The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
LET’S face it. The majority of Zimbabwean writers never went through serious and credible creative writing courses or writing workshops. Only a handful did. The majority of the country’s successful writers learnt the tricks of the trade on the job, mostly on their own. They plunged into the deep end of the pool and, through trial and error, came out with a working formula that catapulted them to national or international success. Most, if not all, did not start at the top of their game.
They became better with time and more practice and if a young writer were to ask for advice from most of these successful writers today the response is likely to be the same: you only become a good writer by writing as often as possibly — everyday if possible.
The reason why most did not go through creative writing courses and workshops is obvious. No rocket science is needed to point it out. Back then there were no creative writing courses, or workshops.
If they were there they were not as frequent as they are now and besides most aspiring writers could not access them. Even today there are still no serious creative writing courses offered by any reputable institution of higher learning. For example, does the University of Zimbabwe offer any majors in creative writing?
The same question can be thrown at Lupane State University, National University of Science and Technology, Great Zimbabwe University and Midlands State University. And the answer to the question is an obvious one. Writing courses in this country still fall under other departments like English and Communication.
There was also a belief then that writing was a craft one is born with. “You are either born a writer or not.” This was the common saying then. We believed it simply because those that had made it credited no one else but their God-given talent.
Good writing was nothing but talent. However, the advent of technology and the coming together of the world as a global village have made information and resources more accessible to the aspiring writer. Perceptions have also changed. Now there is a serious belief that creative writing can actually be taught.
In fact we know for a fact now that writing can be taught. Today those who want to take their writing to a serious level are enrolling for creative writing courses outside Zimbabwe and on the internet. Obviously those who can’t afford the courses are busy teaching themselves how to write properly through writing manuals and guides. The resources are there.
It is true that writing is a craft, a skill. A skill can be horned, sharpened by constant practice. That is why successful writers will tell you that the only way to improve one’s writing is to “write, read and write more!” It is quite amusing to come across young writers who claim they don’t read what other writers write. If you don’t read others then you have no business trying to write for others. Writers read and writers share.
Nowadays, when one enters the entertainment sector one is immediately told that talent alone is not enough. And that is the truth. Talent contributes a mere thirty percent to one’s success.
The sector is a cut throat sector where the best and most cunning survive. For a writer to survive and make it big he or she has to be at the top of his or her game. In the past Zimbabwe produced top notch writers in the form of Dambudzo Marachera, Charles Mungoshi, Tsitsi Dangarembwa and Yvonne Vera; writers who conquered Africa and beyond and in the process raised Zimbabwe’s literary flag with their writing. Then we went through a very serious dry spell.
However, recently there have been a few Zimbabwean writers popping up on the international scene and raising the Zimbabwean flag. The likes of Petina Gappah, NoViolet Bulawayo, Masimba Musodzi and others.
While creative writing can be taught in class it should be remembered that a successful writer has to be very imaginative and possess the skills to write good stories. For it is good stories that are well told that readers all over the world continue to search for; some are even prepared to pay top dollar for good stories.
