tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355376402024-03-08T20:16:19.119+00:00On Writing and LifeMy space for sharing stories that I write (real and made up), my thoughts, musings, reflections and happenings.Favoured Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799796628809329966noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-61759879016893858772016-12-30T14:51:00.001+00:002016-12-30T14:51:52.328+00:00Year in Review: 2016Hello everyone!<br /><br />I hope you had a lovely Christmas break, spending time with family and friends, eating, drinking, celebrating! Did you get a visit from Santa?<br /><br />As the year 2016 draws to a close, it's normal for us to look back and reflect on how the past 12 months have been. Did we make progress with our goals? Did we achieve anything significant? Did we grow in our personal lives? Did we learn some important lessons? And are we grateful for everything we received, and hopeful for the coming year? I hope you can draw up a list of things that you are grateful for, and things that you're definitely looking forward to in the new year.<br /><br />My 2016 has definitely been eventful. Apart from world events (Brexit, US Elections, high profile celebrity deaths, economic uncertainties, etc), there has been a lot going on in my personal life and in my work. I have grown and evolved, and so has my business. My family and I took the risk of relocating to Lagos, and that meant I had to embrace some changes, and I'm glad I did. It meant that I had to be flexible, I had to be adaptable, and I had to be open to new opportunities that I couldn't have expected before. But that's a good thing. Like my mentors say, nothing good happens by staying in your comfort zone. You have to jump!<br /><br />So, here's a quick summary of what I've been up to this year:<div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">1) At the beginning of 2016, I wanted to write and publish a new collection of </span><span style="color: green;"><strong>Flash Fiction</strong></span><span style="color: black;">. I have actually been working on that, but it's taken a slightly different turn. I submitted some of the stories to </span><a href="http://www.brittlepaper.com/" style="color: navy; font-weight: bold; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Brittle Paper</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and we have decided to wait until January to release them.<br /><br />It's going to be an eight-week flash fiction series, titled </span><span style="color: green;"><strong>"Memoirs of a Lagos Wedding Planner" </strong></span><span style="color: black;">and it's going to be awesome! So stay tuned for that - the posts will be published on Brittlepaper.com every Friday, and then when the series is finished, there'll be an ebook with more of the stories. I'll definitely keep you posted.</span></span></span><hr />
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;">2) I launched a set of </span><span style="color: green; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><strong>Creative Writing Courses</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"> in 2016, targeted at different groups. There's my </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/6-week-creative-writing-course/" style="color: navy; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">6-Week Creative Writing Course</span></a></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"> for beginners (both classroom based and self-study) with a new session starting in February 2017, there's a </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/creative-writing-course-for-teenagers/" style="color: navy; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Creative Writing Course for Teenagers</span></a></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"> which I will be taking to secondary schools as an After-School Club activity, and there's a </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/creative-writing-club-kids/" style="color: navy; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Creative Writing Club for Kids</span></a></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"> that I started running on Saturdays, the sessions will resume on the 14th of January. There are plans for a virtual club as well, for kids who are outside Lagos. </span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;">Here's a testimonial that I received from one of the attendees of my Creative Writing Course: </span></span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><em>"Tolu is very knowledgeable about the creative writing process. If you do not know where and how to start your writing. I recommend you pass to through her program."</em></span></span><br /> </div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">3) In March, I set up the free </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/100-day-novel-writing-challenge/" style="color: navy; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">100-Day Novel Writing Challenge</span></a></strong><span style="color: black;"> which was great fun, and it helped many of the participants to get into the habit of committed writing for 100 days! Many people were able to make progress with their works-in-progress, and one author has even published the book she wrote during the challenge! I'm going to run the challenge again in March 2017, so if you're interested, sign up and get ready!</span></span></span><br /> </div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">4) I have tweaked all my </span><span style="color: green;"><strong>Coaching Programmes for Aspiring Authors</strong></span><span style="color: black;"> based on the feedback I've received, and made them more impactful. Check out </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/12-weeks-to-your-first-draft-online-coaching-programme/" style="color: navy; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">12 Weeks to Your First Draft</span></a></strong><span style="color: black;"> if you want to write a novel, </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/aspiring-actual-author-coaching-programme/" style="color: navy; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Aspiring to Actual Author</span></a></strong><span style="color: black;"> if you want to write non-fiction, and </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/idea-published-book/" style="color: navy; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Idea to Published Book</span></a></strong><span style="color: black;"> if you want to get your book written and published within six months.</span></span></span><br /> </div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;">5) I made some changes to my </span><span style="color: green; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><strong>Publishing Services</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"> too. This year, I created and launched </span><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/self-publishing-course/" style="color: navy; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">The <strong>Self-Publishing Course</strong></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;">, a</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;">nd I've streamlined the </span><strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/self-publishing-packages/" style="color: navy; font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Accomplish Press Self-Publishing Packages</span></a></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;">, I removed some of the services that were expensive and unnecessary, so that I could focus on the things that actually help and bring value to my clients during the publishing process.</span></span><br /> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4b4b; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">6) I've put my </span><span style="color: green;"><strong>Self-Study courses</strong></span><span style="color: black;"> on Teachable. You can access the Creative Writing Course and Self-Publishing Course on </span><a href="http://accomplishpress.teachable.com/" style="color: navy; font-weight: bold; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">my Teachable site here</span></a><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></span><hr style="background-color: white; color: #4d4b4b; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" />
<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4b4b; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">7) I created my </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1700575093495930/" style="color: navy; font-weight: bold; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Facebook writing community</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and we now have over 500 members! You're of course welcome to join us, if you haven't already.</span></span></span><hr style="background-color: white; color: #4d4b4b; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" />
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", "lucida grande", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">8) I was recently notified that I have been named as one of </span><span style="color: green;"><strong>100 Most Influential Nigerian Writers under 40</strong></span><span style="color: black;"> by the Nigerian Writers Awards for the year 2016. I'm so humbled and excited! You can read about the award<a href="http://nwaward.com/2016/12/28/100-most-influential-nigerian-writers-under-40-2016-list/" target="_blank"> here</a>, as well as discover who the other writers are.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />That's a wrap! Now, looking forward to 2017, no New Year Resolutions here, but I have lots of goals and things lined up to achieve. </div>
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I know it may sound like a cliche, but I'm grateful for all of you in my community. I'm grateful that you found me, and you've stuck with me for this long. I'm thankful for you allowing me to write to you, and communicate with you. I'm glad to be of service to you, helping you to accomplish your writing and publishing dreams. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to make an impact in your lives, no matter how little. And I'm looking forward to celebrating more of your successes in 2017! <br /><br />Thank you and Happy New Year in advance!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-1357242304103246102016-11-03T13:51:00.001+00:002016-11-03T14:01:51.495+00:00The Subconscious is Awesome<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Did you know? Apparently, your subconscious mind is <i>30,000</i> times more powerful than your conscious mind</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">.</span></b></blockquote>
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I've been doing a lot of non-fiction reading in the past few months. I wanted to read more personal development books, books on successful entrepreneurship, books on living a life of purpose, books on growth, positive mindset and so on. In my reading, I stumbled upon some concepts around harnessing the power of the subconscious mind. These concepts are not new, in fact they've existed since the beginning of time, but I was reading them this time, with the intention to apply these principles to my life, especially when it comes to setting my big goals and putting things in place to achieve them. I've also learned about the power of my thoughts. Thoughts create things. What you think about will determine your actions, and your actions will bring you the results you've created.</div>
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There is no special technique to activate your subconscious mind if you have a clear goal and a burning desire to achieve the goal. The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.</div>
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I was reminded of this phenomenon just this morning. A few days ago, I was chatting with a friend who wants to write a novel. We've worked together in the past, and we enjoyed <a href="http://inmydreamsitwassimpler.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">writing our blog series</a> together, so she was thinking about taking the character (Funmi) and writing her complete story. Whilst we were chatting, I mentioned that I needed to start writing Temmy's story too. I decided that I will finish working on the <b><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/6-week-creative-writing-course/" target="_blank">Creative Writing Course</a> </b>in December, and I'll restart my <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/100-day-novel-writing-challenge/" target="_blank"><b>100-Day Novel Writing Challenge</b></a> in January, which is the time-frame I'll use to complete the novel, at least the first or second draft. She said it was a good idea, and she would think about joining me in the 100 day challenge so that we can motivate each other.</div>
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After the discussion with my friend, I made a note of my schedule for the next few months, and moved on to do other things. And then something interesting happened. Last night, I had a dream about Temmy's story, specifically her love interest, and the first chapter of their story. A very detailed, vivid dream. It was like wow! While I was doing other things during the day, my subconscious mind had gone to work, putting some ideas together, and while I was sleeping, the ideas just came to me, almost ready to go.</div>
