#LiterallyWhatsHot Interview with NaijaSingleGirl – “When I started out I had the Ideas in my head but I Sucked”

Writing can be learnt. However being a good writer does not necessarily make one an interesting writer. When I started out I had the ideas in my head but I sucked. For instance, I had problems with punctuations and capitalizations but the more I read, the better I became. One trick that works is watching movies or dramas and trying to write a summary of the movie. This is one way I learnt how to write better. – Naijasinglegirl

NaijaSingleGirl is fast becoming a household name for ‘Instagram Nigeria’ because of the funny way she shares her real life experiences and of course, for her book, “29, Single & Nigerian” which was the Best Seller for 2017 on OkadaBooks. We recently got a chance to chat with her; below is how the interview went.

OkadaBooks: Good evening, NaijaSingleirl and welcome to our chat
NaijaSingleGirl: Thank you very much and good evening too.

OkadaBooks: Please, can you tell us some more about you?
NaijaSingleGirl: I am a blogger, storyteller, and most importantly the author of 29, Single & Nigerian ?

OkadaBooks: Awesome! When did you notice you had interest in writing?
NaijaSingleGirl: When I was about 8 years old; I used to read a lot back then. Till date, I sometimes try to recreate my favorite short story books into smaller books on A4 paper cut in tiny sizes with summaries of my favorite parts. When I started tutoring kids in my neighborhood on home lessons I was already making my own textbooks. I think a combination of all these brought about my interest in writing.

OkadaBooks: You made your own textbooks? Nice! Did you ever get to print any of them?
NaijaSingleGirl:  No, I didn’t. They were what I considered child’s play but they became the foundation of what I do today.

OkadaBooks: So when did you decide to take writing as a business?
NaijaSingleGirl: In 2013, when people started taking my blog serious

OkadaBooks: How do you discipline yourself to finish writing a book?
NaijaSingleGirl: I think you should set a deadline and stick to it. Initially, I was doing two hours of writing daily (at night) when I started my book. However, there were days I got too distracted even though I sat for up to two hours in front of my computer. On such days, I changed the course and set a target of 1,000 words before sleeping and it worked. There was even a particular time I wrote more than 5,000 words.

OkadaBooks: Awesome! Apart from the fact that you do not show your face or real name in your blog and book, we know first hand, that you send representatives to help you collect awards and prizes. Is there a reason you hide your identity?
NaijaSingleGirl: I wouldn’t call it hiding. I am just one of those people who are not big on fame. I would rather be behind the camera.

OkadaBooks: But don’t your friends suspect that you are NSG?
NaijaSingleGirl: Oh yes. I have friends who send me my posts to read. Friends who ask me “Do you follow NaijaSingleGirl’s blog?”, friends who say I remind them of NSG and friends who I have seen reading my posts in my presence. ? I have mastered the art of playing along over time.

OkadaBooks: What are the sacrifices you make to remain anonymous?
NaijaSingleGirl: I can’t even begin to mention. There’s a long list but popularity, belonging to a strong network of people and losing money tops that list. It’s been very challenging growing a brand like mine anonymously. I have had to work thrice as hard.

OkadaBooks: We read that you plan to change your name to NaijaSuperGirl, is there a reason for that?
NaijaSingleGirl: I have evolved bigger than ‘single’. With super, I still get to retain my initials – NSG.

OkadaBooks: Finally, how soon should we expect a new book?
NaijaSingleGirl: As soon as the inspiration comes. ?

Thank you so much, NaijaSingleGirl. It was nice having this interview with you. Thank you, everyone, for reading. If you have questions to ask, please drop them in the comment section, and we will get NSG to answer as many as she can.

Cheers!