#writersfocus Interview with Chinelo Mgbeadichie
In this interview, Maria-Goretti Christian speaks with our Writer of Focus this Saturday, in the person of Miss Chinelo Mgbeadichie. She tells us about her journey into and through writing.
M.G- Please tell us about yourself: school and course of study, hobbies, how you began writing, the journey so far, etc.
C.M-I am a Legal Practitioner, writer and an Entrepreneur. I was born in Oyo State and grew up in Lagos. I am from Anambra State, the first of five amazing siblings. My Education started at Molete Baptist at Ibadan before we moved to Lagos then I attended Owo Samson memorial then Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary for my secondary education, my first degree was at Nnamdi Azikiwe University otherwise known as UNIZIK, the only school then that didn’t have cultist and didn’t go on strike. You know I like book so I added Masters to it and went to England.
My hobbies, I love to write, sing, pray, watch movies, dance, gist, work.
I started writing as a child, then I used to draw pictures and write stories beside them. At some point my father bought us a desktop so I would just type and type. I remember in secondary school I wrote a story and my teacher didn’t return my paper even though she returned other people’s work after marking. I remember telling myself that I would write better stories than the one she’d taken. It became a big deal for me after my mother challenged me, so I just became serious about it from then. I have grown now I must say. It’s been a beautiful journey of learning, unlearning, starting again, living.
I live through my stories. When I am writing, I can literarily see my characters, interact with them. I get to see and feel what they feel.
M.G- Do you have any current work? What inspired it?
C.M- Yes, I have some new titles published. Room 287 and The Ivorian Miracle. Room 287 was born from a discussion I heard between some hotel staff about their work and clients of the hotel, coincidentally I had wanted to work on something around human trafficking so I just found a way to blend the two.
The Ivorian Miracle started forming in my head in December 2017, so it was supposed to be about finding mercy and grace during Christmas but then at some point the characters started fleshing out their uniqueness and soon they found their own voices.
M.G- Do you share your work before publication? Have you ever encountered plagiarism in the industry?
C.M- Yes I do share my work but only to a few people. Hmm plagiarism? I probably haven’t paid too much attention to lazy people who would rather copy my work than find their voice.
M.G- What's the most difficult challenge you face as a writer? And how have you been able to overcome them?
C.M- Someone asked me this question recently. It is the same problem every writer faces, building a brand takes work and a lot of time and energy. You face the challenge of, will people appreciate my genre, do I really understand the limits of my genre, do I move to the popular market? I mean all of those worries. Then add the usual I don’t have time to read you hear from most working class, or I will read it but they never do. Those things come now and then to discourage a writer, because you put in so much effort and you hope that someone would just open the pages and see the world from your own point of view. How I overcome the possibility of getting discouraged is just to remind myself that it would be worth it in the end and when I get one satisfied reader, I just off the roof because the best way is the way that takes the bricks down one after the other.
M.G- What is the most unethical practice/unsavory encounter you've had in the literary industry?
C.M- Nothing comes to mind at the moment.
M.G- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
C.M- Yes I have tried that once but it was at a time I was hurting and I really wanted to write that story but in the end I chose to forgive, breathe and let go. I mean why expend energy on someone’s error. We all offend people at one time or the other.
M.G- What other authors do you have as friends/mentors, and how do they help you become a better writer?
C.M- CM Okonkwo, I am her big fan. We talk for long hours and when she tells me her dreams and how she plots and sometimes we discuss our next stories, it is amazing. She is my number one mentor because she always challenges me to go the extra mile, you know write that next big story.
M.G- How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
C.M- Actually it didn’t. But my second book behind dark clouds broadened my horizon, because not only did I focus on the message I was also able to incorporate the lives of other characters. Then reading other people’s books also plays a huge role in development.
M.G- Do you prefer to self-publish or publish under a firm?
C.M- I have been self publishing but at this point I would love to really publish under a big firm like Kachifo, goodness those guys have rejected my work twice but its all good, las las we will be alright.
M.G- How do you manage environmental factors such as noise, unstable electricity etc?
C.M- Goodness! That is a Nigerian factor and I am a Lagosian, we are used to the modus operandi around here so it is either you fit in or become a loser. And I don’t intend to waste my time and talent when time is running like no man’s business.
M.G- What’s the best way to market your books?
C.M- Trust me when I get that answer, I would let you know.
M.G- What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
C.M-. (Laughs) that is a serious one. first I don’t start a book with a timeline. Most times I write as scenes take shape in my head. As we speak, I have over 7 uncompleted stories the second story in the Ice for heart series, a proposed sequel to Mrs. Unmarried I stared it even before I completed Mrs. unmarried. I know the entire story and how it is to flow but I haven’t completed it because the specific scenes are still yet unformed.
