By Emmanuel Oloniruha

An author, Mr Oluwatobi George, has advised aspiring writers who are struggling to complete their books to seek guidance from mentors.

George gave the advice in Abuja during the launch of his book, “New Breed, The Regenerated Man.”

The author, who is also a teacher with the Cherryfield Secondary School, Abuja, noted that writing a book can be a difficult process, especially for first-time authors, which could cause them to abandon their projects.

“Since they have discovered that they have the ability to write, let them start writing anything they have.

“Then they can get a mentor, someone who has already written something to guide them because there is a tendency for them not to be consistent, just almost like me also.

“But if they have a mentor, someone to give them a push, they will be able to do that. They can also join forums for writers. When you are in the midst of people who are doing what you want, it gives you a push,” he said.

George also encouraged writers not to be discouraged by the misconception that people no longer read books, stating that many people still do.

“Just keep up your dream. Keep working hard and get your tools and everything together. Put the right people around you and I’m sure you’ll be able to do exactly what you want to do,” he advised.

George also told writers not to be discouraged by lack of funds, saying that they should focus on the writing first, as support may come from unexpected relatives, friends or organisations.

He urged governments, organisations and individuals interested in creative works to assist prospective authors who face financial challenges in publishing their works.

“Honestly, lack of funds is one of the major challenges because the cost of publishing materials is expensive. It can make somebody refrain or just abandon writing a book.

“But in writing, you need to just ensure that you do the writing first. You may see somebody who can support or get little support from somewhere that was able to help out in this.

“I must say to governments and NGOs that are interested in writers, they should do more to search for some of these young writers to find a way to encourage them because what they have in them has the capacity to transform the world,’’ he said.

George also advised Nigerian youth to make use of social media tools for personal and professional growth rather than becoming addicted to it.

“There should be a balance. We should use social media to our advantages and not to our disadvantages.

“Social media has helped a lot. In fact, even in writing this book, social media has actually helped to get access to tools that can make the publishing and everything so easy and possible,” he said.

Speaking on his book, George, an agriculture teacher, explained that he was inspired by a combination of his professional background and a spiritual revelation.

“I studied agriculture and after service I started teaching students Agricultural Studies in secondary school.

“One of the topics I taught in SS3 has to do with genetics, how we breed new breeds of animals like a better breed.

“After that, I started studying the Bible and while studying 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 came alive and it was like the Holy Spirit was relating it to that new breed.

“From there, I linked the whole thing and started writing,” he said.

He said that the book aimed to convey several messages, including God’s unconditional love and his readiness to redeem anyone, regardless of their past mistakes.

The central message of the book according to George is “just as a farmer seeks a better breed of animal for higher productivity, God seeks to create a new breed in a man who is born again to produce better results.’’

He highlighted the importance of utilising the full potential of salvation, which he believed many Christians were unaware of.

He also offered advice to those who had missed their step, saying it is not too late to retrace their steps back to their creator.

George disclosed that it took him up to seven years to finally publish the book, due to inconsistency.

“But at a point, I couldn’t hold it. I said, no, it’s like God wants me to bring something out of this book. That was when I picked up finally and I was able to complete it,’’ he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu