Meet creative Agnes Opondo who writes to entertain, rant and insists you should keep writing because it all gets better with time

Give us a brief profile of yourself.

My name is Agnes Opondo. I am a creative writer at my personal blog agitah.co.ke and also an entertainment writer at kenyanvibe.com. I have been writing for over 4 years now and I love memes too hehehe!

Share something interesting about yourself

I can sing very well. Currently signed to Bathroom Records Inc. just waiting to be signed to Beyonce’s record label.

What attracted/inspired you into blogging

For a long time, I was looking for a vent for the many voices and ideas in my head. Writing provided just the best avenue to channel out my thoughts, and so far so good. It is very rewarding, I must say.

What is the name of your blog and what is it about?

My blog is agitah.co.ke. It is largely a collection of pieces on my thoughts, my love for my family, letters to my late father and a few fiction stories. I write mainly to entertain and at times, to rant.

You could have written about anything, why this niche specifically?

I write mostly about things that happen to me on a daily basis and it is easier to talk about what I go through. My blog posts are about almost anything that I experience e.g. Drama in a matatu that I boarded, stories about my upbringing, my days as university student etc. Those stories come more naturally for me making them authentic narrations.

What accomplishments are you proud of most?

Well…..I would say that I am proud of the readership that my writing has amassed over time. Starting out was very difficult because I really battled many bouts of self-doubt. So it is the simple things like the comments that readers share on and off the blog site that make me so proud to be a writer.

If you could sit down with your 13-year-old self, what would you tell her?

I would tell her that many things won’t pan out as planned but she will be just fine.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Creative, funny, and intelligent

If you could time travel, where would you go?

I would go back to the days when my father was alive just to spend some time with him. Words are not even enough to describe how much I miss him.

What is the weirdest food combination you have ever tried?

Let’s just say that I am not that experimental with food. So I don’t have any weird food combinations that comes to mind at the moment.

If you were not a blogger, what would you be instead? Do you have a day job?

I would be a singer. Yes I have a day job.

Of all the posts you have ever written, which one is your favourite? Why?

A fiction story called Nice Girls Never Made History. I love it because it really showed me my potential in fiction writing. I have really struggled with fiction stories but the reviews that this article got were very encouraging plus I also really enjoyed writing it.

What is the most difficult thing you ever had to do?

Working in a job that I didn’t love just to be able to pay my bills

14. Who is the most influential person in your life and why?

They are many but I would say, my late father, he was a storyteller too. I learnt how to tell stories from him.

15. Besides blogging, what else do you do? What is your obsession?

I sing in the shower hohoho! I also make DIY crafts for my budding home décor business called Ragama Home Décor. I am obsessed with music and showbiz so entertainment writing is what I do to cater to that obsession.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

My mum once told me, ‘Take life as it comes.’

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Writing full-time on fun topics like entertainment, film, showbiz, etc. And having lots of money because surviving in Kanairo is not cheap man!

Is there a quote/mantra you live by?

Inauma lakini itabidi uzoee. OK… I am kidding. My mantra is ‘Nothing beats fam time.’

If you would be a superhero, who would you be and why?

I don’t have a specific favourite superhero. But I would love to have a superpower of reading people’s minds. Humans are sketchy at times and sometimes you can’t know their true thoughts.

What lessons have you learned the most from 2020 and how do you plan to make a difference?

It is very important to save money and have proper fiscal plans. Gratitude was also another important lesson that 2020 taught me. I plan to have a better relationship with money.

What is your greatest achievement?

Being alive man! Life is so hard at times. Waking up every day to face the day’s challenges, that is one big achievement

What are some of the changes in the blogsphere between now and when you started out?

More and more writers are coming up. When I started, I had fewer blogs to look up to but right now, there are loads of amazing bloggers who are putting out great content. It is also great to see that now I can use my blog to get writing gigs unlike when I started out.