Before you write, it is only natural to understand the language for your writing and the style.

I have noticed that most Nigerian writers don't take time to understand literary terms before jumping on the bandwagon of literary passions.

Most real and true writers pay their dues.

You need to learn message development to help you in your writings.

I have read and heard many Nigerians saying that Kongi's prose is difficult. But if you study these literary terms, Wole Soyinka's literature will be very interesting. And Wole Soyinka is the only Nigerian writer I look up to. The others are okay. But Ben Okri is our next Wole Soyinka and he will win the Nobel Prize one fne day.
I won't say much about my literature until all my major works are published.
For your works will speak for you.

If you want to be a great writer, then study great writers and not reading pop fiction.
Read Camus, Shaw, Satre, Mann, Tolstoy, Kafka, Soyinka, Lewis, Tolkien and other masters of 20th Century Literature.

J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis were great partners and produced great works such as the The Lord of the Rings and The Return of the King by Tolkien; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.

I have found that my life seems to be following the pattern of many of the greatest writers of all time. We are in most cases, we are in love with our genius and humans are our best subjects. My Christian faith is often confronted by my existentialist mind. And they manifest in my prose, verse and drama.

To be a great writer, you must be ready to experiment with life and the experiences will enrich your literature and dissect the hearts of many subjects.

Then join Book Clubs and literary associations of repute.
Reputable literary associations such as the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) give members a selection of books to read with our annual subscription.
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) is still not well organised and I may launch the Nigerian Writers Congress (NWC) very soon.

Back to the topic of this thread.

These are common literary terms you should know as a child knows ABC:
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/shakespeare/Literary.Terms.html

Keep it up man - I see you go places

I understand where you're going literary devices and reading other books. They are necessary for good fiction, but not sufficient.

A good grasp of grammar (English, French, et al), and a penchant for creativity should suffice. I doubt that Chaucer(albeit learned for his time) looked up terms and older styles. Good job with the listings though.

I experimented with writting in my younger days. A good vocabulary is invaluable for every writer. I found this book "Roget's Thesaurus" very useful.

I thank God that this site is available,because its educating.

thank god for this thread

i love poetry especially kongi's works and i definately agree with orikinla that Ben Okri is the genius of our time. his Famished Road speaks for him.

i hope pple will take time to work on themselves and produce good works that will last for ages.

please post more tips so pple like me can realise their dream!

thanks for starting this thread.
although i'm into science, i am a serious fan of literature and really hope to go into it one day.
like all forms of genius/creativity, writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

i really hope we see more great nigerian writers though in our generation because it almost seems that, save for Okri and perhaps Chimamanda, there is a generational gap developing in nigerian literature. i hope i'm wrong though.

ricadelide:

thanks for starting this thread.
although i'm into science, i am a serious fan of literature and really hope to go into it one day.
like all forms of genius/creativity, writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

i really hope we see more great nigerian writers though in our generation because it almost seems that, save for Okri and perhaps Chimamanda, there is a generational gap developing in nigerian literature. i hope i'm wrong though.

Ricadelide,
Your knowledge in science will make you a better writer with great depth.
Chinua Achebe got a scholarship to study medicine, before he decided to study English and became the great writer of our time.
Cyprian Ekwensi has a degree in pharmacy.

Many of the greatest writers have been scientists.

I'm an artist. I work with writers and I know the value of Good writing, crappy writing limits my work and good writing enhances it.Kudos to y'all good writers out there

This post is indeed great and invaluable. I wanted to study english in the University but my dad wouldnt hear of it. I ended up studing Computer Science. Though i am good at computing but i still have this STRONG attraction to the arts espectially the performing and literary arts. I happen to be very lazy at writing things down. I am trying by each passing day to over this challenge. I use to write poems and short stories during my days in junior high. I am wondering if i can still make something out of the arts which happen to be my first love. I still do comtemporary writing sometimes and i plan posting such on my blog. At least thats a way of fighting off the challenge of being lazy at writing things down. maybe it now has to do with my computing background.

Nevertheless, I am grateful for this post. It has made me to re-evaluate myself as regards my love for the Arts.

Thanks Orikinla for the post

Thanks so much for this thread. I'm an Engineer with passion for reading and writing. Actually, I discovered my creative writing talent in 1999/2000. Since then I've worked so hard reading good works of fiction, studying the life of great writers, writing as well as trying to publish my manuscripts. Let me start by commending the colleague that cited Scientists that had made it in writing. I would have been discouraged by mere thought of my engineering discipline until I learnt about these Scientist-writers which also include Elechi Amadi. I will not forget the encouragement of Dr. Ezenwa Ohaeto to that effect.

