Richard O Ogunmodede is a poet and an author; he has co-authored a poetry book and he’s also into short story writing. He’s an artisan, a husband, and a father of three lovely kids and he is based in Nigeria. He loves playing board games such as chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly.

You can find his poetry book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/EO-Bright-Awosika-Elizabeth-O-Ogunmodede-Oluwakemi-Bright-Olufemi/e/B0917YVKTC/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

1) First, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me!  When did you know that writing is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most? 

Richard: It was back in early 2019 when I decided to start putting all the fantasies of my imaginations on paper and paper. What I like the most of being a writer is the fact that writers don’t die.  It’s really frustrating to write for several months or years and still find it difficult to get people to buy it when it’s been published.

2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?  

Richard: I presently have a book titled Dual Existence, a yoga fiction story on Amazon’s kindle shelf. This story tells you that your past may look terrible but how well you can utilize lessons learned from each of those moments determines the amount of positivity you would be able to invest in your present and future. 

The experience of Gupta’s childhood seemed so terrible but along the line, he was able to take his mind away from the hard and terrible times and got focused within himself. He discovered many positive things that turned his life around for good.

3) Where do you draw your inspiration from for the stories that you manage to weave together and the characters that you create? 

Richard: Storytelling has been an inheritance in my maternal lineage and that includes poetry, I do a lot of poetry writing, some of my works can be found in Amazon’s Wisdom and Voices, an anthology of poems. 

I’m always motivated to write and describe my characters according to events that happen around me and most times, I also get inspiration from high-quality fictional novels that I read sometimes.

4) Do you have a schedule for when you write?  Do you outline your novels?  How long does it generally take you to finish a novel?  What projects are you currently working on? 

Richard: Not at all. I do outline a lot to keep track of my work. For me to finish a novel it’s usually is determined by the amount of free time I have. I’m currently working on a collection of poetry.

5) What’s the first book you ever read that really moved you emotionally?  Who is your favorite author to read?  What book are you currently reading? 

Richard: Well, the first book that ever moved me emotionally was Things Fall Apart by a renowned novelist, Chinua Achebe. I actually really enjoy reading the works of William Shakespeare. I’m currently reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

6) What has been your most significant achievement as a writer thus far? Where do you see yourself within your career in the next five years? 

Richard: I think I’ve been able to get a couple of awards on poetry, not as a novelist though. I want to believe that in the next five years, I’ll have a lot of my works sold to a global audience. 

7) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career? What is your advice for other writers to better be able to cope or navigate their way through the publishing process, be it traditional or self-publishing? 

Richard: I do pay less attention to rejection anyway because they have never been tools of encouragement to anyone’s career. I’d like to encourage anyone who is a writer and wants to get published to consider knowing that all writers need to have a wider network of people getting a feel of what they write time to time before been published because people don’t usually buy books by authors they know nothing about.

8) Do you find it hard to juggle the creative side of being a writer against the business side of being a writer, in terms of marketing and promotion and things of that nature? How hard has it been (or easy) for you to build up your author platform? 

Richard: Absolutely, it isn’t an easy task to combine writing and marketing together. It’s a gradual process to grow in the literary community.

9) So many writers say that they hate reading their own work. Do you ever enjoy reading your own work back to yourself after it’s out there for the rest of the world? 

Richard: Yes, I do.

10) Do you believe that there is ever a point in life where it’s too late for an aspiring writer to become successful in this industry?  Do you feel a late start would hinder their chances? 

Richard: No, I don’t think so. There is never a period where it is too late. I think their chances depends on their content 

11) I feel like writing is a remarkable tool to help people not only express themselves, but also to cope emotionally and mentally.  I know for me I write to be and feel more authentic. What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity?  How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose? 

Richard: I’m also of the opinion that writing is a remarkable tool to get across to people around the world and to express my feelings and emotions and also, to describe what might be called, ‘other people’s feelings’. Writing makes it easier for me to be specific with my goals and ambitions and it also helps me to touch lives that I may never meet, all through my life. And that is one of my goals!