GREEN LAND. Written by E PLUS The Storyteller.

On this edition of MEET THE GUEST..hosted by E PLUS the Storyteller... Ufuoma Adegor is our guest and her story is quite inspiring.
 The young and talented lady tells us all about the make-up and Fashion industry..Read on.

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Miss Ufuoma.. welcome to E PLUS the Storyteller Blog

Ufoma Adegor: Thank you

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Will you agree with me that the fashion trend in Nigeria, is really booming?

Ufoma Adegor: Yes it is. Looking back at where we’re coming from the fashion trend has taken a new turn.

E PLUS The Storyteller: How would you describe the current trends in comparison with the previous ones?

Ufoma Adegor: In my word I’ll say we are bringing the old trend back.

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Interesting.

People say looking good is an act, others say it's an art? Where do you draw the line?

Ufoma Adegor: People call dressing almost nude, an art but a person can dress chic and still represent the two concepts.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Awesome👍.What are the different styles, you would recommend?

 Ufoma Adegor: In terms of dressing, I suggest that you just be modest in your dressing. My go-to outfit will be a crop top and jeans.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Any tip on makeup, considering that many women really get it mixed up?

 Ufoma Adegor: Apply less foundation, and the key is: moisturizing your face before wearing any makeup, and also cleanse before going to bed.

E PLUS The Storyteller: As one who has a passion for BEAUTY and FASHION, what's your story thus far.

 Ufoma Adegor: Well I started makeup professionally, when I was in the university, I got paid by my fellow student. I’ve always loved fashion, I sleep and breathe fashion. I love trying new things( I love playing dress up). Career wise, I’m a freelance makeup artist, trying to make myself known, in a nutshell I’m still on a journey.

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Interesting. How would you rate the level of acceptance in Nigeria, with regards to employing a make up artist for events?

 Ufoma Adegor: I’m actually impressed with the acceptance. Makeup artist are literally, taking over and they are not only doing that but, the result at the end of the day is satisfactory to the customers. So as for the acceptance, makeup has come to stay.

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Do you have a makeup routine?

Ufoma Adegor: Well not really, but my routine after makeup is taking my makeup off with my coconut oil and having a deep cleanse. After that, I apply my night cream beachside I’m literary battling with acne. Most of the time I’m on my bare face, I only put on makeup when I really feel the need to.

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Hmm..

So does the term: 'Looking good, is good Business' resonates with you? And do you have a video illustration for any of your makeup tips?

Ufoma Adegor: I am working on  few things now, but once I’m through you’ll be the first to know.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Okay.. great! What's the best tip you can give on looking good?

Ufoma Adegor: Like I said early, dress smart, smell good and you’re good to go!

 E PLUS The Storyteller: Awesome..

What would you say to people who are interested in the fashion and makeup Industry?

Ufoma Adegor: To be known in the industry, it takes continuity and ability to master your craft. Continue until you’re known.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Very apt. How can Miss Ufuoma be reached?

 Ufoma Adegor: I could be reached on Instagram @mz_modella

E PLUS The Storyteller: It was great having you on MEET THE GUEST...

Ufuoma Adegor: Thank you, E PLUS the Storyteller.

Akintayo Akinjide

E PLUS The Storyteller: Welcome to this edition of MEET THE GUEST...hosted by E PLUS the Storyteller. Glad to have you as a guest..

Akintayo Akinjide: I really, am glad to be on a wonderful platform such as this.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Thank you🙏🏻. Now the name, Akintayo Akinjide rings so many bells, particular in the Creative industry, can you tell us all about it?

Akintayo Akinjide: Hmm... This ring a bell part baffles me o, but I will just say I'm a lover of anything creative.  I focus on fiction, especially prose.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Interesting...we still curious..🙂

Akintayo Akinjide: Well, I don't know anything to say other than the fact that I've authored several books and written a lot of short stories, ne of them: A Dread in the Spine, was reviewed on Bella Naija, and for some odd reasons, has made Google put the Author profile on my name. Will that do?

E PLUS The Storyteller: Awesome!👍 Now, how have these experiences influenced you, thus far?

Akintayo Akinjide: Deep question! Although I started writing in Primary 6, I officially wanted to be a published author in SS3. Why am I going there? I made the decision to be an Author as I wrote Jamb, even when it became UTME and I had to resit the exam, I still had it at the back of my mind, and it has really changed everything about the way I think and the way I thought. The only thing on my mind was the story I was writing at that moment, how to be better, how did this author write like this, and this shaped my desire. I wrote a story that got me on Nairaland: 'The Underground in the Library'.

