Only good readers can
make good writers
By HENRY UMAHI
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
 |
•Barrister
Paul Ananaba
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Lagos-based legal practitioner and law teacher at Babcock
University, Ilishan, Ogun State, Mr. Paul Chibuike Ananaba
made a mark as a writer with his well-thoughout and exhaustively
researched book entitled, Fundamental Right to Religion. Said
to be the first of its kind, the book discusses the various
religions of the world, religious liberty and obligations
thereto.
Although Ananaba writes with an obvious bias of a practising
lawyer, he cleverly avoids the jargons and obscure writing
style of his contemporaries. Thus his books are written in
a highly lucid prose that makes reading a pleasure. Recently,
he spoke to Daily Sun on his style of writing, his message
and other issues about writing and publishing.
Why I write
I started writing when I discovered that in most of the books
or literatures that I read, I found some areas lacking. So,
I felt that there is no other way to pass on my own views
except by writing because even when you address the press
and all that, they don’t last. And I know that there
are also people who area somewhere looking for people to fill
some gap. I know knowledge progresses. So, I felt that there
was need for me to also make my own contribution and the best
way is to start writing. And I must say, it wasn’t easy
at the beginning. When you read the biography of some great
writers and how they started writing, you begin to get some
inspiration. But for writing, today I don’t know what
the world would have been. By writing, you bring out what
is in you. So, I write to inform and educate in a manner that
is refreshingly unique. My works essentially serve as reference
base for today as well as posterity.
Writer’s bloc
I do not just pick up a pen and write. When I want to write,
sometimes for a week or a longer period I can’t even
write anything except when inspiration comes.
Many writers are known to go to the country side or secluded
areas when they want to write. In my own case, it doesn’t
work that way. I can be discussing with someone and inspiration
will come and I will start to write. I can be discussing and
writing. So, most times I write by inspiration. Certain things
or areas of life comes up to me and I will start writing.
Target audience
When I am writing, most of the times the audience is so important
to me. I try to appeal to a particular audience that I feel
I can adequately pass my message to. For example, in one of
my books, Essential Principles of Nigerian Law, I had in mind
people who needed to have some knowledge of Nigerian law without
necessarily being legal practitioners. It is especially meant
for people going for professional examinations in banking,
management and insurance among others. The reason I decided
to write that book was that most of the books I had seen around,
in the course of teaching law at Babcock University, Ilishan,
Ogun State, were so difficult for people to understand. I
discovered that what many of the authors were doing was just
to copy English cases. So, I felt there was need to treat
Nigerian cases and situations and reduce this fearful thing
about Nigerian laws to something everyone can get into. For
me, the target audience is very important and should, therefore,
be put into consideration when writing. In writing that book
I asked myself, how can I get a banker to develop interest
in law. You know, most times, people shy away from studying
or looking at law because of the jargons and/or obscure writing
style of most of the law books writers which makes reading
and understanding difficult or tasking. But when it is simplified,
people will not run away from it.
Writing style
In writing, it is not easy to develop a style. You will be
drawn into following the ways of one author or the other.
But I thank God that in the way I write, I have been able
to develop my own district style. Take a book like The Fundamental
Right to Religion. As at the time I was writing that book,
I could check round the world even up to the library of the
United States Congress, there is no book on the right to religion.
It has always been a chapter or a part of treating the right
to religion. But there was none focusing on the right to religion
alone. So, there was nobody to copy. I had to develop a style
that would make my readers appreciate the work and find it
interesting. Like I said, my writing comes by inspiration.
I don’t have any particular time table for writing.
I could write at anytime of the day as long as something strikes
me. I could be reading a newspaper or listening to the news
on radio and there and then some message is passed to the
brain and I will start to write.
Publications
At present, I have written four books. The first major book
I wrote was entitled, The Fundamental Right to Religion. The
second one is Essential Principles of Nigeria Law I have two
other ones being printed right now. One of them dealing with
the Sharia Law in Nigeria is being published by Spectrum books.
Besides these I make contributions to international journals.
I have done a series on the broadcasting code among other
works. My write-ups are over ten on specific Nigerian issues.
They have been published in newspapers and magazines as well
as presented in seminars and workshops.
Publishing in Nigeria is difficult
My worry is that it is difficult to publish in Nigeria. It
is my hope that a time will come when government will deem
it necessary to encourage writers. And many publishers are
not willing to encourage writers. There is no protection for
the young writer. Often you see people going about with manuscript
without anyone willing to publish their work. Some publishers
are more interested in their being paid before anything is
done. And many talented young writers don’t have the
money, so they don’t get published. It is expensive
to publish books and the cost implication deter many would
- be authors. At the end of the day, we are left with foreign
publications and that is not good enough for both the writers
and the nation.
Advice to young writers
I encourage young writers not to be deterred by the harsh
conditions and the acts of pirates, who reap where they do
not sow. Those who are interested in writing should also read
extensively to expand their horizon because you cannot be
a good writer without being a good reader. As you read, you
will find your failures as well as areas to write on. Young
people should not bury their talents no matter the difficulties.
I believe that if one keeps trying, by God’s grace,
one day one will make it. They should draw from the experiences
of great achievers who went through all sorts of hardships
before making it just because they refused to quit. In one
word, I will tell upcoming writers not to allow their pen
to run dry because quitters don’t win just as winners
don’t quit. |
