THREE VITAL TOOLS FOR WRITERS

ABILITY, IMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS:


3 VITAL TOOLS FOR WRITERS

If you are a good and genuine informant and/or educator, then have it in mind that you have been helping to keep thousands of souls alive. On the other hand; if you’re talkative, don’t forget that millions of innocent souls have gone beneath the earth crust as a result of your worthless idiosyncrasy.

Also, as an individual with high profundity, if your optimum interest is to make people around you informed/learned as you are or more learned than you are, then in you, nature is fulfilled. On a different note; if you belong to the team that believes or is being guided with the ideology that the world should be turned ablaze just for its selfish interest, then in you, nature is cursed.

Brethren, both in my leisure and business moment, I have taken time to ask myself and as well think aloud, what the universe would have been like provided there is nothing like information or information dissemination. Sometimes I also ask myself if some other learned fellows are occupied with same or similar thought. But my last encounter with a friend and mentor who happens to be a senior lecturer ushered me into a line of conclusion that most brains are really busy.

If you take a close look at the topic for today, you will discover that we’re discussing writers generally. When I say generally, I meant both creative and non-creative writers. That is; any person/personnel involved in any form of writing. Someone who supports information dissemination. A fellow that encourages change/development. In a nut shell, a crusader of education. Yes, because if there’s no writing, information will never be properly disseminated. And, if there’s no writing, change or adequate development would not be guaranteed. More so, zero writing is tantamount to a society with zero education which is significantly, a blind society.

This is to say that, writers are indeed the backbone of any genuine societal change. In other words, no society/union can dwell without writers or writing.

Having noted the above facts, I also want to use this avenue to notify the people involved or the concerned personnel on the tools they are meant to embrace to ensure adequate/genuine professionalism. Because, any profession has ethics guiding it. In the writing profession, the participant must understand that tools such as ability, immunity and consciousness are not to be taken for granted if effective and efficient and above all, progressive professionalism must be attained. Let’s ride on!

One’s ability to do something is the quality or skill that makes it possible for him/her to do it. There is certain skill requires in writing. This is why you can’t come from anywhere and decide to embark on writing, especially in creative writing. You must possess the needed skill before you could stride successfully. It’s a fact. Yes, a fancy fact! For instance, this is why most times people who lack the skill to write or compile academic materials such as text book end up copying works originated by other academics. And this syndrome has led to a high increase in piracy. If you have the interest to write, next thing you ought to do is to ensure that you acquire the necessary skill needed in writing. This aspect is of great importance, therefore must not be overlooked.

Secondly, immunity according to the context of this edition is the defence one has towards something harmful. Having acquired the needed skill to write, you must also ensure that you have some immunity guiding you. From my humble perspective, the greatest key to one’s immunity room is his/her conscience. In Igbo land, our ancestors call it “ogu na ofo” or “ofo na ogu”. Thus, you must write to satisfy your conscience, else, that would be the beginning of your downfall.

The last but not the least is consciousness. Your consciousness is your mindset coupled with your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes. Every writer is expected to be conscious of what he/she does, say or write regardless of the circumstance. You must endeavour to think in the right direction and continually stick to tangible ideologies. You should be aware of the impact you always create through your writing prowess or creative ingenuity. Write to educate, entertain, inform and above all, to foster absolute development and extreme unity among mankind or amongst the members of any society you find yourself.

Honestly brethren, we must do this thing right for our society to be better. Do it to please He who sent you, and not to achieve your selfish goal/desire. Mind you, you don’t need to be talkative if this must work. Think about it!

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COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

Social analyst & activist