Creative Writing in Nigeria
I shall try to as much as words allow me, present this topic in a clear,
concise and comprehensive manner. Now talking about
writing or creative writing in Nigeria will mean how this field has fared or is
faring as far as Nigeria is concerned when compared to other States like the US
and Canada. England
as well. Creative writing simply means the art of putting down and publishing
ideas, know how, and or
information not only the useful
to you but to the society as a whole .It also entails fictional make ups or imaginative
writing through which moral
values are brought into the society; existing ones criticized or promoted .Creative
writing can be said to be an entire world of discipline itself giving the
wideness of it’s sphere. Genres like Politics, African literature, Epic
writings and Inspirational/self-help works are all grouped under creative
writing family .While most written works are done by mere chronicling of ones
experience in an area i.e Research
findings ,business managers collating and publishing precious experiences and
observations scrawled down during their active years, Communities or
organization putting down their routines as guides for posterity. And many
more. Others put down ideas and worlds pictured at heart(Imaginative
Writing).While one of these two class of writers is active in Nigeria the other is virtually asleep unlike the
US
where the difference is insignificant .What do I mean by this? Unlike in the US
Nigeria is only fraught with pure literature appreciators and academics like
Chinua Achebe and his Iconic books , Wole Soyinka in his words and Seprain
Ekwensi at his prime. Even the trending,emanating or what I would better of
describe as future writers are
those researching and advancing pure literature – Chinma Amanda.As for writers
of nonfictions and and practical books meant purely for self development,self
help,precedence , and instructional manuals or guides,they are practically out
of competition. I can’t brag of any bestselling or popular material in this
genre authored in and of Nigeria.Conversely,however,In the US, it’s
practiacally not so.While pure literature writers like John Grisham in his
legal thrillers,Richard King fondly called horror king; and horrors, Dan Brown
and symbolic cryptology and host of others have in time garnered global acclaim
their counterparts in the other end like Napoleon Hills, Bryan Tracy, Rick
warren, Robert Kiyosaki, John Maxwell, and legion of others equally bagged even
better approval and credibility for themselves globally .Theirs are even of
most worth full note because while in pure literature books that are of US
origin having her peculiarities and culture tied to it i.e American dream
stuff,end up gaining practical relevance (Academics} in the US only:pure
literary works seems to be regionally classified (African literature) as it has
proven yet the only medium through which societal values, customs and tradition
etc are preserved for posterity. That’s why books foreign to our social origin
hardly features in the national academic curriculum(Save those from Britain
:Our colonial ties) even those from England are cut off completely out of
curriculum at the tertiary level ; hence, reading books of pure literature from
abroad for academic purposes in Nigeria is more or less going astray unless
purposely done to gain extra knowledge, have a feel of their work or for
research reasons. But in the camp of these self help materials and so, things
are simply opposite .This explains why books in the class are found all over
the country, especially among Christians . Despite originating from diverse
corners of the earth. This puts one inevitable question to mind: If so why are
books in that category altogether none existent in Nigeria(been authored by
Nigerians)? Is it that Nigerian business owners, managers and entrepreneurs doesn't have these values, observations or work experiences worthy of note or
that our young men are so used to foreign solutions and methods that their
thinking caps are put to nought and gone idea-less? We are complacent slaves of
foreign indoctrination? Or what?. I don’t think so. I believe everyone is
created equall .What the problem is is poor record keeping culture. Nigerians
don’t keep diaries and our young men are not creative. We have failed to grasp
the simple fact that all the foreign methods
we apply here in the country never got to them from heaven. They where formed
at study labs, works places ,social gatherings etc. They were products of
peoples meditation, waking up late night to think and most essentially
recording them by men who had the society at heart. By men who aren't cool with
the statuesque .And by people who really wanted to.
MY PURPOSE
The reason why I created this topic is to make a wake up call to Nigerians out
there to start recording or writing down observations gotten at their
respective fields.Nigerians admittedly experience something like others. We
improvise in our various shades of Endeavour. These make-shifts when put down can
serve someone who will observe and add something for another who might and come
up with one or two systems that affects our generation. The problem is simply
the inability of Nigerians to put down things. One note worthy fact here is
that these experiences or make ups when gotten and written is bound to be
entirely Nigeria:
observed,formulated,or created in Nigerian-bearing in Nigeria
peculiarities.Having said those, I would now proceed with the key purpose of
these thread. The primary motive of this exposition is not just to unveil
problems bedevilling our creative realm and leave then leave them unattended .No
.I should continue with the thread up to when I finally proffers practical
solution to what I narrowed down to be grave a shortfall in record keeping
culture. However, I would like to point out the
fact that you must not be good with English language before you get a diary. I
think making this fact clear calls for utmost attention-A reasonable percent of
those driving our economic front: entrepreneurs and business moguls are
illiterates .No you need not be a literate before you write. Most of those
motivational book writers and self help writers too do not actually have these
books written down professionally(the way we see them) themselves (those
boasting their authors). They scrap up these books up and then invite career
writers to do them up neatly for going public .Even beginners in Writing make
use of those we call Editors for proofreading and valuation before going public
.So I encourage or help me encourage illiterate entrepreneurs to hire educated
secretaries who would help them jot down what they have to say from where
career writers who would do the writing proper can start. And for the literate
idea heads, that guy with a great imaginative mind for fiction or that business
lady with a head full of non-fictional business ideas who simply do not know the
HWs’-how to start ,when ,and where. You are the reason for this thread. In my
next article or next two articles because I intend to handle this topic in a
way that a primary six student shall have firm grip of the art of creative
writing after undergoing this tutorial .It will be well pictured and stylishly
illustrated in a clear ,concise , unique, and most importantly professional way
.
Heisenberg
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