Dayo Benson Puts the Pro in Prolific! (Interview)

 

Long before I started writing, I loved to get a peek into the inner lives of authors I admire. It’s like having a front row seat at the best show of the season. I learn from them, admire their prowess and gifts and hope I can someday touch lives with the written word the way they have. I am always intrigued, every time.

Today, I have the pleasure of letting you into the heart of an amazing author I just met a few months ago. I was first introduced to her when I read one of her many (many! I’m serious) books and I sincerely could not put it down. She is such an amazing writer, using her gifts to inspire and also entertain her audience. What amazes me most is the speed with which this sister writes! A whole book in two weeks and two days? Sigh…

Dayo Benson!

 

dayo bens

 

Thanks Dayo, for taking the time to talk to me. Please tell me a little about yourself

I love to tell stories, I love to write, and anything I write usually has a good mix of God, romance and drama. I live in North West England, and I spend my life with my lovely husband and our two daughters.

We all have different experiences with the writing journey. Some writers have always known what they wanted to do, some discover it much later in life. When did you know, for sure, that you wanted to be a writer?

I was nineteen and I was writing my first full length novel. I loved it so much. It was like I’d finally found the ‘thing’ that I was supposed to do. My purpose. Now, I’m never completely comfortable unless I have a work in progress, ha ha.

Ha, I think I know how that feels. But let’s talk about the about the writing process, what excites you most about it?

The best part of the writing process for me used to be finishing a book. It’s an awesome feeling, but I think I liked getting to the end so much because I was always scared that I wouldn’t be able to finish. Now that I have a few books under my belt I’m not so worried that I won’t finish anymore, so it’s not as much of a thrill when I do. These days the thrill is the actual writing. Creating characters and subjecting them to different situations and experiences, and threading in a message of hope and God’s love through my work. I love doing that—finding new and creative ways to illustrate something about God, His love, His power, His goodness. I also incorporate romance in heavy doses throughout my books. 🙂 I want to take my readers on adventures, and it’s a lot of fun plotting how to surprise readers and keep them riveted.

dayo   For me you are the very definition of a prolific writer. You have so many books          already and you are able to write so fast. How are you able to write and publish so    many books in a short span of time?

I wasn’t prolific at first, but over the years I have gotten faster and more disciplined. I          have a schedule now of what books I will be writing and when each of them has to be        finished. I have daily word count goals, and I stick to them almost religiously. I get a real      kick out of meeting goals and surpassing them so this works for me. Also, when readers      email you asking when your next book will be out, that kind of gets you motivated, too.

  Wow! I can imagine that. Okay. Let’s talk plot/story ideas. How do they come to      you?

I have always considered myself to have an overactive imagination, but apart from that ideas are everywhere. Everything is inspiration. I think reading a lot and exposing myself to new experiences also keeps my mind in a creative state.

What’s your typical writing day like?

Mondays and Tuesdays are my serious writing days. On those days I get up early and will usually write for at least five hours. If I’m having a good day I might write for eight or nine hours. I’ll take breaks to feed my children or take my eldest to nursery, things like that; but it’s mostly writing. Wednesday to Friday I work a day job (I’m not a full time author yet), so on those days I only write for about two hours.

So you write Christian Fiction. Has it changed you in any way? As a person?

I think it’s made me a more empathetic person. I write about all kinds of characters and I have to understand different kinds of struggles in order to write about them convincingly. It’s also made me feel closer to God in many ways. I pray about my books and I feel like each one of them is a little gift that I give to God. It has also made me a much more disciplined, focused and creative person. Writing fiction depends on creativity so I have learned to be ‘creative on demand’ and I have found that this creativity filters into other areas of my life too.

Do you see your writing as a part of your purpose? How would you encourage someone who is not sure what their purpose in life is?

I definitely see my writing as a part of my purpose. It’s a big part of who I am. I see it as a tool for reaching others.

For anyone who doesn’t know what their purpose is, you definitely have one. Before I started writing I loved reading, and I always wished I could write. I was also more of an introvert growing up, and liked to focus on projects that required intense focus and solitude. So, when I started writing it was just like I’d discovered a part of me that was always there. And looking back on my journals from around the time that I started writing I see that I was also praying for God to show me what He wanted me to do.

If you don’t know what your purpose is, I would say start doing the things you naturally love to do and naturally have an aptitude for. And pray about it, too. Your purpose will emerge, and when it does you’ll recognize it. And it might be a bunch of things rather than just one thing.

Is there an ultimate message you want your readers to take away from your books?

That there is a great God, and that great God loves them.

Apart from that, I want my readers to be entertained. I write to take readers on an adventure.

What can we expect from you next? What are you currently working on?

Well, I just finished writing Powerful Enemies, which is book 8 of my Crystal series. I have only released books 1 to 3 so far. I will start working on book 9 next, and I’m so excited. Currently, I’m tweaking the plot for book 9 and brainstorming titles.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by at my blog Dayo. All the best with your work!

Thank you for having me on your blog, Remi.

 

So there you have it folks! I know you want to know more about Dayo’s works. You can visit her website here. Her Amazon page here or follow her on twitter here.

Her books are available on Kindle. Make sure to buy a copy or two or all of them if you can! She’s a captivating writer. Trust me.

Also take her advice for discovering your purpose seriously. All the best!

May all your dreams come true, with pomp and splendour!

 

 

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