By DUL JOHNSON 1. I want to start from the very beginning – the opening; What does a reader want in an opening? First is to have the writer introduce the main character(s) and intimate something about the situation she/they are in-i.e the conflict that will provide dramatic twine for the story; (2) to get us interested and involved; and (3) to do it all in a timely fashion, i.e. it stops being an opening as soon as possible and gets on with the story.... ‘WHY WOMEN WON’T MAKE IT TO HEAVEN’ succeeded in doing just that...it introduces us to the characters, showed us where they were, and showed that they’ve gotten concerns or problems. And it does all these in the first page; starting with a long paragraph and quick five short paragraphs. After this, the story is up and running as the conflicts between a husband and his wife, then similar issues between other husbands and their wives escalates with disastrous consequences. The second story is more leisurely, comparably. Reading throug...
BY WALE OKEDIRAN The historical real-life tale in the ‘Tenants of the House’ will come alive for all those who were fortunate to witness the shenanigans that went with similar attempt few years back; as in the ‘Tenants of the House,’ there was an impeachment procedure instituted against the Speaker of the House of Representative, spear headed by the president, then there was a successful fight back, but then, this was followed immediately by an attempt to institute constitutional amendment for tenure prolongation through the back door which caused an uproar and,...finally, a counter impeachment procedure instituted by the the two houses against the president. The book’s uncontested star is ofcourse, the president; a Chief Ambrose Oneya, a caricature; sloppy, foul-mouthed chief executive whose only ways to do things was to stampede everyone into doing whatever he wanted done, done his way and who never believed, until he was humiliatingly humbled, that Nigerian and Nigeria as a c...
The evening air at Evakings Bar carries the faint scent of diesel and suya, but the conversation at the corner table is focused on the heavy silence of the streets. Jide is recounting a story from his commute—a scene where a conductor was harassing a young passenger while everyone else looked out the window. "I wanted to say something," Jide admits, staring into his drink. "But I thought, 'Why look for trouble?' We tell our kids to stay out of 'grown folks' business' so they stay safe. But aren't we just raising a generation that watches the world burn from a safe distance?" Jennifer looks up, her expression sharp. "Safe for now, Jide. But when we raise 'Bystanders,' we are building a society where no one is protected. We’ve confused 'minding your business' with 'ignoring injustice.' If we don't teach them to be 'Upstanders' now, who will speak for them when they are the ones in the conductor'...
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