“Love in the Nigerian Sense Is Never Just About Two People” — Fatima Bala and Tomilola Coco Adeyemo on the Craft of Writing Romance

*FB is Fatima Bala. Tomilola Coco Adeyemo is TCA.

 

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Fatima Bala
Tomilola Coco!

TCA
The Fatima don land. How are you?

FB
TGIF. This week was looooong!!!!!
Looking forward to the weekend, do you have any plans?

TCA
Absolutely yes. I’m finishing the first half of Bridgerton season
4 (not sure why they sliced it in half?) and furiously writing
my next Christmas romance. You? What are your plans?

FB
Oh, nice, one day I’ll finally get around to
finishing Bridgerton season 2. Haha ‘furiously writing’ I get it 😂

I’m waiting for my edits to come back from Masobe. I’m
so fixated on this change I need to make before the
manuscript gets sent out for printing. We might have friends
over this weekend for dinner and board games, depending
on how I feel tomorrow.

TCA
Oh, really? I particularly love season 4. Also, because I worked
(at an agency) with the brand on localising the title here in
Sub-Saharan Africa, I couldn’t miss a single Bridgerton title.
Not even Queen Charlotte. Although I’d admit, I LOVE them all!
I got to watch, travel, and have the time of my life! Haha! Get
back to it, Fatima. I think you’ll love it.

Dinner and board games sound great. I haven’t hosted anything
in years. I don’t think I’m a great host, but I’m a fantastic hostee (I
know that’s not a word), and I’m great at making sure all the food
is well eaten, there are enough jokes to go around, and most
importantly, escaping before the day/night is over.

FB
I honestly didn’t know that about you. That’s so
impressive. I loved season 1 and even the bits I saw
from season 2.

Haha, anything is fun with you. We still have our amala
date pending. Hopefully sometime this year.

Interesting, so when you wrote A Very Gidi Christmas,
did you plan to follow it up with more Christmas Romance,
or did that just happen?

TCA
Regarding AVGC, I never planned to write more than that
Christmas title. Fun fact, I was initially writing A Nollywood
Christmas as a regular title, but along the way, things
changed, and here we are.

PS: Before we go on, I’m so happy I get to do this with
you. You’re in my big three of romance authors!
PS: can’t wait to eat amala with you!

FB
Same here, I’m glad we are doing this together!
You know how much I love your books.

TCA
As a member of Fatima Bala FC, give me a teaser
of the next novel. Please!!!

FB
Hmm, a teaser, let me see. It’s about good people making
bad choices, the lies they tell themselves and the ones they love

So was writing Anu from A Nollywood Christmas easier for you,
seeing as you’ve been in the industry for quite a while?

TCA
Yes! Anu was much easier to write than Biodun in A Very Gidi
Christmas. As a Nollywood person, I’ll tell you this — some of the
most chaotic scenes and insane drama happen behind the scenes.
But of course, I didn’t want to delve too much into that. Nollywood, as
an industry, catches a bad rap all the time. But it’s a jungle where
people somehow miraculously make gold. Some of the people calling
the shots are also women who have to be really tough and firm to get
things done. I decided to explore it from an executive point of view and
I had so much fun with that.

Love the teaser for the new book. You’re great at telling stories about
how choices determine the fate of your characters. Sorta like in a “this
is as a result of that choice” way not in a didactic “never do this” way.
I loved how that particularly resonated in Hafsatu Bebi. And how your
characters are so rooted and reflective of your culture. Tell me what
growing up was like for you. When I read Broken, I said this woman
looks like she’s from a wealthy Northern family. I had these whole elite
background facts in my head for you. I was like finally, the universe has
sent me a link into the northern elite world. Haha. But seriously, what was
growing up like?

