#ever existed. The fact that they groom themselves rigorously has nothing to do with the piss and shit issue.

[serpentface]

You mentioned a while ago that Faiza is afraid of mice. Is there any specific reason why (e.g. a traumatic memory involving the animals)? Faiza grew up in a wealthy household; so I doubt that mice ever posed a legitimate threat to her health, safety, or food supply, as they might for poorer people.

There's not a specific reason, it's just a phobia + disgust response. The only thing I have canon as a Mouse Event is her having been freaked out by the experience of feeling A Mouse run over her legs when she was trying to sleep and being very nervous about that situation as a little kid.

This isn't like, traumatic though (and people sleep on the floor so this is going to be a Relatively common experience that most people don't derive phobias from). She's just creeped out by them. A lot of it is mouse-specific too, like rats wig her out as well but it's the lightning fast skittering movements of mice are that really unsettle her. They are just Too Small and Too Fast and have creepy nasty little worm tails and carry disease and eat your food and etc etc etc.

Most people will have regular encounters with mice, so she would have plenty of minor interactions that reinforce this fear. She will have periodically experienced walked into a room/opening a pantry/ etc and seeing a horde of them creepily zip into the shadows. She also grew up with pet polecats (favored Wardi housepet + ratter), and they don't do the cat 'bringing their owner their kill' thing but Will stockpile bodies of prey for later use, so it's very likely she's like, moved aside some clothing or looked behind some furniture and found a heap of mouse carcasses. Probably has tried to kill one only to watch it leap 20x its body length straight up and disappear into a crevice, unsettling. Etc.

That's in conjunction with (pretty standard) intense cultural aversion towards small rodents as grain/house pests. They're considered Extremely dirty animals heavily associated with disease and contamination, which is especially acute in a worldview heavily centered around an integrated physical-spiritual cleanliness. And as grain pests they can pose very legitimate threats to people's survival. This isn't going to be a direct Threat to nobility, but it's still a factor at play. Things that pose threats to the survival of peasantry are also going to be concerns for nobility (it's just that the latter is likelier to be inconvenienced than Starved), which goes doubly for potential agents of disease (there's only so much the material benefits of class can do when you don't have vaccines/antibiotics/etc, you're Less likely to die of disease than someone living in cramped high density quarters but if you catch something You Catch Something).

[olaluwe]

Whetting your appetite!

If you're here, I want to believe you find the post's title kind of engaging.

It’s probable too that you're indeed hoping one day to be a writer like the title rhetorically posed.

Whichever way, I can assure you that you're in the right place and at the right time too.

To make myself clear, I want to state categorically that I design this tutorial primarily for the next generation of writers in mind.

And the reason is simple; I see myself yet as a trying writer and could be mentoring everybody else but the big-uns.

I couldn't be even dreaming.

You know what; there are far too many iconic writers out there to whose faces I couldn't lift the lantern of my writing adventurism.

And I’m not being modest here at all, far from it.

As aspiring writer, I want you to congratulate yourself first of all for stopping by.

The thing is you need to focus on what matters and leaving out what doesn't.

And what matters, to start with?

Soldiers can brag they're courageous types because they lay down their lives in the defence of territorial integrity and for continuous existence of their countries and the likes.

That kind of make a lot of sense; you'd agree.

Let’s face it, troops are not the only one who died or get killed in the line of service; writers do too.

But then it's all by choice granted conscription is not on the card,

We all choose what to become in life and the cart is simply brimming with endless choices.

Let assume you're familiar with what being a soldier entails- the rigorous training, the clean and crispy uniforms, the shining jackboot, the colourful parades, the wars and the likes.

Fantastic, what a panoply of noble stuff!

You know what, I've been close to these guys and in my candid opinion they are a bunch of idlers who arrogate too much to themselves.

And I’m honestly not hating on them.

But they think they have a calling that's by far superior to others.

And to this unnecessary professional aggrandizement, I always disagree.

And the few who’ve actually met me in person can testify how robust my arguments were on this topic.

