IF YOU WANT TO BE A GREAT WRITER, START BY READING
MORE - MARCUS OVIE UGBODUMA
Marcus
Ovie Ugboduma is one of the founders of Ibadan Book Club and a member of the
Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW). He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in
Education from the National Teachers Institute Kaduna. He is a professional
member of the Certified Institute of Purchasing and Supply Administration of
Nigeria. Marcus is a Teacher, Creative Thinker, Writer and a custodian and
promoter of the African Culture. In this interview with
Wole Adedoyin, he talks about his writing career and works
WA:
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING?
MOU: I got
inspiration to start writing, after reading the book on Patrice Lumumba I was
about 9 years old then, it was one of the books my father borrowed from the
National Library in Lagos then. That book drew tears from my eyes and since
then I wanted to document stories like his.
WA:
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?
MOU: My writing
dates back to my days in secondary school, especially in letter writing and
essays, I never failed any Examination in English Language, thanks to my late
Mother who made it compulsory to write compositions weekly and my father now of
blessed memory who exposed us to reading widely and marking those compositions
strictly.
WA:
WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
MOU: By 1990 I had
discovered my potential to write, but then since I was a singer and rapper, my
skill was channeled to songwriting, in 1994 I began writing for the screen,
that year I wrote only God know, double crossing , the letter and Aisha
WA:
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
MOU: I've always
wanted to be a film producer. That prompted me to writing for the screen, but
life kept drifting me away from my desire, I lost my admission to the Nigerian Film
School, Jos, because my parents wouldn't sponsor me, my father wanted me to be
a chartered accountant.
WA:
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A NEW WRITER, SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT?
MOU: My advise to
new a writer is that he or she should stay focused no matter the challenges he
or she may face, consistency in your writing matter, the truth remains that If
you want to be a great writer, start by reading more, so reading is key. A day
without reading is a wasted day.
WA:
HOW DO YOU HANDLE WRITER’S BLOCK?
MOU: Ah! As for me
writer's block stays as long as it last,
I don't attempt forcing myself to write, my book "the masquerade
would not dance" took four years to complete. I've had series of writer's
block in the past, one was when my laptop was stolen I lost four book and over 70
poems and personal quotes, then came the block it lasted over 2 years. The
latest block came in September 2020 when my mother passed on, I was currently
writing " The pregnant Virgin" three months later my father passed on
too, I began a recovery process in August this year 2021, by reading some of my
old poems especially the ones I wrote on my mother titled "my Pillow"
and "Nneola". Having read them over and over again I got inspired to
write yet another poem in memory of my mother titled MOMO. She was dear to me.
WA:
HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN? WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
MOU: I've written
over eight books, but only one has been published. The next is presently being
proof read by a fellow writer Amadi Arua, it's titled 'The masquerade would not
dance' it's setting is Igbo land
WA:
WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU DISCOVERED WHILE WRITING YOUR BOOK(S)?
MOU: The most
suprising thing when writing my books is how inspiration breeds knowledge,
writing becomes crisper, and I begin to marvel at what I had written, ideas
just keep flowing, as you write you begin to realise how much experience you
have garnered from life experiences and reading other writer's works.
WA:
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE CHARACTER THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN? IF SO, WHO? AND WHAT
MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL.
MOU: Some day I hope
you will read if my favorite character Aminat in my yet to be published book
'Koronu' Aminat was a character scarcely loved by anyone, many, thought her to
be mentally derailed, or simply an imbecile, her condition was borne out of her
condition as a sickle cell anemia status. She was highly undermined, hated and
discouraged, but she saved the day when it mattered most, when her aunt was to
be jailed for a crime her husband committed.
WA:
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
MOU: My inspiration
comes first from God’s words, from reading books, newspapers etc and also my
imaginative thought process and most times by dreams. My poem on Stella Obasanjo
was revealed in a dream on a journey from Lagos to Abuja to see my parents. I
immediately woke up and began writing in the bus, line by line I wrote down as
I was inspired, yet I did not know what I was writing about until the news was
aired how in circumstantial manner, the mother of the less privileged lost her
life in a failed surgery.
WA:
WHERE CAN READERS PURCHASE YOUR BOOKS?
MOU: Readers who
need my books can contact me personally but you can read a handful of my poems
online, just type my name (Marcus
Ovie Ugboduma)
in your browser.
WA:
WHERE CAN READERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BOOKS?
MOU: I am almost unknown;
as there are many established writers but anyone wishing to know me more can
email me on marcosdivine2@gmail.com. I'll be willing to speak with him or her
WA:
HAVE ANY OF YOUR BOOKS BEEN MADE INTO AUDIOBOOKS? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES
IN PRODUCING AN AUDIO BOOK?
MOU: I've not
considered an audio book but I've one made my own on a rough video, the poem
titled "On June 12 we stand, I'll put that rough video on you tube soon
and probably others
WA:
WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
MOU: I'll give it to
"The masquerade would not dance", writing the book really broadened
my knowledge base, sharpened my knowledge of culture and really corrected some
notions about the African Culture.
WA:
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK? WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
MOU: It was a road
too rough but worthy to trod, I handled all publishing myself, from typesetting
to running the impression and then book binding and marketing, thanks to the
Mokola Community in Ibadan where I lived as a young man. The community houses a
thousand printing press and as we all know publishers don't want green horns
except you are willing to sell your books outrightly, this I couldn't risk, but
truly a good book will sell itself.
WA:
WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF GOOD WRITING?
