WRITING IS NOT FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

Each time I try to do it right, I fail myself. I've tried all I could but I keep getting it wrong. The other day, someone's comment on my wall made me want to give up writing but I told myself I would write again and again and again but I keep failng and failing until I remembered what a prominent writer I met sometimes ago to help me in the course of my journey in writing told me. He said to me then:

"John Chizoba Vincent, Writing is not for little children".

I ran into myself and ran out again then, my heart reminded me of the beginning of Chinua Achebe's review on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half Of A yellow Sun:

"... we do not associate wisdom with beginners..."

Writing is actually not for little children who wants to take it to kill up time. You have to break yourself into pieces of ashes. You have to wear many shoes which are not yours. Some mad man's shoes, a lawyer's shoes, a trader's shoes, a crazy man's shoes and a Prophet's shoes and still come back to wear your own shoes or check if they are still your size. You have to create a character that you hate and those that you love, you have to wear Mama Ekene's bra or show her how to wear her bra and still wear Daddy Ifeoma's boxers and still be alright. You have to become Mama Ayo's tailor to swiftly measure her and tell her the colour of clothe material that would be better on her as a fair woman. You have to know the size of trouser that Papa Ayo used to wear. Yes, you have to be everywhere in your writing. You have to bury yourself into yourself through the celestial reign of who you are. You have to break yourself, run out of you and come back seeking for where you have missed it. You have to wear this sorrow and hang your clothes on the head of critics both constructive criticism and insane ones. You have to rub yourself off some night of sleep trying to create a character, trying to destroy a character without pitying him, trying to make your character feel alright without harming yourself or the other character, then, later you delete the character you've created because you don't really like the way he talks or rather you don't like the way he walks or his career or the way you created him or her. You will have to protect each and every one of your characters; the foolish ones, the crafty ones, the dumb ones, the smartest ones; you have to give them a reasonable life that would make them different from the others.

Sometimes writers block comes around, sometimes it leaves you blank and makes your head empty. You will look like an artiste who forgot his Lines in a recording studio. You must have a purpose of what you are writing about. You dreamt of how the world wiould stand still reading your write up or your poems, or your article or your novel but one critique from one man got you worn out. He told you to go and keep your pen that you are not fit. He told you that you have written nothing, you looked at his comments and felt like strangling him but you can't . You know what you've written are worth billions but you took it to the publishing house and they rejected it. You returned home weeping, remembering how many nights you kept awake trying to complete the story. You remembered how many candles you burnt writing on papers. You remembered how much fuel you burnt typing on your laptop. You hit your chest and said you won't write again because of your rejected manuscripts but tomorrow you see your self typing again. Your muse advised you to write again but you tried again and it was rejected for the second time, you packed up and promised yourself never to write again. See, rejection is normal to all writers. Writing is not for little children without the knowledge of how to control their emotions and feelings.

I’m putting this out as an advice and also as a kind of guide to others who are thinking of coming into this profession to just while away their time, writing is engaging, it is funny sometimes, and the other time; fun and the other time, annoying, it is not meant for little children. Don't be in a competition with anyone, I’m saying this because many are actually in competition with other writers. . As much as you would have loved to tell the story of your life many people won't like it just because they don't like you. I’ve realized that writing is not an easy task, writing is a hard work and pushing your work is harder than the writing sometimes. Yes, many would reject you just because they don't like your story or the character you created. You've to learn to push forward from every rejection. Everything is a process. Writing is more like a communion between you and nature and some other universal factors. Your writings will fly when the universe say they are ready to get to another level of appreciation and apparently splashes of praises will come to you just like Tomi Adeyemi is enjoying herself now. Just like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is enjoying her fame now. Ask them the reason why they didn't quit before, write and ask them how many publication houses they were chased out from. You will be surprise to hear their own side of the story before they made it as famous writers. Be more interested in creating art that will last a life time battling with others in the nearest future. Don't settle for the less. Don't settle for shallow writing. Don't just write because your friends are writing, write purposefully. Writing is not for little children, you'll get frustrated remember, your fingers will hurt from typing; your stomach will get you angry and the search for a conducive environment is another nightmare in the business of writing.