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I'm sure a lot of writers can relate to this. Sometimes, ideas just "come" to you when you're least expecting them; perhaps when you're in the shower, when you're about to fall asleep, when you're doing the dishes. Sometimes, you've been sweating over a particularly knotty bit of your story for days or weeks with no success, but when you step away from it and take a break to focus on something else, suddenly you see a way out. I think that's your subconscious doing its work in the background, solving your dilemma and giving you a solution.</div>
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Well, for me, this is great! I'm excited about writing this next book now, and I can't wait to start putting my ideas together. I'm also going to continue working on harnessing the power of my subconscious mind, so that I can have more exciting breakthroughs like this. That would be awesome, wouldn't it?</div>
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Have you ever had a similar experience? Do you engage your subconscious mind to help you with making decisions or tackling a problem? Let me know!</div>
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As always, stay blessed and favoured!</div>
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Tolulope Popoola</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-75921933067554818892016-10-20T16:00:00.000+01:002016-11-03T12:51:02.319+00:00Welcome to Lagos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjm-t-7KjgYInpMU8uDFWxzGj9U4URlhIBeY3-14PQDRJVakLXbLHBEndJanqktM-eIoPyPvP0ypd88dVNntevXCW8pTJ5rN1i58udGu4XXeG_-LcdGCYMC9LUiw0ft61Ue-PVA/s1600/Home+is+not+a+place.Home+is+a+feeling..png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjm-t-7KjgYInpMU8uDFWxzGj9U4URlhIBeY3-14PQDRJVakLXbLHBEndJanqktM-eIoPyPvP0ypd88dVNntevXCW8pTJ5rN1i58udGu4XXeG_-LcdGCYMC9LUiw0ft61Ue-PVA/s320/Home+is+not+a+place.Home+is+a+feeling..png" title="Home is not a place. Home is a feeling" width="320" /></a></div>
Hi friends! I know I mentioned earlier in the year that I was leaving the UK, and relocating to Nigeria with my family. Which we did, and we gradually began to settle down into our new life. We were in Port Harcourt, for a while. I got to make friends with other parents in my daughter's school, I was invited to join a book club, which was great fun, and we eventually found a church that we liked, and stuck with. Knowing me, this was a big deal :)</div>
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But somehow, I still felt like I was in transition. I was neither here nor there. Like I was in Nigeria, but not really <i>home</i>. I guess that was because I was born in Lagos, and that's where I grew up until I was 17. Whenever we had a reason to visit Lagos, I always felt like, "okay, this is the Nigeria I'm still missing." because all my previous connections to Nigeria are in Lagos! My parents, my extended family, my childhood friends, school mates, etc.</div>
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In June, our time in Port Harcourt was coming to an end, and we had two choices: return to the UK, or move to Lagos if we want to continue with the Nigerian experiment. I have to say, I was really torn. I considered returning to the UK. At least, I knew what to expect, not just for myself but also for the children. But then I considered moving to Lagos too. I sort of guessed that I would have a different feeling about staying in Nigeria if I moved to Lagos. So hubby and I decided to give it a try.</div>
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So, long story short, we are now in Lagos! We did go to the UK for a holiday in the summer (where I had an interesting and annoying episode of chicken pox, among other fun things). But we're back now and it seems we're going to be here for a while.</div>
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We've spent the first couple of months (September and October) adjusting to our new abode. I hate all the packing, unpacking, resettling and mess that goes on with a house move, but... oh well. I still have boxes around the house that I haven't unpacked yet, and I'm not even looking forward to it. We still need some furniture and other things around the house, so it will be a while before we're fully settled. At least we've got the major things out of the way: hubby has started his new job and the children have been enrolled in school, so we're good! :)</div>
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However, I have to say that in spite of the upheavals, I'm actually feeling positive about moving to Lagos. I'm already enjoying a more interesting social life, and seeing more work opportunities coming my way. I'm able to hang out with friends, and visit my family often. There are also lots of great cultural, literary and arts events that take place in Lagos so I'll definitely be taking advantage of those. The children also have a lot more options for leisure and play so... win-win for everyone.</div>
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I hope I'll be able to connect with some online friends too. If you're based in Lagos, say hi! Maybe I'll come out of my cyber-shell a bit more and show up in a few places. I'm already excited about being in Lagos over the Christmas and New Year period. It's going to be so much fun. </div>
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With regards to my <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/" target="_blank">coaching and publishing work</a>, that's also going well. In fact, I'm hosting a <b><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/6-week-creative-writing-course/" target="_blank">Creative Writing Class in November</a></b> for writers who want to write a novel. This will be my first in-person training event. I'm excited and a bit nervous! But I'm confident that I know my stuff, and I'm going to give a lot of great information to the participants and maybe even learn a new thing or two.</div>
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I'm also working on a new series of flash fiction stories that will be published soon, so stay tuned!</div>
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Till next time, remain blessed and favoured!</div>
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Tolulope Popoola</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-74744613847999567672016-03-09T03:54:00.000+00:002016-03-09T03:56:26.294+00:00100-Day Novel Writing Challenge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi everyone!<br />
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Introducing my new project:<br />
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Calling all writers, aspiring authors and future novelists! If you've been thinking about writing a novel "someday", that's never going to happen! (Hint: There is no "someday" in the calendar)<br />
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You have to decide that the time to do it is NOW!<br />
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I've created a challenge for you (and me) to get us writing a novel in a short time. It's called the 100-Day Novel Writing Challenge and it's starting on the 15th of March.<br />
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I set up this challenge because I get a lot of emails from writers who want to write a novel, but they feel like they don't have the time or the structure or the accountability and support systems in place. So this challenge will give you exactly that.<br />
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It will also give you a kick up the behind, when you see that it is possible to start and commit to a project when you have a deadline fast approaching.<br />
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So come on! What are you waiting for? If you are serious about writing a novel (and not just saying it because it makes you sound cool), then join us!<br />
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Sign up right away and have your novel come alive by the end of June!
Click here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/100-day-novel-writing-challenge/">http://www.accomplishpress.com/100-day-novel-writing-challenge/</a><br />
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I can't wait to start, it's going to be so much fun!<br />
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Oh, and by the way it's totally FREE!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-4488253499152747002016-02-23T15:22:00.000+00:002016-02-25T15:39:51.644+00:00My Podcast Interview on The Creative PennHi everyone!<br />
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I know I disappeared for a while, but I'm so excited to share this news so I came back :)</div>
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Last year, I approached Joanna Penn of <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/" target="_blank">The Creative Penn</a> to ask her if I could be featured on her podcast. I was very nervous to ask, because I know she features really awesome authors who are well established in their writing careers and have achieved both celebrity and best-seller status. But I decided to pluck up the courage - after all, what are the likely outcomes? She might say "No" and I will move on and nobody will know, or she might say "Yes" and I will actually get featured!</div>
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Well, to cut the long story short, she said yes! We had the interview a couple of weeks ago and it has now been published! <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/02/22/diversity-in-publishing-african-authors/" target="_blank">Click over here to read/listen to it on her blog</a>, or watch the YouTube video below. </div>
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Feel free to comment and share!</div>
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There's a lesson here, somewhere. Oh, here it is - don't let fear or doubts stop you from trying something. You never know if the outcome will be positive until you try!</div>
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Have a lovely week.<br />
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Tolulope</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-20622494333061314572015-11-29T14:57:00.000+00:002016-02-25T15:12:12.740+00:00New Mini-Course for Aspiring AuthorsHi everyone!<br />
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Hope you are all doing great.<br />
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I've been working on a few projects for the coaching side of my business over at Accomplish Press. I put our research questions to my friends on Facebook and asked what kind of problems most new writers face, especially when it comes to writing a novel for the first time. Most people responded with things like: procrastination, self-doubt, not knowing where to begin, etc. I also asked what issues new writers who want to publish are facing. And with my own experience, I know that there are many questions and mistakes that new self-publishing authors go through, that need addressing.<br />
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So, with that information, I set out to create some solutions. I wrote an ebook titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Tips-Beat-Procrastination-Writers-ebook/dp/B01BOSZAL0" target="_blank">"Ten Tips to Beat Procrastination for Writers"</a> and a second one titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Common-Mistakes-Self-Publishing-Authors-Make-ebook/dp/B01BOTMGM0" target="_blank">"15 Mistakes Self-Publishing Writers Make (And How to Avoid Them"</a>. Both ebooks are 0.99p each on Amazon, or you can get them both for free, if you sign up to my mailing list <a href="http://eepurl.com/bgR9yz" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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But I'm really excited about my new mini-course that I've put together for aspiring authors, especially novelists. If you're a writer who wants to write a novel, but it seems like it's too overwhelming, or too daunting, then this course is perfect for you. It's called <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/5-days-to-kickstart-your-novel/" target="_blank">"5 Days to Kickstart Your Novel" </a>and that's exactly what it will help you do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI_ZsU1mWtyrgzDHAJOvnEwisXqoiZRyr0WiMzf93Pp0P9K8iDfT_W8wLVDvvh08Pu-o5Q6c2Le-BghISdpTiIy7fHZWjlGDmF2D7gDaznPM4nLVrhPkgUXzI6SxpJRc3WdEkaQ/s1600/5+Days+to+Kickstart+Your+Novel.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI_ZsU1mWtyrgzDHAJOvnEwisXqoiZRyr0WiMzf93Pp0P9K8iDfT_W8wLVDvvh08Pu-o5Q6c2Le-BghISdpTiIy7fHZWjlGDmF2D7gDaznPM4nLVrhPkgUXzI6SxpJRc3WdEkaQ/s320/5+Days+to+Kickstart+Your+Novel.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I've structured the contents of the course to give you a step by step guide to laying the foundation for your novel so that you can start writing it in just 5 days! The course includes audio recordings and worksheets so that you can start taking action on what you're learning right away. If this sounds interesting to you so far, head over to the course page <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/5-days-to-kickstart-your-novel/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read more.<br />