FB
I grew up in a very conservative family, I am the
youngest daughter. I started reading very early and
reading was the escape in between my after school
activities: Islammiya 4 days a week, a Maths teacher
3 days a week, a physics tutor at some point and Mallam
who came to the house to teach me Qur’an between
Maghrib and Isha. I spent weekends with cousins, I
always looked forward to Eid, dressing up and getting
goron sallah cos the money we used to get in Kaduna was plenty.

How about you? You grew up in Ibadan right?

TCA
This sounds amazing. I grew up very conservative too. And a lot
of my childhood activities were in the church or involving prayers
and fasting from a very young age. I sang at the RCCG convention
on a national level with the children choir representing Oyo state in
1999 for instance. My parents weren’t even pastors then. I think we
have conservative childhoods in common!

Grew up in Ibadan. I’m the first born so I’m an assistant parent.
As a grown woman I’ve come to realize you don’t stop being that.
It worsens!

So let’s explore our conversation prompts.
What do you love the most about writing romance?

FB
That’s so interesting to me.

What I love most about romance is that I get to live
vicariously through my characters! What about you?

TCA
Oh now you must tell me which character you’ve lived vicariously
through! Only then would I answer the question haha.

FB
All of them, in different ways. Ahmad Babangida,
Fa’iza Mohammed and Zuwaira. I think writers bury
fragments of themselves in the characters they create.
Would you agree?

And when my characters reach moments where they
choose differently from how I would in real life, it opens
up a space to explore what ifs…to live through possibilities
I never took. It’s almost like living out those moments safely,
on the page. Your turn!

TCA
I definitely agree that we bury fragments of ourselves in
our characters.

What I like the most about writing romance has to be the
escapism. I love to escape into a world where there’s endless or
promised joy, where happiness in love is guaranteed and where
there are people who would live/die for someone they’re deeply,
insanely in love with. There’s nothing like having your own person
to go through this crazy world with. Would you say there’s a distinct
Nigerian flavour of romance fiction?

FB
I know right? I think our characters have redemption
in common. It’s like ‘we might have made not-so-great
choices in the past, or there are misunderstandings
we need to work through, but you are my person!’
I love that so much.

Yes I think there’s a distinct Nigerian flavor of romance.
Love in the Nigerian sense is never in isolation, it’s never
just about the two people, there’s always family expectations,
religion, money, community. The line from AVGC ‘It is a truth
universally acknowledged that a Nigerian without a well-paying
job is frolicking with sapa’ speaks to economic issues. I think
these tensions give our stories texture.

Is there a trope you will never get tired of?

TCA
Yes. We definitely do the redemption arc thing quite well.
I’m all for a good redemptive story.

“Love in the Nigerian sense is never just about the two people.”
That’s an important point you make, Fatima. And I agree with it
hundred percent. To buttress your point, I think it’s impossible to
authentically tell a Nigerian story without our realities. The world
you set up must be flavored by our experiences. It’s the same rule
that applies to our romance.

Hmm. A trope I’ll never get tired of? Let me see. I love a good
billionaire romance trope. As I said, I love romance for its escapism.
So naturally I’m trying to imagine a world where I’m the object of
the desires of some unbelievably wealthy man who has all the time
to be with me and at the same time make billions.

I also love forbidden romance. I love reading and writing it. In
fact my next two novels have some elements of forbidden
romance in them. What’s yours?

FB
Haha I get the part about billionaire romance. I love
forbidden romance, especially when it is done well.
When the reason isn’t superficial, it’s an instant favorite.
If I had to pick another, I’ll say Forced Proximity tropes
always work for me when writing. It’s so easy to insert
them into real life scenarios.

TCA
I feel like some tropes are cheat codes. I think forced
proximity is one of those. They have to just confront those
feelings and everything else and they can’t run away from
each other. It’s very “u no dey go anywhere” haha.

FB
I am excited about your next two novels.
I know one is a Christmas Romance, what about the second one?

TCA
I mean you know what my next romance is! But since it’s yet to be
announced, I think I’ll just say it’s something old that’s reworked and
fleshed out. Interestingly, its first home was here at Brittle Paper. I
think I may have spilled it haha.