Most people regarded as writers may just be attention seekers, who just want their voices to be heard among others. To write and make a living out of it, which is the joy that comes with every profession is really hard in Nigeria and other part of the world. You have to look for agent, the Agent has to believe in you, stand by you to the end. You need to discover your purpose for writing. You need to know where you stand as a writer and write purposefully. So don’t bring your expectations to me, hold it and try not to choke with it and don’t compare yourself with others out there. Consider creating your own style if you really want to write. Consider some deadly critics who don't like your face Critiquing your work. Consider all but never you loose yourself for anything. Don't follow everyone putting their gold in a crowded room to be recognized.

©John Chizoba Vincent
#LiquidWords

.

ok oo

All join

Okay

Well spoken

True words .
........same as commenting on Nairaland!

q

Writing Project is for Final year Student . You are required to write the complete Projects and defend it.

So true.

Issorite.

This write up is from a jealous writer as a so call mature writer you should be encouraging the young to grow instead you are now a stumbling block.

Great piece

Ok thank you

But the young shall grow, yes..they surely must grow.

I am an amateur writer...

Fact

Good words @op

Johnchizoba:
WRITING IS NOT FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

Each time I try to do it right, I fail myself. I've tried all I could but I keep getting it wrong. The other day, someone's comment on my wall made me want to give up writing but I told myself I would write again and again and again but I keep failng and failing until I remembered what a prominent writer I met sometimes ago to help me in the course of my journey in writing told me. He said to me then:

"John Chizoba Vincent, Writing is not for little children".

I ran into myself and ran out again then, my heart reminded me of the beginning of Chinua Achebe's review on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half Of A yellow Sun:

"... we do not associate wisdom with beginners..."

Writing is actually not for little children who wants to take it to kill up time. You have to break yourself into pieces of ashes. You have to wear many shoes which are not yours. Some mad man's shoes, a lawyer's shoes, a trader's shoes, a crazy man's shoes and a Prophet's shoes and still come back to wear your own shoes or check if they are still your size. You have to create a character that you hate and those that you love, you have to wear Mama Ekene's bra or show her how to wear her bra and still wear Daddy Ifeoma's boxers and still be alright. You have to become Mama Ayo's tailor to swiftly measure her and tell her the colour of clothe material that would be better on her as a fair woman. You have to know the size of trouser that Papa Ayo used to wear. Yes, you have to be everywhere in your writing. You have to bury yourself into yourself through the celestial reign of who you are. You have to break yourself, run out of you and come back seeking for where you have missed it. You have to wear this sorrow and hang your clothes on the head of critics both constructive criticism and insane ones. You have to rub yourself off some night of sleep trying to create a character, trying to destroy a character without pitying him, trying to make your character feel alright without harming yourself or the other character, then, later you delete the character you've created because you don't really like the way he talks or rather you don't like the way he walks or his career or the way you created him or her. You will have to protect each and every one of your characters; the foolish ones, the crafty ones, the dumb ones, the smartest ones; you have to give them a reasonable life that would make them different from the others.

Sometimes writers block comes around, sometimes it leaves you blank and makes your head empty. You will look like an artiste who forgot his Lines in a recording studio. You must have a purpose of what you are writing about. You dreamt of how the world wiould stand still reading your write up or your poems, or your article or your novel but one critique from one man got you worn out. He told you to go and keep your pen that you are not fit. He told you that you have written nothing, you looked at his comments and felt like strangling him but you can't . You know what you've written are worth billions but you took it to the publishing house and they rejected it. You returned home weeping, remembering how many nights you kept awake trying to complete the story. You remembered how many candles you burnt writing on papers. You remembered how much fuel you burnt typing on your laptop. You hit your chest and said you won't write again because of your rejected manuscripts but tomorrow you see your self typing again. Your muse advised you to write again but you tried again and it was rejected for the second time, you packed up and promised yourself never to write again. See, rejection is normal to all writers. Writing is not for little children without the knowledge of how to control their emotions and feelings.

