Out with the old and in with the new... Wrong!!
On the contrary, I feel both the old and new hold equal value in this project. On this months edition of COAW, we have a veteran writer named Adeola and a newbie in the game.. Misturah. Let's go!!
Adeola, 2021.
THEY SAW ME AS A NOVICE AND TREATED ME AS SUCH…
The dream of every freelance writer is to land a high-paying gig that showcases your talent and persistence in one go. For months I searched and searched for the job that spoke to me, and that suited my genre in fiction writing, but when I finally landed my dream job, I was treated as irrelevant. I was new blood, fresh to the field when I got my 670 thousand naira gig from a closed WhatsApp group, I heard big money, and I jumped right in. I was ecstatic after passing the first round of tests to land the gig, in no time, the job was mine and I worked night and day to ensure that my client was satisfied with the outcome of the project.
It was probably illegal, but I made sure to keep tabs on the job anonymously and I know it was doing well, but on a blessed afternoon, the client reached out to me, complaining that I was not doing the job very well, I argued, but there was nothing I could do but continue to do my best. Three days after that, he informed me that I should stop working on it completely and that he would reach out to me soon to finalize my payment.
I didn’t mind stopping the project as the complaint was too much anyway. I was concerned about my pay though, but I was in no place to speak out, or so I thought. Days turned into weeks and into months, and I heard nothing back from this man, to say I was disheartened would be putting it lightly, all my stress, my sweat gone, vanished without a trace, but I wasn’t going to give up.
At this point, I had made more friends in the field and I briefed some on what happened to me, I was advised on what to do as disciplinary action against that fraudster of a client, but my soft heart couldn’t take destroying a man’s reputation, so I continued to reach out to him until I was completely blocked across all social media platform that connected us.
After this experience, I was convinced that writing was not for me, so I stopped writing for about three months. Then, one day as I was scrolling through my Facebook feeds, I saw the image and name of that man plastered on a page as a fraudster, karma finally caught up to him, and I didn’t even need to raise an arm. I smiled and scrolled past, but that gave me the push that I needed to not give failure a chance in my career.
The next day I started a project of my own that landed me my first 200 dollars and since then, my story improved, aiming toward a better future for my career in writing, I continued to do my best, regardless of disappointment and people’s opinion. I realized that nothing else matters but my skill and the confidence I have in it.
Misturah, 2024:
I am writer. Born November 22 2004 in a small town surrounded by fantasies and imaginations. I was never really interested in writing but my hunger and passion for words and the dream to share my thoughts with the world developed when I met my mentor, Pearl. As a child I would spend hours scribbling away in my diary but at that time, I thought nothing of it. My love for writing only grew stronger in the passing years and I began to write short stories and articles, mostly for myself and people around but when i met my mentor, I guess I wanted more people to see my work. I began to share my writings with my mentor. Initially I was only interested in the money writing could bring to me but I quickly began to enjoy and explore different styles and genres of writing without any monetary rewards attached.
I devoured books of all kinds, from literature to contemporary fiction, I failed, messed up and even cried but i never gave up. I really learnt a lot from Pearl and after completing my education I’d definitely continue to pursue my dream of becoming a professional writer. I do hope my work would be published in various online platforms and I do make my money at the end of the day (yes I still want the money.. hehe)
Through my writing, I aim to inspire, educate and entertain, leaving my impacts on the heart of my readers.