I research as I write, sometimes I have to physically visit certain places just to get a better description, sometimes I ask people questions. Luckily the internet is filled with so much information so I get in there and satisfy my curiosity.
M.G- Do you Google yourself/read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
C.M- I google myself yes, and my books. I have not had too many bad reviews, but the few I have had I make conscious efforts not to allow them colour my day. I remind myself first that it is the person’s opinion, then I try to find out if there is a good reason for that opinion and if there is I work on it. Otherwise, I garbage it. everyone is entitled to their opinion.
M.G- Are you a full-time writer? If yes, does your family support your career as a writer?
C.M- Oh yes, every member of my family supports my writing but I am not exclusively a writer.
M.G- How long on average does it take you to write a book?
C.M- Like I said before, I don’t start a book with a timeline.
M.G- Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you think it can be dealt with?
C.M- Well, there are times you may get stuck on a scene. As far as I know I leave it and go do something else until it comes. But that is so that I don’t begin to just fill pages with letters because I know I can do that. That is writing unnecessary actions. I try to be intentional with every scene. Secondly I remind myself of the entire storyline and go back to read what I have written so that I can understand why I am were I am.
Like they say, if you don’t know where you are coming from how will you know where you are headed?
M.G- What is your motivation for writing?
C.M- I write, first because I live through it. Writing is my beautiful place. I write also because it is my gift and I cannot afford not to use it, thirdly I have found my voice through the use of words on paper or laptop, LOL. For example I may never be able to express my feelings to someone by speaking to the person except I write it out.
M.G- What does literary success look like to you?
C.M- That would be communication, if my audience understands the underlying message in my stories. And that is that every person has a story, including the dead. Who writes for the dead? Who speaks for the downtrodden or even the rich?
M.G- What word of advice would you give an aspiring or upcoming writer?
C.M- I would say write, just do the damn thing, and find your voice. You don’t need to be Chinua Achebe or Chimamanda, find your own voice.
M.G- Over 10 score your fashion sense. Does it affect you as a writer?
C.M- LOL, let’s say you enter a room of fifty people, I am not likely to be the best dressed but I don’t think you would miss me in the crowd. In other words I try to look sane and beautiful. Lets say 7. Nah, I don’t think writing can affect anyone’s dress sense. I mean if anything it should make you a creative. So on the average you should be creatively adorned.
M.G- Thanks a lot for granting us audience on #writersfocus.
C.M- Thank you for having me. It’s a great privileged.
M.G- Please tell us about yourself: school and course of study, hobbies, how you began writing, the journey so far, etc.
C.M-I am a Legal Practitioner, writer and an Entrepreneur. I was born in Oyo State and grew up in Lagos. I am from Anambra State, the first of five amazing siblings. My Education started at Molete Baptist at Ibadan before we moved to Lagos then I attended Owo Samson memorial then Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary for my secondary education, my first degree was at Nnamdi Azikiwe University otherwise known as UNIZIK, the only school then that didn’t have cultist and didn’t go on strike. You know I like book so I added Masters to it and went to England.
My hobbies, I love to write, sing, pray, watch movies, dance, gist, work.
I started writing as a child, then I used to draw pictures and write stories beside them. At some point my father bought us a desktop so I would just type and type. I remember in secondary school I wrote a story and my teacher didn’t return my paper even though she returned other people’s work after marking. I remember telling myself that I would write better stories than the one she’d taken. It became a big deal for me after my mother challenged me, so I just became serious about it from then. I have grown now I must say. It’s been a beautiful journey of learning, unlearning, starting again, living.
I live through my stories. When I am writing, I can literarily see my characters, interact with them. I get to see and feel what they feel.
M.G- Do you have any current work? What inspired it?
C.M- Yes, I have some new titles published. Room 287 and The Ivorian Miracle. Room 287 was born from a discussion I heard between some hotel staff about their work and clients of the hotel, coincidentally I had wanted to work on something around human trafficking so I just found a way to blend the two.
The Ivorian Miracle started forming in my head in December 2017, so it was supposed to be about finding mercy and grace during Christmas but then at some point the characters started fleshing out their uniqueness and soon they found their own voices.
M.G- Do you share your work before publication? Have you ever encountered plagiarism in the industry?
C.M- Yes I do share my work but only to a few people. Hmm plagiarism? I probably haven’t paid too much attention to lazy people who would rather copy my work than find their voice.
M.G- What's the most difficult challenge you face as a writer? And how have you been able to overcome them?
