Writing a book in your second language is not something that happens overnight. For me, it has been a long journey that started years ago. I am Afrikaans, and growing up, I was never particularly strong in either Afrikaans or English. But somewhere along the way, I knew that if I wanted to write the kind of stories I imagined, I would have to commit to learning English properly. Not just enough to speak it, but enough to write with confidence and emotion.
After leaving high school, I made a conscious decision to work on my English every day. It was not always easy, though reading helped. A lot. I LOVE books. I love fantasy worlds and history. But there were times where I questioned whether I would ever be able to write a full novel in a language that did not come naturally to me. But I kept going. I read more. I paid attention to how sentences were structured. I practiced constantly. Over time, something began to shift inside of me. What once felt forced slowly started to feel natural. I even started to think in english, which I think is crazy of course.
When I finally sat down to write 'The Devil’s Dance', I knew I could not afford to guess my way through it. I did extensive research on words and phrasing. If I was unsure about something, I looked it up. Every sentence mattered to me. I wanted the writing to feel smooth and intentional, not like it was written in a second language. It was a slow process, but it taught me discipline and attention to detail in a way I would not have learned otherwise.
I have also been incredibly fortunate in my personal life. My fiancé is English, and we have been together for ten years. That alone has helped me more than I can explain. Being surrounded by the language daily, hearing it, speaking it and naturally absorbing it over time made a significant difference. On top of that, my work as a lodge and marketing manager requires me to communicate in English every single day. Every email, every piece of correspondence, every bit of marketing content pushed me to improve without even realising it.
Point is...you have to keep going at it, especially if you want to write a book and get published one day.
Today, I can say that I write comfortably and confidently in English, something I once doubted I would ever achieve. Finishing a novel in a second language is more than just a personal milestone. I think rather that it is proof that growth is possible when you are willing to put in the time, the effort, the actual work and the belief that one day, it will all come together.