Can African writing be competitive in today's world?

The art of creative writing keeps evolving and the rules keep changing. Things that were done a few years ago aren't acceptable anymore. Think of it like the movies. Ten years ago, movies took time to build up and reel you in; today viewers have so many options that movie makers have to grab the audiences' attention within the first five minutes of the movie.

So it is with writing. There are still readers who appreciate the written word to the point that they'd read simply for the enjoyment of the literary word. For the most part, though, many readers want a story that will snag their attention from line one. With the number of writers (aspiring or otherwise) at an all-time high*, a writer needs to be able to grab a reader's attention quickly--and most importantly hold that attention for the duration of the story.

Unfortunately, I think this puts African writers at a bit of a disadvantage. Our storytelling seems to be the type that builds up. Many of us will remember a period growing up, when we made time for storytelling; so we were required to be patient and allow the narrator to reel us in. In fact, in the most traditional sense, there's usually an ambiance--people gathered by a bonfire as a wizened elder impart life's lessons through folktales.

So how do we compete in today's world? More importantly, how do we ensure we don't lose our African-ness in the process?

I can think of a couple of things: knowing the basic rules, and learning/applying the new trends. That way the African-ness we may be so afraid of losing will draw in both African readers who want to read more stories they can relate with, and non-African readers who will see our stories are a cultural adventure.

Any thoughts, any one?


Cheers,
FWoWA

Announcing the Bill Burt Award for African Writing

Hi folks,


We've all gone AWOL for a bit. I hope that means life is good and we're just so busy. 


Well, I have another announcement: 


There is once again an new writing competition, this time open to Ghanaian Writers. It is called the Burt Award for African Literature. This year's is the second edition, I believe.

The Award is organised by the Ghana Book Trust and sponsored by CODE, a Canadian NGO, with support from Canadian patron, Bill Burt. 

Three awards will be presented annually:

Gold:  CAD $12,000 

Silver: CAD $6,000 

Bronze: CAD $3,000 

Prizes will be paid in Ghanaian Cedis, so may be affected by currency exchange rates.

I don't yet know when the deadline is, but I understand it is in April 2010. I'll confirm later.

For more information, check out the official announcement on the Ghana Book Trust website.

I hope you're getting out those old Young Adult manuscripts!

Cheers

FWoWA

Writing Your Story

In our last lesson we talked about the beginning and the importance of capturing the reader’s interest right from the start. However, many writers are guilty of starting their stories with a great hook that captures a reader’s interest, and then everything goes south from there. I’ve heard quite a few editors say this. While a catchy first line is great, a writer must ensure the hook works for the story lest s/he fall into the category of rejected manuscripts mentioned above.

Let’s move on from the beginning, because no matter how great the beginning is, it will only take you so far. It is what come after that will hold the reader’s interest.

The objective of this post isn’t to tell anyone how to write, but to provide tools and guidance that should help writers develop their stories.

Research

Just because we write fiction doesn’t mean is shouldn’t be stemmed in reality. If your story is set in 1980s Africa, there can’t be mobile phones or emails. In many cases, even landlines, which were available during that period, are going to be unrealistic. How many times have you watched a movie and noticed something that is so unrealistic you wonder what they were thinking? West African movies are the worst offenders. It is so easy to spot holes in plotlines of movies that didn’t benefit from good research. Editors have even keener eyes for manuscripts that didn’t benefit from research.

Every genre requires some amount of research, even if it is simply finding the perfect names for your characters or finding out what the rich and famous drink. In some genres like contemporary romance, a writer can get away with relatively little research. However, there are some others (like suspense, crime, fantasy, historicals … to name a few) that need extensive research. My favourite novel, A Man Cannot Cry by Gloria Keverne took 20 years to research!

If you want to be a serious writer, you can’t be lazy about research; there are no short cuts. 

Content and Chapter development

Every chapter must have a purpose. Do not waste the reader’s time by including scenes that add nothing to the story, no matter how beautifully written they are. If it doesn’t advance the plot, it shouldn’t be in the story. 

Pacing

In music, pacing refers to the speed at which a composition is to be played. In writing it refers to the speed at this which the plot unfolds. I'd modify this to say: pacing is the speed at which the plot 'appears' to be unfolding relative to the genre. Action and suspense do best when everything seems to be moving fast. A good writer is one who can reveal just enough to keep the reader informed and yet feel like s/he is in a race against time. In romance, you and other softer genres, a writer should make certain not to drag the story. Finding the right balance is something a writer must constantly be concious of.

Imagery

I dare say, we've all read books that made us pause to admire the sheer beauty of the author's words. That's the power of imagery--the ability to form mental images of things or events. Some words are more descriptive, or more visual, than others. Make use of them.

End your chapter on a promise

Hooks aren't just for the beginning of the story or chapter. A good place to leave a hook is at the end of a chapter. That's what an editor I once talked to said. The end of a chapter is usually a good place to stop pause on reading a book. As writers, we all want to know our books are 'un-put-down-able'. An end-of-chapter hook ensures that the reader goes to the next chapter instead of putting the book down.

I'm trying to keep posts short, so I'll end here. In my next post, I'll continue with more of these, as well as some Dos and DONTs. I'll be looking for examples to go with the it.

Cheers

FWoWA

Prempeh II and the Making of Modern Asante by Mary A. Seiwaa Owusu

There are few who'll argue the fact that there isn't enough literature on West Africa. My main concern, as I've mentioned several times before, is fiction (which reminds me - my next post will be an update on the semi-finalists of the Penguin Prize for African Writing competition).

However, this post is about non-fiction. I was recently introduced to a book titled: Prempeh II and the Making of Modern Asante by Mary A. Seiwaa Owusu. I've started reading it (having finished) and right from the beginning--perhaps because I am Asante--I found it fascinating. It is insightful and educative, but more than that, it is readable. The author's writing style makes the content easy to grasp unlike many non-fiction books (particularly those with historical accounts).

The book traces the life of Asantehene Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, the history of Asante from 1892 to 1970. The author examines the relationship between Asante and the British, its neighbours and the various governments of the Gold Coast and Ghana up to 1970. She also examines the relationship between the king and his subjects.

The book isn't currently available on Amazon, but I will try to find out where people living outside Ghana can get copies to buy.

If you've read the book (or do in the future) and wish to post a review, please feel free to do so right here. If you've already posted a review in your own blog or website, give us a link.

Cheers,
FWoWA

Penguin Prize for African Writing: Update

Just a quick update for anyone who entered the Penguin Prize for African Writing competition. For those who read the announcement (see below), you’d remember the shortlist was supposed to be announced in April (last month).

It wasn’t

Here’s why.

The competition recorded a whopping 250 entries for fiction and 50 for non-fiction! In light of this larger-than-anticipated response, the assessment period was extended. So, instead of April, the shortlist will be announced in June, 2010. Final prizes are still scheduled for September, 2010.

Mark your calendars.
To read the entire update from Penguin SA, click here.

FWoWA