Student publishes debut novel
T.M Munyori is in the second year of the Creative Writing Programme, studying in Brighton. Just before Christmas, she published her debut novel A Holiday Reboot. Here she talks about her journey to publication and her writing life.
When do you first remember wanting to be a writer? I first remember wanting to write at about 14 years old. I spent a lot of time reading to improve my English as it is my second language. I started short stories when I was about 16.
Why did you decide to join the Creative Writing Programme? I joined the Creative Writing Programme because I’d written two novels, and it had been a lonely endeavour. I wanted to improve my craft and understand the industry and have an excuse to leave my house since I work from home.
Who are your tutors? My tutors are Bethan Robert’s and Hannah Vincent and they have been fantastic.
What was the most impactful element of the course for you? The workshops have been invaluable. It’s one thing to write and be satisfied with your own efforts but for other people to read your work, love it, have opinions and discussions on it and even to just hear it being read aloud has been incredible.
Did you start writing your debut – A Holiday Reboot – on the course? Yes I wrote A Holiday Reboot during my course. I came back to the third term with the idea to write a novella for Christmas. It was terrifying to say it out loud so I waited until I’d finished the first draft. And once I said it, I had to do it. Best decision of 2025.
Could you tell us about the inspiration behind A Holiday Reboot? I am a lover of second chance romances and forced proximity with moral dilemmas. With it being Christmas I wanted a black, hallmark romance vibe. Think cosy cabin, heavy snow, a few days alone with the ex that broke up with you on what should’ve been the best day of your life, and finally having the conversation you should’ve had years ago. And a reminder that if he loves you, he will let you go, get some therapy and come back for you. That was the inspiration for A Holiday Reboot.
Could you tell us about your route to publication? My route to publishing has been a whirlwind. My first ever novel was set to be published by a hybrid publisher who turned out to be a vanity publisher. After four years, I finally won the court case against them and recouped my money and my book. In the meantime I had queried my second novel with no success. Then in October, my friend published her novella using KDP and while I’d been considering self publishing for a while, I finally decided to just do it. I realised waiting to be approved via the traditional route was impacting my love for the craft and making me question my ability. There’s something about getting into traditional publishing that makes it feel like you’re waiting for approval. I realised I didn’t want to do that anymore. Self publishing was hard the first time but it let me take charge of my work in a way that I wouldn’t have had otherwise and I’m really proud of what I produced in the end.
Are you working on anything new? I am working on novel three which is going to be book one in a stand alone trilogy. It’s a second chance romance that follows Hope, a surrogate looking to retire and on the verge of being dropped by her agent if she doesn’t pitch a decent idea for book two. In comes her new surrogate client Fáelán, offering her the opportunity to write a ‘tell all’ about their experience using his deceased wife’s frozen eggs. The issue: Fáelán left Hope 16 years ago, shortly after finding out she was pregnant.
What are your top tips for someone starting out in their writing career? Write what you love, what you feel passionate about; you’re going to read it a million times. Surround yourself with other writers because it’s a long journey ahead. Write often but also read a lot. Most importantly, spend time with your characters, get to know them; an outline is nice but your characters will tell you their story.
Thank you to the CWP for making me the writer I am. And a massive thank you to everyone who has bought my book and left a review. Here’s to blowing your own trumpet and having audacity!
You can buy A Holiday Reboot on Amazon.
If you want to follow in T.M Munyori’s footsteps, then why not join The Creative Writing Programme in September 2026? We’re running courses online and in Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, East Grinstead, Hastings and London. There are taster sessions happening from now until September so you can see if the course is for you.