Fantastic headline, right? I also thought so. Even though I say so myself. But I must tell you it is not exactly original. A few weeks back, I was discussing with my editor, Teniola, and it was during that conversation that she brought up the topic I’m writing about today. 

This last week, an old colleague with whom I walked the streets of Lagos as a reporter over two decades ago reached out. He marvelled at how I keep up with my weekly newsletter, and we got talking about what each of us has done with our field experience. You must know by now that I am some sort of book evangelist. I don’t see why anyone who has been a journalist or, in fact, practised a profession or done anything for a considerable time should not have a book about their experience. 

It turns out my friend had read some of my thoughts on this topic and agreed with me but didn’t know how to go about it. He really wants to write a book but does not know what to write about. I found that awkward. Here is someone whose professional history as a journalist remains one of the most colourful that I know. And it was in that instant that Teniola’s words rushed back to me: “Your life, my friend, is a gold mine!”  Even for you who is reading. You do not need to wallow in a desperate search for ideas to write about. Your own life is an overflowing source of rich material for that book that you have in mind.

Now, the wealth around your life is not only about your personal experience. It could be about someone around you, or something that happened around you. But even if you decide to write about your life, there is an abundance of things that you can tap into. There are memories, relationships, small observations, and even moments of boredom in your life that can fire your imagination. Also, previous conversations that you’ve had with others can form the basis for a new book. This is why I was upfront with the inventor of the idea of the title for this newsletter. It came from a conversation I had with my editor, and it has now become the inspiration for this piece. 

You’ll remember that I recently shared the story of my friend’s 11-year-old daughter, who one day woke up and told her parents she wanted to write a book. You know what? She has indeed written a book about her six years in primary school. And I promise you that it’s a compelling piece, which I can’t wait to have her share with the world. So, if this youngster saw a goldmine in the few years she has lived so far, how about you, who have seen triumphs and failures? What about those embarrassing moments that turned into laughter or those arguments that ended hitherto fantastic relationships, and the mistakes from which you bounced back. All these are the pieces of gold in the goldmine that is your life.

Let me end by telling the story of how my journey into professional book writing started. After eight years in a role that exposed me to the realities of politics in Nigeria, I came back to a private life, just doing my thing. Although I had been a journalist before taking this role, I never thought I would continue writing seriously. However, every day I woke and read the news, I saw the naivety of many Nigerians in their relationship with political leaders. I saw that we took politicians too seriously and dissipated energy on largely inconsequential things. One day, there were so many arguments about whether it was useful to pray for a country and recalling many of the things I had encountered over the past decade, I decided to intervene. I did a piece entitled: “Why we really ought to pray for Nigeria.” It was published in The PUNCH on September 4, 2012. It was the first time I was writing anything other than what I did as a reporter more than a decade earlier. What I write was nothing like anything I did as a reporter, but it resonated with readers and launched me onto a new path.

One of the responses to the article came from one Mr Orebanjo. It read:

Dear Sir, I will like to commend the effort in putting this piece up for the reading of Nigerians, it is a good piece, thought-provoking and very timely. I would like to pray for more of this, as it rekindled the hope of a better Nigeria in me. 
I would like to add to the statement (I think that the average Nigerian actually needs some deliverance from the spirit of self) by saying that we need deliverance from that spirit that measures success in terms of material wealth. I would like to think that if we can be delivered from this spirit, even leaders in churches and mosques will be offering sincere intercessions on behalf of Nigeria. What I see in Nigeria is the reverse as opposed to the references in your writing. God bless you and increase you in divine wisdom like that of Solomon, that you may be one of the soldiers that the Lord will use for Nigeria.

I didn’t even know I could do it, but I did it anyway. I was motivated by what I knew and noticed that many people in the country didn’t realise. I tapped into my experience, and there has been no looking back since then. I’m saying you can do the same. What do you say?

If you agree and want advice on how to achieve this, reply to this email and let’s talk.

Have a great week.

You can also buy my book, Every Journalist Should Write a Book, here

Niran Adedokun,

Writer | Communications Strategist | Book Strategist | Author of The Danfo Driver in All of Us and “Every Journalist Should Write a Book