Here again with us for today’s writers’ interview is a phenomenally talented writer and our very own Emeritus Editor-in-Chief.
Let us meet you, please. Your name, what you are or do. Courses you would like to be identified with, and your pen name if any…
Abifarin Jomiloju.
I am a final year medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University. Pen name is Mystification.
Thank you! Would you please tell what area(s) of writing you do?
I’m not sure if this question is about professional writing or the words I write in my free time…
Professionally, I write travel and medical articles, translating the language of health into something clear, readable, and understood.
But in my free time? I let words breathe. I write poems, explore language,and shape it into something tangible. I let it speak for my romantic yearnings, for the things felt but not always said.One is work. The other is art. And I love them both.
Oh! Nice. I know you more for the poems you write in your free time… It is nice to know you also work alongside doing medical school. When did you start writing? How can you say you have improved over time? And how do you handle issues with time management?
I started writing in 2018, drawn into its world by my then best friend, Marvellous, who is probably the best writer I’ve ever known.
Of course, my first attempts were bland, jaded, painfully unattractive to read. But I knew; I always knew I wanted to be better. So, I kept writing. Kept reading. I downloaded anthologies, learned new words, studied the art of expression, and somewhere along the way, it all clicked.
But if there’s one hurdle I’m still trying to cross, it’s time management. I step away from writing during academic sessions when the workload becomes overwhelming, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of survival.
Still, I’ve found that structure helps. A daily timetable. it’s not perfect, but it works. And for anyone struggling, it might just work for you too.
Wow. Wow. That’s a lot to learn from.You write well, so I am curious, when you write, do you first develop an outline or do you just write spontaneously?
It depends on the kind of writing.
Professional writing demands an outline to ensure coherence, and a blueprint to guide sequence and flow. Without it, words may wander, but they won’t always land where they should.
Poetry, on the other hand, is different. It is a hobby, a freedom, a spontaneous unraveling of thought. I write my poems as they come and that is precisely why I enjoy them.
Hmm. Good to know. How do you deal with writers’ block?
I’m not sure what to say about this perhaps because I don’t experience it too often.
But if there’s a way around a creative block, I think it’s this: tolerate it. Let it sit. Let it melt off on its own.
Step away. Read a book. Watch a movie. Sleep. Detach the realm of writing.
And then, when the time is right, return. Combusting. Firing. Unstoppable.
Oh! Good. Thank you.What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a writer?
The advent of AI.
I once wrote with flamboyance, and with words that danced off the page. And for a time, I never questioned it because It was my style and my signature.
Then AI writing arrived. And suddenly, the way I had always written naturally, and instinctively became something people side-eyed with suspicion.
So, I had to adjust. It took time—a long, long time—to soften the edges, and to tame my own style just enough to outmaneuver AI checkers.
That’s a high level! I mean, AI complements many writers! If you could meet a writer, who would it be?
If I had to choose, it would be Og Mandino. His work on ‘Christ’ shaped me. It ignited my desire for good writing.
If I were to pick a Nigerian writer, it would be Chinua Achebe. ‘Things Fall Apart’ was one of the first books I ever read, and from that moment, I was enchanted.
What is your piece of advice to budding writers?
To patiently hone their talents.Writing never comes easy. Words are endless, intricate, and unruly. To master them requires discipline like no other; a willingness to wrestle with language until it bends to your will.Dedicate yourself to writing. Reflect on your words, on the gaps between them, on the ways they can be better. And if you can, find someone who will read your work, guide your growth, and mark out the corrections you might never have seen on your own.
Want to make a shout-out to anyone?
A shoutout to Medivoice members—a team of brilliant, talented writers. I commend them for the incredible work they’ve done so far and hope they find the strength and passion to carry us through to the end.
Thank you so much, Jomiloju, for taking out time to have this interview.
To our readers and aspiring writers, I hope you enjoyed reading this interview.
Till next time when we interview another wonderful writer, you can click here to meet more talented writers
Read a previous interview with Jomiloju here.
Leave a Reply