My first Carta🫣

Little Beginnings

It's been a long time coming. I finally decided to stop waiting for perfection and just send it.

So, hi. My name is Cassia Omudu. I am a Christian and I love writing. I guess I'm a fifth year medical student also.

I've wanted to start a newsletter for the past four years but I've just been stalling. One major reason is because I felt and still feel like my life is not newsworthy. But I'm learning to silence that voice. I don't need drama to be interesting

I've been thinking for months about what my first newsletter should be about and one day—eureka!!! It should be about writing, because why not?

I don't really remember when creative writing piqued my interest. Maybe it was from primary school, writing all those Chike and the river-like stories…it's hard to recall. But one thing is certain, I've always loved writing.

My favorite assignments were essays, articles, informal letters (yes, I had to specify) and the likes. I was very good at it, if I do say so myself and my English teachers would also agree.

I also owe credit to my dad for inspiring me. Since I was a child, my dad has been writing gospel tracts and he has written about three books already. His writing is a tad different from mine but it proved to me that fulfillment can be found in walking in your gift, even if there's no pricetag.

I actually can't talk about my writing journey without mentioning my secondary school class girls. Those girls made me feel like Francine Rivers back then. I started writing stories in SSS1... unpublished of course. I was actually writing just for fun and I actually didn't think it was anything good, but my girls proved me wrong and ate it up! Whatttt?!!! I'm still so honoured.

I knew it was serious one day when I walked into my class and heard a group of them analyzing my story. It felt so good. I was writing the story in a notebook, so every time I dropped my pen, it was a battle of who would get to read it first. I loved that dynamic... Those were simpler times.

One time my dad found one of those books and said I should give it to him to help me publish. I laughed it off and I thought that was the end. He brought it up a few more times, but trust me to always find a way to dodge. I knew he was serious but I didn't want to publish that book or anything I was going to write at that time. I felt like nobody would care. You can already tell that I was lying to myself because a lot of people actually did care.

On getting to the university in 2019, I actually stopped writing because I did not want to combine studying medicine and writing. A lot of people asked why I stopped but I always came up with an excuse. In 2021 or so, I realized that my creative writing is a gift from God and I hadn't been treating it as such. That realization came with a lot of confusion because I didn't see myself writing long-form novels at that point because I was actually overwhelmed with school, and I loved writing stories, and that would've been tasking. I tried to explore other options but i gave up way too quickly.

In August 2022, I had just finished pre-clinicals and there was a long holiday. I decided that I was going to start a novel and I told my friend to hold me accountable. Glory to Jesus, I actually did start it and it was so much fun.

Something that people who write rarely say, but I'll tell you for free (you're welcome) is that there's hardly any feeling in the world that compares to getting a story in your head and seeing it flesh out on paper or on a screen. Amazing, I tell you. that story is still unfinished because I had to return to school and clinicals have been worse than I ever imagined. I can't even believe that I thought I'd have more free time. How delulu of me.

At a point, it was so sad and depressing that I wasn't able to write at all. Even when I had small time and tried to, everything else I was supposed to be doing would just make my creative juices taste like aloe vera. I wish I could tell you that the dilemma is over, but that would be a lie. I'm still very much in the thick of it. I'm grateful that I'm finally taking a step ahead with starting this. I hope it gets better with time.

So, if there's anything I've learnt from my writing journey and I think you should learn too, it is that;

God expects you to put every gift he has given you to good use. When you stand before him, remember that there would be no excuses.

There would never be enough time. If you want to do something, try not to procrastinate. Now is almost always the best time.

Of course you want the world to be impressed by whatever you do... but most importantly, let whatever you do honour God, your gifter. Let Him be your number one audience.

Never forget the people who have always believed in you. Those are your real gees.

I'm very far from where I want to be as a writer, but I'm grateful—so grateful for where I am right now. I hope you subscribe to my newsletter. In fact, I'm begging you to subscribe to my newsletter and your feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks and God bless. Till next time 💕

Thanks for reading Cassia's Substack!