John Chizoba Vincent on Writers Focus

John Chizoba Vincent in this revealing interview, let's us into his life and writing journey so far. ( Interview by Francisca Ogechi Okwulehie)

FOO: Tell us about yourself.( Name, Schools attended, Family etc)

JCV: I am John Chizoba Vincent from Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state, Nigeria. A cinematographer, Film maker, Poet and Writer. I was born into a polygamous family in which my mother was the last wife among the four wives married by my father. She is a hard working woman and I would say that all of us learnt to be independent and hard-working from her. We were born when my father was already old enough not to cater for us. She single handedly trained the nine children she bore for my father. I am the seventh child among the nine Children. I studied mass communication in Lagos State polytechnic, although with an OND certificate, but hope to continue with my education as soon as possible.

FOO: How did you get into Writing?

JCV: Growing up in the ghetto city of Aba, I always wanted to be different from the rest of the family. Then when I studied them all I discovered one thing. Everyone of them were doing one business or the other. I didn't want to involve myself in selling fabric materials, I didn't want to sell boxers and some other things when I grew up. I wanted to be different from everyone of them. From the onset, I have been this restless and helpless boy you would find on the street of Aba trying to find his footing. So, I wanted to be a musician when I grew up. I started buying all this hundred naira song books in Ahia Ohuru. I will learn every song there. I wanted to sing like Tuface, Westlife and Micheal Jackson.  I learnt rock and listened to Backstreet boys. I learnt every of their songs. I wrote my own lyrics too. But when I found no studio in the street of Aba I gave up the dream. So, during my primary three, I read "The fruit of Honesty", I can't remember the author now. That was when I fell in love with writing. I wrote my first two short stories then. I was roaming in the streets of Aba then looking for how to publish it but could not find anyone to help. My mother was afraid that something bad might happen to me because she did not understand what I was actually doing and what I was looking for. She was not educated. She burnt the two manuscripts after I came back one day. I cried my heart out. The dream died at that moment. But it came back in 2010 after 8 years of not writing. It was our literature teacher whom I can't remember her name that triggered the passion. I wrote my first full novel which is yet to be published.

FOO: Who are your favourite Authors?

JCV: I can't really tell you that I have favourite authors but I love good books. Good books that tell of Africa's cultures and traditions. I love books that stand out from others. I can read books from Buchi Emecheta, Chimamanda Adichie, Flora Nwapa, Wole Soyinka, Onyeka Nwelu, Kofi Awonoor, and many others to mention. This is because they are African in their style of writing. I love the writing of GP Taylor, J.k Rowling, Stephen Kings, and many others. I don't really have favourites but I love good books from good authors.

FOO: Do you have published work(s)/ articles? ( Where can they be found?)

JCV: I have four books published to my credit. In 2013, I published my first book Good Mama, and 2015, Hard Times was published by H3C publisher in Lagos and 2016, Letter from Home was published. 2018, For Boys Of Tomorrow was published by MyAceWorld publications. And I have been working for the publication of another this year. Some of these books can be found in schools where they are being used or from the Publishers. Although they are not in Bookshops now because of Piracy and other vices but we are working to see that they are in book shops soonest. For Boys Of Tomorrow can be downloaded on myaceworld.net as a PDF and Letter From is also on Kobo books.

FOO: What is the most fascinating thing about Writing?

JCV: It is used to create what  is not in existence before. It mirrors the society and it is used to pass a message directly or indirectly to individuals out there. Those people that are voiceless are reached. Writing proffers solutions to many problems facing the society.

FOO: Do you have writing Mentors?

JCV: I don't really have for now. I have met many in this journey to mentor me but most of them rejected the offer. They claimed they don't have the time and chance for people like us. So after meeting a couple of men in the art whom I look up to and they refused to take me along I decided to take the bull by the horn myself. I am self trained. I have been disappointed in many ways so there is no need again looking for some one that will mentor me, I can mentor myself and be that person I'm looking forward to be. I don't need all to be by myself, I just need few people who are supportive.

FOO:  Is there anything you think the Writing Industry can do to get better?

JCV: I think we need people that can break this barrier of one patternness. We need people who will carry some people along. We can't carry everybody along but we can carry some along with us as we journey. Everyone of us wants his or her voice heard but we are not speaking or writing the right way. Some of us are lost, we don't know our purpose as writers but we follow trends and joke away our purpose on social media. Achebe, Okigbo, Soyinka, Niyi, Femi, Emecheta and many others utilized the Biafran Nigerian War to their voices. Some of them wrote about the war while others made sure that they told the west what is going on in Nigeria. Even some of these South African writers Spoke against their system of Government then but now, many of our writers don't even know where they belong to. We have many things to tackle here in Nigeria but nobody is writing about it but we write about trends... How David Na Wizkid are fighting each other. We talk about European leagues and Betnaija and many other things. We need to wake up and use our writing to rewrite the wrongs. We are the mirror through which the society see.

FOO: What is your fashion sense, on a scale of 1-10 ?

JCV: Hahahahahahaaha. I think 6.

FOO: Do you have a specific time for writing?

JCV: I don't really have a time I will say I write. I write when I have the time. And when I have the time, I don't just write one but I write as many as possible so that I can send them gradually to magazines and those I can post on Facebook and other social media platforms. So, I don't really have a time when i will say it is convenient for me to write but I am cooking my self to learn how to keep vigil at night to write but (smiles) you can't cheat nature. It is hard ooh but we are trying our best. What I do most of the time is that once a nice title comes to mind, I will jot it down till I have the time to write about it.

FOO: What sort/ genre of books do you read?

JCV: Hmmn, then, it was motivational books but now, I read anything readable. I don't really have a specific genre I bank on. But African books that talks about Africa's cultures and traditions are my favourites.

FOO:  If you were to go on a date with an Author or Writer, who would that be and why?

JCV: Wow. There are many female writers I will like to go on a date with but the issue here is that majority of them are now hardcore feminists. What I mean by this is that there are Feminists who understand what they are fighting for, while there are fanatic ones so, going on a date with most of these female writers would definitely make me lose my sense of belonging because my ideology and theirs will definitely clash in the middle of the date, so, I think none because of the difference in our ideologies. In the nearest future Sha, I will try my possible best (Laughs)

FOO: Do you think Writers should depend on the profits of their writing alone?( What's your opinion on Writer's having a side hustle?)

JCV: Here in my country home, writers are common people like everyone out there except you have being published in USA or Canada or any European country where writers are celebrated and their bank Accounts smile too but if you are not, you are on your own. Nobody will know you until you are dead. Here in Nigeria, if you want to depend on writing along, you will die before your time. You should have another means of income. You should have another means of making money. Some of these writers based in Nigeria are lecturers. Some are publishers and some have other businesses they do to keep up with living. You can't be only a writer in Nigeria. You need money to run your family and other things. Publishers can't pay you what will feed your family for a year ... Just try to do something else as a second option or as a source of income to push your writings.

FOO: If you were to go on a vacation, what will be the five things you take along as a Writer?

JCV: My laptop, writing pads, smart Phone (for research and survey) bottles of groundnut, Earpiece (for music) and books.

FOO: Drop your social media handles so your readers can get in touch with you

JCV: Facebook: John Chizoba Vincent
Instagram: OfficialJohnVincent
.Twitter:Vincent_Chizoba

Thanks for your time and attention.