FB
Haha I tried guys, sorry, she’s not letting the cat out
of the bag yet.  I remember reading it and I’ve never
read anything from you like it. I remember texting Mr
Othuke to tell him how much I enjoyed it even before I sent
in my blurb. It’s brilliant.

TCA
Thank you, Fatima. Ahmad Babangida had such an amazing
chemistry with Faiza. I remember reading Broken this time last
year being so awed by the characters’ chemistry. God I love that
novel. In Hafsatu Bebi too, the chemistry between your leads is off
the charts. How do you do it, Fatima? What did you put in your
stew? Tell us your secret sauce for creating chemistry on the page.

FB
Thank you so much. A lot of my characterisation
actually begins with attachment styles. I tend to
build character profiles that align deliberately with
the central conflicts of the stories I want to tell,
because that friction naturally creates tension. I’m
very drawn to that push and pull it doesn’t matter if
it’s caused by external factors or internal dynamics;
it’s compelling, it’s intimate, and I honestly think it’s
incredibly sexy on the page.

I also treat vulnerability as a narrative tool. There’s
something fragile and deeply beautiful about allowing
another person to peel back your layers and see you
in your most honest form, and I like exploring what it
costs characters to offer that kind of access. Especially
with Fa’iza and Ahmad, I try to do this with all my
characters because, ultimately, no one wants to read
about people who have everything figured out or who
move through the world untouched. Imperfection is
where humanity lives. And that’s something I think you
handle so well in your work too, the willingness to let
your characters be messy, tender, and unresolved.
So what’s your secret sauce, Tomilola?

TCA
Whew. This is profound. I felt like I was in class. You know,
as I read your words, I’m taken back to the world of Broken.
It made a whole lot more sense.

For me chemistry starts from the character buildup. I always
ask myself — is this person worth loving? Who are they?
What do they like? I’m drawn to flawed/broken characters. I love
writing people who’ve been through hell and back, maybe they
even hate the idea of romantic love. I love luring them toward what
they hate, making them yearn, etc. Anu in A Nollywood Christmas was
a prime example of that. Once I find both characters and bring them
to life, then I find situations in their world that can bring them closer. I
also invest a lot of time in making sure they’re physically compatible.
My stories lean towards sensuality so I usually want both characters
to find the other person fuckable haha. Also, something that’s very
important to me is that readers find those characters compelling too. In
other words, I ensure that the chemistry leaps beyond the pages of the
book, into the minds of the reader. I think you do that so well by the way.
Cos I for one wanna marry Ahmad.

FB
Those are important questions. And yes, your
characters’ chemistry is a guaranteed hook.
Honestly, is it even a T-Coco book if it isn’t oozing sex appeal?

And Ahmad? Ahmad belongs to us. At this point,
we’re all married to him.

TCA
Sooo who are Nigerian readers right now?
What do you think they like?

FB
I think Nigerian romance readers today are far more
expansive than people think. They are not boxed into
rigid ideas of genre. They’re yearners. They’re tired of
emotionally unavailable, nonchalant characters. They
want depth, vulnerability, and people who feel real.
They reread the books that moved them. They chase
emotional resonance. And I believe they’re not afraid to
experiment with new flavours of romance as long as the
heart of the story feels honest.

So I’m curious, what do you think people misunderstand
the most about romance as a genre, within the literary landscape?

