Today, we have our very own Editor-in-Chief, Oniyamah Efetobore here for an interview. From her humble origins as a blooming new Medivoice writer to this moment as the newly elected EIC. This interview is an inside dive into Efetobore as writer, reader and leader.
Medivoice: Efetobore, you’ve come a long way from Medivoice recruit to member and now to the EIC. That’s amazing! So, tell us about your Medivoice story—how you joined the club, did you imagine you would be the EIC when you joined?
Efetobore: My Medivoice story began in 2022. I joined during the ASUU strike just as I entered as a fresh Direct Entry (DE) student. During that long nine-month strike that paused every student’s life, I was in search of a side hustle and was introduced to writing by a senior colleague. Before then, I didn’t consider myself a writer and was in search of a new talent or hobby to while away the time; that was why I joined. The recruitment was a lot more challenging during my time because of the large number of intending members. So, I didn’t think I was going to be the EIC; I just saw it as a side hustle—an activity I could use to improve my writing.
Medivoice: Wow! That’s truly inspiring. You never know where you’re going to end up in future. What is one big thing you hope to achieve at the end of your tenure?
Efetobore: To continue and improve the legacy and works of the past Editors-in-Chief. I strongly believe in continuity. I also hope to successfully host the Papyrus Essay competition.
Medivoice: That sounds great! I’m sure our readers can’t wait to see the things you do. Let’s move on to less administrative stuff and talk about your writing. What inspires your writing and how did that push you to join the club?
Efetobore: I wasn’t much of a writer before so I don’t think I can really say what inspires it. I also mentioned earlier that I joined the club to become a better writer.
Medivoice : I see. Well then, what type of writing do you enjoy the most? What kind of books do you like too?
Efetobore: I enjoy the type of writing that I do for money. I don’t really like poetry; I prefer writing articles. As for books, I enjoy reading African literature.
Medivoice: Wow! Efetobore, you’re a very down-to-business kind of woman. I love that for you but What do you do when you have to write but you don’t feel like it?
Efetobore: I set deadlines for myself and make sure I meet them.
Medivoice: That must take a lot of discipline. One more question, what is the one piece of advice you got that had the most impact on improving your writing?
Efetobore: I got this advice from Akinbo: “Read out what you write after you write it.” It really helps to identify punctuation errors and understand the flow of the writing, sentences, and paragraphs.
Medivoice: That’s a very handy tip Akinbo gave right there, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it. I’ll be sure to use it when writing and proof-reading this very interview. Speaking of advice, there’s so many tips and tricks flying around about how to improve your writing, what piece of writing advice do you think is overrated?
Efetobore: I don’t think any piece of advice is overrated. Writing is different for everyone; what works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s fine.
Medivoice: Those are some very wise words. I’d like to also ask about your reading. Who is your favorite author and what do you admire about them? Whose writings do you admire the most in the club?
Efetobore: I currently don’t have a favorite author, and I would rather not mention names regarding whose writing I admire in the club.
Medivoice: What genre do you dislike reading and why?
Efetobore: My most disliked genre used to be fantasy because of how overly complicated and disjointed it seemed to me.
Oh, that may offend some hardcore fantasy readers, but I do relate with how complicated the world building in fantasy can be.
Medivoice: It seems we’ve come to the end of this interview. Any parting words for our readers, Efetobore?
Efetobore: Believe in yourself. Once you set your mind to do something, make sure you do it.
Medivoice: That is an amazing principle to live by, Efetobore. Thank you for participating in this interview. Have a wonderful day!
Efetobore: There you have it, an inside interview with the Medivoice Editor-in-Chief, Oniyamah Efetobore.
Leave a Reply