MOMENT WITH C.M OKONKWO

 

Her Wattpad profile reads:

                                                                                                                                                       Half Woman, Half Amazing-

                                                               

Storyteller by day; 

Daydreamer by night;

 Time Traveler in between.

                                                                #WritingMachine

 

 Please, make welcome, C.M Okonkwo

 

Who is CMO?

I was born into a fantastic family of six. I’m the fifth child and last girl. I moved to France after high school where I obtained three degrees, the last, an advance Master’s degree in International HR Management and Development. I’m married and also building my own family, but I’m definitely not going to have six children (laughs). I don’t think I’m as strong as my mother, who funny enough, indirectly led me into the writing world.

I started writing from primary school, from when I could use a pencil. My mother bought me a lot of toys and stuffed animals, as the last girl, so I would group them into families and create lives and stories for them, then in order to not forget the stories, I began writing them in a notebook. I wrote about anything and everything, and ended up with my first book. I don’t remember the title, but it was about princesses.

 

Does one become a writer by writing or one must first have the gift of writing which is then developed over time?

 This question is tricky, but let me answer it this way. By writing, you automatically become a writer. However, before you start writing, you can either have the gift of writing or the interest in writing, both of which can and should be developed over time.

How important is a writing space for a writer?

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say 100 (laughs). It's a personal space for creativity and should have everything that motivates a writer to actually focus and write.

 

Many are of the opinion that a writer should have specific hour of the day that they invest into writing. Does that work for you and should that be a yardstick for all writers?

Maybe not a specific hour of the day, although the nights are usually quieter and more peaceful, rather how many hours a day.

I try to dedicate at least three hours a night to write a chapter or two, depending on the minimum number of words I have set for each chapter.

I plan my writing based on a process, so I know approximately how many hours I would need for a chapter, including distractions (laughs).

Is it a yardstick for all writers?

Three hours a night? I don't think so. I would definitely put in more hours at night if I didn't have to drive in the mornings or if I didn't have a day job. Everyone should know what and when works best for them, rather I suggest they work with a process if they plan to achieve much within a limited time.

 

What is that aspect of writing that most writers are at their Achilles heel?

I can't really tell for most writers. For me, it used to be lack of focus on one project. I had way too many ideas, and still have. In the past, I would start about 5 books at the same time and spend so much time completing one, or mix up characters. After creating a writing process, I was able to start one and finish it in record time before moving on to the next.

Good. On writing, it is advised that a writer keeps writing. but what happens when there is no motivation to write as it sometimes happens? What do you advice a writer do?

 

 I advise writers to read. A new and enjoyable book, a new genre, completely different from what they are currently writing or used to. Chances are that they would drop the book half way and run back to their manuscript.

 

 Now, let's get to your books. Which was the first and what was the feeling like to have your book published?

 

The first was a psychological thriller titled The XIth Hour and published in 2013. I was thrilled about it. The book started off as a fantasy story, but along the line, I restructured the plot and wanted it to be more believable. I was ecstatic when I held a copy in my hands (laughs).

So, Eight Days to Live, for those who may not know the inspiration behind it. Kindly share an insight with us.

This novella was inspired by the Corona virus ( COVID-19) and written in two days, towards the end of March 2020. That was when the virus hit Nigeria and panic gradually erupted. While we were preparing for the lockdown, I came up with the plot. The idea wasn't really to focus on the virus, but on hope. That's the reason why I changed the title from the initial Eight Days To Die to Eight Days To Live, though my husband believes both titles are equally hopeless (laughs).

The feedback from the book has been amazing, though some people believe the cure I invented through research could be real. I have had to tell a lot of people that it's 100% fiction (laughs).

Now that you mentioned the pandemic. What impact, both negative and positive has the pandemic had on writing and creativity generally?

I haven't really seen any negative impact on creativity. The pandemic gave me ideas and the time to develop the ideas into stories. I got a novel, a novella, a short story, and a book of quotes out of the pandemic. The eBook industry also saw a rise in sales, as more people were at home and discovering new books. I saw a spike in book sales during the lockdown. However, there was a negative impact on the print industry, book shops and print publishing houses were closed, and worse of all, book fairs and festivals were closed for the year. That was a major negative impact.

You are an Amazon published author. What are the mistakes writers make regarding publishing on Amazon and secondly, what advice will you give to them?

The only mistake authors make is NOT publishing on Amazon. Publishing on Amazon is pretty straightforward once you have your interior and exterior files correctly formatted and resized for print and eBook. The rest is a step-by-step process.

My advice would be to learn the process, especially for self-published authors, to save the cost of having someone else do it for you.

What should be a writer's driving force?

A writer's driving force is their goal, and the motivation to achieve that goal. A writer must also understand that there might be some obstacles on the way, but motivation should keep them going.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you so much, I enjoyed the questions.

We have come to the end of this interview. You can connect with my guest on:

www.cmokonkwo.com or on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/Wattpad with @cmokonkwo

Let's make it a date next time. I am Yours Truly,

Julius Topohozin.