Seun Lari_William on Focus #writersfocus
While we wait in anticipation of a credible electoral process, we bring you this upclose interview with one of the most incredible writer on the African continent Seun Lari_William.
M.G - Please tell us about yourself: school and course of study, hobbies, how you began writing, the journey so far, etc.
S. LW - Please let me start by thanking you for considering me worthy of this interview. I consider it an honour. Thank you. I am a University of Lagos trained lawyer and poet. My hobbies include writing poetry and playing the flute. By writing, I’ll presume you mean poetry/literary works: I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I used to watch my father come home to write into the night. He derived so much joy from it, and I enjoyed reading his works out back to him. So far, I’ve found writing to be a source of happiness in my life. I love how I feel when I write. And I’m super grateful that some find some of the things I write fascinating.
M.G - Do you have any current work? What inspired it?
S. LW - Well, my latest work is “Garri for Breakfast, a collection of poems”. Some of the collection were inspired by my perspective of how our nation, Nigeria was at the time. Other parts were my personal experiences woven into a form of art.
M.G - Do you share your work before publication?
S. LW - Yes, I do. I find that I get invaluable contributions from others when I share my work.
M.G - Have you ever encountered plagiarism in the industry?
S. LW - Luckily, I haven’t. I hope I never. Anyone who knows what it means to create something knows how painful it is when same is used in such an inappropriate manner.
M.G - What's the most difficult challenge you face as a writer? And how have you been able to overcome them?
S. LW - So far, I’d say the most difficult challenge I’ve faced as a writer is reaching my writing goals. I try my best to write as often as possible, but I find that there’s so much distraction out there that one has to fight to write. The strategy I use to overcome this challenge is: planning. I mean that I now carve out a specific part of the day for writing. I don’t just wait until there’s time for it. I create the time. I love to write at night, so I do so mostly between 9 and 11ish. I don’t leave it to ‘when the spirit leads’ anymore. I am more deliberate about it, and I’ve seen tremendous improvement since I made that decision.
M.G - What is the most unethical practice/unsavory encounter you've had in the literary industry?
S. LW - I share some of my literary works on social media. I don’t regret doing that. However, from time to time, I’ve found my works wrongly attributed to and presented as someone else’s works. It hurts when I come across situations like this.
M.G - Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
S. LW - Yes, I have. I consider doing so for a couple of my works I do not want to be directly associated with. I believe using a pseudonym will help protect other sides to myself, like my law practice.
M.G - What other authors do you have as friends/mentors, and how do they help you become a better writer?
S. LW - First, I must say that no author has helped me as much as my friend and wife, Feyi. She’s helped me a great deal. She is my ‘think’ partner. We spend considerable time almost every day discussing writing ideas and whatnot.
Second, my father, Chief Lari Williams MFR, has of course been more than just a mentor when it comes to writing. He actually introduced me to that side of the world where one can escape to once in a while. Also, I can’t answer this question without thinking about the late author/poet Sir Ikeogu Oke. He was very kind to me. Always ready to give his invaluable comments on my works. He will be greatly missed. Further, Donald Penprince Ekpeki has been super helpful when it comes to sharing helpful writing tips. In addition, from a distance other writers such as PoetOlu, Oyindamola Shoola have inspired me in beautiful ways.
M.G - How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
S. LW - I am still ‘free and wild’ as some of my critics describe me, but I noticed that I have become more careful about how I write. My first book exposed me to many great members of the literary world and some of them recommended authors and books for me to read. Merely reading some of these works has improved my writing.
M.G - Do you prefer to self-publish or publish under a firm?
S. LW - I am yet to be published under a firm. Therefore I cannot say which I prefer just yet.
M.G - How do you manage environmental factors such as noise, unstable electricity etc? S. LW - Yes, factors peculiar to our dear country, Nigeria. It was a serious problem for me before. But I realize that when you really love what you do, you do it in spite of things that may come your way. Concerning unstable electricity, I say to myself: thousands of people wrote books before electricity was invented. Concerning noise, I know it’s a bad thing to get used to, but somehow, lately it doesn’t bother me much.
M.G - What’s the best way to market your books?