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I'm also working to put my new 12-Week coaching programme together. It's going to be really great and packed with value for aspiring writers. I can't wait until it is ready to be unveiled to the world. Keep a look out for it.<br />
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As the year seems to be rushing to an end, I'm already in reflective mode. 2015 has definitely been an interesting year, and it has marked a turning point in my life in many ways. In January, I didn't know what to expect, I was just open to a new adventure and here I am, alive, happy, healthy and making progress with my work. I'm really grateful to God for making it happen.<br />
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What are you grateful for in 2015?<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-44334692598113637562015-04-14T23:08:00.000+01:002015-04-15T09:41:05.040+01:00"Boomerang" Short Film and other UpdatesI've been trying to write this post for two months.<br />
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Every time I try to compose something, my head goes blank, and a million and one other things suddenly seem more interesting.<br />
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So let's just summarize the stories. I've been in Nigeria for four months. The year 2015 has already been interesting so far and my move back to Nigeria has gone better than I expected. Thankfully, we are settled in now, and we're all doing well. There are some things I've managed to adapt to, and some things I haven't adjusted to yet. Some things still make me pause, and reflect on the idea that I'm in a different place. Er, electricity supply and mosquitoes, anyone? Crazy impatient driving and traffic? I do have less culture shock now, sometimes I watch Nollywood movies to familiarise myself with the way most Nigerians think, and why we act the way we do. Once in a while, I still do mental currency conversions when I'm out shopping. I think I need to stop doing that cos it just makes me feel cheated a lot of the time. It's also been interesting watching my daughter adapt to living in Nigeria. She no longer cries when the electricity goes off, she just grumbles and moves on to something else. Hmmm.<br />
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On the other hand, there are some things I'm happy not to have to deal with. Going to my daughter's school now I'm not worried about the fact that she's a black child in a predominantly white school, and all the issues that could arise from that. I'm happy that there's no political correctness associated with her participation in normal activities because she is "different"due to the colour of her skin or her ethnic background.<br />
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We've just witnessed the general elections here in Nigeria, and after the months of build-up, I'm so glad they're over now. I couldn't vote or anything, so I just listened and observed. And boy! My eyes and ears are full. Well, we have a new president-elect and a new ruling party, so it will be up to them to fulfil the promise of "Change" that they chorused throughout their campaigns. I'll adopt a wait-and-see stance. Then we'll start the whole process again in about four years' time. What I would really like to see next time around, is a female presidential candidate that I can really believe in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAhTCvdDV0gSjnzsJ1CdX2EZ1BG5rpLe93os_RszCHTM6Aze3ttgHSdMZ9rw0jtMCgJDEA9tAskWKHW_7cIThSxEpIm1fhr4xX3AGWfxlRuJtzZZPd6qWDRa5AFepYTV1mhZnpg/s1600/A+Miracle+for+Daddy+Ebook+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAhTCvdDV0gSjnzsJ1CdX2EZ1BG5rpLe93os_RszCHTM6Aze3ttgHSdMZ9rw0jtMCgJDEA9tAskWKHW_7cIThSxEpIm1fhr4xX3AGWfxlRuJtzZZPd6qWDRa5AFepYTV1mhZnpg/s1600/A+Miracle+for+Daddy+Ebook+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a>In other news, I've been keeping busy with church-hunting (still haven't found one to settle into), building a whole new social life (em...em..) and work! Yay for <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/" target="_blank">Accomplish Press</a> and all my writing projects keeping me busy. We've just published a children's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TDR1RA8" target="_blank">"A Miracle for Daddy" by Sunny Jack Obande</a>, (see the cover). It's a great book for 5 - 12 year-olds and it is available in both ebook and paperback formats. You can find out more about the book and purchase a copy from most online bookstores including Amazon.<br />
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I'll be publishing my second collection of flash fiction stories very soon and I'm really excited about it. It will include some of my favourite stories as well as some new, exclusive ones. Sign up here to be the first to know when it's out and win a free copy! <a href="http://eepurl.com/beWNxf" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/beWNxf </a> (I won't send you spam, I promise!)<br />
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So that's all for now folks! Oh and before I forget, guess what? Three of my previous flash fiction stories were adapted into a short film! Yay! It was a really nice surprise when the producer, Henry Eruotor sent me an email to say what he was doing. The full feature is out now, and you can watch it here:<br />
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I would love to read your comments on the film.<br />
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Thanks again for dropping by, and God bless!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-47719144651624468722014-12-30T23:27:00.000+00:002014-12-30T23:27:47.176+00:00New Year, New Location...<b>... and New Beginnings....</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKombrBWEsEmf1lIE-vzttaVXbNaPrYRIwPPkMqlIXN-_y-Udt2k_8NMpW9t4PN4QntfR9dgbY4Nr6bM7wYw8HOhQqPM8MnrftFPhCOxGht3-0mfrFk1WoATV-CG7ClQEx-CIEw/s1600/beginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKombrBWEsEmf1lIE-vzttaVXbNaPrYRIwPPkMqlIXN-_y-Udt2k_8NMpW9t4PN4QntfR9dgbY4Nr6bM7wYw8HOhQqPM8MnrftFPhCOxGht3-0mfrFk1WoATV-CG7ClQEx-CIEw/s1600/beginning.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
It's almost the end of 2014, and like many people I'm looking back on the past year and making plans for the coming one.<br />
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But with one major difference.... I'll be starting out 2015 by leaving the UK and moving back to Nigeria, after more than fourteen years away - if you don't count those short visits back.<br />
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It's a move that I was initially very reluctant to make, especially when I went to Nigeria in March, spent four months, and returned to the UK at the end of July. Nigeria had felt like a very strange and abnormal society and I was so glad to be back in relative "sanity" in London. Throughout the summer, I wrestled with the idea of moving back or remaining in the UK, and either way, I was faced with several pros and cons. I decided to do nothing and return to my default position and remain in the UK for the time being. I even started making my plans for the rest of 2014 and 2015 with the UK as my base. But....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX2kvKHydUQJeqArRWNilkwGuh2A8oDm1Am3vGbjsz1XnIMHOvDwxVj232z_GrMzUA58s5pASds9clkGzTRRJjyhxh1VTnQs8QSqV2C3pl4HAOYQ2qfaRox03G5EC-QkRuyFapg/s1600/beginnings-end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX2kvKHydUQJeqArRWNilkwGuh2A8oDm1Am3vGbjsz1XnIMHOvDwxVj232z_GrMzUA58s5pASds9clkGzTRRJjyhxh1VTnQs8QSqV2C3pl4HAOYQ2qfaRox03G5EC-QkRuyFapg/s1600/beginnings-end.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a>Plans changed and now I'm going back! I rediscovered what it means to make a commitment and have to follow it through. That means I finally decided to stop procrastinating and started packing my bags. It still feels a bit weird and a bit scary to think that I'll be saying goodbye to the UK in a few days' time and returning to Nigeria. It almost feels like going back to my past, but finding that I've changed while the past has remained the same. I left Nigeria as a young, awkward, shy teenager just finished my A'Levels and about to start an Undergraduate course. That journey began sometime in September 2000. Many years later, I'm a very different person, with a different outlook in life.<br />
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I have to say, that my time in the UK has been a very productive one. I've been very blessed to have the experiences I've had, the husband and children I'm returning with, the education I have absorbed, the exposure to different cultures, meeting amazing people and making wonderful friends, the chance to rediscover my gifts and turn them into a career that I'm passionate about, the places I've been able to explore, and so much more. I'm very thankful to God for these blessings, and I'm reminded that He who brought me thus far to this chapter in my life, is more than able to take me through the next chapter and all that is coming next. I just have to trust Him and lean on Him completely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGE66Uu67YMyK81Jg8UlmbrS3_0YxgzZeMOEHsHK9-DMQFr1f4Mz88ZHqIoAuJeU1xqc3ug9LfwQZuPZlNCWCuESIhGNiiCJ0qaVRYcnOpvt6TEVtJ7IUyXcvuKHEVQ5zG2GtRA/s1600/beginnings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGE66Uu67YMyK81Jg8UlmbrS3_0YxgzZeMOEHsHK9-DMQFr1f4Mz88ZHqIoAuJeU1xqc3ug9LfwQZuPZlNCWCuESIhGNiiCJ0qaVRYcnOpvt6TEVtJ7IUyXcvuKHEVQ5zG2GtRA/s1600/beginnings.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>So, while I'm making plans for 2015, I'm keeping at the back of my mind that I have to be prepared for a few surprises along the way! "Expect the unexpected" so to speak. Most people who have <br />
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relocated back to Nigeria have told me that the best thing is to be ready both mentally and emotionally. And to forget everything you know about living abroad so that you can adjust back to Nigerian settings faster.<br />
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I wish you all a very blessed year in 2015. I know there may be good days and not so good days, there will be happy days and frustrating days, as such is life. But I wish you lots of smiles, laughter, adventures, celebrations, success and good health to enjoy it all.<br />
<br />
The next time I blog again, it will be from my new location.<br />
<br />
Till then, remain blessed and favoured!<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-81294457277641069692014-12-28T14:22:00.000+00:002014-12-30T14:22:40.001+00:00Videos: Highlights and Readings from the African Literary EveningHello friends,<br />
<br />
Compliments of the Season to all. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and you're looking forward to a wonderful New Year in 2015.<br />
<br />
As promised, we now have a video showing the highlights of the discussions, readings, spoken word performances and other happenings at the African Literary Evening. I think it is a lovely summary of the event.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HnLA6SQgD3I" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
I also have a video recording of my reading two flash fiction stories. It's the first time I've recorded a reading and it feels very weird to watch myself.<br />
<br />
I'm now considering signing up for public speaking classes.....<br />
<br />
Hope you enjoy both videos.<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DJoZOHbMR8Q" width="560"></iframe>
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Please feel free to comment and share.
Thank you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-1046041955873537022014-12-02T05:36:00.001+00:002014-12-02T05:36:40.646+00:00Guest Post - Overcoming Inertia: For the Underutilized Creative Mind <b>Overcoming Inertia: For the Underutilized Creative Mind - Guest Post by Remi Roy</b><br />
<br />
I started writing my book in 2011. I was working at a creative job and had just read a book that beyond inspired me and I thought, “I can do this.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT-t7-W7QVS8qPRkfS_W4NMBxa-3vS6RuQx2Nqilz9SYrfgZyXf6ORIhJBeKIx7-k5oUu3KdonBEJw1lZZODYAM0DAshVIBsa4947rPDl27mQeLtGVtqi3ULGlT61YqRP1RPYug/s1600/Ms+Unlikely+by+Remi+Roy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT-t7-W7QVS8qPRkfS_W4NMBxa-3vS6RuQx2Nqilz9SYrfgZyXf6ORIhJBeKIx7-k5oUu3KdonBEJw1lZZODYAM0DAshVIBsa4947rPDl27mQeLtGVtqi3ULGlT61YqRP1RPYug/s1600/Ms+Unlikely+by+Remi+Roy.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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Before then I had written many short stories but just couldn’t bring myself to write anything longer. It was like my brain was in permanent short story and sometimes even, flash fiction, mode. So I accepted the self-imposed challenge. Write a novel! Huh… okay a novella. Great! Leggo!<br />
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And I wrote. And I wrote. And frankly, time flew by and I was done (technically) before I knew it.<br />
<br />
So that wasn’t hard. I guess because I already had the story in me. It’s a theme that is close to my heart and it was just a no-brainer that I would explore it as my first book. So at the end of 2011, the book was technically written.<br />
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Now if I were a serious writer I would look for an editor to work with me on the plot and ask the hard questions. Does it work? Are the characters relatable? Does the story even make sense?
But, huh…<br />
<br />
No.
