It is a new week. May this week bring you good!
On Facebook last week, my friend, Adebola Rayo went down memory lane with a nursery rhyme as her status “Sandalily Sandalily…I’m a teacher in my country…I’m a lawyer…I’m a Doctor” I sang that song as a child, knapsack on my back, 50k (the grey coin with a palm tree representing the country’s buoyant agriculture) in hand and dreams of a bright future. As a child (in Nigeria), you either dreamt of being a doctor, lawyer or accountant. Nothing more. That day, I asked: what would a writer look like? She replied: "dada hair, nicotine stained fingers, dark shadows from sleeplessness, cup of coffee in your hand" (She joked) Maybe, many parents wanted to prevent their children from such dark fates. So, Sandalilly, we all sang and acted our dreams...
You are a writer in your country...everybody knows you well (No!)
Only few writers ever get popular...at least if we look at the titles that come out every year. Paupers, many writers. Yes, that’s the stereotypical image…why write? And yes, I forget to add that I fear that writing is fast becoming a “last resort.” Yes, you heard me…like teaching. Nobody wants to teach. And people just think: “Oh yes, I think that I can write…let's dust up those skills!” It's an easy thing to say rather than "I'm in the favour market." Some just need to add writer to their list of titles. It's hip, isn't it? Only that they do not have any piece of writing to their names, safe the blog posts. I blog, therefore I am a writer! Now, I agree there are some bloggers who write very well. Time, I guess would make it known that not everyone that writes is a writer.
Okay, now this post is just a question: why write? Out of love for writing, necessity, or it’s your job…what you do for survival. Writing is not just some divine gift…that comes on you like the coming of the Spirit on the Disciples. Neither is it only a nudge in the deep of the night of a small voice in your ears. Yes, there is the muse and all that gibberish. But it’s nothing lest you put pen to paper!
Tell us: Why write?
N.B. Read on why Chioma Iwunze Writes on her Blog
writing...is blood-letting
ReplyDeletewriting...is scratching an itch
writing...is
'Time, I guess would make it known that not everyone that writes is a writer.' well, you know Chimamanda once said, 'There are people who want be writers...and people who want to write.' Writers are the title seekers. People who want to write end up becoming authors...:)
Because its better than doing homework.
ReplyDeleteI feel satisfied knowing that I have expressed my thoughts and shared with those who wouldn't have fathomed what thoughts are swirling in my mind; this is why I write...
ReplyDeletewww.josephomotayo.blogspot.com
i write cos that seems like the only sane thing left to do....i write for the same reason i breathe.
ReplyDeleteBokaholic Blog's good friend; the Sandalilly Singer, Adebola Rayo responds: http://all4words.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-write-because-just-because.html
ReplyDeleteThis lady means business ;)
the mother who leaves a note in her child's lunch pail, the journalist, and the teenage girl who keeps a diary are all writers. writing is an action. if you write, you are a writer. however, as with anything, there are various levels of awareness and craft. the idea that being a writer is a grand vocation was created by and for people with inferiority (and superiority) complexes.
ReplyDeletethe best advice i ever got (from helon habila at the garden city lit fest) was that writing is like building a table. if the leg, or sentence, is too long, you simply cut it down. it's helped me enormously to stop judging my work and be a lot more accepting of others who also enjoy building tables.
the question really is: why not write?