Wole Adedoyin interviews Udochukwu Chidera: Take each Rejection as a Learning Curve to Improve

WA: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WRITING BACKGROUND- WHAT YOU’VE WRITTEN, WHAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY WRITING?
CHIDERA: I have been writing extensively, right from when I learned to hold a pencil; I have written for so many literary journals and won lots of contests. Currently, I am working on a short story for a literary magazine I have always admired.

WA: WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT A PIECE OF WRITING?
CHIDERA: I love well written stories, I love stories that make use of beautiful English to paint pictures and take one on a journey.

WA: WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS AND WHY?
CHIDERA:  I have always admired the works of Chinua Achebe, Buchi Emecheta and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  I love Chinua Achebe’s use of proverbs to tell a story of society. Buchi Emecheta stands out to me with her fierce championing of feminism through the art of storytelling. Chimamanda is a mistress of words, she writes like she is taking you on a journey; you feel every emotion, you are present in that room as the scene is taking place and you don’t want the story to end.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW WRITER STARTING OUT?
CHIDERA: To every new writer out there, I would encourage you to read as voraciously as you can. Good readers make good writers. Do not take any story as something to skim through. Read it like you want to learn something from it; that way you perfect your craft. Also, do not be discouraged when your work is criticized or rejected by editors or publishers, take each rejection as a learning curve to improve and bounce back ten times better.

WA: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
CHIDERA:  I am inspired by what is around me at that particular time. I have written pieces on music, mental health, ENDSARS, war, Nigeria. I feel we should use our gifts and platforms to write on things that really matter and speak on societal issues so I am inspired with the urgency to speak on the things that affect us as humans.

WA: DO YOU HAVE A WRITING ROUTINE? A PLACE THAT’S SPECIAL?
CHIDERA:  I love writing in my room, after work. Anytime I come back from my 9 to 5 job, I take up my writer persona.

WA: HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FIRST START WRITING?
CHIDERA: I started writing as young as eight years. As a child, I was exposed to so many books by my father. I would sit with him for hours, reading Gulliver’s Travels and Ugly Duckling. I had a whole library at my disposal so writing also came naturally to me. As a teenager I had so many unpublished works. Writing is a gift I was born with.

WA: WHAT WAS THE FIRST PIECE YOU EVER HAD PUBLISHED?
CHIDERA: My very first piece was published by my alma mater Nnamdi Azikiwe University when I won the inaugural writing contest. It was titled, FROM ME TO YOU, WITH LOVE.

WA: DO YOU ADDRESS PARTICULAR THEMES OR ISSUES IN YOUR WRITING?
CHIDERA: I do not like to restrict myself to any particular theme in my writing. I write as the inspiration comes. I have written on mental health, climate change, music, love, peace. I have a broad range of topics I write on.

WA: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SENDING YOUR WRITING OUT INTO THE WORLD?
CHIDERA: I felt nervous, not sure how the world would receive me and my writing but I received reassurance when my works won some prizes and got recognized. I knew this was my calling.

WA: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?
CHIDERA: I get ideas spontaneously and I always try to note them down. I have written a poem on a ride home. My ideas can come at any time.

WA: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR PUBLISHER?
CHIDERA: I am still a freelance writer, sending my works to different publishers. I see some openings online and I apply to different magazines.

WA: TELL US WHAT KIND OF RESPONSES YOU GET FROM AUDIENCES\RS.
CHIDERA: The responses have been overwhelmingly positive. I get so much encouragement that pushes me to push my pen. Every now and then, I get constructive criticism but I take them as lessons on how to improve and it has only gotten better.

WA: HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?
CHIDERA: I am very active on social media. I post my works on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter so people can find more about me on my social media pages.

WA: TIPS, TRICKS, THINGS TO PASS ON TO DEDICATED WRITE?
CHIDERA: Be pushing your pen, do not give up easily, the best is yet to come.

WA: ANY TYPICAL/COMMON MISTAKES THAT NEW WRITERS TEND TO MAKE?
CHIDERA: Some tend to give up when they don’t get the responses they want. They should learn to be consistent, go back to the drawing board and continue improving. The wins will come in due time.

WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
CHIDERA: I haven’t written any books yet but my favourite piece to write is BAGPIPES OF BAMFETE which won D’Lit Review Contest for August edition 2023.

WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK? WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
CHIDERA: I haven’t published a book yet but it's on its way and I am enjoying every single minute of creating this work.

WA: WHAT IS THE KEY THEME AND/OR MESSAGE IN THE BOOK?
The key message is on feminism and being confident in your own skin.

WA: WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
CHIDERA:  I go by Chidera Udochukwu on Facebook, queenderaa001 on Instagram and chi_deraa001 on Twitter.
Thank you.

Udochukwu Chidera also known as Chidera is an award – winning Nigerian writer and pharmacist. Chidera won the second prize in the 2023 AS ABUGI PRIZE. She took the third position in the 2023 BKPW Poetry Contest. She was also shortlisted for the 2023 The Green We Left behind CNF contest organized by the Arts Lounge Literary Magazine. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, she talks about her passion for writing.