I didn’t do any of that.<br />
<br />
Why? I don’t know. Maybe life happened and I just got busy with other things. Maybe I was afraid. In any case the book lay buried in my hard drive for three more years. And for those three years I fought the battle of the mind, trying to answer the question; Am I a writer?<br />
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Imagine!<br />
<br />
I had written a book. Imperfect or not, it had a beginning, a middle and an end! But I still couldn't move forward. Years later I had to accept what my problem was.<br />
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I. Was. Afraid. Of. Mediocrity.<br />
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I don’t know about you but I would rather do nothing than do something… bleh.
And that was my problem. I was afraid to miss the mark because I thought if I did I’d never work up the courage to try again.<br />
<br />
Oh, creative person. Are you like me?<br />
<br />
That may explain your unfinished painting, or the half written book, or the self-published novel on amazon you have refused to actively promote, or the song demo no one has heard, or the floor design you have kept away from human eyes for as long as you can remember.<br />
<br />
You’re in inertia.
Wake up!<br />
<br />
It doesn’t matter if it’s so good or needs more work. What matters is that you did it. You! Yes, you. You published the book. You released the song. You promoted your work. You submitted your design. You stood behind your own work. Then you get to do the next. And then the next. And if you don’t give up, that little girl will read your book, and sigh, and pick up her own pen.<br />
<br />
That’s the way of the world.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLynhPe9D8dzxMASkY8kXQozU298pzowacoMEI0GlKlDSrXpT5BvYCIJS-bPXdV3EdlMWMVoelG3SAsquvk0q3fd40o-SVmRybs5ti4hm1OQMKhwbfWl3MQHK4ZrIFVFLJ1K8zAQ/s1600/remi+roy....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLynhPe9D8dzxMASkY8kXQozU298pzowacoMEI0GlKlDSrXpT5BvYCIJS-bPXdV3EdlMWMVoelG3SAsquvk0q3fd40o-SVmRybs5ti4hm1OQMKhwbfWl3MQHK4ZrIFVFLJ1K8zAQ/s1600/remi+roy....jpg" height="200" width="188" /></a><b>Author Bio:</b> Remi Roy is a writer and author. She is currently finishing up her Master’s Degree in Emerging Media and Communication from the University of Texas at Dallas. In the past she has worked as a Magazine Editor and written for several magazines and online platforms. Her first book, Ms. Unlikely, is the story of a young woman’s search for meaning, fulfillment and love. Visit <a href="http://msunlikely.weebly.com/">http://msunlikely.weebly.com</a> for more information.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-8645465857568082412014-11-24T14:42:00.000+00:002014-11-24T14:43:06.201+00:00Photos from the African Literary EveningHello everyone! Hope you had a lovely weekend.<br />
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As promised, here are some of the photos from the African Literary Event that was held on the 8th of November @ The Proud Archivist in London. Enjoy and feel free to share or comment.<br />
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Thank you.<br />
<br />
Photo credits: David Adetoye<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.731915783563376.1073741825.197094540378839&type=1">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AccomplishPress">Accomplish Press</a>.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-76230770525907059952014-11-17T01:55:00.001+00:002014-11-17T01:55:27.956+00:00Recap of the African Literary Evening<a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Flyer-African-Literary-Evening.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flyer African Literary Evening" class="alignright wp-image-820 size-medium" src="http://www.accomplishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Flyer-African-Literary-Evening-212x300.jpg" height="300" width="212" /></a>Hello folks! Hope you've all been doing great. I've been very busy, in my last post I mentioned I was planning a writer's event in London. Well, it finally happened! I was quite nervous about co-hosting and doing a reading on the day, but thankfully I got over my nerves long enough to last till the end of the evening :)<br />
<br />
Here's a full recap of how it all went:<br />
<br />
Last Saturday <strong><a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/" target="_blank">Accomplish Press</a></strong> and <a href="http://www.blackandoutspoken.com/" target="_blank"><strong>BlackandOutspoken</strong> </a>hosted our first "African Literary Evening" @ The Proud Archivist in London. It was a great event, as we had in attendance: writers, readers, journalists, publishers, poets, bookshop owners, members of the press and people who love writing and literature, especially those who have an interest in promoting African literature to the world.<br />
<br />
We had two panels discussing issues that are relevant to writers of African descent, based in the UK. The first panel was coordinated by <a href="https://twitter.com/TundunAdeyemo" target="_blank">Tundun Adeyemo</a> and consisted of: <a href="https://twitter.com/kemiogunniyi" target="_blank">Kemi Ogunniyi</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NuzoOnoh" target="_blank">Nuzo Onoh</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IrenosenOkojie" target="_blank">Irenosen Okojie</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/msroseblossom" target="_blank">Amanda Epe</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KiruTaye" target="_blank">Kiru Taye</a>.<br />
<br />
They discussed topics regarding Genres, Reaching an Audience, and The power of Blogging as a means of building an author platform.<br />
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The second panel was coordinated by me, <a href="https://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola" target="_blank">Tolulope Popoola</a>, and consisted of: <a href="https://twitter.com/Imagine_This" target="_blank">Sade Adeniran</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/abidemitv" target="_blank">Abidemi Sanusi</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/bimbylads" target="_blank">Abimbola Dare</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/createandwrite" target="_blank">Ola Nubi</a>. We discussed issues such as Going beyond Print to tell our stories, New and different routes to Publishing, and Making it as a full-time writer.<br />
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(Click here for a download: <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Programme-for-African-Literary-Evening.pdf">Programme for African Literary Evening</a>)<br />
(Click here for a download: <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/African-Literary-Evening-Panel.pdf">African Literary Evening Panel Members</a>)<br />
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The panel discussions were interactive with the audience, and we had great responses, interesting questions, thoughtful contributions and many useful suggestions about the way forward in tackling some of theses issues.
In particular, many people in the audience talked about a shortage of good books for African children and Young Adults, featuring African characters, morals and storylines that reflect our background. This is something that Accomplish Press is passionate about, and we will be doing something in the near future to address this gap in the market. We're already starting a new campaign titled <strong>"Get Young People Reading"</strong>. Watch out for more announcements about this programme very soon.<br />
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Back to the event, there were interesting readings as well:<br />
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<strong>Ola Nubi</strong> read an excerpt from her forthcoming book: "Love's Persuasion". It is a romance story about characters based in Nigeria. It will be published next month by Ankara Press.<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/theresa_lola" target="_blank"><strong>Theresa Lola</strong></a>, a spoken word artist, performed two of her poems. One was dedicated to the girls of Chibok who were kidnapped so many months ago, and the other was a deep reflection on the power of womanhood. Everyone in attendance really enjoyed her performance.<br />
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<strong>Sade Adeniran</strong> read a short story, one of the stories from her collection in the Sade's World Podcasts. It was a story that reflected on a character's reaction to being fired from her job on the first working day of the new year.<br />
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<strong>Tundun Adeyemo</strong> read a poem from her collection, "The Immigrant" which described the farewell moments at Murtala Mohammed Airport as a character was about to leave Nigeria to study in England.<br />
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And I read two of my favourite flash fiction stories, one from the collection titled "Fertile Imagination" and another one published by Brittle Paper titled "The Alibi". I enjoyed reading the stories and I particularly liked the response I got from the audience at the end.<br />
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The evening ended with a networking session over drinks, book sales and signings.<br />
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We would like to say a very sincere <strong>Thank You</strong> to everyone who made this event possible. To the panel, the guests, friends who helped in really practical ways, to Battabox, Nigerian Watch, Mr Babatunde David Adetoye, the staff at The Proud Archivist, AUK Radio and many others. We really appreciate your help and support.
