By Kudzai Pasirayi

I have always loved to write from an early age; it always been art. Some people become writers as a source of income. Some write to seek fame and fortune. While the rest focus on writing fiction books with great story characters. Anyone can agree with me that we live in a world filled up with places and stories that enrich life every single day. It is the main reason, I became so passionate about writing. My goal as I started to write was to inspire people who going through tough times in life.

From the age of 15, I learnt that an individual is the maker of his or her own destiny. You have to find the spark within you and choose to do something with your life.I believe, we will experience difficulties at a certain point in what we do. This will only strengthen you to do better as you further yourself in life.

My dream to write started to become real as I decided to share some of the life lessons that helped me to bounce back to being the great person I am today. I would share on my thoughts on certain social networking sites and read quotes from motivational speakers. It got me to create a blog that reflected the journey a person makes to become successful or happy. The feedback that I received got me to improve in my writing. Also, it has enabled me to see greater opportunities ahead of me..

Now, I realize that people do not just that read quotes from blogs or buy books to become professional. Actually, they read to become more effective in their personal lives. Whether that is being a better mother to a child or pursuing happiness in relationships. We all need inspiration at some point in life, which will help us to get right up when we have fallen.

Writing is a way of relieving my mind from worries about life. My greatest wish is to see more young people use their gifts to change the world. It is never to late to inspire someone to purse their goals. The more we share our passion and thoughts about life, the better the world is.

The gift to write is truly a blessing; it brings me to a place of peace and joy. I continue to write more articles in the hope of inspiring people. Motivation is surely a drug that we can`t resist to share. Resist the urge to procrastinate and follow your dreams.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Confessions-of-A-Young-Author&id=8752388

Till Evening

by Maren John Mafuyai

fiction|Bleep

Two days ago following written descriptions, I arrived at Pulkovo II International Airport at night, slept in Pulkovskaya Hotel near the Moskosvkaya Metro Station and, in the morning, moved to Peterhof where my mum lived for unofficial divorce.

I phoned mum before I booked the hotel room and after I left the hotel. In Peterhof I waited at the door. When mum opened the door, she received my bag. Inside, she sat on a sofa as she kept the bag on the table. A feel of the fire place.

She asked about the journey. I said I was only black in the midst of thousands whites. She laughed. My eyes turned over a wooden statue of King Jaja of Opobo and a blue English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary on the table. Enlarged picture of Nelson Mandela over the wall.

In my uncle’s sitting room in Rio de Janeiro a wooden statue of Nnamdi Azikiwe took the stool top besides the TV, the enlarged pictures of the Nigerian president and his vice were on the wall, and Chimamanda Ngozi’s “Half of the Yellow Sun” clouded a portion on the center table.

Mum phoned her bro. She phoned her friend.

I said I needed to see her bro. She said he was a plumber, a contractor–sometimes in Kolpino, Zolenogorsk, Lomonosov and Pavlovsk: sometimes in Kronshtadt, Sestroretsk, Pushkin or even Moscow. He owned big money properties in Lagos, Abuja and Johannesburg.

She took me to a white corridor and showed me a room. She opened the door, turned on the light and said, “You can keep your bag here, and you can rest and sleep if you like.” There was a heavy looking blanket on the bed. There was a reading and writing stool with a lamp. She dressed a window curtain. She carried a TV remote from the floor and kept on the pillow.

We returned to the parlor and there was that atmosphere of a foreign woman with her son in Peterhof. The bag was still on the table, I didn’t think of evacuating it now. She sat on a sofa she sat before and appeared relaxed but not too freely as before. As I sat looking at the dictionary cover I guessed she would ask me about dad.

“Your father sent you, I guessed”, she said.

“No”, I lied. “How we wish you return, we really miss you.”

I looked through the window. Two white boys were playing with toy guns.

“You need to go back.”

“I’m obliged”, I shrugged. “I’ll go to China.”

“You’ve become an eye of your father, it looks like.”

“You’re the one he needs most.”

“My problem with your father is, he’s one of those PDPs.”

Walking towards a tree, the boy shouted, shooting a gun.

“My sister’s wedding, he said till evening. My mother’s birthday, he said till evening. I asked for money to repair my car, he said till evening. This till, till I don’t understand. I can’t spend my old age this way.”

As I stood on the street, one white boy watched me from a distance. They become two and soon three in ash coats on top of sweater. They wore hoods. When I looked at myself from head to toes, I wore the same. But my face was black.

On my journey I took only a few things: cloths, shoes, handsets and a diary.

