My novel started as a musical screenplay – M. Lachi

Bookshelf: Your novel, ‘The Ivory Staff,’ is described as a dark fairy tale of kings and war. What inspired it?
M.Lachi: The novel was inspired by many different facets, which coalesced piece by piece into the story that eventually became ‘The Ivory Staff.’  It had originally started out as a musical screen-play - the songs which I still have tucked away somewhere - but eventually blossomed into a full-length novel, as the bullets and mini-bullet points of the once very simple outline had become so massive, the novel began to write itself.  The story-line and characters were inspired and influenced by all of the literature I consumed during high school, my many international travels during college and my host of personal experiences as a young outcast, off-beat, quirky girl trying to find a place and acceptance, yet who was too driven to accept her place.
Though I can’t say I’ve ever been in a deadly love triangle, a battle-royal, or an insurrection, there are some tangential shreds of personal experience that poured into the book. While writing the novel, I lived in England for some time and also visited Nigeria. These experiences helped shape my story, more specifically, its settings and characterisations.

Bookshelf: What did it take to get Samiyah, your central character, to come alive to readers?
Lachi: Samiyah’s passion for chasing what she feels is right and honourable ring true from her childhood of positive energy to her adulthood of strife and determination. When writing a character, I do my best to place myself deep into his or her mindset and general perspective, to find and know their true nation and allow the pen to make decisions based on that knowledge. 

Bookshelf: How long did it take you to work on the novel?
Lachi: I worked on the novel while completing my undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Because a fair amount of my focus remained on studies, scholastic clubs and musical performance, it took the full four years for me to complete the novel.

Bookshelf: How did you start writing?
Lachi: Growing up, I always had a fairly vast imagination. Apart from songs, poems and comics, I would create vast worlds with in depth characters in my head. Being legally blind; I didn’t have many friends, so distractions against my swelling creativity remained minimal. One day, I believe at age 16, I sat down at the computer in my school library during lunchtime and simply began writing. A year later, I had written and published my first novella, ‘Dante’s Destiny.’ My writing and storytelling has since matured, but it all started that fateful day in that library. 

Bookshelf: What do you hope to achieve with the story?
Lachi: Apart from entertaining and connecting with readers, I hope to tell a story of struggle, of overcoming odds despite adversity and brokenness. I hope to open up a new otherwise un-experienced prospective to the reader. As I continue to write, I hope to incorporate thought experiments, table topics and brain fodder for a new generation of rising intellects.

Bookshelf: How do you view Nigerian literature?
Lachi: Nigerians tend to have an exceptional command of the English language, and because of this, many Nigerians bend towards the loftier literary style of writing. With Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian, being the first African to receive a Nobel Prize in literature, and Chinua Achebe, being taught in Western high-schools globally, it’s easy to take pride in being one among such greats.

Bookshelf: What authors or books shaped you as a writer?
Lachi: Growing up, I read a lot of classical literature and literary fiction. Some books that come to mind are: ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Achebe, ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë, Richard Wright’s novels and memoirs, and of course, all the unassigned catalogue of authors required throughout my literature classes; Steinbeck, Dickens, Shakespeare, Orwell, Twain. While writing ‘The Ivory Staff,’ I found myself reading a lot of 20th century science-fiction and fantasy. I inhaled Heinlein, Herbert, Jim Butcher, Koontz, Scott Card and a fistful of others. Though I can’t specifically pin-point how, the books I read before and while writing the novel heavily influenced me.

Bookshelf: So if you were to be at sea for a while, what five books would you travel with?
Lachi: Only five books? That will be tough, as I would finish all five on the bus ride to the ship. There’s ‘Stranger In A Strange Land’ by Robert A. Heinlein. I’ve already read this book three times, and each time I read it, I learn something new about life, myself and the universe and about good writing; ‘Ender’s Game’ by Orson Scott Card. As much as I prefer some of the other books in the series, this is the book that started it all for me - that exquisite combination of sci-fi genius, intellectual experimenting, angst and thrill gets me every time; ‘Strangers’ by Dean Koontz. Everyone that reads horror cringes when I mention I’m a Dean Koontz junkie, but I just love his ridiculous, over-the-top depravity, book after book. Nonetheless, his book, ‘Strangers’ is a colourful work of literary art devoid of his usual grotesqueness and filled with little vignettes of psychological exercise. It’s a long read, so I’ve only read it twice, but now that I’m thinking of it, I may read it again; then ‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert. There is no science fiction writer that does not have this book, and subsequent series, in his or her top five. Another long read that I’ve read several times and may read again; finally, ‘The Holy Bible’ - only because I don’t know how long I’ll be at sea.

Bookshelf: What do you do when you are not writing?
Lachi: When I’m not writing, itching to write, outlining, thinking about my characters in my head, or daydreaming about writing, I’m still writing. But there’s music. As a Grammy nominated songwriter, I write songs and lyrics for different production companies, artistes and producers for a living. Also, I compose, score and transcribe sheet music for independent film-makers, choirs and ensembles under my personal business ‘Music Scribes.’ I absolutely love doing both, and play the piano on a constant basis to keep up my chops. I perform with and direct a local a cappella singing group for fun. When I’m not swimming in music, I am also the president of the Federal Toastmasters International Speech and Leadership Club. My club chapter has recently become a distinguished club, and I am proud of the professional leaders and speakers I’m currently helping develop. During my free time, when not writing, composing or leading, I am reading a good book and yelling aloud at the characters, spending time with my partner, or with friends and family.

Bookshelf: What are you working on at the moment?
Lachi: Yes. I am currently working on my next fiction novel, a speculative fiction exploring psychological thought experiments and touching on notions of classical futurism through the eyes of a group of young adults, targeted at the young/new adult market and influenced by the new wave of young science-fiction writers; Sarah Fine, Julian Rosado-Machain, Veronica Roth and others, as well as Dean Koontz, Jim Butcher, and Stephen King. I am hoping to turn this second work into a series, and also I have outlines for several other science-fiction and fantasies, some short stories, a memoire on one of my greatest life-influencers, and some non-fiction.