How to Write

Friends (and foes alike) are increasingly approaching me asking me to make writers out of them. I have often sent them away telling them am no writer and what I jot down every week are just the misguided ramblings of a Layman. They have however become relentless and taken all my peace away. In the interest of harmony therefore, I have decided to share a few tips on how one can take off as a novice writer. Whether one becomes a fully professional writer after that largely depends on personal effort and passion.

Observation

For one to become a writer, he or she has to hone their power of observation. This means paying attention to news items, other people’s discussions (as in eavesdropping), and watching any activities and events taking place in one’s presence. Observation is key to writing because ideas will often come from the unlikeliest of sources. In line with observation, it is critical to make some kind of record because good ideas are fleeting and can evaporate in a jiffy. It is a good idea to always have on your person, a pen and small notebook to jot down in a single line, any idea that is observed or thought of.

Reading

There is no short cut here. To be a good (or bad) writer, you have to read widely. It is good to mix both fiction and non-fiction. It is also advisable to read different genres. The benefits of reading are two-fold. One, it gives you new ideas and information. Secondly, it helps you to develop your style because this will be a cross-breed of the reading you mostly partake. It was recommended to me to read at least 15 pages of non-fiction a day and as much fiction as I can find time for every day. You can find something that works for you and faithfully stick to it, Every Day!

Practice Makes Perfect

The only way to learn how to write, is by writing (preferably every day). Everything you write, (be it an SMS, email, letter, or even comment on Facebook or Whats-app) contributes to making you a better writer. You therefore have to make it count and do it properly. The best way to ensure that you write every day is to set a daily word target (200 words a day would be a good start).

Grammar and Punctuation

In writing, there is no room for slang and broken English unless you are a famous writer who is well known for writing that way. If you want to get anywhere as a writer, you have to write in correct grammar for the language you choose to write in. The key to correct grammar is simplicity. The rule of thumb, especially for beginners, is to use the level of English used in Standard Five. Short sentences and little or no vocabulary works for me and I would recommend it for you as well. If you don’t understand anything well, don’t use it in your writing.

Research

There is nothing as bad as a piece of writing in which the facts are incorrect. Whenever you write anything, always verify the facts. The only way to do this is by conducting thorough research on all the facts you wish to write about. We are fortunate to be the generation living in the information age. With a heavily loaded internet, research has never been easier. Research on the internet however, needs to be conducted with extreme care. There is a lot of false or unverifiable information out there. You should only get your information from reputable sites such as Wikipedia and Wikihow.

Proof Reading

Truly beautiful writing is only created through proof reading. This is the intense process of reading through your completed work and correcting it. Personally, I have never written anything that was perfect. I have always found those small spelling errors and typos during proof reading. It is also through proof reading that I have come to learn that the autocorrect function does not always know what you want to say. It often misses the context of a word and you can only find the anomaly through proof reading. Some sentences are too long and others have superfluous words. Proof reading helps you to weed out unnecessary words and split winding sentences into short and precise ones.

Platforms for Showcasing your Writing

There are many forums where you can put up your writing for people to read and give useful feedback. This is important because unless other people read your work, you might never how good (or bad) you are. My forum of choice is blogging (such as this Layman). Blogging is highly recommended for any aspiring writer because it provides a continuous showcase of your writing and enables you to track your progress through the days. The most popular (and free) blog sites are blogpot.com and wordpress.com. It is also possible to blog on the online Standard Newspaper site standardmedia.co.ke under U-Report.

Now that you know how to go about it, you can get started immediately. Those of you who will take this up will never regret it. Writing is a very fulfilling hobby which can also become a reliable source of income. I will however not delve into how to sell your writing here. I will have to wait for you to attain some reasonable proficiency before I can show you how to become a full professional.

Moderation – The Key to Liberation

Extremism rules the world today. Everything is taken in absolute terms. There is no in-between position. It is either this or that; not maybe or somehow. Perhaps it is due to us living in a highly competitive world that we have no time to appreciate the true beauty of life. The experts who are supposed to teach us the ways of moderation are often the ones who are unable to exercise it. Like a wise man once observed, it is not unusual to hear of a doctor grappling with alcoholism or a marriage counsellor getting divorced. While it is an indisputable fact that we need moderation in all we do, it is also true that moderation is a subject that is easier discussed than practised.

Ambition

We can blame it on the rat race or rising cost of living but our generation is highly ambitious. People have become go-getters. They can do anything to achieve their lofty goals. The unfortunate aspect of ambition is the level of compromise it forces one to make. Some of the sacrifices that are made on the altar of ambition include morals, ethics, and quality time spent with family and friends. Ambition is good in that it is what has led to most innovations and achievements in life. If it is not pursued with moderation however, its negative effects can make it counter-productive.

