Wole Adedoyin Interviews Sheba Lishika: The First Negative Book Review I Received for My Debut Publication was both Cringy and Embarrassing

WA: AT WHAT POINT DO YOU THINK SOMEONE SHOULD CALL THEMSELVES A WRITER?
SHEBA: I believe you can call yourself a writer when you share your stories, poems or songs with the world without reservation. When you lose the fear that your ideas will not be accepted. When you stop comparing your work with others.

WA: WHAT DIFFERENCE DO YOU SEE BETWEEN A WRITER AND AN AUTHOR?
SHEBA: A writer writes and shares their thoughts and ideas on any given platform. An author is intentional about packaging and publishing their work in a book.

WA: WHAT DO THE WORDS “WRITER’S BLOCK” MEAN TO YOU? 
SHEBA: In more recent years I understand writers block differently. Not just when the writer cannot write their thoughts and ideas but also a time when the writer should refuel and replenish the energy that was displaced with the previously written works. If the writer has no deadlines, I believe its ok for the writer to have a break from creating. The traditional concept of writer’s block feels less compassionate of the human condition. Should the writer always be able to tap into their creative side at will? Should it not be normal to be able to be drained and empty enough for the creative juices not to be flowing prompting the writer to seek from without that inspiration that cannot be released from within? Sometimes I believe refuelling your creative side needs the writer to be present to everything that connects them to their social environment. I think that is where the writer can find the key to unblock oneself. 

WA: HOW DO YOU PROCESS AND DEAL WITH NEGATIVE BOOK REVIEWS? 
SHEBA: The first negative book review I had on my first publication was cringy and embarrassing. But when I got to have a conversation with the journalist that reviewed my first publication, I actually had a lot to learn about myself and I got a glimpse of what it really meant to have your out for anyone to give an opinion.  Once your work is shared you cannot reverse it you can only improve where you can and move forward. 

WA: WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR WRITING PROCESS? 
SHEBA: In many instances I practice free writing. The difficult part comes when I go back to work to polish the piece and tie up lose ends, sometimes I have to delete the original thought that I was attached to, just so I can make it make sense. That is when I feel like I am cheating on myself. But it is usually the reasonable thing to do. 

WA: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING OR WHEN DID YOU START? 
SHEBA: I wrote my first poem at the age of 13. At 15 years old I became a Hip Hop artist and my art form transformed. By age 23 I gave it up. I published my first collection of poems at age 36. If we start at 13 to 23, 10 years, from 36, 6 years then I have been writing for about 16years. 

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A WRITER WORKING ON THEIR FIRST BOOK?
SHEBA: There is someone in the world right now who will be touched by your thoughts and ideas. If you give in to fear and any other emotion that threatens your ability to share, do worry, because there are many who can do exactly what you can do but they are not you and their path is not aligned to that one person who is aligned to receive from your gift. 

WA: WHAT, TO YOU, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF GOOD WRITING?
SHEBA: Original thought and connectedness to what you write about. 

WA: WHAT COMES FIRST FOR YOU — THE PLOT OR THE CHARACTERS — AND WHY?
SHEBA: I write poetry. If you can call it that then the plot comes first for me because the same plot can turn out differently with a given character. So, I start with the plot and then I find the best character to represent the feelings and emotions I want to convey in the poem.  

WA: How do you develop your plot and characters? 
SHEBA: I try to understand the emotions of the voice in the poem, who she or he has been, who they are now, what in their past has influenced how they feel now, have they grown from it or stuck with so much bitterness and resentment that they cannot live comfortably in their skin. Then I can write about a specific moment in their present that I would like the world to understand.   

WA: WHEN DID YOU FIRST CALL YOURSELF A WRITER? 
SHEBA: I still hesitate sometimes. I am getting more comfortable as I share more of my work. 

