Proof that with enough drive and passion, we are capable of more than we realise, Abi Daré’s bestselling book The Girl with the Louding Voice was born out of a creative dissertation – which she simply couldn’t stop writing. Ahead of our online book club, we took time to catch up with the author on the inspiration for her story, what she’s learned about herself along the way and her advice for aspiring writers.

I started to want validation for my writing so I applied for a master’s in creative writing. As part of my dissertation, I had to write 15,000 words of a novel. One evening, whilst trying to decide what to write about, I asked my daughter for help with the dishwasher and she made her usual protests. I explained to her that where I grew up (Lagos, Nigeria) some young girls work for families doing housework full-time, so she shouldn’t complain. She was shocked and it led to a wider conversation that got me thinking.

I started to research the abuse of young girls working in Nigerian households over the years. I did a lot of reading and soon realised this is what I wanted to write about. Yet instead of writing the 15,000 words needed, I went on to write a whole book. I was just so driven by the story.

Vibrant, hopeful, enthusiastic, and just a total sweetheart.

At first, Adunni cried a lot throughout the story. After receiving feedback that it’d be more captivating to focus on a personality that can withstand hardship, I went back to inject her character with hope and optimism, tweaking her responses to certain situations. At times it was emotionally intense to write this book, so adding that vibrancy made it more bearable and fun for me as an author.

At first, it was about Adunni being tired of being silenced and unable to follow her dreams. Beyond that, it relates to her desire to help girls in her village obtain an education, so those that follow after her can be free. I deliberately used the present tense to illustrate how Adunni wants her voice and learnings to carry on.

It’s not easy but you need to know your character inside and out. Try putting them in the most difficult circumstances and see how they come out of it. After all, not everyone would react to struggles the way Adunni does – she sings she laughs, she dances. Also, read books where characters have been anchored from page one and draw inspiration from other authors who do this well.

Big Madam. I found her fascinating and she made me laugh a lot, despite it being easy to resent her at times. I also enjoyed creating Khadija, even though her timeline was shorter. The way her story ended broke my heart and because it did, I knew I was doing something right.

I used to love sitting in a cafe. I have always preferred the chatter of humans to music but sometimes I search for the sounds of rain to listen to. Although when it comes to editing, I need total silence. That’s when the magic happens – it’s my favourite part of writing.

There’s a book coming out next year called The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin, which I loved, as well as Kololo Hill, by Neema Shah. I recently read Atonement for the first time too and every single word captured me, it was beautiful.

I’m gathering thoughts on what the next book might look like but I’m not pressuring myself. When I get inspired I put something down on paper but otherwise, I’m just kicking back, reading, and watching TV for now.