Encourage young writers to be the best

NAIROBI: Last week ended on a dark note – especially for lovers of popular literature; Jackie Collins, the British-born author died of cancer. Ms Collins wrote 32 novels translated in 40 languages and sold over 500 million copies!

The irony is that Collins never thought she could write. Actually, she was an actress. During her time as an actress, she would start writing a manuscript and then stop mid-way.

Even though she used to score so well in composition while in school, Collins didn’t know she could write and no one told her she could.

“I got no encouragement. They just sent you to school – nobody would say, ‘How did you do? I was top in English composition. Everything else I was two out of 100,” she said in an interview in 2011.

It was not until her husband read her unfinished manuscript and encouraged her to complete it that she realised she could write and that she always wanted to be a writer – it turned out to be a bestseller!

Today, I would like to address that person who is related to or that is close to someone who might be a writer, especially teachers. I wonder if we ever think of the immense influence we have on would-be writers.

When I joined high school, I remember walking into the physics lab for my first physics lesson and the teacher said, ‘physics is hard, okay.’ Suddenly, he caused me to regard this subject with disdain. On the other hand, my father always told me, ‘reading makes a man.’ And many years later, I still read and write a lot.

Have you ever thought that your son, daughter, sibling, spouse or student could be interested in writing? How many times have you encouraged them to write?

I hope you are not one of those teachers who force pupils to study maths because “English and Swahili are ‘easy’ “! How sad. I hope you are that parent who encourages children to be the best they can be in whatever field they choose, provided it is legitimate.

I hope you are that spouse that sees a Shakespeare in your wife, an Achebe in your daughter or a Ngugi in your son.

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The question is do you encourage that writer near you; with what and how often? Do you read their work and tell them how good they are?

Do you buy them books to read? Oh this is the digital era – have you considered buying that kindle for your child? You never know, your child might be the one who leaves the biggest digital footprint because of her or his writing!

Writers just like other workers need encouragement from those around them.

Just like budding surgeons, engineers, priests or business people, young writers are never sure; they require reassurance. Unfortunately, many of us are never ready to encourage greatness; we only like to associate with it once it matures.

Looking back, I don’t remember any of my teachers of English or Swahili encouraging me to write, not even my lecturer of the Art of Writing who gave me an A in the same Unit! If you are such a teacher, don’t take offence, make amends – walk up to that pupil and encourage him or her to write even more.

Dave Eggers, the renowned American writer, editor, and publisher said this in remembrance of his High School English teacher “...below the grade Mr Criche wrote, ‘Sure hope you become a writer.’ That was it. Just those six words, written in his signature handwriting – a bit shaky, but with a very steady baseline.

It was the first time he or anyone had indicated in any way that writing was a career option for me. We’d never had any writers in our family line, and we didn’t know any writers personally, even distantly, so writing for a living didn’t seem something available to me. But then, just like that, it was as if he’d ripped off the ceiling and shown me the sky.”

Eggers went on to be a novelist and screenwriter.

In conclusion therefore, I must say even readers have an obligation to encourage writers to write.

It would actually be wrong to expect writers to be better if they don’t get feedback from the readers – positive or negative.

The positive will encourage them to write more while the negative will cause them to stop and ponder.

Great writing will not just occur; it is a process that all over us must be part of and be proud of those among us who create a new world for us through writing.