Wole Adedoyin interviews Jimoh O Abdullah: Writing is a Carrier or Vehicle of Knowledge

WA: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WRITING BACKGROUND- WHAT YOU’VE WRITTEN, WHAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY WRITING?
JIMOH: I started writing in my senior secondary school days when I began to emulate some of the writers of the pieces I read then. Trying to create something similar to what I've read like the poems, the essays, the short stories in my English textbook, the novels and so on. But all of what I wrote then, which I've later lost the possession of, can only be categorized as drafts because of how they were produced, they were just my first attempts at being a writer and as a result didn't go through the process of rigorous editing which now I believe is as important as the writing itself.  In the course of my writing career, I've written poems & essays and I've been published in the two categories.  About what I'm currently writing, I'm just writing poems (mostly centering on divorce and family-related grief) and essays and submitting them to journals and magazines.

WA: WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT A PIECE OF WRITING?
JIMOH: I like the magic of the fact that strings of words can have a lasting effect on a reader for a lifetime. The fact that when you read some pieces, they can incur feelings of love, sympathy, hope, etc. in an individual, interests me a lot. There is power in words. Also, I like the fact that writing is a carrier or vehicle of knowledge.

WA: WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS AND WHY?
JIMOH: I think it will be an almost endless list if I decide to start mentioning all of them here. Nonetheless, here are the ones that surface on my mind right now: Brian Doyle, Safia Elhillo, Saddiq Dzukorgi, Abu Bakr Sadiq, Kaveh Akbar, Sharon Olds, Ada Limón, George Herbert, Richard Siken and Danusha Laméris.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW WRITER STARTING OUT?
JIMOH: As one of my writer friends used to remind me, read a lot. I would suggest too, that you read a lot, especially in the genre you're writing. A good writer is firstly a good reader.

WA: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
JIMOH: The page, for me, is like a friend, whenever I feel like expressing myself, I go to my friend to pour out my mind. My environment and current situation ( struggles, wins and so forth) inspire me the most.

WA: DO YOU HAVE A WRITING ROUTINE? A PLACE THAT’S SPECIAL?
JIMOH: When it comes to this, I will say I'm a more flexible type. Sometimes I write regularly (routinely) but also, other times I may write intermittently.  I don't have a special place for writing but for convenience, I would prefer to be solitary in a silent place while writing.

WA: HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FIRST START WRITING?
 JIMOH: As aforementioned,  I started writing while I was still in secondary school, around 2013 or so. I started out trying to simulate some of the works of the writers I read then that seemed captivating. Trying to clone the beauty in their works.

WA: WHAT WAS THE FIRST PIECE YOU EVER HAD PUBLISHED?
JIMOH: A couple of poems published by Kalahari review.

WA: DO YOU ADDRESS PARTICULAR THEMES OR ISSUES IN YOUR WRITING?
JIMOH: No. I don't stick to a set of specific themes in my pieces. I'm more flexible with this.

WA: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SENDING YOUR WRITING OUT INTO THE WORLD?
JIMOH: I felt happy and had high hope, high expectation with respect to the response I would get from Editors but unfortunately, it soon dawned on me that the industry is not as I envisaged it to be. Not easy, one has to drink rejections like water regularly, and never get tired.

WA: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?
JIMOH: From what I've read, from occurrences around me, from nature, from history etc.

WA: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR PUBLISHER?
JIMOH: I haven't published a book yet but for some of my pieces( solo works) that have been published, I came across the publication opportunities online via social media like from friends on WhatsApp or the writer's community on Twitter (now X).

WA: TELL US WHAT KIND OF RESPONSES YOU GET FROM AUDIENCES\RS?
JIMOH: Appreciation of the pieces, and words of encouragement.

WA: HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?
JIMOH: They can check out my profile on Facebook and Twitter.

WA: TIPS, TRICKS, THINGS TO PASS ON TO DEDICATED WRITE?
JIMOH: I would just suggest that a writer should read more than he/she writes.

WA: ANY TYPICAL/COMMON MISTAKES THAT NEW WRITERS TEND TO MAKE?
JIMOH: Let me use myself as a case study. Once, I discovered that sometimes way back, I used to hasten to deem a piece of writing finished or ready for publication when in fact the piece still needed editing. Give yourself enough time for the work to materialize. One needs to be patient and not rush to admit a work is done.

WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
JIMOH: I have not published a book yet.

WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK? WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
JIMOH: I don't have a published book yet.

WA: WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
JIMOH: On Twitter(X): @OC_plus_
On Facebook: Jimoh O Abdullah

Jimoh Abdulahi is a Nigerian Writer. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, he talks about his passion for writing.