We intend to host another event like this very soon, we'll keep you posted!<br />
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Read some of our attendees' comments about the event:<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ObiandTiti" target="_blank"><strong>Obi and Titi</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.obiandtiti.com/african-writers-literary-evening/" target="_blank">African Writers Literary Evening</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/aakintoye" target="_blank"><strong>Adeola Akintoye</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.adeolaakintoye.com/2014/11/a-literary-evening-extraordinaire.html" target="_blank">A Literary Evening Extraordinaire </a><br />
<span class="entry-author"><span class="entry-author-name"><a href="https://twitter.com/cejugbo" target="_blank"><strong>Christopher Ejugbo</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.africaontheblog.com/africans-read/" target="_blank" title="Do Africans Read?">Do Africans Read? </a></span></span><br />
Watch the video below (and read the blog post) by <a href="http://battabox.com/nigerians-think-writing-serious-job/" target="_blank">Battabox</a>. They interviewed some of the guests and asked them an important question:
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4XWk82zrQ7o" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I'm still waiting for the feedback from Nigerian Watch, when I get it, I'll update this post. I'll also upload more photos and videos as they become available.<br />
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That's it! Thank God that went well, On to bigger and better things next :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-16315934509346077492014-10-13T00:14:00.000+01:002014-10-13T00:14:29.231+01:00Upcoming Event: African Literary Evening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXuH2lwg8nUt02Vnb2CQPTpfz58N7DfT0ajSgbz1scWZmHby0H9sIFj8V_hsznRaJxXduPp4YeLCTz5lZV1E6gpIsf0MFA_IJCCHzJiQE_Vdy1nLDLsjuz7ELJvq6zQGQuAK-Jg/s1600/Flyer+African+Literary+Evening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXuH2lwg8nUt02Vnb2CQPTpfz58N7DfT0ajSgbz1scWZmHby0H9sIFj8V_hsznRaJxXduPp4YeLCTz5lZV1E6gpIsf0MFA_IJCCHzJiQE_Vdy1nLDLsjuz7ELJvq6zQGQuAK-Jg/s1600/Flyer+African+Literary+Evening.jpg" height="640" width="451" /></a></div>
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Hello friends. Hope you've had a good week and a relaxing weekend. I mentioned in my last post that I was working with a friend to put together a literary event in London this November. Well, we're almost ready! So if you are in this part of the world, and you love books, writing, literature, poetry etc, and you would like to meet some really amazing, talented writers, then come along! I'll be there too ;)<br />
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Here are the full details of the evening:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Accomplish Press in conjunction with Femy and Remy Ltd and Nigerian Writers, presents an evening of reading, conversation and inspiration with the best of new generation African Writers. </blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The event will be a mixture of literature, poetry and spoken word performances, as well as a panel to discuss issues relevant to writers in the UK.</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Featuring: A panel of African Writers, Publishers, Journalists, Poets and Book Bloggers.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Abidemi Sanusi</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nuzo Onoh</div>
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Ola Nubi</div>
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Sade Adeniran</div>
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Kémi Ogunniyi</div>
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Irenosen Okojie</div>
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Kiru Taye</div>
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Abimbola Dare</div>
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Adura Ojo<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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Tolulope Popoola</div>
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Tundun Adeyemo</div>
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Amanda Epe</div>
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and many more.</div>
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Topics:</div>
•Is it possible to make a living as a writer?<br />
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•The future of publishing in the UK: is it traditional publishing, self-publishing and collaborative publishing or hybrid publishing?<br />
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•Beyond print; moving with the digital revolution: ebooks, podcasts, audio books and short films<br />
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•Who is our audience? Our community or beyond?<br />
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•Genres: moving beyond expectations placed on African writing<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hosted by:</b> David G. Balogun</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>With readings and spoken word performances from: </b></div>
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<b>Ola Nubi </b>- she will be reading from her soon-to-be published novel<br />
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<b>Adura Ojo</b> - she will be reading from her newly published collection of poems, “Life is a Woman Breaking Eggs”.<br />
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<b>Amanda Epe</b> - she will be reading a chapter from her new book<br />
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<b>Tolulope Popoola</b> - she will be reading from her book as well as a couple of flash fiction stories.<br />
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There will be a variety of books for sale, and an opportunity to network and chat with the panel and other guests informally over snacks and drinks in the bar afterwards.<br />
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<b>Date:</b> Saturday, 8th November 2014<br />
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<b>Time:</b> 5pm to 8pm<br />
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<b>Venue: </b>The Proud Archivist, 2 - 10 Hertford Road, London N1 5ET http://www.theproudarchivist.co.uk/<br />
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<b>Tickets: </b>Early Bird £5, General £8<br />
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<b>Please register and order tickets via Eventbrite:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/african-literary-evening-tickets-12822098241">http://www.eventbrite.com/e/african-literary-evening-tickets-12822098241</a><br />
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I look forward to seeing you there!<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-1352129151965690012014-09-27T03:23:00.002+01:002014-09-27T03:30:47.637+01:00Reflections <div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello friends,</div>
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It's been a while. I've been working, travelling, juggling motherhood with everything else on my plate, so it does happen that updating my blog takes a back seat sometimes. But I do miss having a journal, and I want to reignite that small but important aspect of my life. Actually, what I really miss, is writing in a diary, with a pen and having hours of time to myself to just scribble down my thoughts uninterrupted. But in this stage of life I'm in, time is such a luxury, so I'll have to make do with blogging once in a while. Hmmm.</div>
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I travelled to Nigeria in March and returned to the UK in August with my family. We were based in Port Harcourt for the four months, with a couple of trips to Lagos. I have to say that it was one very weird and eye-opening experience for many reasons. We are considering moving back sometime in the future, so this was a trip to "test the waters" and see what it would be like. But by the end of the trip, I returned to London with very mixed feelings. </div>
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Some aspects of the trip were funny. I experienced culture shock, as usual, even though I still went back to visit in 2012. Upon arriving, the simplest things struck me as different. Seeing people carrying lots of cash around to pay for goods. Seeing people immediately count any amount of cash you give to them. Seeing Nigerians everywhere I looked (living in multicultural London, you see such a variety of nationalities). Seeing the huge and very obvious gap between the rich and poor. And so on. But for my three year-old, it was very amusing to watch her adjusting to a very different life from what she knew. For example, the fist time the electricity went off, she came to me and started apologising. She thought I had turned off the TV because I was upset with her. I laughed and laughed and after trying to explain that "sometimes the light goes off in Nigeria", seeing her confused face just made me laugh some more. She saw a cockroach for the first time and asked me, "What animal is this?", more laughter. We took a walk down the street and saw some muddy gutters and she said "Mummy, look! There are puddles in the road." Oh dear.</div>
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Now, actually living in Nigeria was unsettling. I think, in the past when I went back for visits, I didn't fully immerse myself in the day-to-day things that people did, so that didn't affect me. Or maybe because I was usually only staying a few weeks, so it was just a case of "I'll be out of here soon" so I tended to overlook a lot of things. But after a while, certain things about Nigerian society become obvious. The police. Where do I start from? The terrible customer service. Again, legendary. The roads, the lack of constant electricity, and the simplest things that I used to take for granted. The government? Who? Sigh. The religious fanaticism that is simple unbelievable. The level of dishonesty. The terrible work ethic. Then, the culture. The culture! At some point, I began to wonder if I had really grown up in Nigeria. Or if I had changed so much, that Nigeria was now a foreign place to me. I actually started doing research, asking people lots of questions, and taking notes so that I could understand my own people again. In fact, I started watching Nollywood films everyday, because I wanted to know (or remember again) what was normal and acceptable in Nigerian society. And what I found was (mostly) not pretty. In fact, a lot of things were downright disturbing. For one, the immense pressure on Nigerian females to suppress themselves and fit into a mould of cultural expectations was quite alarming. I didn't understand it for a long time, why some of the ladies based in Nigeria that I interact with online had some weird ideas about relationships, marriage, sexuality, ambitions, etc. But after returning to Nigeria, I started to understand. Then, realising how much misogyny and patriarchy is so deeply rooted in normal day to day life, made me bristle. I wondered, how do women put up with this? How do they cope? How do they not question these things? </div>
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Case in point: I was watching a Yoruba Nollywood movie with my niece. One of the characters mentioned a proverb, "Omo to da, ti baba e ni, omo ti o da, ti iya re ni" which translates to "A good child belongs to the father, but a bad child belongs to the mother." Immediately I heard it, I was like "Why? WHY does the father get credit for a good child, and why does the mother get blame for a bad child? Aren't they jointly responsible for the upbringing of their children? Why doesn't the mother get any credit if the child turns out good? Or am I missing something here?" My niece tried to explain the proverb by saying that it means a woman has to do everything she can to make sure her child is not bad. But then, I argue, so what is the father doing? If a child is becoming bad, does he sit and fold his arms? That led to a long argument and discussion, and in the end, I realised that women in Nigeria have a very long way to go.</div>
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I could rant so much about so many other examples that I came across, but I wonder if it would make any difference. Maybe a little. Anyway I read an article on Sabi News by Joy Bewaji (<a href="http://www.sabinews.com/all-news/what-it-means-to-be-a-nigerian-woman/" target="_blank">click here to read</a>) that sums up a lot of what I saw. The article is witty and funny but also very very sad. A year ago, I would have been naive enough to believe that she was exaggerating, but now I know better.</div>
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Well, the upside of going to Nigeria is that there is plenty of inspiration for crazy flash fiction stories (lol). Stuff that would strike people as unbelievable happen every day in Nigeria. You don't have to look far to see, hear or experience drama. So hopefully, when I need inspiration, I can dig into my Nigerian experience and come up with something. I'm hoping to publish another collection of flash fiction stories before the end of the year. Fingers crossed.</div>
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In the meantime, I've been busy working on Accomplish Press. We've completely redesigned the website and updated our publishing focus and services for writers. If you're interested in taking your ideas from inside your head to books reaching your audience, then check us out @ <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/">Accomplish Press</a>. We can help make your publishing dreams come true. We're also co-hosting an event for writers in London in November, and I'll be sharing more details about that soon.</div>
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If you're still reading this blog post, thanks for staying with me. I appreciate it and I hope you'll leave a comment. Or two. Or come back again. Cheers and have a great weekend!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-89259137165913878952014-08-01T02:14:00.000+01:002014-09-27T02:15:54.288+01:00Flash Fiction: Looking for SomethingI've had lots of varying reactions to this story. I find it amusing that some people don't understand what's going on with the main character. I think the clue is in the title of the story. Here it is, published on Magunga:<br />
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<a href="http://www.magunga.com/looking-for-something/" target="_blank">Flash Fiction: Looking for Something by Tolulope Popoola</a><br />
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As always, I hope you enjoy reading!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-48643541616842498412014-07-25T02:08:00.000+01:002014-09-27T03:31:14.777+01:00Flash Fiction: The FlightI wrote this story a little differently initially, then I was approached by an acquaintance who also writes flash fiction stories. He wanted a submission for Flash Fiction Ghana to celebrate their anniversary. So I tweaked the story a bit and sent it to them. Here it is published on their blog:<br />
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<a href="http://flashfictionghana.com/2014/06/25/the-flight-by-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Flash Fiction: The Flight by Tolulope Popoola</a><br />
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The stories I've been writing these days seem to have a common theme. Hmmm.<br />
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Anyway, enjoy reading!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-21782332107100303072014-07-01T01:59:00.000+01:002014-09-27T03:31:37.185+01:00Flash Fiction: Counselling SwapHello friends,<br />
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It's another flash fiction story, published on Brittle Paper! I hope you enjoy reading it.<br />
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<a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2014/05/counselling-swap-tolulope-popoola-flash-fiction/" target="_blank">Counselling Swap by Tolulope Popoola</a><br />
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Aside: the story was inspired by true events I overhead while visiting friends. Life huh?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-6540530269410010972014-06-06T12:11:00.000+01:002014-06-06T12:11:39.671+01:00Book Excerpt: When You Let Go by Unoma Nwankwor Hello folks! Hope you've had a good week and you're looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Today I'm sharing an excerpt from "When You Let Go", a new book by Unoma Nwankwor. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRb-k9UvTeCXTdsfYkMCphXq8cp9dFFQQg9QdrH8mNo3PBlJGY9U7TlvOAPM9__U4uhMe7_rqhKrcX3H6iyHygmOwNLUmfWZbePtcr7RWExABtqpBKQmmt2kyHQCLfceRMW3D6w/s1600/When+You+Let+Go+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRb-k9UvTeCXTdsfYkMCphXq8cp9dFFQQg9QdrH8mNo3PBlJGY9U7TlvOAPM9__U4uhMe7_rqhKrcX3H6iyHygmOwNLUmfWZbePtcr7RWExABtqpBKQmmt2kyHQCLfceRMW3D6w/s1600/When+You+Let+Go+cover.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
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<b>About The Book </b></div>
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An answered prayer. An unforeseen betrayal. A family healed by grace. </div>
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Amara and Ejike Dike had been married for six glorious years. Amara was convinced Ejike, was the perfect gift from God. Loving, charming and very easy on the eyes. They had a beautiful life. Well, not so beautiful. Amara’s inability to bear children made her feel like a less than the perfect mate for her husband.