Self Control

The true embodiment of moderation is self control. A person with self control is one of nature’s most beautiful sights. It is however not a straight-forward or easy thing to attain. It first takes a deep desire to have it, coupled with patience, and followed by relentless practice. Once it takes root in one’s character, nothing can remove it and it becomes evident in every word and action.

Good Health

The population is divided into roughly two groups. One group is reckless with its state of health. The members of this group include gluttons, alcoholics, anorexics, bulimics, and couch potatoes. People in this group are busy trying to see how far they can push their bodies in the direction opposite to that of good health. The other group is made up of health freaks. These are the people who ardently read every article on health be it in mainstream or social media. They go further than just read or watch health documentaries. They also try to practice all that they glean from those sources. This is a group that is perpetually on some new ‘effective’ diet or fitness routine.

Good health however, can only be found at some middle point between the two extremes. It is about enjoying the good things in life while taking care not to overindulge in either one way or the other.

Laughter

Lately, I have been encountering a lot of grumpy people. They might as well be robots judging by the way they cannot find humour in the funniest jokes. These are the people who take life too seriously and take offence when people laugh in their presence. I think they lead extremely tough lives and I don’t envy them at all. On the opposite end of the laughter scale are those people who think everything in life is a big joke. These ones are not averse to a practical joke irrespective of the inconvenience or even risk it can cause on their subject. To these practical jokers, April fool’s day should have been a public holiday. I believe laughter and humour should be enjoyed in moderation and good-naturedness.

Up tightness

Perfectionists used to be a rare species of people but not anymore. There are now probably more perfectionists per square kilometre than there were a few decades ago. These are the people who can spend hours arguing semantics. They regard those who are not of their petty disposition as failures. The ideal state of a human being is to be relaxed and not be overbearing on those who are not as good as oneself on any matter. People should be moderate in their judgement on other’s capabilities and intentions.

I have to admit that personally, I had often been an uptight person until middle-age came knocking. I used to have little patience with those who I considered to be intellectually inferior to me. That later changed. I came to learn that moderate people are usually the wisest and most intelligent among us.

 

A Land of Perpetual Beginnings

This last week has been a busy one for politicians. The ruling coalition is now a single party. All the constituent parties, most of them inconsequential, have wound up and a big beautiful new one born. ODM, the leading opposition party has also held its tenth birthday party. It was not just a party for reflection but for new beginnings as well. It was a party to show renewed vigour in fighting to win the government, come the next elections.

Politicians are a reflection of society. The newness with which they declare everything is a treasured mantra across the entire population. There is something special for Kenyans in any new thing.

 

Constitution

All of us were excited to pass a brand new constitution. We had been promised that it would provide a new beginning for us where everything would be perfect. It would address all our problems such as corruption and negative ethnicity. It would help us overcome poverty and ensure our security. It would do all this for one reason only. It was new! Six years down the line, it is not so new anymore and there are already talks of changing it and renewing it once more.

Projects

For some strange reason, the government rarely budgets for repairs and maintenance of expensive projects such as roads. It is common for a road to be left to completely crumble before a new one is constructed in its place. The government behaves like a person who demolishes a house and builds a new one because the old one has faded paint. For the love of new things, our government is ready to sink us in debt that we cannot get ourselves out in this lifetime.

Relationships

Divorce is now cool. Why stick with an old spouse when you can get a new one? There is no longer such a thing as lifelong commitment. You stay with someone only for as long as he or she is the latest arrival. As soon as a newer person shows up, you drop the old one. Please note; newness here is not only in reference to age. It also refers to affluence. Newly moneyed people are considered young and fresh irrespective of age.

Business

In my village, there are several restaurants which have been around for as long as anybody remembers. When the owners grow old (mostly men), they pass the businesses to their sons (most of whom are my age). The youngsters know that they cannot continue at the old man’s speed. They therefore give the place and furniture a new coat of paint. They also put up a sign at a strategic place saying, “Under New Management”. That sign alone is enough to give the business a new lease of life and for the next decade or so, it does booming business until a newer one opens up nearby.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Still in line with business but on a bigger scale is the advent of mergers and acquisitions. Former business rivals are now becoming such close friends to the extent of joining their outfits into bigger companies. They are able to chase new business with new colours and mottos.

Churches

The Christian Religion has become confusing. There are so many churches, ministries, and cults that it is hard to know which is real and which is not. The only criteria that faithful have been left with to decide which church to join is the newness. A new church attracts a lot of adherents. The same applies to a church that has undergone a recent transformation such as a new amphitheatre, or a new faith healer. A preacher who knows how to preach the prosperity gospel in new and appealing ways will also attract an avalanche of believers.

