(ThyBlackMan.com) Blogging ideas from a national and international Blogger, Speaker, Content Creator, Thought Leader. There are millions of potential brother and sister bloggers in Africa, diverse people of color and culture, yearning to tell their stories, develop and share their Brands and expand their opportunities to collaborate.
This writing is a contribution of knowledge to share and hopefully motivate and inspire Africans desiring to Blog, Microblog, Vblog, Podcast and create dynamic content within their communities. Their (African) voices and stories are important and should be shared on a global platform of respect and collaboration.
What better way than to blog and share with the world, to create unique content that is just as diverse as the most diverse continent in the world, Africa. I encourage Africans of all ages to write their stories, to use their creativity to share innovative ideas and create content that bridges generations and cultures. The ability to create unique and transformative content that can connect and unify others of color and culture.
Following the examples of Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri, Buchi Emecheta, Ama Ata Aidoo, Dinaw Mengestu, Africans are historic creators of storytelling, poets, and diverse content creators. African children are learning that through education they can contribute to the world in ways not available decades ago. Colonialism attempted to silence the voices of Africans, they failed because the voices of Africans can be heard whispered on the water and air currents that travel the rivers, streams, and creeks across
the continent.
Social Media platforms and tools are allowing African boys and girls to share their stories with the global community, bringing attention to their lives right from their mouths and to the ears of billions globally.
As an educator and parent I want to encourage African children, teens, youth and young adults to share their stories through the diverse tools that blogging has to offer and encourage African parents to encourage their children. Do not allow others to tell your stories as they did during the decades of slavery and colonization.
In the spirit of Chinua Achebe share your stories and let the world hear you.
25 Suggestions for African Bloggers
1. Write as if the world is going to read your content. When people read your content they should see, feel and hear the passion for what your blogging about.
2. When creating content take the time to read, review, rewrite, revise, what you have written, sometimes you have to come back to what you started to see a new direction or a new level of
engagement.
3. Don’t trust anyone that tells you your blogs are “great” all the time. Have a critical eye and humility about your content. Some of your content will be great some of it will just be ok, so be fine with it and grow.
4. Don’t create content to be famous, sharing your life potentially to the world, not selling your soul to make a profit. Look at the greats like Achebe, Addiche, Soyinka.
5. Embrace the diversity of the world. Your blogs should be able to reach out to diverse audiences unless you are specific about who or whom you’re writing to.
6. Don’t always write about sunshine and happiness; branch off and challenge your abilities to write outside your box of understanding and expertise. What is traditional, what is disturbing, what is scary, the changes and challenges of African culture.
7. Build your writing by reading what other writers have written, see if your experiences are like theirs. Chinua Achebe and others were able to blend stories.
8. When writing, write as if telling a story to a friend or family member. Relationships are important, building a relationships brings connectivity and trust.
9. Read other writers that you respect and admire, this inspires your creativity and literary growth. You’re not trying to be like them, but create your own journalistic journey.
10. Storytelling paints a picture, so use words that encourage the imagination and creativity in you.
11. Use music to inspire, excite and give you the chills about what you’re writing. There is a writers zone that will take over the more you write.
12. When writing determine if there are challenges, conflicts that need to be overcome and shared.
13. Don’t be afraid to submit your blogs to multiple sites. You never know who will publish your works. Even if you are rejected 100 times, 101 might be the one that gets you an awesome gig.
14. Keep your passion and excitement about your writing, it is an extension of who you are.
15. Write different kinds of stories.
16. Read, Read, Read and Read some more, fall in love with reading.
17. Your writing is an important part of who you are, what you are growing into and how to expand your voice.
18. Bloggers must continue to grow in their fields, you may start off in a traditional blog, but be willing to incorporate Microblogging, Podcasting, Vblogging and other technologies that reach diverse audiences. Periscope, Facebook Live and other platforms.
19. Volunteer in your community if it is safe to do so. Help others and see the beauty in people of diversity. Never judge those that have less or even more than you do.
20. Blogging is a life-long journey and should be a life-long adventure for the blogger. When people read your works, see you in person they should be able to see your passion without you saying a word.
Be a student of life, never think that you can know too much, learn to little or grow too big. Be a part of something bigger than you are that is positive, and productive. Your words will last forever, what impression do you want the future world to have about you??
21. Take time to meditate and listen to the ancestors, what stories are they telling you to write.
22. Look into the eyes of children, the elders to seek the spirit of Africa, to share with those that want to see what you see, rely on your writings to experience life experiences.
“When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.” Chinua Achebe
23. Write something every day….
24. Use YouTube to listen to past discussions by Achebe, Hughes, Dyson, Sanders, and others that are not well known.
25. Create your own YouTube channel or Vimeo to record your reading and share your stories through video.
Resources:
Nigerian Bloggers Directory – http://www.bloggers.ng/
African Blogging Awards – http://www.africanbloggerawards.com/2016-winners/
African Fashion Bloggers –
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chayet-chienin/bloggers-african-fashion_b_6613940.html
10 Best Viewed Blogs of 21014
http://buzzsouthafrica.com/blogs-south-africa/
25 of the Best Blogs in Africa
http://memeburn.com/2014/05/25-of-the-best-bloggers-operating-in-africa-today/
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.