On writing business

By Sulaiman Maijama’a

A barrage of questions troop into my inbox daily from people outside the writing circle, declaring their interest to come in. Some questions are worthy enough, while some are funny and crazy. For example, a young lady asked me to teach her “Article Writing” via WhatsApp. Another once asked, “can I become a writer in one week?”  Somebody told me “kai kam rubutu bayi maka wahala“. What a wrongful assumption!

Let me, in order not to give a wrong impression of myself, humbly submit that I’m just a fledgling writer aspiring to be a pen wizard one day. My decision to write on “writing” this time was prompted by the fact that those who excelled are too busy to avail themselves and become beast of burden for aspiring writers. Be that as it may, a dot in the circle (like me?) may have something to offer. And as the saying goes, “there is love in sharing”. Thus, I will share the following tips for aspiring writers:

1. BE PASSIONATE AND AMBITIOUS. This, in my view, is the first step to becoming a writer. Writing is daunting, time-consuming, attention-demanding and a continuous learning process.  Whoever tells you the contrary is leading you astray. But your passion and ambition are the driving force that will keep propelling you to defy all odds and cross the blocks on your way to the promised land. I believe that one (1) inspiration can overcome ninety-nine (99) perspiration.

Haven’t you ever asked yourself why some people who read English or Mass Communication write poorly or don’t write? But others who are trained scientists are writing professionally standard _Medical Doctors, Zoologists, Agriculturalists among others write well. This is to tell you that writing is a product of passion and ambition. Regardless of what you read, you can be a writer per excellence.

2. MASTER YOUR LANGUAGE. Reasonable proficiency in a language is a prerequisite for any writer who wants to be taken seriously by his readers. Not necessarily English Language, but any language you write in. Master the language to the level that the native speaker will appreciate you. Nobody can afford to devote his time to reading trash in the name of writing. Nobody will take you seriously when your essay contains grammatical errors, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and incoherent and incohesive sentences and paragraphs.

3. READ. I do not know a better way a writer can improve than by taking an avid interest in reading. Reading good writings is what makes good writers. And the volume of the text you read must supersede the magnitude of your writing. For instance, you need to read and analyse at least ten articles when writing a single piece. Before you write a single book, read and review one hundred books. Do you know that when a writer stops reading, it reflects in their writings?

4. HAVE MODEL(S) AND MENTOR(S). In any profession one wants to excel in, they must have people they look up to. Different writers have different styles of writing. As a young aspiring writer, identify your hero(s), look up to them and read them more. While having a model(s) will help you raise the bar of your success by dreaming bigger, having a mentor(s) will, on the other hand, help you be on the rightful terrain to the promised land. Mentors are a blessing; they show you the way, and when you feel like giving up, they reinvigorate your confidence.

5. WRITE FREQUENTLY. It is impossible to learn writing by theory; it is learnt by the practical application of theoretical ideas. But, like a muscle getting stronger by exertion, writing improves through frequent practice. If you write frequently, you will discover that today’s writing is better than yesterday’s. Your writings this week are better than those of previous weeks. That’s one magic about it. So, never get tired of writing if you want to become a good writer.

6. HAVE AN AREA OF INTEREST.  A writer should specialise in a given area, preferably the area they are more interested in. For instance, some people are sport-loving, some follow every trend in politics, some on entertainment, some on terrorism etc. The wisdom behind identifying an area of interest is that whatever you are interested in, you will not find it too daunting but rather fun that will push you to break the glass ceiling. But this does not mean limiting yourself to a single area; a good writer should be able to write on every topic under the sun.

7. DON’T BE DECEIVED BY ENCOMIUMS: Writers carried away by flattering are likely to feel complacent. Most of the encomiums coming from people are not genuine. Regrettably, this has led to the downfall of many writers. Some people will overrate you; some will send you positive responses even without reading you. However, positive responses are motivating, but be relaxed, know your level and keep improving.

8. ACCEPT CORRECTIONS AND KEEP LEARNING. Nobody has a monopoly in this business. There is no level of professionalism a writer can attain where they are above mistakes. Even globally recognised writers make mistakes. Always keep your doors open for corrections, learn from them, and keep learning every day.

Maijama’a is a student at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano and wrote via sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.