My passion for romance novels – Myne Whitman

I coined my first pen name when I began to write fiction seriously in secondary school. Most of the books I read were in English and since I was writing in English too, I decided I could be as creative as I wanted with my pen name. I didn’t want to choose what could be […]

I coined my first pen name when I began to write fiction seriously in secondary school. Most of the books I read were in English and since I was writing in English too, I decided I could be as creative as I wanted with my pen name. I didn’t want to choose what could be another person’s name so the pseudonym is a play on the transliterated words of my maiden name, Nkem Okotcha. As a published author, I chose to use this form of my name not just because I can identify with it, but also, it gives me some privacy and also to meet the demands of my split career in public health and writing.

 

You have been writing from an early age, what inspired this passion in literature?

Yes, I am a writer and author today but first, I was a reader. I started reading on my own quite early. My mother was a school teacher who drilled us on our reading once we could speak clearly. That was when I was too young for formal after school-lessons that were common in my city in those days. We will come back, have lunch and then be forced to get into bed for an afternoon nap. I must have been in grade two or three at that time, so maybe seven years or so. I wasn’t in the mood for siesta most times, but though I did sleep, what was more likely was that I smuggled a book with me.

I have to confess that for me, there’s just something about books and the written word as a means to take me outside myself while still remaining very personal. The writer takes me to a new place, either physically or emotionally and plumbs my depths. I was a quiet child and even when surrounded by my siblings and other people, I would often find myself lost in my own thoughts. I loved daydreaming and the books I read were like the epitome of this fantasy. It’s like an imagination that came true because it’s been written down. It became so easy to travel to distant, sometimes imaginary lands, meet new people and experience new cultures.

Reading so widely and voraciously made my imagination even more vivid, I had to write them down. I had read Enid Blyton’s creations, the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers, as well as the Nancy Drew and Tom Swift series, and as I was a tomboyish type, those adventures appealed to me. I began to write of children’s adventures, of two sisters climbing trees in fruit orchards, memories of Christmas holidays spent in the cool shade of the almond tree in an uncle’s spacious property in Asaba. Many an adventure was crafted in the nooks and crannies, the flower beds, the palm trees, plenteous fruit trees and lovely old fashioned houses in that “Yard”.

Why did you decide you want to be a romance writer. What is the actual story behind this choice?

I felt that there were not enough romance novels set in contemporary Africa and that I could do something to change that. It is no secret that genre novels are like the neglected step-sister in African literature and I feel that this is a limitation, not just to writers, but also for readers. The mass market for the biggest six publishers in the world is genre and I believe that the drift by most African writers towards literary books only, is directly or indirectly linked to the poor reading culture in our countries. I hope that by writing what more people can relate to and in a way thatwill keep them turning the pages, will get more people reading. And hopefully, the true book aficionados who emerge will have a wider variety of books to choose from.

You have authored two romance novels already and I hear a third is in the offing. What has been the reception of these two?

The reception has been really encouraging. The first, A Heart to Mend, actually started off on my blog as a means of expressing my creativity and connecting with those who loved the story and it was through the encouragement of those first readers that I published and they have remained supportive even as my network has grown larger and wider.

Tell us about the third. What is it about?

The third book tells the story of one of the characters in the second. In A Love Rekindled, Wale is a player who is loud and arrogant. I wanted to follow him and see what his life turned out to be and the kind of woman who would be a match for him and he for her.

What prompted you to focus on love and conflict? Was there a special reason?

Well, I wanted to write stories of love and finding oneself. I was introduced to romance novels as a pre-teen and I love and read them up till now. In my opinion, these books plumb a facet of humanity that is universal and relatable – the search for love and happiness. I believe these are issues that most of us will have to deal with everyday and so a lot of the themes in my novels are motivated by events or stories I’ve heard or read about in real life and the characters and issues in the book are meant to be relevant for contemporary life and relationships. Not a lot of us may become involved in politics, or experience police brutality, but majority of people hope to be happily married one day.

All your novels are set in Nigeria and you have been living outside Nigeria for some time. Why did you choose to set all your stories in Nigeria?

The primary intention was to contribute to the writing of the romance genre within the Nigerian literary ouvre. I could as well write my stories and shop them to British or American romance imprints like Mills&Boon or Harlequin, but that would not satisfy my dream to be part of the conversation in Nigeria. I grew up reading books like Evbu My Love by Helen Ovbiagele (Pacesetters), but they disappeared after some years. So with the renaissance in the writing and book publishing industry in Nigeria, I wanted to add my voice in this unique way. Since I had read a lot of books set in Nigeria and written by Nigerians, I wanted the younger generation to have that experience too which I believe is a good one, even as we talk about rebranding Nigeria and recreating a positive national identity.

Interestingly, writing is your regular job. And many writers say it’s difficult being a full time writer. How are you coping?

I would think it is easier being a full-time writer, with the opportunity to devote all your energy to your craft, and that is how it’s been for me. It is only with this chance now that I’ve been able to really pursue my passion and see it through. When I wrote as a student, or a fully employed person, this was not possible. The only challenge is being able to sustain and motivate yourself to keep writing even when distractions come, or the muse takes a break.

How supportive has your husband been of your chosen career?

My husband is the love of my life, and gives me the honesty to continue to write the love stories that fill my heart. He has also given me the freedom to pursue this passion of mine, and also supports me in the writing, too. He is a writer, and is my first beta reader. I also run plot ideas by him and he critiques my stories. I look forward to when we can write a book together.

Tell us your own romance story. How did you meet your husband?

I met him on a message board in 2007. He was an anonymous commenter, just like I was. I was more open so most regular commenters knew I was from Asaba, and that I lived in Edinburgh. He was this aloof guy, very private. I was impressed by his intelligence, and how helpful he generally was to the members of the board, old and new. With time, we began to exchange banters on the site, and I found out that he was also based in the UK. He was a volunteer on the site, and when I also joined the team, we got a chance to work together, and I was further bowled over. We soon got the chance to exchange private emails, we started talking on the phone, and the rest as they say is history.

Those who want to read more of our love story can check out this page on my blog, http://www.mynewhitmanwrites.com/2011/02/online-and-long-distance-real-love.html

So far, your novels have all been self published. What prompted you to toe this path?

I think having a blog was the first step, especially because I shared excerpts of the WIP as a series. Having a blog, (which won several awards including Blog of the Year at the Nigerian Blog Awards 2010) really helped me in my writing, especially with the feedback and critique I get from my readers. I had such a loyal following that I wanted to give them a chance to read the complete story. Most of them had been following it on my blog and were very supportive.

This led me naturally to consider self-publishing of which I’d heard some good stories about, and how it can be successful if you apply yourself. I had been discouraged earlier on in my writing when I tried to pursue it after my first degree. I was rejected by the very few publishers we had in Nigeria in those days. So this time after several similar letters from publishers and agents, I decided on self publishing since I had my full time to dedicate to it.

The truth is that the world has come to terms with the internet age and with it, the opportunities to publish. So, other less conventional means of getting a book to an audience are beginning to take root – like Print-on-Demand, eBooks, Digital book readers, and other such technologies. The internet and all the resources available online have also been very useful for me as I have been promoting and marketing my books.