READERS' CORNER: Why writers should not seek attention on social media

Why writers should not seek attention on social media

by Vivere Nandiemo

There has been debate in the literary circles that was ignited by Mr Lucas Wafula, an editor at a leading newspaper, concerning the use of social media by writers. In his weekly column, Mr Wafula, in the article titled ‘Facebook posts will not make you a writer,’ decried the growing tendency of budding writers to over-rely on social media to seek recognition for their inchoate literary activities.

He argues that “many would-be writers are turning to social media to seek recognition. They boast about what they have written and how they will soon be unleashing more powerful texts.” The writer’s views attracted varied reactions with scores of readers and writers voicing their opinions for or against the subject. However, this whole debate brought to the fore the pertinent issues concerning the role of social media in literature.

Social media has revolutionised our ways of thinking and disseminating of information. It has offered a potent platform for people to instantly share information, experiment on new ideas, market novel ideas and generally develop new interactions in this highly globalised society. This is why even big businesses in the world have taken to social media.

Social media is also playing a monumental role in literature as scores of contemporary writers glean writing ideas from the various social sites.

Social sites have helped upcoming writers to post their works — like poems and short stories — and receive instant feedback. What’s more, social media has provided a fertile ground for young literary organisations to sprout and flourish. Publishers have also taken to social media to share information with budding writers. In a nut shell, the future of literature lies in the digital world.

However, social media poses an inherent risk of stunting the literary growth of writers who misuse it. One of the greatest stumbling blocks to budding writers is their need to acquire quick wealth and instant fame from writing. This desire has led some to sacrifice quality. Thus they are not driven to write out of passion but merely for fame and its attendant benefits.

This crop of budding writers has taken to social media to advance their literary utilitarianism. They are quick to post their works on social media and create a lot of fuss about their ‘unparalleled’ literary abilities. They conceitedly sing praises about their ‘works’ or ‘upcoming works’ and patronisingly attack their critics who objectively point out their missteps while they celebrate their ‘friends’ who stroke their ego by urging them on. They are quick to dismiss other writers and publishers. They also disparage editors in mainstream media for not publishing their ‘literary critiques.’ This explains why instead of using social media for intellectual discourses, they tread vile vituperations with critics and other writers. Clearly this does not help one to become prolific writer, instead it stifles creativity.

Budding writers should learn to use social media to grow their writing. This is because the social media’s potential to develop literary creativity is matched only by its sheer potential to kill it. We have to acknowledge that there are success stories of writers who have used social media to advance their writing careers. Writers such as Alex Nderitu, Kenya’s foremost digital novelist, and Wanja Kavengi, Kenya’s prolific Facebook writer, readily come to mind.

Upcoming writers should learn how to use social media to publicise their work and reach out to a wider audience. Last week, poet Adipo Sidang used social media to publicise his new collection of poems, Parliament of Owls. It is because of social media that a big crowd gathered at Goeth Institut for the launch of the book.

I concur with Mr Wafula that the only way one can improve his/her writing is by writing, embracing criticism and putting into use great ideas from various sources including social media. Indeed, writing is an excruciating affair that calls for patience and perseverance. One cannot expect to achieve instant fame and wealth in writing. It takes time to become prolific, and clearly Facebook posts cannot help much on this.

More importantly, writers should let their readers comment on their works and the best they (writers) can do is to learn from objective views. This is the reason Prof. Austin Bukenya recently opined that writers ‘die’ the moment they publish their work. The budding writers should stop being writers as well as critics of their own works especially on social media. They should stop seeking unnecessary attention on social media.

The writer teaches at Sakuri Girls’ High School in Kuria East, Migori County. ([email protected])

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Give help to online writers

by Dickson Aseri

Today’s reality is that the average teenager spends more time online than sleeping. Indeed, it is common for young people to wish their parents goodnight, go to bed only to spend hours on their mobile phones. The social media has taken over all spheres of our lives, including the literary scene.

The cost of publishing in Kenya is prohibitive. This is why most budding writers have resorted to online writing through blogs. This in itself is proof of the desire to write. It is upon all stakeholders on the literary scene to tap into this desire.

First, its high time a literary award was given for online writing. Such an award would appreciate writers who publish their works online and those who have personal active blogs. The winner would be easy to identify by simply counting the number of likes every publication has and the number of publications that the online author has. Why not fete our online authors with the same zeal that we fete our mainstream writers?

Secondly, more online publishing firms should be set up. Isn’t it astonishing that there is no government online publishing firm? Why can’t the ministry of Education and the ministry of ICT set up one that will offer services at an affordable cost?

