Meet African Blogger Series 3: Storytelling Blogger Adaeze Ibechukwu

1.  .Hi Adaeze, can we meet you?  Briefly tell us about yourself and your blog.

 
My name is Adaeze Ibechukwu, I am a writer who has a strong penchant for telling stories and I am the blogger behind www.adaezewrites.com. My blog, Adaeze Writes is

divided into four story sections. The first is the Teenage Series which profiles the lives of teenagers and the drama they face on a daily basis with their peers and family (I started writing it particularly for teenagers to serve as a learning tool), it’s currently in its fourth season. The second is Senorita the Lagos Chick, a narrative of a clueless girl who leaves her life in the village, borrows a new name and arrives Lagos in search of greener pastures and since it’s a narrative, this comic series is still in its first sesason. Third is Wife Material, which is in its third season. Wife Material is a thrilling series which focuses on single, married and divorced ladies and men who strive for marriage or good partners but are somewhat lacking in different fields of their lives. Black Mail is in its second season, and it tells stories of betrayal, magic, witchcraft and different vices which are currently blocking people from succeeding or moving forward in life, it also inspires people to be more prayerful and get closer to God. I post stories everyday on my blog; Teenage Series comes up on Mondays & Tuesdays, Senorita the Lagos Chick comes up on Wednesdays, Blackmail comes up on Thursdays and Sundays while Wife Material comes up on Fridays & Saturdays.

2. 
What kind of blogger should we call you? Lifestyle, storytelling or Campus tale blogger?
I am a storytelling blogger.
 

3. How did you discover blogging?

I discovered blogging in 2011 when my family friend who lives in the U.S told me to check out her blog, back then, I had no clue of what she was talking about. Then, in 2012, I started work and people were talking about blogs so I decided to set up mine. At first, I had no idea of what I wanted to write about as I didn’t like to do the news, gossip blogging stuff so I decided to write about myself. I wrote just one page and stopped there. In September 2012, after I had joined a new media company, the Human Resources manager wanted to set up a crèche and asked if I could blog for her since I’m a writer and I was like…cool. I set up her blog then I thought…wait…a…minute, ‘I can continue from where I stopped on my blog’ and that was how I went back to blogging and started with my first mini-teenage series.

 

 

3.   What time of the day is your favourite for posting?
I prefer posting at midday because I believe that my working-class readers can read my blog during their lunch time and also my student readers can read during their breaks as well.
 
4.   Would you rather publish on weekends or weekdays?  Why?
I would rather publish on weekends because weekdays are so busy at my end. During weekends, I mostly write all the stories for each story section and schedule so that it comes up during the week (now, I’m letting out my secret…lol).
5.     6. Aside blogging, any other passion?
Well, I am more of a writer than a blogger so, writing is my passion.
 
6.    Any lesson you have learnt from one of your creation (story) can you share?
In the first season of my Wife Material series, I profiled the life of a young lady, Ngozi who went beyond boundaries to make sure that Nduka, her boyfriend, married her. In the end, it was quite nasty and she lost out. I think I learnt a lot from her story because, the truth is, every single girl like me wants a good man but then again we must learn that if we see the signs that the relationship is not working out, we have to move on as there are others who would be glad they found us. Ngozi made me realize that desperation can lead you to doing the unthinkable and it’s never worth it!
 
7.   Do you agree that fiction blogging is easier than food and beauty blogging?
I think it all sums up to what you can do and how best you shine at your field. I can’t do beauty blogging because I am no beauty expert but beauty bloggers like Blushes and Dimples, thatigbochick and the rest can do it without much ado. Same goes for Dobby Signature and Wivestownhallconnection that can cook and take step by step pictures as a guide for people. For me, it’s storytelling/writing and I’m blessed to be quite good at it so, yes it’s easy.
 
9. Can you share any funny story?

Well, it may be funny now, but it was very embarrassing back then. I represented my platoon at the most beautiful girl pageant at NYSC and while everyone was rooting for me to win, I made one huge and embarrassing mistake. On the day of the beauty pageant, while everyone was getting ready for it, I was busy at my fellowship gathering so we ended the fellowship with our very interesting song. I arrived late for the pageant and I was asked one question by the compere ‘sing the NYSC anthem’…everyone screamed ‘Ojoro! They just want this girl to win’ this was because they thought that the song was too easy. Alas, I couldn’t remember the song as my mind was playing the very interesting fellowship song. That was how I lost and had to cover my head in shame around the camp as everyone kept telling the story of the girl who would have won but failed the simplest question. Even after camp and during pass out, what people remembered me with was ‘yes I know you, you are the girl who didn’t know how to sing the NYSC anthem’, I still laugh whenever I remember it.

 

 
10. Advice or tip for bloggers and blog readers…
For bloggers, I’ll say, stick to your craft and blog constantly. For blog readers, please comment often, it helps the blogger evaluate his/herself better.
 

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