Lulama Njapa

There’s something about writing from home that slows me down.

When I’m on the road, slow-travelling through unfamiliar towns, watching strangers become characters, words come easier. Curiosity drives me. Newness pulls the writing out of me. I am a huge fan of newness.

But at home, everything feels familiar. And somehow, that makes it harder. I have to dig deeper. Push harder. Maybe it’s because the stories here are closer. Personal. Some of them, I’m not even sure I want to write because of the number of people involved.

I’m always wondering what this means about the concept of home, because home, for me, can be incredibly fluid.

Right now, I’m back in Umzimkhulu, KwaZulu-Natal at mom’s. It’s not quiet. Alone time is rare. But I’m still learning to write from here, with all that it brings.

Where do you write best?