WA: HOW DO YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN AUTHOR? 
SHEBA: Currently I share my work on social media platforms to engage readers who may be interested in my work. I do also use it to promote my media pages and events I am following or taking part in.

WA: WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN ABOUT WRITING?
SHEBA: Do not compare yourself to anyone else.

WA: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE WRITING SKILLS
SHEBA: By exposing yourself to many voices and still being able to find and claim your own. Without growing your mind your writing skills will not have ideas to shine on.

WA:  WHAT HAS HELPED OR HINDERED YOU MOST WHEN WRITING A BOOK?
SHEBA: Complete isolation from social media or any literature that is in the genre as my work has helped me the most when writing. Challenges most come in the form of high cost in printing and publishing my work.   

WA: HOW MANY HOURS A DAY DO YOU WRITE?
SHEBA: When I am in my writing season, about 6 hours in a day, completely away from home and any distractions.

WA: AT WHAT TIME OF THE DAY DO YOU DO MOST OF YOUR WRITING?
SHEBA: Inspiration has come at different times throughout my writing journey but mornings are the best times for going through my work.

WA: WHAT’S YOUR WRITING SOFTWARE OF CHOICE? 
SHEBA: I haven’t yet started using software. I am currently still on pen and paper for drafts of the Word and hand it over to my editor.

WA: HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH CHARACTER NAMES FOR YOUR STORIES?
SHEBA: Randomly really. I try to internalise a theme and pick a phrase or word from within the poem sometimes.

WA: DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN WRITING CHALLENGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA? DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY?
SHEBA: No not at the moment. Although I do follow one by Zambian Czar Eldridge Lungu poet

WA: WHEN YOU’RE WRITING AN EMOTIONAL OR DIFFICULT SCENE, HOW DO YOU SET THE MOOD?
SHEBA: By picking the right words to express the emotions of the character I am writing about. For example, I once struggled with using certain words such as the “B” word or the “S” word in my poems because I did not want to. But more recently I resolved that when I fail to use the words that would perfectly describe the language of a character who often uses cuss words then I am writing about myself and not the character I am bringing to life.

WA: WHAT BOOKS DO YOU ENJOY READING?
SHEBA: Books on Spirituality.

WA: ARE THERE ANY BOOKS OR AUTHORS THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?
SHEBA: The poem by Janina Domanska- If All Great Seas were one Sea. I read this poem when I was about 12 years old and till this day I am fascinated by it.

WA: WHAT BOOKS HELPED YOU THE MOST WHEN YOU WERE WRITING YOUR (FIRST) BOOK?
SHEBA: Not books but hip-hop music particularly Nas and Lauryn Hill.

WA:  WHAT BOOKS DID YOU GROW UP READING?
SHEBA: I read a lot of books by Sydney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, Daniel Steel, Stephen King and Enid Blyton

WA: WHAT AUTHORS DID YOU DISLIKE AT FIRST BUT THEN DEVELOP AN APPRECIATION FOR?
SHEBA: When I don’t like a book, I don’t pick it up again. I haven’t had this experience. 

WA: IF YOU COULD BE MENTORED BY A FAMOUS AUTHOR, WHO WOULD IT BE?
SHEBA: Jordan Peterson.

WA: WHAT BOOKS HAVE YOU READ MORE THAN ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?
SHEBA: The Celestine Prophecies by James Redfield, Mark of The Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Sheba Lishika wrote her first poem at the age of 13. At the time, she didn't think much of it and simply wrote down her thoughts, putting them away. Her inspiration to write came from hip-hop artists, leading her to start her creative journey by imitating American rap artists before eventually developing her own unique style. Her first book, "Woman: A Collection of Thoughts and Poems," was nominated for a Ngoma Award in 2018. In 2023, she collaborated with various Zambian poets on a poetry anthology titled "Canvas of Truth," which won the Ngoma Award for Poetry Book of the Year. She is currently about to publish her third work, "Goddess Fire." In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, she discusses her passion for writing.