Reading is a good source of inspiration - Luqman Adewale Alawode

Reading is a good source of inspiration - Luqman Adewale Alawode

Luqman Adewale Alawode is the Director of Studies at initiative for Sound Education, Relationship & Health (ISERH), In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, the initiator of the global anthology tagged War Against Fake News, an anthology that seeks to eradicate the spread of fake news across the globe shared with us his literary life, activism and other facts surrounding his writing career.

SYNW: WHY ARE YOU A POET?

LAA: This is a big question, being a poet I can say is not a conscious effort for me, it is a journey I can't really trace back but somehow it started while I was in secondary school. I love writing especially making short words/sentences that is full of meanings. Also poetry or writing per say is my passion, I do it effortlessly and with or without being noticed.

SYNW:  WHAT POETS DO YOU ADMIRE?

LAA: Oh! To be candid, I cannot say precisely. As Yoruba would say "if a child has not been to another person's farm he will claim his father's farm is the biggest", if you haven't read from some writers you would think the ones you have read from are the best. My exposure to various literary societies has made me appreciate and admire writers generally. In short, if you are a committed writer, I admire you. It is not easy to pour your mind on a piece of paper, just for others to be entertained or learn.

SYNW: WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

LAA: You mean what inspires me to write? I draw inspirations from happenings around me. Look at our country and the world at large, you will agree with me that we have a whole lot of inspirations on daily basis except if we are lazy to discover them. In short, the society and events are my major inspirations.

SYNW: TELL US ABOUT A NORMAL WORKING DAY.

LAA: Every day is working day for me, I write anywhere and anytime as long as I am inspired.

SYNW: HOW DO YOU WRITE?

LAA: I have three major gadgets; my phone, my exercise book and laptop so it all depend on where I am when I am inspired or when notable event take place but I never allow any thought or event pass me by without jotting it down.

SYNW: WHAT’S YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND A POEM?

LAA: Poem is the arrangement of best words in the best order, so it is not something that one can just dabble into if he doesn't have the skill. A drop of water makes an ocean, so also is poem one have to start somehow and anyhow with time the person will graduate to a more professional level.

SYNW:  DESCRIBE YOUR ROUTE TO BEING PUBLISHED…

LAA: This is just like Yoruba's proverb that says "if you want to see the teeth of an elder, ask about her husband". This is a very tough and rough journey because the conventional publishers are not helping but thank God for internet, it is now easy and easier to publish through online websites like amazon, okadabooks etc

SYNW: WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO AN ASPIRING POET?

LAA: To be a good writer you must be a good reader. Read, read and read, reading is a good source of inspiration and make sure you write everyday even if it is just a stanza in the case of poem, a chapter in the case of prose and/or a scene or dialogue in the case of drama

SYNW: WHAT (IF ANY) SORTS OF EDITORIAL CHANGES DID THE MANUSCRIPT GO THROUGH? DID YOU WORK THROUGH THESE WITH YOUR AGENT AND/OR EDITORS WITHIN THE PUBLISHING HOUSE?

LAA: Well, no one is an island of knowledge. It is the best practice as far as I am concern to have a third party read through your work before you think of publishing otherwise it may be full of errors or passive words. I noticed in my writing journey that if you write and you edit you are likely going to see little or no error unlike when you have a third party reading and editing it for you. 

SYNW: FINAL QUESTION (PROMISE!): DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THE YET-TO-BE-PUBLISHED WRITERS READING THIS? 

My advice is that they should not be in a hurry to publish and never allow money to drive their ambitions otherwise if money did not come their pens will run dry. Another thing is when they are writing they should put their audience in mind, fine it is their work but anything that does not appeal to your audience is rubbish. They should make sure they carry their audience along.

SYNW: TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR WRITING ROUTINE; WHAT’S A TYPICAL WRITING DAY FOR YOU?

LAA: Sincerely, I do not have a specific day that I write, I write virtually everyday as long as I am inspired. In fact I feel incomplete if I do not write.

SYNW: WHERE DO YOU WRITE FROM?

LAA: I write anywhere even if it is to use my phone's note pad or other electronic devices.

SYNW: ON THIS TOPIC, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO BUILD A PLATFORM AND GAIN READERSHIP?

LAA: I join writers’ platforms. If you want to be widely read, join writers platform like ANA, SYNW, WGM etc also participate in anthologies 

SYNW: FAVORITE MOVIE?

LAA: I don't really have favourite movie but I love Yoruba movies generally 

SYNW: BEST PIECE(S) OF WRITING ADVICE WE HAVEN’T DISCUSSED?

LAA: As a writer, you are the mouthpiece of your society, speak well of them through your pen

SYNW: SOMETHING PERSONAL ABOUT YOU PEOPLE MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW?

LAA: Nothing per say, I am a very open person with little or no secret

SYNW: WHAT’S NEXT?

LAA: Hhhhhmmmmmmm the next thing on my mind right now is my upcoming anthology; it is a global anthology that features people from twelve countries. I tag it War Against Fake News.

For more information about Society of Young Nigerian Writers, kindly send your mail to societyofyoungnigerianwriters@gmail.com or woleadedoyin@gmail.com or call +2348072673852