(Left: Obe Keno, Right: Ms Mary)
You are welcome to Episode 20 of the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES.
Here with me today, is our guest. Meet Ms Mary Okwori, a Nigerian Creative Writer whose favorite thing about writing is painting pictures that feel realistic to the reader!
She is going to answer a few insightful questions about himself, her journey and perspective as a young author in Nigeria , and you’ll definitely enjoy this so please grab a seat and let’s get right into it!
Keno: (with smiles) Welcome to the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series Ms Mary, thank you for having this interview.
Ms Mary: (smiles) Thank you Keno, for having me as a guest on this amazing series, it’s a special thing you’re doing on this blog.
*pssst….Hey YOU reading this, thank you for joining us in promoting the Nigerian Book Industry!.
Keno: (smiles) Alright, I’ll get right into the questions now….. What led to you beginning your Authorship journey and when did it start?
The main journey to the actualization of my dream to write my first book started a little over a year ago
Ms Mary: (smiles) My journey into authorship started during the COVID-19 period, I hadn’t taken any writing classes before then, but I just knew I had the natural gift to write and paint pictures with my words, that was the period I knew I was going to write many life-transforming books, and I even had some titles of the books I plan to write written out in my journal.
The main journey to the actualization of my dream to write my first book started a little over a year ago. I was in my finals and my school was on strike so I moved down to Abuja to stay with my sister, during that period, I encountered a particular scripture in the Word of God that I drew the inspiration and storyline for Eve from, so I talked to my Mentors, and my Spiritual Father, after which I decided to take a 3 months book writing and self-publishing class and from there, I wrote my book.
So, it was more of like a spontaneous decision at that moment because it never crossed my mind that I was going to write a book when I was going to Abuja, but there was a purpose attached to that decision, and that was to express God’s Love, Hope, and Healing to the hearts of bruised hearts. Additionally, although the main act of ‘just starting then’ was spontaneous, it was something I already had in mind and in book long before.
Keno: (nods) Okay, that’s interesting. Question 2, As an author, what is your favorite thing about the world of writing?
Ms Mary: (smiles) Pictures. My favorite thing about writing is painting pictures. I’m more of a creative writer and storyteller than a content writer. Although I write beautifully in all, I personally feel my best expression as a writer is when I tell stories. I sometimes write stories to relax or to go into another world, it’s one of the very few things I can do effortlessly. I love painting pictures and building worlds with my words. And I love how real it always feels like for this who read my stories.
Keno: (smiles) I love that about writing too. How worlds that don’t even exist can be created just with words! Question 3, What advice would you give to someone who doubts if their book is “worth publishing” and releasing into the world?
Ms Mary: Dear beautiful one, there is a message only you can pass across. One thing I told myself was that there is a healing only I can birth, there are people waiting to read your book, just do it! Quit second-guessing yourself and your work. Nobody has been through your pain, nobody has your past, talent, or mindset so there are books (fiction/non-fiction) that only you can write. There are values only you can give because your voice is different, you have waited for too long, it’s time to open that book and publish it. I’m rooting for you!
Keno: (nods) “There’s a message only you can pass across” Thanks for that beautiful encouragement! Question 4, Your book “EVE” discusses themes like Church Hurt, Rape, Family, and Faith. What inspired you to write it?
Even though a lot of people view Eve in the Bible as the main reason why we are not in the Garden of Eden currently.
I kind of saw the whole story from another perspective.
Ms Mary: (smiles) My first inspiration for this book was from the Word of God. So, there’s a particular chapter in Genesis (chapter 3 in particular) where the woman, Eve, was deceived by the serpent and she and her husband disobeyed God after which they saw that they were naked.
When God was giving them their punishment for disobeying him, the verse where he told the woman that she was going to go through so much pain to give birth and that her seeds were going to be in constant enmity with the seeds of the serpent caught my attention.
