I have been quiet lately because I have been very busy. It is difficult to sustain a blog, keep a regular 9-5 job (well in my case 7am-6pm working schedule, factoring in my daily traffic et al), and be a novelist. In a recent interview I had, I stressed on the lack of adequate time and space to be the kind of writer I want to be. This is so true. I often romanticize about the novelists of yore who did nothing but simply wrote their books in a serene environment devoid of the usual hazards of city life. Well, that's just me and my wishful thoughts!
Something else keeping me busy is judging a short story competition. I'm always glad to lend my help and support to the progress of literature and literary activities, so when I was asked by a friend to help judge a literary competition, I accepted without thinking about the amount of stories I would be reading. This is almost like a full time job! The only difference is that I already have a full time job and have to dedicate my evenings to reading and assessing these stories. Imagine being shut in an empty room and then out of nowhere, divers themes, plots and characters are hurled at you, fighting for your attention and approval. It is an exciting journey, but very tasking all at once.
Another thing that has been keeping me preoccupied is the coming elections in my country. I watched the NN24 debate last week with three of the candidates vying for the seat of the presidency. Like many people in Nigeria, I was more than disappointed that the GEJ, the incumbent president, was glaringly missing and the real surprise of the night was the performance of the lesser known Mallam Shekarau, who clearly out shone Mallam Buhari (a former military Head of State) as well as Mallam Ribadu. I know that after the debate quite a number of swing votes may have been won by Mallam Shekarau. But I do worry that Nigeria does not have a formidable opposition to unseat the current ruling party who have done nothing in the last 12 years. It is clear that the PDP is not the change or the future that Nigeria needs. It is only when we realize that until we have a formidable opposition that the ruling party can be put in check and made accountable. It is my opinion that the opposition parties should all merge to create a mega party that will indeed destabilize the current power structure.
Is it too late for this to happen?
And of course, there's the coming release of my new novel drawing closer. I am excited and keen to see how this new book will be received by the public. It is billed to be released in April, with review copies getting out this week. Only time will tell...
Something else keeping me busy is judging a short story competition. I'm always glad to lend my help and support to the progress of literature and literary activities, so when I was asked by a friend to help judge a literary competition, I accepted without thinking about the amount of stories I would be reading. This is almost like a full time job! The only difference is that I already have a full time job and have to dedicate my evenings to reading and assessing these stories. Imagine being shut in an empty room and then out of nowhere, divers themes, plots and characters are hurled at you, fighting for your attention and approval. It is an exciting journey, but very tasking all at once.Another thing that has been keeping me preoccupied is the coming elections in my country. I watched the NN24 debate last week with three of the candidates vying for the seat of the presidency. Like many people in Nigeria, I was more than disappointed that the GEJ, the incumbent president, was glaringly missing and the real surprise of the night was the performance of the lesser known Mallam Shekarau, who clearly out shone Mallam Buhari (a former military Head of State) as well as Mallam Ribadu. I know that after the debate quite a number of swing votes may have been won by Mallam Shekarau. But I do worry that Nigeria does not have a formidable opposition to unseat the current ruling party who have done nothing in the last 12 years. It is clear that the PDP is not the change or the future that Nigeria needs. It is only when we realize that until we have a formidable opposition that the ruling party can be put in check and made accountable. It is my opinion that the opposition parties should all merge to create a mega party that will indeed destabilize the current power structure.
Is it too late for this to happen?
And of course, there's the coming release of my new novel drawing closer. I am excited and keen to see how this new book will be received by the public. It is billed to be released in April, with review copies getting out this week. Only time will tell...