MOU: Planning,
organising, purpose, clearness, your audience in mind always and coherence. But
most of all I believe anyone who wants to succeed in writing must consume poetry
because poetry makes your prose and plays crisper.
WA:
WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME?
YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BY THEM?
MOU: My favourite
authors of all times are Chinua Achebe and his Things Fall Apart. And James
Ngugi Wa Thiongo and his book Weep Not Child.
WA:
ON YOUR LATEST BOOK, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOMETHING ABOUT THE BOOK
MOU: It's a story
about the Ekpe Masquerade common among various tribes of eastern Nigeria, Odili
a fresh medical doctor and returned from Europe was selected by his age grade
to adorn the garb of the masquerade and perform during the new yam festival. He
thought it fetish for his personality, fate had its way someone else took his
place unknown to all, at a point an ever cheerful masquerade would not
dance......... This particular masquerade represents a young man about to be
married, the masquerade has its drummers, one who guides it's path known as
Onye Udo Ekpe, and Ekpe wields. To explain this, the Ekpe is the young man
about to be married, the Onye Udo Ekpe is the wife to be who literarily guides
him from making errors, the drummers and dancers are his family and kinsmen who
follows him to seek his brides hand in marriage, the cane he wields is the rod
of correction which he uses to correct erring children. The moment a man
disconnects from his wife, he stops making progress, that results in the
difficulty for the masquerade to dance, until he reconnects with his wife.
WA:
ARE THERE ANY SECRETS FROM THE BOOK, YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR READERS?
MOU: None! Except
that every African Culture has significant meanings, we should never see our
culture as barbaric
WA:
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE STORY?
MOU: My parents had
a successful marriage, which lasted over 50 years, that inspired me in writing
this particular book, when my mother passed on. Old man became too lonely, and
then the real theme of the book came to life and when I got my groove from the
block suffered I completed this book by telling African stories the African way
WA:
WHAT IS THE KEY THEME AND/OR MESSAGE IN THE BOOK?
MOU: Marriage is a
key factor in life, not being married creates limitations here in Africa and
keeping a successful marriage requires sacrifices of both parties
WA:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR READERS TAKE AWAY FROM THIS BOOK?
MOU: Everything!
from hard work to luck, determination resilience and positive thinking, stop
every discrimination against people's
culture
WA:
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE?
MOU: The
significance of the title is to point to the fact that there's is always an
underlining reason to every human behaviour, respecting the views and decision
of others is a key to a happy society
WA:
HAS A BOOK EVER CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
MOU: Yes several
books did, most from the African writer's
series, "Roots" by Alex Harley, The rise and fall of the Third Reich,
and several collection of poems, but one poem shaped my love for poetry, it was
in our Macmillan text book in Primary 4, it was titled the Ugly Vulture, the
Author was unknown, but here are the wordings
The ugly Vulture flaps and hops
Peck at scrap and walks and stops
Flies to a tree and looks around,
For Rotten rubbish on the ground.
He likes dead things and pecks them
clean,
He's horribly ugly, dull and mean,
Hunchy shoulders, old bald head,
He likes me better if I were dead.
But look at him in the high blue sky,
Round and round you see him fly,
Higher and higher he turns and swings
Climbing the air with unmoving wings.
Thanks to that Teacher who compelled us
to memorize those lines. And to my father who analysed the poem. Since then my
desire for poetry grew.
WA:
WHAT GENRES DO YOU LOVE?
MOU: I love poetry
most, every one should love to write poems too, every one born is a natural
poet, the discovery of self is usually the problem, If we all understand that
poetry has so many rules and no rule at all, then we are good to go. It's
simply expressing our thoughts in fewer and only necessary words
WA:
ARE THERE ANY GENRES YOU DISLIKE?
MOU: I do not
dislike any genre, I just wished I had a foundation in literature. My back
ground is Accountancy and Purchasing and Supply.
WA:
WHAT AUTHOR (WHO IS STILL LIVING) WOULD YOU DEARLY LOVE TO MEET?
MOU: A handshake
from Prof Wole Soyinka, would really inspire me, but there are a number of others
such as Prof Catherine Ezenwanebe, Author of Shadows on Arrival and Dr Saka
Aliyu (Sakky Jojo) author of Afonja, The works of both playwrights have
endeared them to me, we keep in touch but are yet to meet, I hope someday, we
shall meet.
WA:
DO YOU LIKE TO DISPLAY YOUR BOOKS ON A BOOKSHELF OR KEEP THEM IN A VIRTUAL
LIBRARY?
MOU: Book shelf is
traditional, virtual is modern, both suit me as long as books are preserved and
can be received at any time and as long as it's accessible to my readers
WA:
DO YOU PREFER FLASH FICTION, SHORT STORIES, NOVELLAS, OR NOVELS?
MOU: I would prefer
short stories and novels because I want to concentrate on writing for children and
teenagers
WA:
WHAT BOOK CAN YOU RECOMMEND TO ME?
MOU: I would
recommend you read my book ' The masquerade would not dance when it Grace's the
shelves,
WA:
WHEN DID YOU LAST VISIT A LIBRARY?
MOU: I use the
library often because I work in a school with a good and functional library,
thanks to society of young Nigeria writers who supplied us with E books some
time ago, these books are on our computers, My last visit to the library at
Dugbe was last month at the Ibadan book club September reading
WA:
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CRUSH ON A BOOK CHARACTER?
MOU: I can't
remember any, but I think Okonkwo's character really caught my fancy,