S. LW - I can’t say I have all the experience when it comes to this. For me, I think it’s best to partner with a professional when it comes to selling books. You may be a great writer, but you can’t go very far if there is no one helping you put copies of your book in people’s hands. There are people who are great at this. When great meets great, the rest is history.
M.G - What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
S. LW - I write poetry mostly. I rarely need to do any research, but when I do, I make sure that time isn’t a factor in my quest to get to the bottom of whatever it is. So my answer is: as long as it takes.
M.G - Do you Google yourself/read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
S. LW - Yes, I have a few times. I sometimes feel the need to know what is being said about me, just in case they’re important. And yes, I have read book reviews about my book. You don’t have to ‘deal’ with the good ones. They simply make you feel good. When I read negative reviews of my works, I try hard to focus on the truth in it (if there’s any). So as to take away useful tips for my works. I try to forget the rest. Not everyone has learned how to be polite, or to speak in love.
M.G - Are you a full-time writer? If yes, does your family support your career as a writer?
S. LW - No, I’m not. I also practice law at a law firm. I enjoy doing that, as well.
M.G - How long on average does it take you to write a book?
S. LW - I have written only one book, so it’s probably too soon to spin an average. However, I’m of the view that a book takes the whole life of its author to write. Just because it takes a writer two minutes to pen down a few words doesn’t mean he hasn’t been thinking about it for years. Our works, at every stage in our careers, are the result of all our years on earth. It’s never really about the number of weeks it took to physically sit down and write.
M.G - Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you think it can be dealt with?
S. LW - I know it exists. If that’s what you mean. But I don’t believe in it. Rather, I read other people’s works when I’m blocked. It’s how I get unblocked.
M.G - What is your motivation for writing?
S. LW - Frankly, I don’t know. I just write. I just love writing.
M.G - What does literary success look like to you?
S. LW - Literary success, to me, would be a small smile on any reader’s face.
M.G - What word of advice would you give an aspiring or upcoming writer?
S. LW - Keep writing. Do not let anyone’s negative opinions get to you. Always remember, no one has all the answers. If you feel strongly about a style of writing or about writing about something, go on ahead and do it. Don’t keep looking out there for people’s approval. Your confidence is more important than that.
M.G - Over 10 score your fashion sense. Does it affect you as a writer?
S. LW - I’ve never been known for having a great fashion sense. I sure hope it does not affect me as a writer. Lol.
M.G - Please tell us about yourself: school and course of study, hobbies, how you began writing, the journey so far, etc.
S. LW - Please let me start by thanking you for considering me worthy of this interview. I consider it an honour. Thank you. I am a University of Lagos trained lawyer and poet. My hobbies include writing poetry and playing the flute. By writing, I’ll presume you mean poetry/literary works: I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I used to watch my father come home to write into the night. He derived so much joy from it, and I enjoyed reading his works out back to him. So far, I’ve found writing to be a source of happiness in my life. I love how I feel when I write. And I’m super grateful that some find some of the things I write fascinating.
M.G - Do you have any current work? What inspired it?
S. LW - Well, my latest work is “Garri for Breakfast, a collection of poems”. Some of the collection were inspired by my perspective of how our nation, Nigeria was at the time. Other parts were my personal experiences woven into a form of art.
M.G - Do you share your work before publication?
S. LW - Yes, I do. I find that I get invaluable contributions from others when I share my work.
M.G - Have you ever encountered plagiarism in the industry?
S. LW - Luckily, I haven’t. I hope I never. Anyone who knows what it means to create something knows how painful it is when same is used in such an inappropriate manner.
M.G - What's the most difficult challenge you face as a writer? And how have you been able to overcome them?
S. LW - So far, I’d say the most difficult challenge I’ve faced as a writer is reaching my writing goals. I try my best to write as often as possible, but I find that there’s so much distraction out there that one has to fight to write. The strategy I use to overcome this challenge is: planning. I mean that I now carve out a specific part of the day for writing. I don’t just wait until there’s time for it. I create the time. I love to write at night, so I do so mostly between 9 and 11ish. I don’t leave it to ‘when the spirit leads’ anymore. I am more deliberate about it, and I’ve seen tremendous improvement since I made that decision.
M.G - What is the most unethical practice/unsavory encounter you've had in the literary industry?
