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M@LaiKa
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Posted: Friday October 13th, 2006 13:37 |
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I know how ruthlessly honest the Blackchat villagers can be. But I am going to bite the proverbial bullet and ask your advice anyway..........
As a hopeful writer trying to break the moulds set by others especially those set by white people writing about Africa. I am currently writing a book inspired by African Characters from what I hope is a unique standing point. However, as I am writing for myself out of the sheer enjoyment that I reap from taking my characters through one scenarios to another I have to admit that I don't dwell on what my audience will think. Im not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I just know that if I write to please others I may end up sacrificing my tale and the depth of my characters!! Does this make sense?
I read a reply by MAGGS in another topic where she said:
As someone who is trying to write herself (check the detective story under creative writing) I have this fear (not just for myself but other black writers) that we could be overtaken by white writers who have black characters, and I dont mean as minor characters. Mike Phillips once said that if we do not create our own characters, then they would do it for us. And although there are Black writers we should be proud of, we cannot 'lax and say everything is cool but we have to keep on with the writing and reading to make sure we keep ourselves in check and keep ourselves real!
I can fully comprehend the above and so in an attempt to preserve the memory of the African Characters that have inspired me to write I have put pen to paper
BUT
For me the problem is quite different, perhaps you can advice me? I am mixed race (Mother: South African/Seychelles mix and Japanese father who has lived in Africa for 30 years) I was born and grew up in Kenya. In the absence of my father I gleaned my learnings from my mother and her line of strong African women. I was blessed with the opportunity to hear the most wonderous tales and experience a myriad of twists and turns in my life in Africa. Africa is my starting point of all knowledge, inspiration and wisdom. I want my book, without going into its details, to stand proud as my persoval tribute to Africa ......Yet while i write a twittering deep inside me makes me wonder...if i finish this book. if i actually get in on the shelves will i then be slated by black people for not being black enough to write what I have written???
I wonder???
All I know is that it is a book that NEEDS to be written for the sake of posterity.
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Maggs
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Posted: Monday October 16th, 2006 11:25 |
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Malaika,
It sounds as if you've have the passion, the drive and more importantly, the belief in what you want to write. So I would just say go ahead and write!!! The strange thing is that taking knocks from people - whoever they maybe - is part of the writing process. It very much depends how strong your conviction is and how much you believe in what you want to write about and I think people of colour has to be pretty firm in what they want to create.
My crime story has taken loads of knocks (how can you create black characters involved in crime? Aren't you creating more stereotypes???) from people who believe that they know what makes Black people tick. But this just makes me strong in my resolve to go ahead and write what I want to write.
MaggsLast edited on Friday October 27th, 2006 10:26 by Maggs
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Monday October 16th, 2006 18:03 |
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| M@lika: i think you ought to write about your passion and let the naysayers be damned, I'm sure if you write with the type of courage and conviction above...your book will find its readership and a market....go for it...
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Dada
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Posted: Tuesday October 17th, 2006 09:18 |
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It's very important to write from one's own perspective it keeps the integrity of the work.
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M@LaiKa
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Posted: Wednesday October 18th, 2006 12:47 |
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Maggs
Thank you for your kind words and for relating advice from your experience and passing on the exerpt of Dorothy Koomsons letter to you. It is really encouraging to know that another person out there shares my passion and NEED to write a story! I no longer feel like a FREAK to have these charaters taking shape and living out their stories in my head.....it seems that you have a similar writers symptom!!
Everywhere I go I take my trusty note book and write down inspirations and thoughts that come to mind so that I dont loose them before getting back to my script.........but at times it is hard to keep up the momentum and motivation especially if like me you have to work full time as well!!!
Writing about black African characters for a international audience will prove to be a massive challenge for me, however I believe that I must stay true to my characters regardless of critiques!......There are many obstacles ahead and I hope that we can stay in touch to push each other along!!!
@ Dada.......very true!
@ Kunjufu
Thank you for your words, you are right one has to believe in what one does! Its difficult though when the mass audience has been sucked in by the perspectives of white authors and their abstract perspective of black cultures.
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Maggs
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Posted: Wednesday October 18th, 2006 14:53 |
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I'm glad that it hlped. One other thing.... I dont know where in the UK you live, but if you live in North London (Hackney), there is a place called Centerprise that helps local people with writing. It is a great place and very supportive. I subscribe to their mag called Calabash which displays writing by people of African descent plus reviews of black lit. It comes out three times a year and cost three pounds incl p & p. There is also Mslexia which I also subscribe to and it is about writing by women. It is read by well known female writers, and read by agents, publishers etc but also there is the opportunity to display your own work.
