It’s world book day today.
Amos, a young intelligent Nigerian writer, shares his thoughts on why he loves to write. See a connection between reading and the act of writing. because he shares an interesting bedrock that had helped his writing become better.
Its only necessary that I should state that its the love I have for reading that birthed the love for writing.
There was this quote I saw one time grafted on a wall in Port-Harcourt and it read’ ‘we all love reading, only that some persons haven’t found their favorite book yet; this goes to show that the culture of reading is embedded in us all, only that some persons haven’t taken the pain to search for that which would inspire them. I fell in love with books at a tender age, I have a father who had stacks of books in his small library so it was only common for him to want to train his children in the art of reading. Funny thing is along the way, I fell off. I entered the varsity and made friends with people who didn’t have so much value for books and it had an effect on me. Wasn’t till after I graduated, that I went back to my first love. Sorry for the long history. I just wanted to lay a foundation.
Reading has come to mould me into who I’m becoming everyday. Reading is the most profound mind shift ever known to man. You can’t change a man without first changing his thought pattern and books has been and will continually be a major tool in renewing the mind of man. Before now, I wasn’t so intentional in my reading. I picked up any book which isn’t so wise. Reading is only healthy when you become deliberate in your choice of books. Reading has given me more experiences and increased my understanding and knowledge of the world. Its given me an edge over my past and a hope that the future is just as we create it to be.
It makes my mind profoundly creatively; When I read some books, I’m being lifted from my present to a makeshift world where I conjure images that make up for scenes. This helps sharpen my retentive memory as it gets imprinted in my mind which forms experiences for me. I came to have this deep affinity for reading because its helped me explore the world in diverse ways. Just imagine picking up a book and it takes you to faraway Colorado, an unfamiliar setting and then your mind goes into an overdrive planting near perfect pictures of the described scenes. It just gives you a broader view of the World we live in, making you vastly acquainted not only with your present surrounding but the world at large.
Its helped me break strongholds of my previously held beliefs. I’m now more familiar with other continents, traditions, cultures and behavioral patterns than I’ve ever been. I can proudly say I’m no longer novice to the world culture.
Reading has help to bond me with people of different descents and backgrounds. They might not know me personally but reading their words in prints has sort of given me this closeness with them. I feel like I know some authors each time I pick up their books. I can almost always know how their mind works especially in regards to storytelling novels. Its been and will always be beautiful reading.
I read. I’m reading. And I will gain foothold on Earth with my knowledge of books. Like a saying goes ‘Leaders are Readers’. Who ever said “If you want to hide something from a Black person, put it in a book” sure hasn’t met me for I won’t only find it but I’d eat the book.
How can I begin to write all these if not for the impact of reading. I’m quite the quiescent type. I don’t mix up so easily so writing has been my way of communicating my thoughts and desires to people. I could sit with you and not utter a word but give me a notepad and I will pour my heart out. I didn’t even know how to keep a ‘normal’ conversation going. Thank goodness for mobile phones that helps me opt out now when the moment gets awkward. It sometimes can be frustrating when my heart shouts a million things but my mouth only just forms a smile. The heart sometimes just doesn’t know how to connect with the mouth. The hand on its own, is a good translator of the heart; scribbling the heart’s contents away.
I’ve always loved writing but was restrained due to my infrequent reading pattern back then. What could I write on if I hadn’t gained adequate knowledge on it. Reading books and listening to people has had a tremendous effect on how I write. I’m usually persuaded to write on just about anything but it never just works for me. I get what’s normally refereed to as the ‘writer’s block’. But when I write on the beauty of Christianity, love… It flows effortlessly. I remember one saying that goes thus ‘The life of a christian is a careful life, not everything goes’. That quote has helped made me become more deliberate in my writings. I always strive to inspire the Christians via my writing and also shatter the unbelief of the heathens via it by the Holy Spirit.
Writing for me helps me to ponder on things, dissecting it and removing unfounded truths before I dish it out. In other words, its helped to make me reflect deeper.
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