Somebody mentioned about the unavailability of emerging young writers from Nigeria. I think the economic and political situation of the country is behind this trend. I would have been discouraged long ago after many frustrating efforts to get my work published if not for self-realization and spiritual turn-around that took place in my life few years ago. Right now, I focus my fiction writing towards a call for youth's doggedness towards a rewarding vision by Christ despite the economic situation.  

Till today, none of my work had been published except the one I forced myself to self-publish. I've moved from one publishing house in the likes of University Press, Longman etc only to meet long assessment periods and the likes. I think it was Longman UK that pointed out the poor book market in Nigeria as the reason for their focus on educational materials and no more fiction.

Can anyone then tell me the way forward. It seems the lack of respect for copyright had messed up our market. Don't you think publishing will make a young writer to ascertain the acceptance of his work and know how to forge ahead. Or, do one continue writing and writing without any of his work getting published?

I don't know what to do about the situation and I wonder if there is a way out.

Una weldon!

You can post your unpublished stories on blogs to make a name online. Start by posting chapter 1, chapter 2, etc.

this is just an excerpt from a story am writing. pple how do you assess the style? on a scale of ten please,


They leave the bus at Onipan bus stop and Abu takes the metal stairs of the pedestrian bridge three at a time, slowing down only when he gets to the crush of people milling along the bridge proper. Orilonise can only just manage to stay two to three steps behind him, it’s quite obvious the guy is tired but Abu doesn’t care. Abu in fact takes a perverse pleasure in wearing him out. The guy has kept up a running commentary on all the goings-on around them ever since they got off the bus from Port Harcourt, so far he has been able to achieve the twin objectives of distracting and depressing Abu at the same time, with never a good word or flattering opinion about anything or anybody. If you think I’m negative, Ama, just check out this guy

Abu cannot very well tell the guy to shut up and keep his opinions to himself for fear of being impolite so he just ignores him. Now they are moving through the shopping mall on the other side of the expressway with the pointless haste typical of pedestrian Lagos, everyone staring through the other guy without actually seeing him, Abu staring into the closed faces of all around him in apprehension-watching out for, and invariably being rewarded with, that imperceptible twitch in their nostrils when the putrid odour filters in. Some of the more sensitive ones go so far as to shield their nostrils with their fists while staring around them accusingly. For every one of these unpleasant sessions when he has to tag Orilonise around, Abu drenches himself in designer perfume to mask the offensive odour. But the stench of the human corpse defies repression even by such eminent fragrances. People can usually smell them from several paces away, especially in the less crowded places.
Striding hastily through the mall they are slowed down by a miserable beggar-woman whom Abu suddenly finds squatting just inside the exit gate, herself and her belongings arranged on a dirty wax-print cloth spread on the stony, unpaved floor of the mall. She’s right in his path and her eyes are already locked onto his, the black-brown pupils of them impossibly huge and liquid with supplication. She is afflicted with a rare skin ailment that has left her skin as white as the thin gruel of pap with which she is unsuccessfully trying to force-feed her toddler son. The incredible thing is that all around her, a squad of malign spirits are busy working the crowd on her behalf, albeit negatively. They are busy dissuading people from giving the woman alms, but they steer clear of Abu because they can clearly see the unofficial aide-de-camp he has, in the person of Orilonise. Abu’s hand scrabbles around inside his trouser pocket for loose change to throw into the begging bowl but he has a lot of difficulty getting any. He comes to an abrupt halt right in front of the woman. Orilonise, coming hard on his heels, almost bumps into him but somehow manages to step aside and around him just in time. Orilonise doesn’t stop to wait for Abu or anything, he keeps right on walking, only pausing to aim accurately from several meters away with a blue-green crumple of paper that turns out to be a two-hundred naira note. His mouth curls up in contempt of Abu’s softness of heart

Hi Friends,

I am a newcomer on nairaland. I am really going to be around now because. I like this place. It is educative, informative and most importantly it is Nigerian. It really gives you the Nigerian feel.

I decided to join in this discussion because, I love writing and I write a lot too.

I have written several unpublished articles, most of them bordering on Nigerian politics and political leaders.

I want you guys to check my blog and see some of my articles, I will really appreciate your feedback.

Check my blog on http://anjoorinadejuwon..com
Thanks

J1

Orikinla:

Ricadelide,
Your knowledge in science will make you a better writer with great depth.
Chinua Achebe got a scholarship to study medicine, before he decided to study English and became the great writer of our time.
Cyprian Ekwensi has a degree in pharmacy.

Many of the greatest writers have been scientists.

thanks, if i can get myself more time off of my busy schedule, i should be able to get some things going

well orikinla, i want to say a big thank you 4 bringiing out this topic,since i was a teenager i hv this flair 4 writing and poetry,anytime am in a moody situation,i will keep on reeling out fictional stories and poems,i do wrot them down, but i feel they r wack and the funny aspect of it is thati feel happy when am writng