Public Relations

Today, success is not just a matter of figures. It is also about perceptions. I once had a funny colleague who used to say, “You don’t just have to work, you have to be seen to be working”. Every ambitious person, whether in politics, business, or gospel, is keen on the kind of image he portrays to the public. Public relations companies are making a killing by creating the ideal images of their clients. One thing they have to ensure is that those who they represent appear to be the latest, newest, and therefore the coolest.

Tracing My Roots

I have always wanted to know about the origins of my people. Please don’t refer to my recent tirades about getting burdened by being Kikuyu. That was a political position. Today I am looking at the cultural foundation of my people. Earlier this week, I went on a quest. I wanted to find out what makes us tick as a community. The obvious next stop for me was my community’s place of initial dispersal; a Garden of Eden of sorts.

Dispelling Popular Belief

I, like a lot of other people, have always believed that the Kikuyu community hailed from Nyeri. This is not the case. We all came from what is today Murang’a County. We came from a place known as “Mũkũrwe wa Nyagathanga” and this is where I decided to go and learn more.

The Trip

I travelled by shuttle (9 seater van) to Murang’a town on Monday afternoon and spent the night there. Early on Tuesday morning, I boarded a matatu (14 seater van) headed to Kĩrĩainĩ (another town) and about 30 minutes later, alighted at a place locally known as Ha-Kamama. There was a boda boda (motorbike taxis) shed but the last one left as I approached. On enquiry, I was informed that the Mũkũrwe wa Nyagathanga shrine was about 3 Kilometres away; on a murram road that branched off to the left. I decided to walk since it was still early. I walked and arrived at the shrine at 7.30 a.m.

I found a very helpful guard but the old men who take care of the place had not arrived. He tried calling them on their mobile phones but none could be reached. As I was waiting, another ‘adherent’ arrived for prayers carrying a well-fed cockerel, ostensibly to sacrifice at the altar. Neither the other man nor I were allowed to go beyond the waiting area next to the gate until the custodians arrived. We waited patiently until one of the elders arrived at around 10.00 a.m. He immediately commenced teaching us how Gĩkũyũ, the father of the Agĩkũyũ people, ended up at the spot from where he started the community.

The Creation

God created Gĩkũyũ on the top of Mount Kenya known then as Kĩrĩma Kĩrĩnyaga (meaning Mountain of the Ostrich, a sacred bird). He then set him off on one of the tributaries of the Sagana (Thagana) River up on the slopes of the Mountain. He told him to follow the river until he found a Mũkũrwe tree on which a particular species of birds known as Nyagathanga were feeding. He found many Mũkũrwe trees on the way but none of them had the birds until he got to that spot. He found the tree with the birds exactly as described by God and he immediately made it into his shrine from where he always prayed to God facing Mount Kenya.

The Territory

God had further instructed Gĩkũyũ that once he found the place, he would give him the surrounding territory. He told him that his descendants would occupy all the area bounded by the four mountains. These were Mount Kenya to the North, the Abedare Ranges to the    West, the Ngong hills to the South, and Ol Donyo Sabuk (also known as Kilimambogo) to the East. 

 The Clans

While there, God brought a woman to Gĩkũyũ. He was awed by her beauty and he said, “Truly, God is a creator!” He therefore named her Mũmbi, which means ‘the creator’. They started living together and gave birth to nine daughters each of whom was named for her unique characteristics.

The first one was named Wanjirũ because she was dark skinned. The second one was named Wambũi because she was as beautiful and gracious as a Zebra. The third one liked to wander around and so was named Wacera or Wanjeri which means ‘the wanderer’. The fourth one liked to gossip and was called Wanjikũ or Wanjukũ. The fifth one was born during heavy rains and was named Wakiuru or Nyambura. The sixth one was a perfectionist and extremely well organised. She was called Waithĩra or Wangeci. The seventh one was very tall and was named Wairimũ in comparison to the giant ogre of ancient folklore. She was also known as Gathigia.

The eighth daughter was mean and did not like sharing anything with others. She was therefore named Wangarĩ. The ninth one liked to sing and she was named Wangũi which means choirmaster. She was also referred to as Waithiegeni.

The tenth daughter was born long after the other nine. She loved eating the fruits of the Mũkũyũ tree just like her father. She was therefore named Wamũyũ. She was also known as Warigia on account of being the last born.