TCA
 Hmm. I think the most misunderstood thing about romance
must be the fact that people think it’s just fluff. The disregard
based on a myopic view and an absolute lack of understanding
of the genre is staggering. Some people call it commercial
fiction because they believe it exists solely for entertainment
purposes, but that’s not true. I do believe romance can be
classified as commercial fiction, but I also believe it’s beyond
that, and it’s unfair to box it in that category. In the past
decade alone, romantic fiction has explored female agency
and desires; women no longer exist solely through men’s
eyes, as they used to in many romance novels back in the
day. Women are now their own beings. Women go through
all sorts of things but still fall in love. I was reading Kennedy
Ryan’s Before I Let Go the other day and she’s balancing
themes of grief, heartbreak, healing, and second-chance love,
all while telling a sweet love story. I weave Yoruba culture,
spirituality and sensuality into my stories because as a
Yoruba woman, I want to see that spotlighted in stories where
African characters thrive in joy and love. Stories of romance,
joy, breakthrough and triumph in love are as important as
other types of stories. But many people in the mainstream
literary space dismiss the depth, themes, and intrinsic world
of romance/desire as documented by women living in the
21st century simply because those stories are told within
the pages of a romance novel. I think it’s crazy.

FB
Oh my goodness, yesss! Everything you said.
There’s a long-standing tendency to dismiss
romance as “fluff,” as though stories about desire,
intimacy, and emotional connection are somehow
shallow by default. Couldn’t have said it better:
that disregard ignores the depth and worldview
embedded in romance. Our stories interrogate
power, vulnerability, choice, compromise, longing,
and the ways people learn to love and be loved.
In the past it was a genre that was mostly consumed
by women, so like most female dominated interests and
hobbies, romance also fell into that ‘guilty pleasure’ category.

I also think it speaks to something deeper and more
uncomfortable, the contempt for emotions. That says
less about the genre and more about what society
gatekeeps or deems important.

So what is your writing process like?

TCA
Absolutely.

Hmm. So my process is quite simple. I start by creating my
characters out of an idea that’s formed in my head. You know how
it is with us writers, we sometimes carry the characters and ideas
around long before they hit the pages of our manuscript. So I let
myself fall in love first before I put the characters down. If I don’t
love my characters or sympathize with them, I’m not writing them.
Once that’s done, I do a sort of presentation/deck where I do
character bios, backstories, character arcs, populate the story world,
etc. I throw in photos of what I think these guys will look like. I use
music a lot. For instance in A Nollywood Christmas, music was
important. Same as my next novel although I doubt that’ll have a
playlist. After all this is done, I begin to write.

What’s yours?

FB
Haha, yes. The story is in my head for a long
time before it hits paper. Not all of it, but I have
most of what the story looks like and who my
characters are. I could be in the kitchen making
dinner and coming up with dialogue. I’ll be in front
of the mirror in the washroom brushing my teeth
and mapping out locations and it’s all quite chaotic
really. And when I write, I don’t do it linearly, most
of my stories aren’t presented to the reader linearly
anyway. But I start writing what I find most interesting.
For Broken the first thing I wrote was this couple who
had broken up and the girl is saying they can’t be
together and he wants another chance, and when
she tries to leave, he holds her and he kisses her
and she’s mad upset about it.

What comes after is using the 3 Act Structure to map
out beats/scenes or dialogue that have to make it into
the story. That’s a lot of fun because you can see what’s
working and what isn’t by that point. I usually build up the
inciting incidents by subtle foreshadowing because those
incidents are the main crux of the stories I tell. My playlist
is mostly 90s RnB

Although I have to add that sometimes I set out to write
something and other things flow and make it into the chapter
and I just allow that to happen.

What’s the longest write-up you’ve ever trashed into the bin?
Do you remember?

TCA
I’m with you with sometimes being overtaken by the story itself.
That’s so exciting especially in romance, isn’t it? The absolutely
delicious surprises in love stories that surprise the authors
themselves.

Before we continue, are you still hosting your friends today? I’m
almost done with the first half of Bridgerton by the way. It’s such an
amazing season with the most handsome goofy male lead. British
humor can be so funny. Plus all that talk about tea which I find more
exciting to see or hear about than drink lol

FB
Oh yes, two of our friends(they are a couple)
are coming later this evening, it’s just noon here
so I have more than enough time to set up dinner,
they always insist on bring dessert. I’ll definitely be up
later than usual tonight cos our board games get pretty
heated – we are all very competitive.