S. LW - I share some of my literary works on social media. I don’t regret doing that. However, from time to time, I’ve found my works wrongly attributed to and presented as someone else’s works. It hurts when I come across situations like this.
M.G - Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
S. LW - Yes, I have. I consider doing so for a couple of my works I do not want to be directly associated with. I believe using a pseudonym will help protect other sides to myself, like my law practice.
M.G - What other authors do you have as friends/mentors, and how do they help you become a better writer?
S. LW - First, I must say that no author has helped me as much as my friend and wife, Feyi. She’s helped me a great deal. She is my ‘think’ partner. We spend considerable time almost every day discussing writing ideas and whatnot.
Second, my father, Chief Lari Williams MFR, has of course been more than just a mentor when it comes to writing. He actually introduced me to that side of the world where one can escape to once in a while. Also, I can’t answer this question without thinking about the late author/poet Sir Ikeogu Oke. He was very kind to me. Always ready to give his invaluable comments on my works. He will be greatly missed. Further, Donald Penprince Ekpeki has been super helpful when it comes to sharing helpful writing tips. In addition, from a distance other writers such as PoetOlu, Oyindamola Shoola have inspired me in beautiful ways.
M.G - How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
S. LW - I am still ‘free and wild’ as some of my critics describe me, but I noticed that I have become more careful about how I write. My first book exposed me to many great members of the literary world and some of them recommended authors and books for me to read. Merely reading some of these works has improved my writing.
M.G - Do you prefer to self-publish or publish under a firm?
S. LW - I am yet to be published under a firm. Therefore I cannot say which I prefer just yet.
M.G - How do you manage environmental factors such as noise, unstable electricity etc? S. LW - Yes, factors peculiar to our dear country, Nigeria. It was a serious problem for me before. But I realize that when you really love what you do, you do it in spite of things that may come your way. Concerning unstable electricity, I say to myself: thousands of people wrote books before electricity was invented. Concerning noise, I know it’s a bad thing to get used to, but somehow, lately it doesn’t bother me much.
M.G - What’s the best way to market your books?
S. LW - I can’t say I have all the experience when it comes to this. For me, I think it’s best to partner with a professional when it comes to selling books. You may be a great writer, but you can’t go very far if there is no one helping you put copies of your book in people’s hands. There are people who are great at this. When great meets great, the rest is history.
M.G - What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
S. LW - I write poetry mostly. I rarely need to do any research, but when I do, I make sure that time isn’t a factor in my quest to get to the bottom of whatever it is. So my answer is: as long as it takes.
M.G - Do you Google yourself/read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
S. LW - Yes, I have a few times. I sometimes feel the need to know what is being said about me, just in case they’re important. And yes, I have read book reviews about my book. You don’t have to ‘deal’ with the good ones. They simply make you feel good. When I read negative reviews of my works, I try hard to focus on the truth in it (if there’s any). So as to take away useful tips for my works. I try to forget the rest. Not everyone has learned how to be polite, or to speak in love.
M.G - Are you a full-time writer? If yes, does your family support your career as a writer?
S. LW - No, I’m not. I also practice law at a law firm. I enjoy doing that, as well.
S. LW - I have written only one book, so it’s probably too soon to spin an average. However, I’m of the view that a book takes the whole life of its author to write. Just because it takes a writer two minutes to pen down a few words doesn’t mean he hasn’t been thinking about it for years. Our works, at every stage in our careers, are the result of all our years on earth. It’s never really about the number of weeks it took to physically sit down and write.
M.G - Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you think it can be dealt with?
S. LW - I know it exists. If that’s what you mean. But I don’t believe in it. Rather, I read other people’s works when I’m blocked. It’s how I get unblocked.
M.G - What is your motivation for writing?
S. LW - Frankly, I don’t know. I just write. I just love writing.
M.G - What does literary success look like to you?
S. LW - Literary success, to me, would be a small smile on any reader’s face.
M.G - What word of advice would you give an aspiring or upcoming writer?
S. LW - Keep writing. Do not let anyone’s negative opinions get to you. Always remember, no one has all the answers. If you feel strongly about a style of writing or about writing about something, go on ahead and do it. Don’t keep looking out there for people’s approval. Your confidence is more important than that.
S. LW - I’ve never been known for having a great fashion sense. I sure hope it does not affect me as a writer. Lol.
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