The Suitors

When the first nine daughters came of age, they desired to get married and have children of their own. They asked their father to get them husbands. He sent them to cut sticks from the forest. Each of them was instructed to cut a stick as tall as her. They brought the sticks to their father and he placed them together. He prayed to God who sent a violent thunderstorm. Sparks fell from the lightening and as soon as they touched the sticks, they were transformed into handsome young men. The nine girls each went and took the man who was of her height and they got married. They had many children, and spread out over the entire territory given to Gĩkũyũ by God.

The Last Born

At the time of Wamũyũ’s birth, her nine sisters were already married. One day, a son on Wanjirũ, the first born, came to visit Gĩkũyũ, his grandfather. He was attracted to Wamũyũ although he was not aware that she was his aunt or even that they were related in any way. They became intimate and before long she was pregnant. A major scandal ensued and the two were banished. They left together and moved out of the Gĩkũyũ territory beyond Ol Donyo Sabuk to the East in today’s Ukambani. They are said to be the ancestors of the Kamba people.

P.S. What I have shared here today is just a titbit of what I was taught by the elders at Mũkũrwe wa Nyagathanga Shrine. Anybody willing to learn this and more, can visit the shrine and get the knowledge of our old men and women. So much wisdom is buried in culture and all of us need to be more curious. And by the way, I belong to the Wacera clan.

The Suddenness of Youth

A person is legally a youth from the day he or she turns 18 up until the eve of their 36^th birthday. Youth is considered a golden era in one’s life. It is a time when the anatomy is fully functional (for the most part), perception of the environment is high, metabolism and energy levels are optimum, and the future looks bright. The only problem I have with youth is that it occurs too suddenly. It also wheezes by too fast and by the time one finds his way, more than half of the 17 years of youth are gone.

Transition from Childhood

A child is a person below the age of 18 years. This then means that only one second separates childhood from youth. It can be overwhelming for a newly minted youth to digest all that he or she has the freedom and power to do. Things that he would do and at worst get a spanking, can now land him in jail. Perhaps it is this suddenness of the onset of youth that causes this troubled age group to be riddled with seemingly insurmountable problems.

Sex

From a legal perspective, children are highly protected as far as sex is concerned. Such terms as defilement and statutory rape usually refer to sexual offences against children. Children cannot give consent to sex and that is why offenders are accused of statutory rape. Although illegal, increasingly more people are engaging in sex even before they attain the age of 18; when they are considered adults. A lot of children who have not yet engaged in sex look forward to the time when they will be 18 so that they can partake of that which everybody is so crazy about. They don’t realise how unprepared they are for the repercussions of sex outside marriage.

Alcohol

I have followed several stories of recovering alcoholics (both men and women) and they have one thing in common. They were all introduced to alcohol when they were children, some even below the age of 10. There is something about habits learned in childhood that makes them extremely hard to break later in life.

I became a teetotaller in an interesting way. When I was in my early 20s, my father said something memorable. He told me that I was free to indulge in alcohol if I wanted because I had come of age. He however added that if he were me, he would wait until he was 30 to start taking alcohol. I took his words to heart and decided to wait until I was 30. What I did not realise then was that by the time I hit this age, alcohol would have absolutely no appeal for me. To date, I have no taste for alcohol apart from the occasional glass or two of wine with my wife.

Warnings  have been put up in places where alcohol is sold and even on the bottles themselves. “Sale of Alcohol is prohibited to Persons under the Age of 18 years”. Many children, particularly those who have already started to experiment with alcohol, cannot wait to reach 18 so that they can buy alcohol freely. They forget that the law which gives them the right to buy and consume alcohol will not protect them from the painful aftermaths of their experience.

Marriage

If a girl aged 17 and a half years elopes with a man, her parents or guardians can mobilise the chief, sub-chief, and all the officers from an entire police station to rescue her. In six months time however, she can call her parents names from her boyfriend’s door step and there is nothing they can do to her. Such is the dramatic change a child’s status can undergo in just a few short months. Young people want to get married which in itself is not a bad thing. However, they want to do so for the wrong reasons. They merely want to exercise their newfound freedom. It is these young people who end up in terrible marriages but they can’t go back because of the bridges they burnt.

Voting

The first important decision that a young person is allowed to make is choosing leaders during elections. The youth form such a significant voting bloc that every aspiring political candidate tries all means to get a piece of it. These recently graduated children are like moulding clay in the hands of shrewd politicians. Their inability to relate bad policies with poor life standards in the country makes them unwitting tools of destruction of the same future that they are convinced belongs to them.

P.S. I have been wondering in my Layman’s mind if it is possible to have a transition period between childhood and youth. We can look at it as a probation of sorts during which all those who do not show maturity can be forced to go back to being children for a little while longer. And can those of us who felt conned out of our youth be allowed to go back briefly like on an exchange programme?