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From: A very disturbed Ghanaian observer
Dear Ghanaian Writer,
I’m not writing this to ask how you are doing. I’m writing this to ask what you are doing. I’m not asking what you have in your hands because I know what you hold. Your weapon is your pen but your pen isn’t mightier than the sword as it’s supposed to be. In fact, the sword has become mightier and sharper than your pen which could cause a revolution if only you would let it.
It is not that the ink in your pen has stopped flowing; in fact, the ink tube in there is full and flowing, ready for you to craftily turn the pen and write. The fact is that you do hold the pen but you don’t make it move to put down the words to stain the offending empty white sheet. Tell me, do you think that your English is so bad that brofo no you can’t write? Well, who told you that writing is just for the English? Do you think you have run out of stories or there’s nothing to write about?
Well, look at the child on the streets who is very passionate about begging. The child who’s skin clearly shows that she’s not a Ghanaian and definitely not from around these parts. She’s in tattered clothes and looks dirty and ragged and she’s begging for some money. She’s so persistent that she had pull on your dress and chase you if that will get her a few coins or a note with a big number. She has her puppy-eyed look on that could make you dig all the money from your pocket and hand it to her. She has travelled lots of miles from Niger for this. She was a beggar here but who knows; she could be a princess in Niger.
Look outside your window, observe the sounds and smells of the trotro station, look at yourself, look at the people, listen to what they say and see whether you will have nothing to write about.
You keep staring at the white sheet hoping that it will speak to you – say something, anything but you do not know that you have to give it a mouth by the words you write.
Ghanaian writer, I have had the opportunity to watch you for months and years and I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t that you are not creative ooo, it is that you are obstinate and full of blame, making unfounded excuses.
You blame your actions on everyone and everything, the environment and the weather included. You sleep on the stories that only you can tell and you sleep on the pen that is supposed to be your weapon to shift paradigms. You fill your time watching movies and series that eat your life, your imagination and your stories away. You don’t wake up at the crack of dawn to spill your guts on that page when you have to, when everywhere is quiet and your mind can speak to you.
You have a lot of certificates, dear writer – certificates of participation that were given to you for attending numerous writing workshops. Believe me, that is commendable. It really tells me that you are actually serious with this craft and I have hope. You even have pictures to go along with them for evidence and you add it to your CV, hoping and knowing that it shall open doors for you. You have them clearly stated on your bios on facebook, instagram, twitter and Linkedin accounts. You are also on countless whatsapp group pages of writers clubs.
You call yourself a prolific writer but show me, where is the book you have written? Isn’t that book evidence enough of that certificate and even better? Isn’t the book a proof of what you learnt at those workshops?
Oh, I have written a book, you say. And then you show me the three books you have written. I look at the titles and skim through. The title of these books are ‘55 effective ways to success’, ‘1000 ways to make her never leave you’ and ‘Why you don’t have to fail’ – all motivational and inspirational and all, empty.
Ok, so I know you’ve written a book – three books actually. Good. I’m happy. Let’s clap for you, I say, and you know that I’m being sarcastic. Dear Ghanaian writer, I know you are young but did you seriously write this for the 30 year old me or for the 50 year old me so that I can be motivated by you who hasn’t really seen much of life yet? I’m very much experienced than you are about life situations and how much the government’s decisions can influence your choices and initiations. Maybe, I’m your church member so I think I’ll just buy it to sow into your life because you are young, promising and have the potential.
I go to read your books and the content just makes me puke. They are just compilations of the Robert Kiyosakis, Farrah Grays and Oprah Winfreys. At least if your books were Christian literature that would have been better. Let me burst those bubbles you’ve blown. You’ve become the 21st Century pirate, Ghanaian writer because you are beginning to make me think that it’s not a pen you are holding but a photocopying machine. You produce the text literation as if you have no letters of your own.
Where are your words? Where is your story? Where is that story from your hands and heart? Where is that creativity in you? Where is that imagination? At least, if you want to inspire people, can’t you inspire them by sharing your personal experience, or the experience of your parents or grandparents?
I know that the economic situation and the standard of living of this country are what pushed you to write motivational and inspirational pieces. And I know you also heard that there’s money in there too because people would pay huge sums of money to read inspirational books and attend motivational programmes and workshops of the writers who wrote those books. They teach you to apply strategies that often do not suit this unique country of ours. They teach that everyone should be an entrepreneur. But if everyone is an entrepreneur, who would want to work in your enterprise since all your employees would want to go off to start their own companies?
To tell you the truth, that does not grow minds and imagination.
Writing has become a money-generating venture for you instead of a medium for you to communicate, Ghanaian writer. You don’t dream of becoming a writer anymore; you dream of money and that’s why you write photocopied inspirational words.
If you say you are who you are, let us see your point of view about the world, situations and issues. Let us see those characters you have created and the language you have spun. Let us see the culture and the society you have built and the battles you have fought in. Let us see those words written to fill that empty white sheet of paper so courageously and clearly. Let us see those words that reveal the truth.
Dear Ghanaian writer, don’t also think you know everything. You are not a good reader that is why you are not a good writer. Read voraciously; see how other writers have addressed issues. See how the good writers have built a whole country with words and find your style.
Break some rules
Be creative and break some rules. Not every story has to start with ‘once upon a time’ and end with ‘The End’. Be observant and speak to people because stories are people and people are stories.
And then sit down and write. Be filled with moxie to hold that pen and be free. Let the words flow and create. Brofo is not easy but it is also not hard. Keep in mind that writing is an art and you can express yourself in any language.
Yours faithfully,
A now hopeful Ghanaian observer.
*Brofo: English
*Trotro: term used for a commercial bus in Ghana
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