Then after many years, God lifted her faith and had finally heard her cry. The Dikes couldn’t be happier. A surprise visit from Chinelo, Amara’s long lost cousin, turns Amara’s world upside down and threatens to turn her once-perfect existence into ashes. </div>
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Ejike loved his wife with a passion. They shared a burning desire and faith in God that burned deep. However Chinelo’s appearance would open a Pandora’s Box that had purposely been kept shut.
Faced with the loss of all she holds dear, Amara finds herself at crossroads. Would she lean on God’s sustaining grace to let go and travel the rocky path to forgiveness? Or would she throw everything to the wind and walk away?
When You Let Go is a novel about people who know what the Word of God instructs but struggle with actually doing it when the chips are down.</div>
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<b>Excerpt</b></div>
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<i>This was working out better than I thought. </i>Amara had been gone for a little over half an hour. She had tried calling Ejike before she left but couldn’t get to him. Chinelo smiled because that meant Ejike had no idea that he’d be coming home to her.<br />
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As soon as Amara left the house, Chinelo took a quick shower and put on her blue jean mini skirt and a sheer white blouse. Despite the black tank top underneath, it still had the effect she was going for.<br />
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Moments later, she could hear the garage door opening. That must be Ejike. Amara couldn’t have made it back so soon.<br />
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Chinelo put her hand on her blouse and adjusted the twins on her chest. Even if God hadn’t done anything else, He had endowed her with a good cup size and a figure she could always count on. She hiked up her skirt a little and sat on the sofa.<br />
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“Showtime, phase one,” Chinelo whispered under her breath.<br />
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The adjoining door to the garage opened.<br />
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Chinelo snickered when Ejike stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked a few times, then regained his composure. She felt the emotion in his eyes as he made a quick sweep of her body. Scorn. Discomfort. But she noticed that didn’t stop him from staring at her legs a second longer. That was what Chinelo had counted on—she knew he was a leg man. She remembered it was Amara’s legs he salivated over first. It was nice to know that being a church man hadn’t affected his sight.<br />
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Chinelo did a sweep of her own. Now that Amara wasn’t home, there was no need to steal glances like she had done at lunch the other day. Ejike Dike was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His neatly cut hair and lean but toned frame could be lethal on any sane woman’s hormones. His dark eyes always seemed to have the ability to see right through someone. Chinelo also noticed his style hadn’t been affected by the years either. He had on dark blue khakis and a Tommy Hilfiger, multi-colored T-shirt that hugged his muscles like it was made especially for him.<br />
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Chinelo stood up and reached out to grab his portfolio and the bottle of wine he brought home.
“Where is Amara?”<br />
Ejike walked past her and scanned the room with his eyes.
Chinelo felt her blood rise. He just walked by her as though she didn’t exist. She couldn’t lose her head though. She was on a mission. This man hasn’t seen anything yet.<br />
“Well, hello to you, too,” Chinelo said.<br />
“Hi, where is Amara?”<br />
“You trust your wife now. She’s always trying to rescue people. She had to run out for a bit to meet with a client.”<br />
Chinelo made an attempt to reach for his portfolio again. This time he let her have it. She walked to the staircase and set it down at the foot of the stairs. She would have taken it into the study, but this time they had was valuable before his goody two shoes wife returned. She was not about to leave him alone. Every moment was precious.<br />
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<b>About The Author </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHQaRZ5srWmHwx7obByr2Tbf2JIfiSzHtraYCVx7HQf9BnirQ8sjUGe_HPlm-ILvha28WLRlQC99WtC_kU3Sgo_TsJXpJVTgPjzxnv872Lc5lpPxh9nGtUqesuux7UTpfOuKIug/s1600/Unoma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHQaRZ5srWmHwx7obByr2Tbf2JIfiSzHtraYCVx7HQf9BnirQ8sjUGe_HPlm-ILvha28WLRlQC99WtC_kU3Sgo_TsJXpJVTgPjzxnv872Lc5lpPxh9nGtUqesuux7UTpfOuKIug/s1600/Unoma.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></div>
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Born in Akron, Ohio to Nigerian parents.UnomaNwankwor spent her childhood and early adulthood years in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. She is a romantic at heart and is passionate about telling stories of faith and hope about love. She hope to capture her readers through stories that are faith based with an element of love. After all, “and now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:13
She is the published author of An Unexpected Blessing (2013) and The Christmas Ultimatum (2013) and many published flash fiction and short stories. Her work has appeared in Africa Book Club and the Kenyan Ezine ;Wamathai and well as numerous radio shows and blogs. She is currently working on her next novel A Scoop of Love (October, 2014).
Her readers are in love with her unique way of telling stories that capture the essence of her present home base; Atlanta Georgia and her Nigerian culture. She calls them her God-given stories and strives every day to be a use her gift to His glory. </div>
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<b>To find out more about Unoma, visit her</b><br />
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://www.unomanwankwor.com/">http://www.unomanwankwor.com</a><br />
<b>Facebook:</b> www.facebook.com/unwanwkorauthor<br />
<b>Twitter:</b> https://twitter.com/unwankwor<br />
<b>Email:</b> unwankwor@kevstelgroup.com<br />
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<b>To buy a copy of "When You Let Go" please visit:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-You-Let-Unoma-Nwankwor-ebook/dp/B00KDJ09UY" target="_blank">Amazon US</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-You-Let-Unoma-Nwankwor-ebook/dp/B00KDJ09UY/" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-you-let-go-unoma-nwankwor/1119541995?ean=2940149439065&isbn=2940149439065" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-39685167315479276462014-05-29T23:06:00.000+01:002014-05-29T23:12:04.590+01:00Book Review: "Honour Among All" by Vivian Kay<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Book Review: "Honour Among All" by Vivian Kay </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfYwOQfR_tbP6J5gfJNCR4ItsvQLoAoiNe-6zGMZezRuZODRATf8aURX3ufTNyhqwA9hp4NTBvWiV_aP3AJcZdzjsdHCPZcpBnoAvet3RmpEea-g2NeZoAIp9via2MQfJ35rsCw/s1600/HonourAmongAll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfYwOQfR_tbP6J5gfJNCR4ItsvQLoAoiNe-6zGMZezRuZODRATf8aURX3ufTNyhqwA9hp4NTBvWiV_aP3AJcZdzjsdHCPZcpBnoAvet3RmpEea-g2NeZoAIp9via2MQfJ35rsCw/s1600/HonourAmongAll.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Genre: </b>Contemporary Christian Fiction<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> 4 (out of 5) Stars<br />
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I read a copy of Vivian Kay's book, "Honour Among All" and I have to admit, it gave me a lot of food for thought. I had to read it one more time before I felt like I understood a lot of the complex issues the story was dealing with. It's a Christian fiction novella so it was written with Christian themes. The main premise of the book was about swinging (wife swapping) in the Christian community, but it was also much more than that. For me, one of the main issues was: how do we interpret God's word? Do we follow it to the letter, or do we twist it to fit our own agenda?</div>
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The story centres around Ladi and Moni, a Christian couple who have been married for about nineteen years, and they have a teenage daughter. As someone who is married myself, I dread that phase that is sometimes seen as inevitable in a marriage: when the excitement of the newly-wed stage goes away, when the couple are no longer spending time together, when pressures of career and raising children become the priority, when life gets in the way, etc and the whole thing fizzles out and starts to feel like a relationship of convenience rather than a fulfilling lifelong partnership. I get that, I really do. That keeps me on my toes because I never want to end up feeling like I lost the plot in my marriage. So I really empathise with Moni in this story. Her marriage is in trouble. Her husband had an affair. She's struggling to forgive him. Their anger and bitterness towards each other is affecting their daughter. There's no more trust, and pretty soon, other unresolved issues pile up until they are at breaking point.</div>
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Enter Ladi's friend, Debo who introduces him to swinging, promising him that it is fun, harmless and a marriage-saver. Apparently, swinging works for him and his wife, Adele. He convinces Ladi to give it a try. Ladi, who is desperate and bored, quickly agrees to it, but then straight-laced Moni (who only ever dated one guy her whole life) is reluctant and not easily convinced by it. Ladi practically had to manipulate and bully her into going along with the idea.</div>
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You'll have to read the book to find out how the story goes. But I have to say that I applaud Vivian Kay for bringing this issue up. I never knew it existed in Christian circles and I found it hard to believe that people could justify their lifestyles because apparently "God has more important things to worry about, than who we are sleeping with." Really?</div>
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I must also commend the author on the way she handled Moni's own issues, because she's not completely innocent either. Thankfully she had a wise mum that she could run to, who called her out and gave her advice when she needed help.</div>
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Vivian Kay handles all the different issues deftly and with maturity. The book is not longer than it needs to be, and the reader is reminded that all our actions have consequences, not just for us, but also for our loved ones. Highly recommended.</div>
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To purchase a copy of "Honour Among All", go to:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honour-Among-All-Vivian-Kay-ebook/dp/B00J9R1ZKE/" target="_blank">Amazon (Kindle)</a> or<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/honour-among-all-vivian-kay/1119002706?ean=2940149252824" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble (Nook)</a> or<br />
<a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/honour-among-all/9990044339666-item.html" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
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Vivian Kay is a debut Christian author weaving stories in Canada's banana belt. When she is not writing or daydreaming about writing, she's cooking, playing scrabble or snuggling up with a good book. Vivian loves to hear from her readers so please stop by at <a href="http://viviankay.wordpress.com/">http://viviankay.wordpress.com/</a> or Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VivianKayAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/VivianKayAuthor</a> or on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/VivianKayAuthor">https://twitter.com/VivianKayAuthor</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-24153556211637602902014-05-09T10:18:00.000+01:002014-05-09T10:18:57.908+01:00Interview with Vivian Kay, Author of "Honour Among All"<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Vivian Kay, Author of "Honour Among All"</b></div>
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Hi folks! Today, I've got an interview with Vivian Kay, she's a Christian and a writer. She's written a book titled "Honour Among All" and I read it a couple of months ago. You know, just when you think you've heard it all, and nothing can surprise you any more, there comes a story like this. I was shocked that the premise of her story, even though it is fiction, is actually based on real-life. I'm going to do a review of the book very soon, but for now, meet the author:</div>
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<b>Please tell us a little about yourself.</b><br />
I’m a wife, mom and debut Christian author weaving stories in Canada’s banana belt. When I’m not writing or daydreaming about writing, I love to cook, play scrabble or snuggle up with a good book.<br />
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<b>Your new book, "Honour Among All" is a Christian Fiction novella with a twist. What prompted you to write this story?</b><br />