Even though a lot of people view Eve as the main reason why we are not in the Garden of Eden currently (laughs) I kind of saw the whole story from another perspective. Yes, God gave her the punishment of experiencing pain in labor but that pain was not without purpose. I looked beyond the pain to the product, her seeds. I saw she wasn’t just going to aimlessly go through pain but after the pain, she was going to bear seeds that has the ability to bruise the head of the serpent. God said that the serpent would bruise the heels of the woman and her seeds, but then also the woman and her seeds were going to bruise the head of the serpent and his seeds.
So, no matter how bruised her heels may be, she still had the power to crush the head of the serpent. Hence, the name of my book; EVE: Bruised Heels Still Crush!
I related EVE with the story of every girl, woman, or person going through one form of hurt or another either self-inflicted like Eve in the Bible, or inflicted by external factors like Eve in my book, and I decided to write a story that paints a picture that hurting people can relate with on a personal level and make them see that at the end of it all, with the everlasting love of the father, and the healing he has readily available for us, bruised heels can still crush and that no matter the amount of pain they might be going through, there is something powerful that is going to be birthed, they won’t endure pain aimlessly.
Another inspiration was from my own story growing up which I would not want to go into for now for some personal reasons, but the major inspiration was from God’s Word and the book, more than being one that God has used to heal and give hope to the hearts of hundreds of person is also one that has shone a light on some of the topics that aren’t well spoken about like Christianity, Abuse in the Church, Church hurt, and Purpose.
Keno: (nods) Wow, I’m particularly touched by the inspiration you got from the Biblical Eve! I’m glad you went so in-depth in your response. Question 5, How would you describe the process of writing and completing your book “EVE”?
And even a few days before I was to launch my book, I called one of my best girls to inform her that I wasn’t going to go through with it again because I felt it wasn’t good enough
Ms Mary: It was in one word; STRESSFUL. Stressful because I had a lot of issues going on that period, I was working, I had lots of ulcer attacks, I had pile, family issues, and even some emotional issues so it was not a sweet process like you’d imagine it was, it was like I was going through my own pain to birth something and I am grateful for the gift of the Lord’s story written through me. Another thing about the process was my openness to learn. I hadn’t taken any storytelling class so I had to do lots of research online about storytelling, POVs, Backstory, etc., and just write from the natural gift God gave me.
While writing, there was a point in my journey that I stopped, I felt the book wasn’t good enough, I felt it was trash, then my mentor stepped in, he read the chapters I’d written and his honest review on how beautiful and real the story was to him encouraged me to continue. So, I doubted myself a lot, and even a few days before I was to launch my book, I called one of my best girls to inform her that I wasn’t going to go through with it again because I felt it wasn’t good enough, she had to read it in one sitting to give a review and I honestly thank God I went ahead with it regardless of how I felt. Because souls have been blessed, healed, and transformed through this book. Till today, I still get messages from persons it has blessed!
Keno: (nods) That’s inspiring! I’m glad you didn’t give up too. And thanks for being so open and honest in your response. Finally, Question 6, What type of works or projects can we expect from you in the future?
Ms Mary: (smiles) As a writer, I am building majorly in the direction of Christian Fiction. So expect a lot of life-transforming stories from me because I’m the Healer’s (God’s) Pen. There are so many healing stories and even scripts He’s planning to write through me. I look forward to writing more stories (Christian Fiction) and scripts (Movie Projects). P.S. I just might have a story cooking presently.
Keno: (smiles) That’s good to hear! I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and will personally be actively following your journey! It was lovely to have you, Ms Mary. Thank you for this interview and for being our guest on the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series.
Ms Mary: Thank you, It was a pleasure to do this with you. Dear Readers, I would love to connect with you on Instagram.
Keno: Also, this is your invitation to join our Instagram community @taleofthebook if you aren’t already with us! And you might want to check out Ms Mary’s book “EVE”.
There are people waiting to read your book, just do it! Quit second-guessing yourself and your work. Nobody has been through your pain, nobody has your past, talent, or mindset so there are books (fiction/non-fiction) that only you can write.
-Author Mary
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Thank you for reading YOUNG AND BOOKED Series 1: Episode 20. Each time you read, you are showing your support for the cause. See you in 2 weeks on the next Episode!.
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