This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
Glory Abah, a 28-year-old Nigerian writer and creative writing coach, has made a name for herself in the literary world. With a background in Mass Communication from Rivers State University, Abah has published several works, including 'Damona and Other Stories' and 'Destination', a story about self-awareness and safety.
Abah's writing journey began when her pastor challenged her to write on social media. She started by posting her first story on Facebook and received positive feedback, which encouraged her to write professionally. However, she soon faced challenges with consistency and publishing, with manuscripts gathering dust due to her lack of knowledge about the process.
As a creative writing coach, Abah emphasizes the importance of highlighting a student's strengths when teaching them to tell better stories. She recalls a student who was initially focused on writing fiction but discovered a natural talent for non-fiction. Abah's approach is to help students recognize their strengths and focus on developing those skills.
Abah has also learned to manage her expectations when teaching others, recognizing that writers come in different categories, including talented but unwilling to grow, unskilled but willing to learn, average but resistant to correction, and talented but willing to grow. She advises writers to seek out new topics and explore different genres, rather than limiting themselves to what they are familiar with.
Research plays a significant role in Abah's writing process, as she strives to get her facts right and avoid inconsistencies. She believes that writers should not be limited by their familiarity with a particular topic and should instead seek to understand and explore new ideas.
Abah's favorite books and authors are numerous, and she reads every day to stay up-to-date with the latest works. She mentions authors such as Gail Honeyman, Sally Thorne, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Gillian Flynn, among others.