I’m putting this out as an advice and also as a kind of guide to others who are thinking of coming into this profession to just while away their time, writing is engaging, it is funny sometimes, and the other time; fun and the other time, annoying, it is not meant for little children. Don't be in a competition with anyone, I’m saying this because many are actually in competition with other writers. . As much as you would have loved to tell the story of your life many people won't like it just because they don't like you. I’ve realized that writing is not an easy task, writing is a hard work and pushing your work is harder than the writing sometimes. Yes, many would reject you just because they don't like your story or the character you created. You've to learn to push forward from every rejection. Everything is a process. Writing is more like a communion between you and nature and some other universal factors. Your writings will fly when the universe say they are ready to get to another level of appreciation and apparently splashes of praises will come to you just like Tomi Adeyemi is enjoying herself now. Just like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is enjoying her fame now. Ask them the reason why they didn't quit before, write and ask them how many publication houses they were chased out from. You will be surprise to hear their own side of the story before they made it as famous writers. Be more interested in creating art that will last a life time battling with others in the nearest future. Don't settle for the less. Don't settle for shallow writing. Don't just write because your friends are writing, write purposefully. Writing is not for little children, you'll get frustrated remember, your fingers will hurt from typing; your stomach will get you angry and the search for a conducive environment is another nightmare in the business of writing.

Most people regarded as writers may just be attention seekers, who just want their voices to be heard among others. To write and make a living out of it, which is the joy that comes with every profession is really hard in Nigeria and other part of the world. You have to look for agent, the Agent has to believe in you, stand by you to the end. You need to discover your purpose for writing. You need to know where you stand as a writer and write purposefully. So don’t bring your expectations to me, hold it and try not to choke with it and don’t compare yourself with others out there. Consider creating your own style if you really want to write. Consider some deadly critics who don't like your face Critiquing your work. Consider all but never you loose yourself for anything. Don't follow everyone putting their gold in a crowded room to be recognized.

©John Chizoba Vincent
#LiquidWords

just a question pls. U spoke about looking for an agent, what exactly will be the role of that agent, is it to market you or to edit ur work. Pls ur answer will be highly appreciated

All those you have to... you have to... is your own way of making it look cumbersome, gifted writers don't see these as something that requires special effort, it's only applicable to people with passion for writing and little or no gene of writing.

A good reader knows good writers; child or not, he can easily differentiate the work of a struggling or trained writer from a gifted writer.

masterbet1:
It going now todays , winnings are grantee , call or whatsapp to be part of it .

u, u don't want to help urself abi

writting not for children then who can write

kollinz1234:
just a question pls. U spoke about looking for an agent, what exactly will be the role of that agent, is it to market you or to edit ur work. Pls ur answer will be highly appreciated

The agent helps you to source for publishers or a publishing house that will accept your work.

writing not for children but the adults cant write also

walegees:
All those you have to... you have to... is your own way of making it look cumbersome, gifted writers don't see these as something that requires special effort, it's only applicable to people with passion for writing and little or no gene of writing.

A good reader knows good writers; child or not, he can easily differentiate the work of a struggling or trained writer from a gifted writer.

you cannot have a passion for writing and have no gene of writing

It is not possible.


For you to have a passion for anything, you have to have it in you, nurture it. Passion means you want to stick to it through thick and thin, it is what you LOVE. You cannot love what you cannot do, so, anyone who has a PASSION for writing, can DEFINITELY write.


Some people have a passion for reading, they may not be able to write, but then, they can always contract the work out to someone who can. That is why freelance writers exist.

But, you see, it is impossible to have a passion for writing, but cannot write. That wouldn't be called a passion, it is just an interest

Johnchizoba:



The agent helps you to source for publishers or a publishing house that will accept your work.

pls maybe am just ignorant but do publishers still reject work? I have friends who just write anything and take it to publishers and their work has never been rejected

kollinz1234:
pls maybe am just ignorant but do publishers still reject work? I have friends who just write anything and take it to publishers and their work has never been rejected

Good publishers reject work. But Backyard Publishers will publish anything you drop for them

kollinz1234:
pls maybe am just ignorant but do publishers still reject work? I have friends who just write anything and take it to publishers and their work has never been rejected

Publishers do reject works. It is often these days than before. This book by Tomi Adeyemi children of blood and bones was rejected also before her agent took her to this publisher that published and signed a movie contract with her.

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