Stephanie Chizoba Odili is an award-winning writer, teacher, and founder of a YouTube Christian ministry. Her work spans writing, teaching, and nurturing a supportive faith community. Through her ministry, she helps believers strengthen their faith, sharing messages that bring comfort and introspection. Inspired by her journey as a writer, she is also building her own publishing company to empower other authors and make their stories accessible worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to my parents, I\u2019ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen. Although I didn\u2019t study English or Literature, my degree in Mass Communication gave me a path into journalism. I started writing news stories and opinion pieces but soon realized it wasn\u2019t fulfilling. Journalism felt noble, but it wasn\u2019t quite my calling. I continued as a content creator in tech companies, yet found that I wanted to tell my own stories, not just others\u2019. I finally decided to quit and focus on my first book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, I\u2019ve embraced different paths, exploring and creating on my own terms. Today, as a creator, I get to choose which stories I tell -fiction or non-fiction- and it\u2019s empowering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I start my week on Sunday evenings, planning out what needs to be done. My YouTube work involves writing scripts, reviewing them, getting feedback from an editor, recording videos, and posting content. For my writing, I aim to write five days a week, though every day looks a bit different. For instance, I recently completed a series of blog articles set to be released weekly throughout the year, and I\u2019m now focusing on finding a publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the teaching side, I work with English language learners from around the world. When I don\u2019t have classes, I dive into reading or rest on the weekends to recharge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favourite part is being able to set an agenda and shape stories that mean something to me. I\u2019m passionate about topics like feminism, and I bring that into my work whenever I can. I also like to be a voice of comfort for my readers; on Instagram, I call myself the \u201ccathartic creative\u201d because I want my writing to give people a space to reflect. It\u2019s so rewarding when someone tells me, \u201cI never thought of it like that, thank you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of my first challenges was figuring out how to write a book. I learned by studying other authors and attending workshops, and that led to my first publication. Another major challenge has been getting my books out into the world. I want my work to reach as many readers as possible, but publishing can be a tough road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To tackle this, I started my own publishing company, not just to publish my work, but to help other writers with the same goal. My books have gone on to win prizes like the Nigerian Authors Prize For Fiction, 2nd prize and the 2021 Wakini Kuria Award for Children\u2019s Literature, and I\u2019m excited to share that success with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to do more than I\u2019m doing now. I\u2019m especially interested in science and have dreams of exploring that field when I have more time. Right now, I\u2019m working hard to set a foundation that will allow me to chase other passions in the future. I want to see how those experiences feed into my writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m currently working on a children\u2019s book series inspired by my primary school experiences. I can\u2019t share too much about it yet but it\u2019s a project close to my heart, and I\u2019m thrilled to bring it to life soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow what you\u2019re called to do. I would have stayed in media and tech telling other stories and I was really good at it but I listened to my hear and what brought me the most fulfilment was telling my own stories. That has set the pace for everything else in my life and I am grateful for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So dear creator, do something you\u2019re genuinely passionate about and keep at it. It might take time to get where you want, but you\u2019ll reach it, and it will be worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stephanie Chizoba Odili is an award-winning writer, teacher, and founder of a YouTube Christian ministry. Her work spans writing, teaching,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":6944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ap_featured_post":false},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/blog-media.selar.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Selar-Blog-Covers-26.png","views":1640,"yoast_head":"\n