Similarly, the ministry of Education could offer grants and incentives to online writers. Such could include free mainstream publication of their selected works, inclusion of such works in the school curriculum and an appreciation fee.

Also, with the advent of the schools’ laptop project, learners should be encouraged to read most of their pieces online. This would have the positive effect on online writers, who will then have a wide market for their works. Come to think of it, we have digitally revitalised everything except publishing.

I get perturbed when I come across beautifully created works of art on sites like Facebook and Instagram and on people’s personal blogs whose only appreciation is the likes and a few comments. Could the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and the ministry of Education wake up to the reality that the modern day writer does not have the patience to walk into 100 publishing firms and wait for their works to get published?

The writer teaches at Mukumu Girls High School in Kakamega County. [email protected]

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There’s nothing wrong with holiday tuition

by Kiairie Ranji

I ask the sages in education, what exactly is wrong with holiday tuition that teachers should be hounded like dangerous criminals just because they are teaching during the holidays? Can someone clearly point out the evils of parents making private arrangements with teachers to coach a child when this is agreed upon by the three parties without any force or coercion?

I think we are not being told the truth. Listen to this. The government extended the December holiday to two months without consulting you or me.

They then expect your child and my child to remain at home idle for two months while theirs up there are spoilt for choices.

The first two weeks, they will enrol their children in the rich-only super-clubs like Maneno World, where they will go for bonding, team building, mountain climbing and other excursions costing hundreds of thousands of shillings.

They will come back home for another two weeks, where private tutors will be engaged to teach them to play the piano from the comfort of their homes. Finally, they will have a week to relax as they prepare to be flown to holiday destinations of their choice for the Christmas and New Year festivities.

All the same time, the government is holding a big whip ‘on your behalf’ to protect you from ‘greedy’ teachers and make sure your child remains at home to ‘rest and relax’. Of course in the course of resting and relaxing, your child will experiment with pornography and drugs and even join criminal groups in the neighbourhood.

Kenyans should see that this is a well calculated manoeuvre to make sure that only the children of the rich remain up there while the rest of us and our children remain down here. Bertolt Brecht would sum it up well in a proverb: “A fine day, lets go fishing, said the angler to the worm.”

Meanwhile, where are our busy bodies who hover around the court corridors for prey? Is this not a very strong case to ask whether the government has any business interfering with private arrangements between parents, teachers and pupils, especially if this is happening in a private institution where government has no stake?

The writer is an educationist based in Nairobi

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Why we should accept Sheng in our schools

by Ken Odhiambo

Perhaps the best known artist who uses Sheng in his songs is Jua Cali. I first met the veteran genge artist at a scouts’ meeting I had organized with the L.A. (Local Association of Embakasi scouts) in 2009. He spoke Swahili heavily accentuated with Sheng.

This is a language which is rapidly changing with each new generation. Sheng emerged in Nairobi’s Eastlands around 1960s. Whether it is a song blasting in Kayole’s 1960 matatus or two teens chit-chatting, you can never miss dau, cheddar or mkwanja in money-exchanging circles.

Even though Sheng is used day-to-day, it has not been fully accepted in offices and boardrooms. It’s mostly used among peers.

It’s perhaps good news that Kenyatta University’s literature department has translated the late Ugandan poet Okot P’Bitek’s Song of Lawino to Mahewa ya Lawino.

Upon retirement, former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga posed on his Twitter page: “ukibonda sembe na ka mboga ukiwa na maraia uko mbele tu sana, imajin nikiretire tuanzishe ka chuo ka Sheng.”

Perhaps the best case study should be West Africa. In Nigeria, writers use pidgin by choice. Writers such as Cyprian Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe, Frank Aigi, Wole Soyinka, Tunde Fatunde and poet Ezenwa Ohaeto have all used pidgin in their writings.

Sheng use in classroom is here to stay. It might take a long time for Sheng’ texts to be approved by KICD, but we are in the right direction.

The writer is a teacher in Siaya County

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Use drama to teach about good manners

by Vincent Okumu

To come up with a disciplined society, learning institutions should embrace the creative arts. Our teenagers mostly lack discipline. Some have been caught freely engaging in vices like drinking, sex and even burning their schools.

Why acting? Students can acquire knowledge and skills necessary for living through drama as they mimic bad and good behaviour while acting. Those with bad behaviour are punished and taught a new way of life while those with good behaviour are rewarded. Grandparents used to be the source of teachings on social values and creative arts can play the same role.

The writer is  a communication and media studies student at Maseno University