Most time all they could mutter in defence was if I think it’s that easy to be a soldier why I didn’t try it.  My answer as always is I don’t need to try anything to be sure it’s tough or not.

Career, I repeat, is mostly a function of choice.

Besides I’ve tried enlisting with near success.

“But nearly like you know don’t ever kill a bird.” Hope that fits the narratives and isn’t too diversionary? 

Needlessly, they sometimes resort to taking out their frustrations on the harmless civil folks out there. Faced with desperate lack of preferred options, I've encountered many too who are simply in there for the glam and the pay.

They pray all day for peace to reign supported by well-meaning people from the polity and religious institutions.

Ring the bell of war, and they run into hiding.

And traditionally they cover four major domains namely-land, air, water and space.

But we writers are nobler breeds of professionals with kinder souls too. And we're no less courageous to any. History can testify to that.

While the weapons of their warfare are guns and grenades; battle tanks and gun boats and frigates; the weapons of our warfare is nothing but the innocuous pen and paper or sometime the computer.

And our battle cry is simply 'everybody deserves to know'.

Isn't that more sublime to taste?

Yes it is!

According to Novelist Stephen King, if you ever write anything of note, of value then is prepared for hate e-mails. And that is because writing polarizes.

From history and experience too deaths threatening calls are not out of the picture.

In the time past and now, writers have faced and are still facing criminal censorship in various countries of the world.

For instance, the death of Mr Dele Giwa, a co-founder of Newswatch magazine in Lagos who was killed via a parcel bomb in 1985 comes to mind.

Not forgetting also Mr Dimgba Igwe and Mr Mike Awoyinfa both of Concord Newspaper Lagos who were killed covering the Liberian civil war.

Nor of Maltese anti corruption journalist, Mrs Daphone Curiana who was murdered 2017.

Finally mention also must be made of the substantive fatwa placed on British-India writer, Salmon Rushdie, by Islamic extremists after publishing his book: ‘Satanic Verses’.

He’s currently on exile in the UK. In functions, we're on a mission says Jon morrow of smart blogger to change the world for the better.

And getting paid for this wouldn't be a bad idea altogether.

The pay, however, might not be enough to buy us luxury homes, cars and other existential comforts like we would've loved but we most time take solace in the fact that we love what we do.

In case you don't know, ours is the fifth domain of warfare which is 'information' with equal companions like education and entertainment.

Even military institutions world over know the importance of this long ago and have resorted to adding it to their operational cart too.

But I doubt they understand it the way writers do.

Isn't propaganda all they do and calling it war information?

I might be wrong in few instances.

It is not uncommon to hear outright lies from battle fronts; a case of information censorship here and there.

But our own concern is the 'defence of the truth' at all time. In addition, we make this civilization tick from ages to ages.

We keep track of knowhow, events and teach it to all.

And what doesn't matter, to end it all? I say nothing and I repeat nothing!

To the writers who know his onions, everything matters because the people deserve to know it all.

And as a writer it is your primary duty to ensure this. No more no less.

As a take home, folks, the writer’s job are definitely not an easy one but I can assure you its quite fulfilling if you fall in love with it enough.

And that I hope you'd do from today on.

Mastering the language of your medium

Either in its written or spoken form, language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols with which a social group cooperate through sharing a schemata of ideas and impressions from ages to ages.

So it is the first media of communication to be mastered,

I couldn't just place my fingers to it, but I know a bewildering number of languages are spoken the world over.

From Mandarin which is the most spoken language in the world, to say Izon language of a minority Riverine tribe in the Niger delta creek of southern Nigeria.

As an aspiring writer then I know you're either a native speaker of one or more/ or a received speaker of one or more as well.

By extension too, you must have been groomed by the educational system of your country to a varied level of sophistication.

Be that as it may, I presumed you're sufficiently mastered it as a user of one or more assemblage of these global community of languages.

But to gain worldwide audience, a writer must necessary writes in any of the major languages like Mandarin, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish etcetera etcetera and hoping your works get translated into more as the cultural and educational values it carries become common knowledge to influential personalities, academic institutions and governments from around the world.

