Writer Interview with Chidinma Iwu

1. Have you always been a writer? When did you start writing?

Yes, I have. I've always enjoyed reading and writing and even tried to write a story when I was younger. But I only really started to mindfully write in 2018.

2. How long have you been a writer?

Five years. I started as a creative writer and poet, for the first year, pitched some personal essays and got published, then took on journalism fully.

3. When did you realize that maybe writing was actually a "thing" you could do, get published and even sell?

I knew all along that it could fetch some bucks since lit mags paid (and still pay) so poorly, but not as much as I make now. It was until 2020 that I realized I could earn more.

4. What was your first sale as a writer and how did it feel to sell your work?

It was for a blog I ran. can't quite place my fingers on specific details but I covered entertainment and buzzing news. It was registered under Opera Mini's news vertical and I earned small royalties from article clicks (and this meant that you had to do lots of sensational writing). I was really young so making that amount (that I now cannot wish on any writer) after my royalties were compiled seemed incredibly blissful.

5. How has writing helped you in other areas of life besides being something you could earn money from?

It has helped me be very empathetic and ensure that my conversations, opinions, and ideologies are nuanced. I don't think these are qualities I'd have otherwise developed at such young age if I wasn't a writer. Around here, it comes when you're more mature or exposed to various other cultures, but I've been able to upgrade the quality of my thought process because I write. I am naturally an inquisitive person but writing has brushed this trait, I still ask a lot, but better questions.

I also think the quality of my conversations are better—more defined even. How I interact with people outside of my bubble and how I react to situations. It has helped cushion my anger too. Because just before I get angry, I ask if the situation warrants it. How would people react to it if they read about it? It just helps me be better.

6. What was your biggest accomplishment as a writer?

Being able to be financially available for my loved ones was it. I could always, somehow help.

7. Who has inspired you the most in the writing field?

My mother. She was a writer who read more and I absolutely loved our conversations. (Also, magazines who pay well. :D)

8. What are some of the challenges you have faced as a writer and how did you overcome them?

Navigating pitching editors, writer's block, international payments limitations, and finding story ideas.

I overcame the pitching problem by reading lots of guidelines senior journalists make. I naturally waited for a writer's block to end and watch movies to pass time. I have not been able to do any other thing to clear it asides wait.

Some financial services company here solved my payments issue plus my friend in Canada helped with her PayPal/ bank details.

And I found out that I was able to shape story ideas better as I grew naturally as a writer.

9. What is the best writing advice you have ever received and why do you feel it is important?

To never undersell my abilities. It is important for me as a black female freelancer in the Global South. It's easy to be caught in the web of imposter syndrome—as I have been in the past—but I bought audacity and it raised the stakes for me.

10. What sort of writing do you do now?

Journalism plus content writing, design and strategy.

11. Where can we find some of your work online?

You can find some of it at https://chidinmaiwu.vzy.io/

12. What advice do you have for other aspiring writers thinking of taking the leap of getting their work published?

To keep pushing is one thing, but to know how to navigate the scene is very important — else it'll just be endless circles.

Aspiring writers should follow lots of established freelance writers in the same niche. Read their success stories, random tweets about navigating a tough editor/content manager, and their works.

They should also have proof that they're very knowledgeable with a topic! Doesn't have to be published works, but related samples can help hiring managers/editors understand that it's a job they can take on easily.

ABOUT CHIDINMA:

Chidinma Iwu is a Journalist and Content Specialist who covers the intersection of culture, tech, and finance. Her articles can be found in Shondaland, Paste Mag, The daily dot, the Daily Mail, The Business of Business, and more. She's almost always on Twitter @Chidxnma, tweeting spontaneously and wishing there's better for women.