones.
“I wanted to heal young mothers and show them that there’s a life after young motherhood. I am not a mother myself; however, I have seen how young mothers struggle to get back onto their feet so I wrote Love And Sorrow so that young mothers and anyone who has gone through the themes I address can use it as a blueprint for their comeback,” she said.
While most people see the finished product, with the sentences straightened out by the braces of editing and rewriting, the workmanship goes woefully unnoticed. From the day the idea is conceived to the day it is delivered, it’s an arduous process of committing to a brainchild that needs feeding even on days when there’s nothing to give it.
“When I had finally decided that Love And Sorrow would be a novel, it took great courage. And, as it wasn’t planned, it took me longer than anticipated, a minimum of three years if my memory serves me correctly. I think my greatest challenge was sticking to one storyline when my creative juices were flowing but also I cannot downplay the writer’s block I experienced towards the end of the book,” she said.
Every journey has its hills and valleys, and every coin heads and tails. For Kodisang, the writing-and-self-publishing combo has been no different. And even though it hasn’t been a rose-tinted fairytale, she’s grateful for the lessons that chiseled her into the mbokodo she is today.
“I don’t want to lie and sell young authors a dream; it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. As soon as I released Love And Sorrow, the work had to start, and it just felt like I was just a tiny drop in a big ocean because most indie authors aren’t given a wide platform to sell or even market ourselves. It’s truly a never ending journey and the experience for me has truly been a blessing because I have met so many indie authors that have shaped me into the author I am today,” she said.
Even though crossing the finish line is an achievement all in itself, there are moments attached to the release of her book that Dineo holds dear to her heart. Memories she regards as heirlooms not worth trading for anything else.
“My first proudest moment would be the day I held a Love And Sorrow copy. it just felt like the whole world stopped for a while for my dream to come true. My second proudest moment was receiving the Book Behind Awards Best Young Adult Author in 2021. This title proved to me that as indie authors we have a community that supports us. My third proudest moment was seeing my mother drop a tear after she saw images from a photoshoot I had done with Love And Sorrow and hearing her say: ‘This makes me so sad. I’m proud of you’.”
When asked about where she sees herself a decade from today, it came as no surprise that the vision board in her mind’s eye included owning a publishing house, among other things.
“I believe in telling the universe what you want. So I will be an award-winning author of five books and also an owner of a publishing company whilst also working under an accounting company because accounting is also one of my other passions.”
Connect with Dineo:
Instagram: @dynamicaura_1
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/dnkodisang