| |
|
... Publishing Emerging Writers
...
Opt-In Publication for
Author-Me.com (23rd year)
Comment Boxes on Author-Me.com. If you have published on author-me, check the comment box under your text.
============================================================
In This issue... Nature as a Storyteller: Writing Lessons from the Plains
By Muli wa Kyendo
============================================================
Nature has a way of embedding stories in our lives, often when we least expect it. As writers, being attuned to these subtle cues can spark ideas that resonate deeply. ... (continued below)
Note: As of December 28, 2024, this newsletter ("Publishing New Writers") has 14,852 subscribers on Linkedin.com
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Nature as a Storyteller: Writing Lessons from the Plains
By Muli wa Kyendo
Muli Wa Kyendo is a Cultural Diplomat | Developer of Myth Values Theory | Empowering Writers, Businesses, and Communities Through Cultural Narratives - Syokimau Cultural Centre and Managing Editor, Author-me.com
Nature has a way of embedding stories in our lives, often when we least expect it. As writers, being attuned to these subtle cues can spark ideas that resonate deeply. For instance, a childhood fascination with a striking blue bird became one of my earliest brushes with storytelling. The bird, with its vibrant feathers and brown chest patch, was a source of wonder and joy until the day my brother John, armed with a catapult, ended its life. Grieving, I buried the bird in the bushes and found myself contemplating loss, wonder, and the fragility of life. Years later, this reflection seeped into my writing, shaping elements of the book Kioko and the Legend of the Plains on African Books Collective
This experience taught me one of the first lessons of writing: stories often start with emotion. A moment of joy, sorrow, or wonder can be the seed for a narrative. The trick is to observe life keenly and translate those emotions into words that connect with readers.
The journey of Kioko, the 10-year-old protagonist of The Legend of the Plains, mirrors the same sense of wonder and loss. After witnessing warriors slaughter one of his favourite bulls, Kioko sets out to find his own in the mythical Land of Cattle. His determination is tempered by the warnings of his grandmother, whose vivid words paint a picture of the dangers ahead:
"The Land of Cattle is very, very far. You walk and walk and walk until the sun sets, and your feet swell as fat as those of an elephant. Then, you wander through the wilderness for many more days. There, you’ll face the legendary one-legged giants and the mischievous spirits of the plains. You’ll battle fearsome beasts, and only if you survive will you find the fiercest people you’ve ever seen guarding the Land of Cattle!"
This leads to the second tip for writers: ground your story in vivid imagery. Kioko’s grandmother doesn’t simply warn him of dangers—she creates a world with her words, making the Land of Cattle feel real. Writers should aim to paint pictures with language, evoking settings, characters, and emotions that leap off the page.
As the story unfolds, Kioko secretly follows the warriors, only to become lost in the vast plains. There, he discovers that the legends his grandmother shared were just fragments of a much larger, more dangerous reality. Writing this narrative, which had been told to me by my mother during childhood, reconnected me to the rich world of mythology and eventually inspired the development of the Myth Values Theory.
Here lies the third lesson: draw from personal and cultural heritage. Stories passed down through generations carry universal truths that resonate with readers from all walks of life. By weaving these narratives into your writing, you honour their origins while giving them new life.
Ultimately, writing is about transformation—of emotions into words, moments into scenes, and personal experiences into universal stories.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nature-storyteller-writing-lessons-from-plains-muli-wa-bruce-cook-km4oc
Visit our sister web sites..
http://www.author-me.com/
http://www.reservebooks.com/
http://www.johnoryem.com/
http://www.cookcom.net/
http://www.innisfreepoetry.org
We have developed world peace websites:
www.wwpo.org
www.icpglobal.org
Publishing New Writers,
January, 2025 (vol. 26, no. 1)
Publisher:
Dr. Bruce L. Cook
1407 Getzelman Drive
Elgin, IL 60123
Submissions/comments
Send mail
Links and article submissions are welcome. To subscribe and/or review our archive of past newsletters, go to
http://www.author-me.com/newslist.htm
| |
|
|
|
|
| |