The prompt to write Honour Among All came in November 2013 after hearing a real-life story of Nigerian Christians involved in swinging (wife-swapping). My initial thoughts were that the practice was not wide-spread amongst Christians. After doing a search and finding a web site catering solely to Christian swingers, I knew I had to write the story.<br />
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<b>My first reaction when I read the book was to drop my jaw in surprise. How did you create the characters and storyline?</b><br />
I found a support website for Mormon couples who were ex-swingers. Reading their candid stories and visiting a couple of swinger chat rooms really helped with shaping the characters and storyline. Given that I wrote the first draft in a month and the book was completely written two months later, I also believe as a Christian writer, that I couldn’t have done it without God’s leading.<br />
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<b>"Honour Among All" is Christian fiction. Do you see yourself as a 'genre specific' author? What attracted you to this genre?</b><br />
I do see myself writing only Christian fiction. As a reader, I’ve always found books in the genre uplifting and life-transforming.<br />
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<b>What was the most challenging aspect of writing this story?</b><br />
The most challenging aspect of writing the story was the research. Visiting swinger chat rooms was not something I had ever imagined myself doing. But I wanted the story to be authentic.<br />
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<b>Did you learn anything about yourself as you were writing "Honour Among All"?</b><br />
I learnt how important it was to know the source of my convictions and the courage sometimes needed to stand by them.<br />
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<b>What do you hope your readers will take away from reading this book?</b><br />
In as much as I wanted "Honour Among All" to be entertaining, the core message is that of redemption and restoration through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.<br />
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<b>Why do you think your book "Honour Among All" is relevant in this day and age?</b><br />
Like I had mentioned earlier, swinging is a modern-day issue in the Church and my prayer as I wrote the book was for it to minister to the few or many looking for a way out.<br />
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<b>As a writer, do you experience writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?</b><br />
Yes, I do. I often step away from the work and find something else to do.<br />
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<b>Which do you prefer, writing with a computer, a mobile phone or old fashioned pen and paper? </b><br />
Most of my writing is done on a computer. I do carry a notepad with me at all times.<br />
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<b>Have you always enjoyed writing? Did you see yourself becoming a writer as a child?</b><br />
Even though writing has been a big part of my life for many years, I didn’t see myself becoming a writer.<br />
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<b>What’s the best perk of having published your novella? </b><br />
It’s reading the feedback from readers.<br />
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<b>Did you experience any challenges with the writing and publishing process?</b><br />
Due to the topic of the book, it was difficult to find beta readers and someone to edit the book. At one point, I had questioned if I was doing the right thing. <br />
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<b>What influences your writing?</b><br />
Stories I hear, books read and definitely scripture.<br />
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<b>What was the last book you read? </b><br />
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. I’m working on the sequel to Honour Among All and I needed to read a book where one of the characters suffered from amnesia as a result of an accident.<br />
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<b>Who are your favourite authors and what books have spoken to you most? </b><br />
I love books by Francine Rivers. She was the first Christian author I read. Her book Redeeming Love is an all time favourite. I’ve also enjoyed books by Abimbola Dare and UnomaNwankwor.<br />
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<b>E-books versus physical books. What's your preference?</b><br />
Physical books have an advantage since I love their feel and smell.<br />
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<b>What is next for you as a writer? </b><br />
I’m currently working on the sequel to Honour Among All. It’s another novella titled Secret Things.It’s the story of Debo and Adele, two of the characters from Honour Among All.<br />
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<b>What are your words of advice for aspiring writers? </b><br />
While learning the craft of writing is important, it’s also important to write those stories that engage both your head and your heart. Give readers characters who make them feel something.<br />
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<b>Where would you want to be, ten years from now?</b><br />
By His grace, alive, in good health while writing stories that bring joy to me and others.<br />
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<b>Thank you for your time.</b><br />
Thank you for the feature. And all the best in your writing journey, too.<br />
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<b>To purchase a copy of "Honour Among All", go to:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honour-Among-All-A-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J9R1ZKE" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (Kindle) or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/honour-among-all-vivian-kay/1119002706" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> (Nook) or <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/honour-among-all/9990044339666-item.html" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
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<b>To interact with Vivian Kay, please contact her on:</b><br />
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Website: <a href="http://viviankay.wordpress.com/">http://viviankay.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VivianKayAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/VivianKayAuthor</a><br />
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Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/VivianKayAuthor">https://twitter.com/VivianKayAuthor</a><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-82587325758508324902014-02-08T01:37:00.000+00:002014-02-09T23:12:34.247+00:00I'm Officially an Adult<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkAnl_1ziyfczPi7aXObI3tkkRy-3a-OpuSSrc-auXlvN11hhlsAlPMmkKRxpW8BpFN44Zos3FJmX_-C636Xm7ZdPqskPo53jsIqUWlVTYp_hm6TrED4GZFPwUfvT7fYXhRRUJw/s1600/multitasking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkAnl_1ziyfczPi7aXObI3tkkRy-3a-OpuSSrc-auXlvN11hhlsAlPMmkKRxpW8BpFN44Zos3FJmX_-C636Xm7ZdPqskPo53jsIqUWlVTYp_hm6TrED4GZFPwUfvT7fYXhRRUJw/s1600/multitasking.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Hello friends. Yes, I know it's been a while. I've been busy behind the scenes, so I have neglected this space. I do apologise, I didn't mean to. I've been juggling a lot of stuff in my personal life and in my business life, but I'm grateful and I wouldn't have it any other way.</div>
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On the personal front, I became a mother again (yay!) so I had to take time off to go on maternity leave (lol!), take time to bond with my new baby and adjust once again to a whole new set-up in my household. It's been very interesting going from mum-of-one to mum-of-two. At first I didn't know what to expect, whether things will be the same as the first time around, whether things will be different, whether I would feel more confident because I've done this before. But like all things, somehow there is more grace provided for the new challenge. It's not easy because my workload has increased, but then my joy and blessings have increased too!</div>
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On the writing and business front, I've been busy too. I've had some more flash fiction stories published on <b>Brittle Paper</b>; see</div>
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<a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2013/06/africanflashfiction-alibi-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Flash Fiction- The Alibi by Tolulope Popoola</a></div>
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<a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2013/11/reunion-tolulope-popoola-brittle-paper-flash/" target="_blank">Flash Fiction - The Reunion by Tolulope Popoola</a></div>
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<a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2013/12/unknown-existence-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Flash Fiction - Unknown Existence by Tolulope Popoola</a></div>
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I also did a feature on my journey from <a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2014/01/magic-blogging-popoola-blog-brittle-paper-qa/" target="_blank">Blogger to Author </a> as well as a couple of interviews with <a href="http://www.konnectafrica.net/2013/10/07/a-konnect-africa-interview-with-publisher-and-author-of-nothing-comes-close-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Konnect Africa</a> and <a href="http://bussybambo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/meet-nigerian-writer-and-publisher.html" target="_blank">Busayo Sotunde</a></div>
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I've been working on <b>Accomplish Press</b> too, in the months before I took a break. We've completely redesigned the website and updated our publishing focus and services for writers. If you're interested in taking your ideas from inside your head to books reaching your audience, then check us out @ <a href="http://www.accomplishpress.com/" target="_blank">Accomplish Press</a>. We can help make your dream come true.</div>
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As for the title of this blog post, well.... I came to this realisation as I was sitting in a taxi the other day. For the past couple of weeks (or months) I'd been thinking about how much my life has changed and evolved. In the beginning of my life story, I was the child, needing the parents to do their job and look after me. Now I look at my life and I'm the wife and mother, looking after my children and taking care of my parents. Isn't that something to think about? To realise that the carefree days of childhood are over, the awkward growing up phase of teenage is gone, and the self-discovery phase of the twenties are gone too. Now I'm a proper adult, with responsibilities that aren't going anywhere. I may take a break from working or from my responsibilities from time-to-time but I can't rewind time and go back to being a child. Scary! One thing I know, this adulthood business is not for wimps.</div>
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Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading my blog and I wish you a wonderful weekend and a brilliant month of February.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-18258834185541225382013-10-30T18:53:00.000+00:002013-11-04T11:25:25.121+00:00Book Giveaway for November!My writer friends and I are pleased to present the Naija Sister Writers Giveaway! One very blessed reader will be able to win not one, but four great books written by four Nigerian female writers.<br />
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1) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/An-Unexpected-Blessing-Unoma-Nwankwor/dp/0989073807" target="_blank"><b>An Unexpected Blessing</b></a> by <a href="http://www.unomanwankwor.com/" target="_blank">Unoma Nwankwor</a><br />
2)<b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Who-Walk-This-Path/dp/0143186434" target="_blank">Daughters Who Walk This Path</a></b> by <a href="http://www.yejidekilanko.com/" target="_blank">Yejide Kilanko</a><br />
3)<b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Small-Print-Abimbola-Dare/dp/0957122500" target="_blank">The Small Print</a> </b>by <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bimbylads" target="_blank">Abimbola Dare</a><br />
4) <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Comes-Close-Tolulope-Popoola/dp/0957186606" target="_blank">Nothing Comes Close</a> </b>by <a href="http://www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola" target="_blank">Tolulope Popoola</a><br />