It's on record for instance that, Nigeria's Chinua Achebe's monster hit novel 'Things Fall Apart' has been translated into many international languages which definitely accounted for its global success.

Of course that's the dream of an average writer. But only a few will get there. It's not a curse.

All it takes is, however, hard work and some elements of luck.

To do this, books play very important role.

I'm a received speaker of the English language, and I've been exposed to quite a number of them all my life.

Now, do I've recommended textbook on English language in mind?Frankly speaking I don’t.

As a matter of fact, quite a number of writers (speaking specifically about writing for the web) have written at length on this same topic with express biases or preferences for some books.

'Elements of Style' is a name in this respect as given by writers in charge's Bamidele Onibalusi.

As far as I'm concern, there are tons and tons of textbooks on English Language in bookstores both online and offline waiting to be picked up for the right prices.

Go get yourself one, and you're well on your way to success as a writer.

Choosing a mentor

Why mentors?

Agreed, God's the only source of inexhaustible inspiration.

So connect to him or her today.

But Mentors are prime example of people we all wish to be like some day.

Mentor provides us with inspirational and practical pathway by their own success stories through direct and indirect frameworks of reference or benchmark in the otherwise crowded and confusing world of aspirations and dreams.

And they exist either in close or distance proximity.

They're both living and dead. Whichever way, there's always one or more for everyone.

And in this industry, they come aplenty.

If I start to name names now, I'm not sure we wouldn’t leave here in a lifetime.

At this juncture, I think it rests solely on you to know who does it best for you granted you must have met a sizable number in your academic journey.

It is possible too perhaps while you're reading for the fun of it.

Think back now and you'd be amazed about who strikes you the most for the mentoring roles.

For me before I let you go, it is Wole Soyinka, Nigeria literary juggernaut.

Believe me; it has nothing to do with sentimental stuff like lineage or some racial or nationalist suasion.

I love him for he represents the ambassadorial best Africa nay Nigeria can get to advance the cause of its cultural heritage consistently under attack by the imperialist west.

For his voice is unique, and his identity super peculiar.

And to whom I dedicated a poem titled: 'Doyen of Letters'

He's, finally, as it happens a winner of Nobel Prize for literature in 1986.

Creating engaging content.

Writing essentially is all about content creation textually speaking.

But it doesn't stop there.

The content must be engaging, riveting so to say driving us ultimately towards studied steps based on the writer's position supported by facts and not myths.

The question remains how then do writers go about creating content that's engaging?

To be factual, engaging content starts with creating engaging title or headline if you like.

Engaging headline we're told in journalism school is like a beautiful gateway into a palatial building.

On the other hand, a headline that's not as engaging is an immediate put off any day.

No matter how well decorated is a house's interior nobody will take a chance to look in if it has a twisted gate.

So, the more attractive the headline is the more the likelihood of readers clicking through in other to interact with the content proper which must be equally engaging.

Or else the visitation might not be a memorable one for the visitor.  And you may not have a second chance. Now don't worry unnecessarily about that.

Writers like other professionals do have their bad days in the office.

And it doesn't always call for needless self flagellation. That's why not all novels, dramas, poetry even by the same author achieve the same level of success.

Not all articles as well by the same writer would go viral online; though he may wish it so.

Be motivated, however, as a writer to do your best under the constraints changing time and season throw at you.

But for any content to come close to being engaging, which has at its heart the core of communication’s tripod of information, education and entertainment; it must equally meet all these five principles of composition namely:

#1) PURPOSE: For every composition to be engaging it must get good response from the reader.

It must be purpose driven.

To be moderately successful then as a writer you must adapt your words to your readers.

Granted that people have attitudes and beliefs which they drawn from experiences both of the past and the present.

It is only proper for a writer who wishes to explain a new idea to connect it with what’s already known.

And if he’s to convince at all, he must start from known or agreeable beliefs.

#2) CONCRETENESS:

Concreteness in write-up is brought about when the writer says to the reader: ‘Here is an example,’ or ‘let me illustrate with an anecdote’.

