The
Writing Process (1)
By
Mike
Okhihiemen
formerly Atohengbe Aigbomian
Mike Okhihiemen |
Book
production begins inevitably with the writing process. After this comes the
proofreading. A well proofread
manuscript would still the need the
attention of your editor. If your editor is not a publisher, he would need to
send your manuscript, perhaps on your behalf, to the graphic artiste, who would page – plan
your book for another set of editing and proofreading. When all those are satisfied,
the lithographer’s attention would be needed. When the lithographer’s job is complete, you go to press ; and your
books are 40% ready.
But
here, we are starting from the starting point: The writing process; perhaps later we shall go to the press. To
very many enthusiastic writers, this is where the problem really lies.
I
have come across many a writer whose initial headache was really starting the
book. In the hard process of trying to start and fail, they never started at
all. Then the book remained in their minds. But one must remember that anything
not written down does not exist. So their books never existed
To those who know, the process is simple. Recently a pastor who wanted desperately to write a book came to my office for consultation. As we began to talk I could see an obvious desire on his face. Then the following short dialogue ensured:
“Pastor,
what’s the tithe of your look?” I asked
“I
have not titled it”
“What
do you want to write about?”
“Yes,
this topic em, em masturbation. I think it is a very serious
issue among youths now. I am so concerned so I want to put up a small book on
it, but I don’t know where top start”
he finally muttered while I
waited and listened patiently.
“We
are going to do a small experiment” I told him.
“Take
a sheet of paper and a pen, then write down the answers to the questions I am
going to ask you”
Obediently,
he took a clean A4 sheet and a ball
point pent ready to write but still wondering what I was up to . Then I
continued: “In your proposed mini book, what do you intend to let your readers
know?” This sounded like another JAMB question to him, so I broke the question down to his
understanding
“Pastor,
what I mean is this; I want you to write
out (like a primary six child) seven things you want to tell your readers.
Begin like this
1. I want to tell my readers that…… This
woke him up.
“Oho now I understand. Yes. No. he
said and began thus:
1 “I want my readers to
know the dangers of masturbation.
2. I want my readers to know how to escape from masturbation
3. I want my readers to know that it is not difficult to overcome it.
4. I want my readers to know that I too was involved in it.
5. I want my readers to knows… ,he wrote up to point
6
I want my readers…
7
I want my readers …..
After
he was done which did not take a considerable time, we had seven points on what
the wanted his readers to know. Where he handed the sheet over to me, I looked
at him in the face and smiled, and I said “Pastor you have seven chapters
already for your mini book”
The
happiness that came across his face confirmed that his consultation was worth
the time.
Book
writing is that simple.
To begin with, many are not aware that writing
a book is like building a house. Most good builders would begin with the plan
of the house. Your book needs a plan.s If the writing is not properly planned,
like a building too, the editor might notice a structural defect after the book
had been completed By then it could be difficult to amend. In some cases, a
fresh re-writing is the only way out. But then can the author pay the price?
You
need a plan for your book to start properly. Sit down, with a paper and think,
ask yourself those questions
(1) What do I want to say? (in one sentence)
(2) What problem do I intend to solve with this
published book?
(3) What do I want my readers to know? (itemize them up to 10 or
more)
If
the intending author is honest with his/her answers to these questions, some of
the followings points will emerge.
(1) The
title of the book
(2) The
chapters of the book
(3) Introduction
for the book
Sometimes
though, many writers do not bother themselves with title of their books before
writing . They go straight to the chapters which, of course are very important.
However, I do not subscribe to this negligence. I believe that faithfulness to
the title can only be achieved when the
author constantly remembers and diligently keep a date with the title. Many
books with this error are not faithfully worth their
titles. You may have noticed that some books contents do not actually satisfy
their title claims… well that is a topic for another day.
When
the chapters of your book are well laid out, it gives you direction. That sense
of direction co-ordinates your book into a unified whole, that gently hold your readers bound till the last
chapter.
No
matter what you choose to write about, be sure to include specific imagery and
detail, and keep the five senses in mind. When you decide what to write about,
write your first notes or first draft rapidly, without censoring yourself.
Don't worry about structure, rhyme or grammar. Just get words on paper and see
where the process takes you.
It doesn't matter where you start: the only
thing that matters is where you finish. As Ezra Pound said, it doesn't matter
which leg of your table you make first, as long as it stands up in the end.
Once you've got something on the page, you have something to work on. Anything that prevents you getting those first words on the page has to be avoided. High expectations and thinking about the finished product rather than the task at hand can have a paralysing effect on those first words.
There's a time to think about the story or the book as a whole. There's a time to ask yourself what your story is about, or what it means. There's a time to demand the best of yourself. But the time to do those things is not at the beginning. At the beginning, the only thing that matters is to get some words, any words, on the paper.
Why is that so hard? Sometimes it's because our minds are blank . That why you need a guild as stated before .
Sometimes our minds are
full of voices, whispering advice to us about how to write. They drown out the
voice of our own mind which, at this stage, needs all the encouragement it can
get. No matter what happens just write. Remember that any thing not
written down does not exist, Let your book exist .Write it down.
Mike
Okhihiemen ,
formerly
Atoh. Aigbomian
wrote
this piece from
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