Mum would return home after a month.

_____________________
Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared in Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man

Nigerian Aspiring Fiction Writers: Fire on the mountain

By Maren John Mafuyai

nonfiction|x x x|2018

There are only two ways to succeed: either by favor(luck) or by hard work (physical or abstract). This isn't the case we aspiring fiction writers are finding. Both by favor and by hard work seemed to fail. Web masters, especially Oluwaseun Osewa, made platforms to help us succeed, but still.

You as a writer, you're not sure whether you're right or wrong. You always need help. You always lack help.

I suffered (and still suffering). I can testify, I would write a lot and later found out they're clutter. I would copy a contact address from LindaIkeji blog, Bella Naija and other notable Naija blogs: however, once I set to write, I would think, 'Would they accept it?' I wasn't sure of myself. And it couples with the fact that I didn't have a computer--because professional writing with Nokia Asha 200 couldn't work.

In addition, I can't hire editors, but not only due to lack of money but also because I feel what I have written is better. This is against the knowledge that over 95% of great writers learnt the craft through working hand-in-hand with editors, canceling the first draft, writing it afresh or rejecting it if they dont have time or good money to rewrite it.

There are different sort of editors. There are newspaper editors, fiction editors and research editors. There are also copy editors and provereaders attached to each of the above types.

Choose an editor that is suitable to the genre in which you write.

If a fiction sounds like a newspaper report or column, one can guess the editor who edited the piece and get it right. I avoid reading news until I'm through with third or fourth draft so that its spirit won't affect my fiction.
_______________________________________
Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared on Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man

When the president woefully fails

You know them, those very people who say you are not capable, those people who criticize you as though they are gods.

We all know them. Or if you dont...

Three things this kind of people ever did to you

1. They always wanted you to use their ideas but they wouldn't use yours.

2. They always try to point out your mistakes.

3. They easily condemned you.

You could avoid them but...

Not as easier as you think.

One thing you should do to overpower them: allow them to rule. That is where they'll disgrace themselves. They'll mess like hell.

The experience

No any leader ever condemned the past one and did better. Or can you name one whom the world glorifies?

I can give real examples. El Rufai of Kaduna did, where is he today? Jonah Jang of Plateau did, where is he today, General Buhari also did, where is he today?

Boko haram started before. Why can't Buhari stop them now as he promised? Corruption started before. Why can't he stop it as he promised?

Now the most deadly ones are herdmen. Declare them as terrorists he will not.

But this is not what we come here to know. We come to know: if you condemn the past leader, your own case will be worse.

One good news is:

These may save Nigeria from her problems:

1. Continuity. Current leaders should continue executing projects from where the past leaders stopped.

2. Infrustructure. Government should concentrate on develping and managing infrustructure.

Perhaps we all know this but I still say it with no apology.

One more thing to say: or a question to ask:

Am I better than___________(fill in the blank)?

I am not. And if I insult someone here (which I know I don't), my own case will be___________(fill in the blank).

One more thing but, before that, let me say if I am too much you can skip but I know I am not. I love development.

I want to see every Nigerian living in a modern city like Eco Atlantic. That remains the purpose of this post.

O.K, since notted, can we now proceed to that one more thing I promised? Here is it:

Religion.

We have a problem of religion. Although no one will like his brother or sister to go to hell, you can't force him or her to go to heaven. It is his choice and it is her choice altogether. Let's say or face it all and forget about illiteracy in the melting pot: religion is a personal affair. And the fact we meet together in the church or mosque to worship doesn't change it. If I die today, I will suffer for my own sins not for yours. Just like if I steal a goat, I am the one to go to prison not you. It is that simple.

This is what will happen:

When Eko Atlantic City is open, there will be a rise of Niger Delta region too with big modern cities. so we can have somewhere like Saudi Arabia in Nigeria!'

When people in Ghanah, Angola, Kenya and other countries are glorifying Nigeria you laugh at them that they're doing this only because they don't know Nigiria as you do, don't you? Nope! I'm sorry to tell you this: Nigeria is more than what you think. We all know the only problem now.

Moreover, it is through development that Saudi Arabia appreciate Western Education and USA. Not only that, she also respects other religions. Before, Saudi Arabia was not like this.

Now it is up to us! What are we the graduates doing to make babaric Nigerians appreciate Western Education? Is it by (ladies) dressing half naked in the street? Is it by yahoo yahoo? Or is it by just showing people I can speak English? Nonsense! We are passing the era of I-qualify-only-because-I-can-speak-English. Be current.