The First Time I Got on a Writing Contest Shortlist
In 2015, after over a year of entering contests and sending my work everywhere, I got on a writing contest shortlist for the first time. I was in the university at that time and was living in the hostel. Turns out the grand finale would…
What Items Would an Intending Freelance Writer Need to Start?
In online writing circles, freelancing has become a buzzword. English words can be deceptive. On first hearing the word, one might imagine that freelance writer means someone who writes for free. This might be because of the belief that writing is not a commercially viable…
Just Got a Rejection Mail? Here’s How to Handle it
On the first day of January 2021, I was going through my Facebook page and I saw one of my friends share “I got a rejection mail on the first day of the year, what a way to begin”. I could relate to her pain…
A Peep into the Writers’ Life: Is Creativity a Curse?
An examination of creativity from two lenses; experience and observation. I came across a Facebook post recently. At first read, the post earned a chuckle from me. But after I ran the sentence through the new sensitivity checkers in my mind, the chuckled faded. Contemplation…
Writing Contests to Enter this September
For many, nothing spurs creativity as much as deadlines do. Like I always say, we are all temporarily superhuman in the face of deadlines. Include a reward for beating the deadlines, and you have just created the biggest motivation for any writer. Here are some…
How I Stopped Being a Closet Poet
The first time I stood before an audience to share a poem was October 2016. I remember it like yesterday. It was the grand finale of the Scribble the Future Poetry Competition for all-female student poets at the University of Ibadan. I was wearing a…
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