If you want to know about genre writing, courses, etc then it's all there. Getting these mags is essential as it keeps me in touch with the writing world and it also inspires me.
Where I am right now is looking for a mentor to hlp with my writing but let me know how you get on.
Maggs
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Kibibi
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Posted: Wednesday October 18th, 2006 15:17 |
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Dada wrote: It's very important to write from one's own perspective it keeps the integrity of the work.
That is true, but a writer does not always do that which is where the 'creativity' comes in.
As an aspiring writer myself, it would be a credit to me and my writing skills if I wrote a novel from a male perspective and it was very believable. But that's not about writing from one's own perspective, because writing isn't always about that (esp. fiction).
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Dada
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Posted: Wednesday October 18th, 2006 16:49 |
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the empathsis is on ones Integrity. "shoot the messager" is an example of writting not from one's own perspective but for a certain audience (the producers at the BBC). Perhaps the writers perspective was there originally but it got contaminated by trying to appease the Producers.
Perspective means exactly that. Writing from one's own perspective in relation to the art and craft of the written word rather than for the audience.
It could be said that this is what sets one writer apart from another writer (including fictional) that of writing as an art form as opposed to writting to satisfy a potential audience.
Doe's one wish to write "popular" books or works of literature?
that is that a potential audience should gravitate towards the concept,story, content of what is written rather than the writer trying to gravitate towards a potential ,unknown even ,audience.
Writing from ones own perspective keeps the integrity of the underly message one seeks to convey. That perspective is not limited to Age,Gender,time or race but by the integrity of what one is trying to communicate.
this is only my point of view.Last edited on Wednesday October 18th, 2006 16:54 by Dada
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M@LaiKa
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Posted: Thursday October 19th, 2006 09:52 |
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@ maggs
Thank you for the useful contacts. I do live in Hackney so I will find time to go along to the Centerprise scheme you metioned. Its difficult to find such practical advice these days.
I am at the stage where I am spending hours writing my first draft. I have set myself a deadline to complete this by June next year before sitting down with someone to work on the necessary amendments for my second draft.
Likewise......keep in touch and let me know how things go with you too!!
@ Kibidi.......you are right. But even if you write from a perspective of your complete antithesis you are still writing from your perspective of how your antithesis would think and act in certain situations......maybe maybe not. I am still learning!
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Kibibi
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Posted: Thursday October 19th, 2006 13:59 |
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Dada, I misunderstood your intial post. Thanks for making it clearer to me 
Whenever I write something I always try to write for self first, 'audience' second. Obviously when you get into the outside world and start pitching your material it does become much more difficult...but I will never do a ''Shoot the Messenger''. There is no justification for it, nor is there any coming back from it (imo).
Last edited on Thursday October 19th, 2006 14:01 by Kibibi
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Kibibi
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Posted: Thursday October 19th, 2006 14:02 |
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M@LaiKa wrote: @ Kibidi.......you are right. But even if you write from a perspective of your complete antithesis you are still writing from your perspective of how your antithesis would think and act in certain situations......maybe maybe not. I am still learning!
That is true (more often than not).
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DwightG
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Posted: Sunday October 22nd, 2006 20:21 |
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I have to tell you, I can't relate to everything you have indicated, but one thing I have learned over the years as I have grown and evolved as a writer and as a man-stay true to what you believe in.
Ten years ago when I first tried to submit my work for publication, I was openly questioned as to marketability of my work. Now there's a whole genre of black writers putting out "urban lit" and making money, while the overall publishing industry is losing money.  I managed to put out two books by contacting the publishers directly, after having being rejected by several agents. Of the 5 publishers I contacted, 2 expressed sincere interest in publishing my work.
Was it the best way to go? Maybe, maybe not-I didnt sell as well as I hoped I would, but my stories and novel were both well received, and I didnt have to compromise my style of writing or content to suit what a white agent thought a black male writer should be writing about. I have no regrets about the decision.
My point in short is this-if you are passionate about what you're writing, and it seems as if you are-don't compromise, don't try to make it fit, express your work your way. It may not make the bestseller lists, but as with most forms of art, the ones that stand the test of time are the ones that don't fit the mold of what's popular.
And above all, keep at it. Good luck to you.
Dwight G.
http://www.myspace.com/jamaicanwriter
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M@LaiKa
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Posted: Monday October 23rd, 2006 09:30 |
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@ Dwight
sound advice! thank you!
To be honest the idea of making the bestsellers list hasnt really got that much appeal. I am very aware that my works are specialist interest and I feel quite happy with that. If just one person enjoys my book (if and when its published) that will be good enough for me.
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