I didn't know many of my mates in the University were Nairalanders and that made me keep tweaking and tweaking.
What it did eventually is that, it exposed me to several reasons to have grits. I collected several motivational videos from a senior colleague, Damilola Adeniyu.

Then, I would read overnight for school  and, then listen to the videos for one hour. I won't lie that my academics were not affected,  but I had two lecturers that saw it as something great. Dr Demola Lewis and Dr. Bankale of the department of Linguistics, University of Ibadan. They encouraged me financially and Emotionally.

These two always made me feel like the best thing to happen in the world. Creativity made me think of people, have deep empathy. It did a lot that I'm not sure I cannot finish talking about. Most of all, it's feeding me. I rest my case.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Absolutely splendid👍. At this point, can we talk extensively about the narrative that plays out in the Creative industry?

Akintayo Akinjide: What are we placing our focus on?

E PLUS The Storyteller: The entire craze of the digital influence.

Akintayo Akinjide: Well, that's a big matter that can't be quickly discussed in a hurry, but I will start from what I was telling a group of friends. Creativity is such that would soon be done by AIs and people will only read out what they need to the AIs and a great story would be born Thus, the great story is not the end of it all. The end result of creativity is how to be relevant through the various aspects of the industry, and the first aspect is publishing.

In the present world, many people are working on Selfpublishing because that's the only way they won't die of depression. In some foreign countries, they allow agents to do the first influencing. How? If an agent likes what he reads, he would then pitch to a traditional company, but in Nigeria, we don't have those intermediary, and also don't have enough publishing houses. The five major ones are also careful about what they allow. By five major ones, I mean Kachifo (Farafina), Cassava Republic, Lantern, Quramo, and Parressia, many of the others are into Self publishing,

In foreign countries, it is also hard to become popular with foreign companies, but we have had numerous success like E.L James' Fifty Shade of Grey, James Redfield's Celestine Prophecy, so to hit it right in Nigeria, you need to be ready for work, and be strategic. Moreover, the motivation is poor. Family members are skeptical about what your creativity. So, the major narrative to that, in the Nigeria Creative Industry is for those that have grits and are strategic.

Our Traditional Publishing houses are not ready to take more than two or three works that promote what the country wants, Or something that align with their system. Although Cassava Republic is trying hard to ensure the genre fiction work, they are not making much sales. The little they can do is to find their way into the school system. Consequently, they had to play a tight game by going ahead of Farafina and others to be the company that supplies literature texts for UTME. Their Ankara press is not as astounding as the Mills and Boons of the days of old. Not their fault, everyone wants to read only the top author. So, as an indie author, you must be ready to work like it's grave time.

Summarily, our creative industry is such that you either have to conform to the system, or carve a niche for yourself, and have the patience for an eventual success because even Tunde Leye is yet to win Nigeria Prize for literature, Chimamanda's books are now finding their way into the University because of their international recognition. The past books that still discuss corruption in Nigeria or the war periods are those gracing the curriculum of the school. I don't know if we  are really dying to have the history that we think those stories will teach them.

Check University General Studies Texts, they are all books from the past, and for you to break out as an indie author, you will need to change your game. You can either travel out of the country or know someone important in the industry, Or work till you know you have tried. I want to be one of the few that didn't give up by playing a smart and different game
I rest my case.

E PLUS The Storyteller: This is absolutely insightful👍👍.

So who is your biggest influence?

Akintayo Akinjide: Oh! All writers in the world... Charlie Brooker (a script writer for Black Mirror); Shonda Rhimes ( script writer and producer of How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, Grey Anatomy. Then, I read Harry Potter series close to Fifty times
I love Chimamanda but I've read just two of her works. These two I love and have watched their talk shows, motivational videos but the 'sule' in me is yet to read their works- Elizabeth Gilbert (Author of 'Eat, Love, And Pray), And Ted Dekkers.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Great!
And would you say that there is a distinction between indigenous writers and those abroad..?

Akintayo Akinjide: Like Indigenous ones and  Nigerian writers in Diaspora or are you pitching Nigerian with Foreign ones?