Believe me, what is concrete or specific in all situations holds attention as much as it frees us from needless dialectical tussle.

#3) EMPHASES:

Another word for emphasis is repetition.

If a writer repeats a word or an idea he calls attention to it.

And isn’t just for the fun of it because it has long ago been an accepted standard that for learning to take place emphasis is key.

Doing so automatically leads to meaningful engagement and action from the reader.

#4) UNITY:

The writer who wishes to convince or explain old or new ideas must hold the rein properly lest he wanders aimlessly away from the focus of his assignment.

The piece he’s to post must be seen to function like a unit despite having so many parts in terms of thought-groups.

#5) COHERENCE;

Writers ordinarily are advocates.

They argue for or against a proposition.

They argue also for the relative merit of a choice over another based on the hard fact of life that the human person is always confronted by problem of choice.

For this, the ability to think straight and to dependable solution is required which coherence is all about.

Creating a style.

Why style?

Style gives identity to the one acting in a professional environment.

It makes identification an easy task. Any professional who's got style is automatically branded.

What then is style?

Style can be defined as a consistent flair discernible in the human operation or execution of a task.

It could also be define as uniqueness of approach to things by a particular person.

Style for writers emerges from the rubble of conscious experimental writing activities.

While it is not always easy to come up with, trying on the other hand to imitate other iconic writers is equally counterproductive.

So it is highly recommended that you write the way most suitable to you; and overtime a style might just emerged from such background.

Finally, equally important in style creation are your level of education and how widely read you’re.

Editing your composition.

For many reasons, believe me, there's no such writer anywhere whose work cannot be edited.

Why editing?

Editing is the last of all writing tools.

Defined, it is the refinery of all writing activity.

It helps filter the unwanted from the wanted.

After the creation of your content, to make it more epic by bringing all its inherent values into sharp focus it must be edited.

Why then do we edit?

We edit for the following reasons:

#1 For grammatical correctness:

Language as an arbitrary vocal symbol through which a social group cooperate follows a set of rules called grammar that writers must necessarily obey or else it thought trains breaks down.

So editors try as much as possible to see if a given content conform in entirety with these rules.

So where the rules are violated corrections are made.

#2 For space:

Where the constraints are the space like in the field of print journalism editing becomes very important.

The task of the editor therefore is to make sure contents are trimmed to size in other to fit into allotted space or spaces.

#3 For fonts and style:

Writing is all about fonts and style:

Editors try also to see which font is best for the chosen medium and their stylistic arrangement.

For instance, the font that will be applied to newsprint will be different to the one that will be applied to a billboard which is something  passersby see from the distance.

#4 For narrative unity:

Content is also edited to be sure story ideas follow consistent pattern.

Every part of a story must be seen to help advance the course of the story itself.

No part must be contradictory. Every part must function as one unit.

#5 To eliminate excess words:

Like student of landscape painting who begins by covering too much ground; often too, writers do commit the sin of verbosity.

That's using too many words to convey an experience when ordinarily fewer words would do.

So, these flabby or wordy excess in content is sometimes the focus of editing.

And as he or she puts the editing jigsaw to it, content becomes trimmer and sharper in mind of reader.

Publishing your content.

Now we have come to the last but very crucial stage in the life of a writer.

Publishing is the Icing on the cake of content creation.

Publishing involves making your work available to the public who pays to get it.

And there are basically two ways to go. It either you publish your works in paperback or as e-books.

It has been said that's no matter how epic your content is until promoted it is useless.

Or not worth more than the paper on which it is printed.

But publishing your work online and promoting it through the right channels is essential if it is to reach greater audience and have the right impact.

I've read severally writers calling it the queen of content creation.

But publishing has never been easier or liberalized than now.

These days we now have both free and paid platform to advance the course of your career as a writer.

While some resource people insist that to have a good start to writing career online, platform A, B, C must be the choice forgetting the fact that money plays important role in career pursuit especially writing online.

Starting from any of free platform may after all not be a bad idea.

At least it helps to sharpen your writing claw preparatory for the big moments.