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All the books are paperbacks (not e-books) signed by the authors and they will be shipped to you directly! If this sounds too-good-to-miss (because it is), then read on, and click to enter the contest!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUWdJStL1kAeg-CwvYC5dRFkPIqzuM6Q6CAcUhANvivq-gYfY21b3_OPWhzYcwu0wgqJCTPLLGj-4PvDbFZ8_PnLBMHnFv2ZIyX0yLSB7AWezNMrFI3V9tSkQudCR7DIMBtlYxw/s1600/NaijaSisterWriters_BookGiveaway_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUWdJStL1kAeg-CwvYC5dRFkPIqzuM6Q6CAcUhANvivq-gYfY21b3_OPWhzYcwu0wgqJCTPLLGj-4PvDbFZ8_PnLBMHnFv2ZIyX0yLSB7AWezNMrFI3V9tSkQudCR7DIMBtlYxw/s400/NaijaSisterWriters_BookGiveaway_small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Terms and Conditions</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>The contest is open to all regardless of country of residence, throughout the month of November 2013.</li>
<li>Please note that contestants are required to complete all steps in this giveaway.</li>
<li>By entering this giveaway, contestants agree to abide by the picture requirement.</li>
<li>Completing each step earns contestants ten points:</li>
<li>Please follow the authors on Twitter. Twitter handles are: @YejideKilanko, @TolulopePopoola, @bimbylads, @unwankwor</li>
<li>Please tweet about the giveaway or share the link on Facebook</li>
<li>Please note that the winner will be required to send a picture of the gift package when received. By submitting your picture to the NAIJA SISTER WRITERS giveaway, you agree to allow your image to be used for marketing purposes by the contest sponsors.</li>
<li>Please enter using the entry box at the bottom of the page.</li>
</ul>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fa90f62/" id="rc-fa90f62" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
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Thank you for entering the competition and all the best!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-37703742322753011172013-10-03T23:12:00.001+01:002013-10-03T23:12:42.321+01:00Flash Fiction - Old Flames<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I would like you to meet my fiancée, Gbemi.” Tony said by way of introduction. I had seen the lady when she walked into the hall on his arm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I smiled at her as I took the hand she offered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hello Gbemi. It’s lovely to meet you,” I said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Same here,” she replied, also smiling. She was very beautiful, tall and slim, with an oval face and high cheekbones. “Tony has told me so much about you.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Has he now? I wondered, my heart beating faster. Did he tell her the whole truth about us? Our complicated history… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I realised she was still talking. “Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk at the engagement party, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing you at the wedding.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Unfortunately, I can’t attend.” I said. “I’m relocating to South Africa in a few days’ time.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony’s face fell. “Really? For how long?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’ll be there for a year, at least.” I replied, fidgeting with my necklace. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh that’s a shame. I was hoping we could catch up afterwards, you know… all three of us… it will be just like old times…” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This guy could not be serious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I cut him short, laughing nervously. “Noooo, that won’t be necessary. You’ll be newly-weds, I’m sure you won’t want a third wheel coming along.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gbemi was about to say something when I spotted my date coming towards us with my drink. I seized my chance to escape. Intense memories were about to suffocate me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I have to go now, congrats again on your upcoming marriage. I hope you have lots of beautiful kids!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I smiled at both of them and walked away quickly, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I put thoughts of Tony out of my head and moved on with my life. I told myself that I should be happy that he was getting married. After all, I was the one that broke up with him when things were getting too serious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I finalised my plans, travelled to South Africa, and buried myself in my work. Then, four months later I got his email saying his wedding had been cancelled.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(c) Tolulope Popoola 2013</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-64533547991165578872013-05-13T19:55:00.000+01:002013-05-13T19:55:05.007+01:00Updates: Flash Fiction, Reviews and Guest PostHello friends,<br />
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I've been a bit down in the last few weeks, but still busy trying to keep working on different projects. In the meantime, here's an update of some of the things I've had published (fairly) recently:<br />
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<b>Flash Fiction on Brittle Paper:</b><br />
I've had a second story published on Brittle Paper here: <b><a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2013/05/because-him-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Because of Him</a></b><br />
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If you missed the first one, here it is: <b><a href="http://brittlepaper.com/2013/03/bpaper-flash-fiction-betrayal-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Betrayal</a></b> (a prize goes to anyone who can name the song that inspired me to write that story)<br />
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<b>Guest Post on The Creative Penn:</b><br />
I had a guest post published on The Creative Penn (yay!) about Creating an Author Press Kit. Click to read it here:<b> <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/04/23/press-kit/" target="_blank">Book Marketing: Creating Your Author Press Kit</a></b><br />
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<b>Vitabu Books</b> featured "Nothing Comes Close" as their Book of the Month for April. Read the feature here: <b><a href="http://vitabubooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/vitabu-book-of-month.html" target="_blank">Vitabu |Book of the Month</a></b><br />
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<b>Book Review by Under the Neem Tree:</b><br />
Many thanks to Ndeye, the blogger behind Under the Neem Tree, a blog about books by authors of African descent and books written about Africa. She wrote this lovely review of Nothing Comes Close: <b><a href="http://booksundertheneemtree.com/2013/05/06/nothing-comes-close-a-love-story-with-an-african-twist-by-tolulope-popoola/" target="_blank">Nothing Comes Close - A love story with an African Twist</a> </b><br />
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Thanks for dropping by! Wishing you a wonderful week.<br />
<br />
Tolu<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35537640.post-58928067603670250762013-04-24T12:00:00.000+01:002013-04-24T12:00:15.123+01:00On Writing: Finish What You Start<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji92wQDwhc_DtnOPXSVbou7jfeCo9xS9JJxcx1MUHWpgcseMcjEQqT8cRvoUjxCJldi473hzairskwjpiv8UuNjjexdBdeKyADwY1RcXEROmgeNLYJagjxVSkJjaYYeWDmrdUFmA/s1600/finishwhatyoustart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji92wQDwhc_DtnOPXSVbou7jfeCo9xS9JJxcx1MUHWpgcseMcjEQqT8cRvoUjxCJldi473hzairskwjpiv8UuNjjexdBdeKyADwY1RcXEROmgeNLYJagjxVSkJjaYYeWDmrdUFmA/s1600/finishwhatyoustart.jpg" /></a><br />
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One of my biggest problems as a writer is finishing what I’ve started. I always have lots of different ideas in</div>
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my head at the same time, so I have a hard time committing to one project. Perhaps you’re like me and you have folders full of abandoned novels and short stories on your computer? Or maybe you started a few blogs, but gave up on updating them as often as you wanted to? </div>
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Sometimes, an idea comes to me and I rush to my laptop or to start working on it. Or maybe I’m out and I only have my notebook to jot in but the idea gets me excited and I can't wait to start. But somehow, I get distracted or run out of steam. And then I abandon that project and start another one. </div>
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Perhaps someone else has that same problem? You’ve got plenty of great ideas, but unfortunately, your motivation disappears just as the inspiration fizzles out and you’re left with a bunch of outlines and first drafts that aren’t going anywhere.
Here are some tips I’ve come across that have helped me with finishing my projects: </div>
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<b>1) Don't Start Random New Projects:</b> It’s extremely tempting to start working on a new idea when it first pops into your mind. But you must resist the urge to begin anything new when you’re already swamped with unfinished work. You have to put a stop to that habit to break it. Otherwise, you’ll keep repeating the pattern and all new projects will lose its appeal and end up in the unfinished heap along with everything else. </div>
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Instead, find a notebook, or create a document on your computer, to store ideas. Whenever you have a new idea, put it in this “idea bank” while you’re working on something else. When you’re ready, you can always come back to the ideas in that bank. </div>
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<b>2) Assess Your Current Projects:</b> Go through all your current works-in-progress. Make a list of the ones you feel are most valuable; then separate them from the ones you may come back to later, and the ones that don’t have any merit.
Be realistic with each project. Is there anything that’s just not worth completing? Are those characters so clichéd that they’re not worth holding on to? Is the plot of that novel so weak that it would not hold up an 80,000 word story? Rather than keeping old projects hanging around, clear the useless ones out, and free up some space in your head and your laptop for new and worthy ones. </div>
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<b>3) Choose One Project to Focus On: </b> Now look through your list of useful ideas, and pick one to work on. You have to make one project your priority. This doesn’t mean that you can’t work on anything else, but it does mean that your “priority project” (whether it’s a novel, a blog or a newsletter), is the one that’s going to take most of your time and energy.
You might have different criteria for choosing which project is your priority. You could choose to start with: the shortest project (for example a 3,000 word short story, not a 100,000 word novel). Or you may want to pick up the project that you’ve already put the most time into, so that’s probably getting close to finished.Whichever project you choose, commit to seeing it to the end, before choosing another one to prioritise.</div>
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<b>4) Set Some Targets:</b></div>
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If you’re working on a blog, you can decide to set an hour every two days to work on your posts, and schedule them for publishing. Some small writing projects could be finished in a weekend, for example a short story. Most writing projects, though take more time to complete and you won’t be able to finish them in a day, or a week. You’ll need to set some targets to keep you on track. For example: completing a major section of a novel, writing a set number of words every day, finishing a first draft of a novel in six months, or scheduling a certain number of posts for your blog each week.
Make sure you hold yourself accountable and reward yourself when you achieve your targets. </div>
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<b>5) What do you do with your “finished” project?</b>
It’s worth thinking about the goal for your finished project. If you’re working on a short story, what do you plan to do with it when you finish it? Would you save it for an anthology? Submit it to a magazine? Or enter it into a competition? If you’re working on an ebook, would you publish and sell it on the Kindle store? Would you offer it for free on your website? What about the novel, what’s it going to do for your writing career when it’s finished? Picture the end result that you want to achieve and work towards it.</div>
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Remember, half-finished projects are not going to do anything for you. Nobody will buy an incomplete novel. You cannot submit an unfinished short story. Whether your writing ambitions involve hitting the New York Times bestseller list or living from the income from your books, you do have to finish writing what you start so that they can add value to your career.</div>
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(c) Tolulope Popoola<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tolulope Popoola: Creative Writer, Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
Blog: http://www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
Website: http://www.accomplishpress.com</div>Tolulope Popoolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04824894132453805811noreply@blogger.com16