C.M- Someone asked me this question recently. It is the same problem every writer faces, building a brand takes work and a lot of time and energy. You face the challenge of, will people appreciate my genre, do I really understand the limits of my genre, do I move to the popular market? I mean all of those worries. Then add the usual I don’t have time to read you hear from most working class, or I will read it but they never do. Those things come now and then to discourage a writer, because you put in so much effort and you hope that someone would just open the pages and see the world from your own point of view. How I overcome the possibility of getting discouraged is just to remind myself that it would be worth it in the end and when I get one satisfied reader, I just off the roof because the best way is the way that takes the bricks down one after the other.
M.G- What is the most unethical practice/unsavory encounter you've had in the literary industry?
C.M- Nothing comes to mind at the moment.
M.G- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
C.M- Yes I have tried that once but it was at a time I was hurting and I really wanted to write that story but in the end I chose to forgive, breathe and let go. I mean why expend energy on someone’s error. We all offend people at one time or the other.
M.G- What other authors do you have as friends/mentors, and how do they help you become a better writer?
C.M- CM Okonkwo, I am her big fan. We talk for long hours and when she tells me her dreams and how she plots and sometimes we discuss our next stories, it is amazing. She is my number one mentor because she always challenges me to go the extra mile, you know write that next big story.
M.G- How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
C.M- Actually it didn’t. But my second book behind dark clouds broadened my horizon, because not only did I focus on the message I was also able to incorporate the lives of other characters. Then reading other people’s books also plays a huge role in development.
M.G- Do you prefer to self-publish or publish under a firm?
C.M- I have been self publishing but at this point I would love to really publish under a big firm like Kachifo, goodness those guys have rejected my work twice but its all good, las las we will be alright.
M.G- How do you manage environmental factors such as noise, unstable electricity etc?
C.M- Goodness! That is a Nigerian factor and I am a Lagosian, we are used to the modus operandi around here so it is either you fit in or become a loser. And I don’t intend to waste my time and talent when time is running like no man’s business.
M.G- What’s the best way to market your books?
C.M- Trust me when I get that answer, I would let you know.
M.G- What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
C.M-. (Laughs) that is a serious one. first I don’t start a book with a timeline. Most times I write as scenes take shape in my head. As we speak, I have over 7 uncompleted stories the second story in the Ice for heart series, a proposed sequel to Mrs. Unmarried I stared it even before I completed Mrs. unmarried. I know the entire story and how it is to flow but I haven’t completed it because the specific scenes are still yet unformed.
I research as I write, sometimes I have to physically visit certain places just to get a better description, sometimes I ask people questions. Luckily the internet is filled with so much information so I get in there and satisfy my curiosity.
M.G- Do you Google yourself/read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
C.M- I google myself yes, and my books. I have not had too many bad reviews, but the few I have had I make conscious efforts not to allow them colour my day. I remind myself first that it is the person’s opinion, then I try to find out if there is a good reason for that opinion and if there is I work on it. Otherwise, I garbage it. everyone is entitled to their opinion.
M.G- Are you a full-time writer? If yes, does your family support your career as a writer?
C.M- Oh yes, every member of my family supports my writing but I am not exclusively a writer.
M.G- How long on average does it take you to write a book?
C.M- Like I said before, I don’t start a book with a timeline.
M.G- Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you think it can be dealt with?
C.M- Well, there are times you may get stuck on a scene. As far as I know I leave it and go do something else until it comes. But that is so that I don’t begin to just fill pages with letters because I know I can do that. That is writing unnecessary actions. I try to be intentional with every scene. Secondly I remind myself of the entire storyline and go back to read what I have written so that I can understand why I am were I am.
Like they say, if you don’t know where you are coming from how will you know where you are headed?
M.G- What is your motivation for writing?
C.M- I write, first because I live through it. Writing is my beautiful place. I write also because it is my gift and I cannot afford not to use it, thirdly I have found my voice through the use of words on paper or laptop, LOL. For example I may never be able to express my feelings to someone by speaking to the person except I write it out.
M.G- What does literary success look like to you?
C.M- That would be communication, if my audience understands the underlying message in my stories. And that is that every person has a story, including the dead. Who writes for the dead? Who speaks for the downtrodden or even the rich?
M.G- What word of advice would you give an aspiring or upcoming writer?
C.M- I would say write, just do the damn thing, and find your voice. You don’t need to be Chinua Achebe or Chimamanda, find your own voice.
M.G- Over 10 score your fashion sense. Does it affect you as a writer?
C.M- LOL, let’s say you enter a room of fifty people, I am not likely to be the best dressed but I don’t think you would miss me in the crowd. In other words I try to look sane and beautiful. Lets say 7. Nah, I don’t think writing can affect anyone’s dress sense. I mean if anything it should make you a creative. So on the average you should be creatively adorned.
M.G- Thanks a lot for granting us audience on #writersfocus.
C.M- Thank you for having me. It’s a great privileged.
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