Working At TW By Ope Akinyemi
I’m Ope L. Akinyemi, one of the ladies responsible for the editorial aspect of TW Magazine including interviews. In short, I’m a feature writer. It’s kind of hard to describe what my “typical” day at TW is from time to time because I pretty much have a slightly different way of getting things done. And really, no two days are the same at the office. However, I give my best before sunrise and that means waking up at 5 a.m. and working until noon. Then I set out for my interview, do some research and perhaps catch up on paperwork. Unlike me, I know a writer that starts his day around lunch time and work well into the night. By that time, I know I want to be sitting on the couch in my living room watching television.
In most cases, the bulk of my day is filled with, well, writing. Regardless of what I am doing, I must be available to my editor – at least by cell phone and/or BBM especially when I’m working out of the office. There are days when there are multiple deadlines to be met. I mean, when it rains.it pours. The challenges with this kind of assignment juggling are multifold, including having to switch gears from writing to editing and then coming up with story ideas.
Other days, I find myself spending hour after hour writing maybe a 1,000-word feature, or even a 5,000-word cover article. Sometimes, writing these kinds of pieces will require days’ work of my time in a row, making the writing process feel like a long-distance race. For me, it’s important that I don’t lose focus when writing. A little distraction may prevent me from making my deadline. I have to stay sharp mentally, get the job done, and get two thumbs up from my boss. (Nothing feels better. LOL)
I guess the most important thing here is time management. And that includes setting aside time, if not days to devote to certain projects. Doing so, I’m aware of my own pace, and I’m realistic about my tendency to daydream so that I can build in enough added time to complete all of my work to the satisfaction of more than one editor. Interestingly, I write to ensure that every single one of my editors feels as though she is my only editor.