E PLUS The Storyteller: Let's take them simultaneously..🙂

Akintayo Akinjide: This is the major thing I noticed...  Our cultures and conversational styles. We find them more interesting because we are not biased in their usage of the language, to their usage, but when we're reading ours,  we tend to expect perfection even characters are discussing. So, aside that, I think third systems too have a big role to play. From studies and movies, we know that they are always grilled to be excellent, thus, every little part is done to near perfection.

Our Traditional industry try to too, but it's hard for indie authors.
They are constrained financially, by the way, do you know Nigeria has a higher number of freelancers? In other words, many of the foreign works are now given to Nigerians to ghostwrite and edit.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Really? This is very revealing..🤔

Akintayo Akinjide: Well, there is no statistics to cover that because many of them are posing as foreigners, but I have sent close to 10 short stories this week, and I'm writing five,  Three 5k short stories and two-10k plus book.

I'm just saying foreigners perceive us as great writers.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Amazing..
So what would you like to change in the system?

Akintayo Akinjide: We can only show the system. Nnedi Okafor for one, has started it but she's overseas.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Let's get more insights, please.

Akintayo Akinjide: Tunde Leye too and many others. To change anything in the system, I think we  must understand that  we have old dry fishes in the present world.

You cannot easily penetrate their midst without trying to sound like them. So, what I think I will do, is to have my works in connected series. Remember, Ali and Simbi?

We were left distraught when we got to secondary school and could not find their stories. Well, if not everyone, many of us still discuss them. Authors that tried doing it might not have had a lot of success because the system feels they should reduce it, but now, people are pining for series, and that's what I want to bring into the system. I'll start from the fishes that are bendable i.e the Young ones. Aim for people you can build your love in their hearts. If the adults enjoy it, fine! but my hope is to write a story those in the secondary schools will enjoy, and can follow to the future. So, I'm bringing patience, creativity, and voice of different genres to the system. If it becomes successful, it would have made way for many others.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Brilliant👍
So, one more question before you go. Passion or ...?

Akintayo Akinjide: Passion or the money... But if nothing comes out, I want to leave fulfilled that I let go off the stories in me. Sometimes I feel depressed but I tell my friends that my 66+ stories are the only thing preventing me from committing suicide.That's why I feel committed to them.

E PLUS The Storyteller: Brilliant!
So, how can you be reached?

Akintayo Akinjide: For now, most of my work can be found here.
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Akintayoakinjide

But they can always reach me at
akintayoakinjide0@gmail.com

E PLUS The Storyteller: Brilliant!
  It's been such an amazing time with you, Akintayo Akinjide. The entire E PLUS The Storyteller Creative team is, absolutely proud of your input in the Creative industry, we wish you all the best in your endeavours as you continue to soar higher..

Akintayo Akinjide: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate you for giving me the chance to ramble..

E PLUS The Storyteller: You're most definitely welcome😄.

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As a Creative Writing Skills, Visual Arts and Blogging Coach, a Systemic Functional Linguist, Author and Storyteller, it's a great joy to see the progress you make, when the participants/Students, you impart, pass out with flying Colours. 

  Introducing... Barrister  Azeezat Ifemide Adejare, who just completed the Online Creative Writing Skills, Visual Arts and Blogging Course with E PLUS the Storyteller...

She had all all round Distinctions in  her final Assessments and has been Certified.

More amazing, is how she was able to achieve this, amidst her very tight schedule..!!

That's indeed the advantage of the online course..you run it at your own time slot and in your space.

Here is what she has to say👇🏻

https://www.facebook.com/2129027137188099/posts/2446297142127762/

There is no limit! You can still attain that goal of being a Creative Writer, Visual Art Writer and Blogger.

To get Certified  in the Online Creative Writing Skills, Visual Arts and Blogging with E PLUS the Storyteller...Call or send a WhatsApp message to 09075005895.

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...And it's finally here..

 TALES OF VERSES by Ejiro Emenike Ukaumune(a.k.a E PLUS the Storyteller) is a collection of stories based on real life experiences which ranges from Rape, Domestic violence, child molestation, human trafficking, Vanity and Family challenges.

 Allthe silent voices who have been unable to speak out against these vices are well represented in these stories. Fictional names have been used to protect the image of the people in these stories.

Click the link to get your copy.

https://okadabooks.com/book/about/tales_of_verses/28136

Or send me a direct message with your email, on 08028489362, 09075005895.

 You get a free Audio-Visual Story from E PLUS the Storyteller when you get any of her stories, then you get two when you get all the stories😊