Haha you binge watched it didn’t you?

TCA
This sounds very exciting. I can’t imagine you as someone
who gets heated at games for some reason. It’s always the
angelic looking ones 👀

I actually started going slow on Bridgerton cos we don’t
get to watch until February 26th! But I’ll definitely be finishing
it tonight.

To your question, my longest write up to trash must be the
first two drafts of A Very Gidi Christmas. The first one clearly
needed to go! The second one, I honestly don’t know what it
was but it wasn’t the story. So I trashed that too. I trashed two
manuscripts before finding my way to the third which is what
became the book.

FB
‘It’s always the angelic looking ones’ 😂 girl stop

Oh is that right? I have too, mostly when I’m done writing.
When I’m reviewing and I see something I wrote earlier
doesn’t serve the story anymore, I just Ctrl X it

Alright I’ve been wanting to ask you this, what do you
think is the most romantic line you’ve ever written?

TCA
😂😂 I was like I’m not familiar with your game.

You know one of my favourite things to remember while writing
is “do not be afraid to kill your babies/darlings”. There’s nothing too
special to kill for the greater good of the story.

Fatima, let me not lie to you, I have so many romantic lines on and
off paper. I’m so romantic it surprises me sometimes. But let’s assume
I’m modest, it would be between something Kunle Bakare in AVGC
said to Biodun during their first intimate moment when she gets so
self-conscious and sucks in her stomach and Kunle assures her.
It went something like: “Stop doing that,” he says. It’s a warning and a
concern. “You keep sucking in your stomach like I fucking care about
stomach bloat.” I think it was romantic given the context of the whole
scene.

Then in ANC (which I absolutely loved and have a soft spot for),
I think I’ll go for a scene where Tai tells Anu as she fights her feelings
because of her past trauma, “I will leave if you don’t want me here. But
there’s something between us. It might not be something you want to
develop, and I am fine with that. I just know it’s there and that you have
been acting strange all day. So if it’s because of the feelings, there is
no need to fight it because I don’t want you to. I want you to be insanely
and deeply in love with me because I know, regardless of the warnings
you’ve given me, that I am falling in love with you every day. But if there
is something I did wrong, I would like to apologise for it.”

FB
Yea those are pretty romantic.

Well I can’t pick one to be honest but according to the
internet it’s Ahmad’s line to Fa’iza. I can’t remember
exactly how he worded it, it’s the part where he was telling
her that it’s easy for anyone to love her, but he inferred he
would love her even on the days she was hard to love.

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time? Currently
mine is AVGC and The Last Letter to Your Lover by Jojo
Moyes. I also enjoyed Oreva’s This Thing Called Love and
Adesuwa’s Any Love (I know I was meant to pick only one haha)

TCA
Fatima badass Bala. It’s Sunday. Two days after Brittle Paper
gave us an excuse to go on and on about something we love.
Love it. How did your board games go yesterday? Who did you
hold to ransom until they declared you winner? Tell me!

FB
Ms Coco with the spice! How’s your Sunday going?
I just woke up, didn’t go to bed until 1 am. Haha, Games
Night was a blast, we finished with a cooperative game
(Pandemic) just to ease the high tempers after 3 hours of
premium competition.

How’s Bridgerton? I bet you have no episodes left, or do you?

Honestly I’m enjoying this chat with you so much.
I thought it would be over in one hour, but look at us,
day 2, and we are still going.

TCA
My current forever faves are Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
Broken by THEE Fatima Bala and the first romance novel I ever read,
Second Chance by Nyengi Koin. I haven’t read that book again since
I was like 8 years old. So perhaps perspectives will change now that
I’m a minus 40 year old millennial woman but it was the first ever romance
novel I remember reading that stayed with me. I remember the drama
and angst and wanting to tell stories like that.

I have finished Bridgerton. We now look forward to the concluding
half in late February.

