(17): How I became a Reviewer; A note from the blogspot's author.

MA Iliasu.

It all started on 20th May 2019, exactly one year ago, when I reviewed the episode finale of Game of thrones TV-series, among many other episodes, which was considered a fanatic blockbuster that attracted big audience not only in Nigeria but other countries when it was published on "MovieQuotesAndMore" - a highly reputed foreign blog that based in Scotland, and other media platforms. Game of thrones TV-series had what is widely considered as very disappointing ending, but I still chose to honestly concentrate on the positives with deep originality. Not because I was pleased by the directors but because the series generally deserved a cinematic exoneration beyond the ruin of bad ending. It was a reasonable review I must admit. But looking back now, it is one of the poorest reviews I have ever written. Thanks to upgrade in skill-set - for I continued reviewing TV-shows since, wider knowledge - for I have been taking it to further level, courtesy of calls from many important people who believed there is so much to writing reviews than just social media posting.

The journey was interesting. I discovered that I was one curious visual learner who make sense of TV-shows as readers make of books. When it started I was full of doubt and lacking in basic confidence. But I courageously tried through engaging with the blog in UK and it worked. It boosted my confidence immensely. So when I engaged with online papers here in Nigeria, they got so amazed by my submission one of them offered to create a column solely for my reviews. Thanks to the overwhelming positive feedbacks they had recieved from their readers. And though I declined due to several reasons, I can't begin to express how much it had helped improve my confidence and general writing skill. Today, I write on many public issues not necessarily issues related with the TV, and have maintained good relationship with several newspaper editors, thanks to my drive for writing TV-show reviews.

On the advice of experienced heads, I created a blogspot. Within a year that had been puzzled by accademic demands, I was able to publish 16 reviews. 13 about TV-shows, 2 about movies and 1 about book. Currently I have 8 unpublished reviews on my draft, 5 about TV-shows and 3 about books, which would be published when its timely. Totalling 24 TV-show and Book reviews, averaging 2 every month over the twelve in a year. Which is pretty impressive for an amateur. It had become so easy, and I can't even begin to explain how much it meant for me to pen down my thoughts, knowing many are waiting to read with immense pleasure. It challenged the quality of my content, ranging from observation, critical thinking and analogical prowess, mainly because I can not afford feeding my readers with utter hogwash. To write better reviews, I read more, so as to have the knowledge of worldy ideas that may help explain my takeons. The criticisms were humbling, they made me so much better. And I am so happy to learn that because I can analyse TV-shows, I had assume relevance courtesy of which I received many invitations from several radio stations across the state to talk about many things, not necessarily related with TV.

The engagement has been unreal. The range of ideas being discussed are amazing; ranging from politics, economics, crime, theology, gender, etecetra. Writing reviews became my personal training ground where I carry out my intellectual workouts, through attempting to reconcile what I watched with what I think, and what I know with what I feel. 

It must never slip without appreciating people who have showed absolute care, and have been playing influential role towards the consistency of the journey. Dr. Muhsin Ibrahim, the author of the book, “Kannywood; unveiling the overlooked Hausa film Industry”, who is an expert in the field of African studies and performing theatre, has been my tireless guide. Mal. Mubarak Ibrahim, a literary, public affairs analyst, critic and a teacher, was the person to have discovered the reviewing talent in the beginning. Maryam Gatawa, a lecturer, poet, economist and an entrepreneur, was the first to invest trust in the reviews which therefore, warranted her to make so much effort towards patronising them. Barr. Sani Ammani, a lawyer and poet, did help in recommending the reviews to his massive watching folk. Salim Yunusa, a poet and co-founder of #PoeticWednesdays, was my first critic. Fatima S. Pawa, a journo and an internet friend who is familiar with the field of theater, was the first to offer advice on method, analogy and perception. In fact, the first to formally offer to teach me how to write a review. Abdulrahman Baba-Ahmed, an urban planner, poet and public affairs analyst was my first coauthor, first of many hopefully. Mal. Nasir Jajere, a compatriot who is an economist by expertise, was the first to suggest the creation of Blogspot. In fact, he was the person behind the idea. Dr. Khaleed Abubakar, a lecturer of physics from prestigious Ahmadu Bello university has been my biggest fan. With other notable names like Sahabi Yusha'u, Kamal Sa'ad, Hajara Bukar, Mal. Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad, and a friend in the endeavor, Habibu Maaruf Abdu, among many others whom this write-up can't contain. I don't have to tell you that your support has been great and moving. I feel it while writing every single review, and has been feeling it's grace whenever I needed something to reckon. I have no words to appreciate you, only that I can say someday you'll look back and say you always knew it was going to be this great. Thank you! To my readers, I also say Thank you, for bearing with my inability to write concisely and for my tricky conveyance of English sentences. You've been great and I honestly appreciate it.

20th May, 2020.