FB
Oh yea, I liked Seven Days in June too. I should
add Second Chance to my never ending TBR. You
know the world has us millennials to thank for ending
those chain emails that ended with ‘if you don’t send
this to all your contacts you will have 3 years of bad luck.’
Imagine opening your email at fifteen and seeing that?

Drama and angst? Love it!

It’s always a good day for romance when you read a
story and you are like, “ohh I love that, I wanna write like that.”

TCA
Broken was the bestselling Nigerian romance novel last year.
What do you think that says about the Nigerian publishing
landscape compared to previous years. Do you think romance
is now being taken more seriously?

FB: I think it signals a real shift in the Nigerian
publishing landscape. For a long time, romance was
widely read but quietly dismissed, as if stories about
love and relationships weren’t “serious” literature. I am
glad to see that the success of our books means there’s
a definite shift that tells us that readers want emotionally
grounded, relatable stories, and they’re willing to support
them in large numbers. So yes, I do think romance is
being taken more seriously and not just as a genre for
entertainment, but as a space where culture, identity,
religion, redemption, vulnerability, and everyday life are
explored in meaningful ways.

TCA
Lmao. Please don’t remind me of those messages. Girl, they
were on BBM back in the day too. Dark times. Second Chance is
so sweet. It’s the type of romance that’ll still hit in this day and age.
It’s also very parent trap. I have to find it again.

Succinctly put. As I’ve said in a thousand interviews, I’m personally
grateful for publishers like Masobe who disrupted the space and fought
for the right for our stories to be accepted as seriously as other genres.
So I guess S/O to Othuke Omniabohs and the team!

Ok our final question: what song would be on the soundtrack of your
latest book? PS: Fatima this is for the book you’re editing o! I love these
questions, you get to talk more about your WIP. Fatima Bala FC we’re up!

FB
Honestly! Shout out to Mr Othuke for his faith in these
stories and to Aunty Lola and Akefest team for Romance
panels and book chats. And the readers, because this
success is all thanks to them and the discussions they
generate about our books on different platforms.

Honestly it’s sooo hard to pick a song and I guess when
it’s announced, you will understand why.

But if I had to choose a general vibe or something I listen
to as I edit it’s Boyskido’s Gimbiyar Hausa. What about yours?
Let me add it to my Spotify playlist in anticipation 💃🏾

TCA
Absolutely. Ake Festival platformed me before I was even
published. I was there reading from my e-published erotica in 2023!
I don’t think that’s ever happened for anyone. It was a dream come true.
A privilege. So thank you to LS and every single reader and member of
the book community who have brought us this far.

I’ll look that up. Now I can’t wait to have this book in my hands.
When should we hopefully expect it?

FB
I guess our readers just have to follow Masobe’s
Instagram page, so they will be the first to know
when an announcement is made, won’t they?

*insert exaggerated wink*

TCA
Yeeeeees.

Oh for my upcoming novel, it’s definitely got to be something jazz
or Neo soul. I can’t honestly decide but can I do the multiple choices
thing?

It’ll be I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone
Sweetest Taboo by Sade
Ayanfe by Teledalase
and Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole

These three songs encapsulate the whole story in my opinion.
But you know how it is with readers, they have their own minds
and you not telling them nothing. Who knows what they’ll think
when they read the novel? I for one am excited to see!

FB
Oh that’s lovely, I’m getting the vibe.

I am very excited as well. 2026 is going to be a
good year for readers. I can’t wait to have your
upcoming novel in my hands!

TCA
Absolutely! Can’t wait to have yours too!

It’s been absolutely amazing speaking with you at our e-retreat,
Fatima. Is there any final thing you wanna say for now?

FB
It’s always delightful catching up with you, Tomilola,
you know how much I love you and I’m such a big fan of urs.

Thanks to Brittle Paper for this wonderful opportunity,
I got to learn more about you and your craft.

TCA
Same. A big S/O to Brittle Paper.

Photo by Andy Wang on Unsplash