Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ for your name. Subtitles can also encompass the words ‘Zanzibar,’ ‘Masai,’ ‘Zulu,’ ‘The Zambezi,’ ‘Congo,’ ‘Nile,’ ‘Big,’ ‘Sky,’ ‘Shadow,’ ‘Drum,’ ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone.’ Also useful are phrases together with ‘Guerrillas,’ ‘Timeless,’ ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal.’ Note that ‘People’ way Africans who aren’t black, whilst ‘The People’ way black Africans. Never have a photograph of a properly-adjusted African on the quilt of your e-book, or in it, except that African has gained the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, distinguished ribs, bare breasts: use those. If you ought to include an African, make certain you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon get dressed.
In your text, treat Africa as if it has been one u. S. A. It is warm and dusty with rolling grasslands and big herds of animals and tall, skinny individuals starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very brief people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with specific descriptions. Africa is huge: fifty-four countries, 900 million who are too busy ravenous and dying and warring and emigrating to study your ebook. The continent is complete of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs, and plenty of other things. However, your reader does not care approximately all that, so maintain your descriptions romantic and evocative, and unparticular.
Please make certain you show how Africans have track and rhythm deep inside their souls and eat things no other people devour. Do no longer point out rice and red meat and wheat; monkey-brain is an African cuisine of choice, together with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all way of game meat. Make positive you display which you can devour such food without flinching, and describe how you learn how to revel in it — because you care. Taboo topics: regular home scenes, love between Africans (until a dying is worried), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going youngsters who aren’t tormented by yaws or Ebola fever or girl genital mutilation. Throughout the ebook, adopt a sotto voice in conspiracy with the reader.
An unhappy I-anticipated-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and point out close to the start how plenty you like Africa, the way you fell in love with the place and can not live without her. Africa is the best content you can love — take advantage of this. If you’re a guy, thrust yourself into her heat virgin forests. If you’re a girl, deal with Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped, or ruled. Whichever perspective you take, be sure to leave the strong influence that without your intervention and your critical e-book, Africa is doomed.
Your African characters may also consist of bare warriors, unswerving servants, diviners and seers, historic sensible guys dwelling in hermitic splendor. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous tour publications, and prostitutes you’ve got slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and wishes a company hand; he’s terrified of snakes, precise with children, and always related to you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man usually comes from a noble tribe (now not the cash-grubbing tribes just like the Gikuyu.
The Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is near the Earth. Modern African is a fats guy who steals and works within the visa office, refusing to provide painting permits to qualified Westerners who virtually care about Africa. He is an enemy of improvement, constantly using his government activity to make it tough for pragmatic and exact-hearted ex-pats to installation NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-knowledgeable intellectual who became a serial-killing flesh-presser in a Savile Row fit. Finally, he is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch doctor who, in reality, runs the USA.
Among your characters, you must always encompass The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly bare and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her youngsters have flown on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She has to appearance wholly helpless. She can don’t have any beyond, no records; such diversions spoil the dramatic second. Moans are correct. She needs to say something about herself inside the talk besides talking about her (unspeakable) struggling.
Also, be sure to encompass a heat and motherly female who has a rolling snigger and is concerned about your nicely-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters have to buzz around your fundamental hero, making him look true. Your hero can educate them, shower them, feed them; he includes many babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage) or a beautiful, tragic global celeb/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction). Bad Western characters may additionally include kids of Tory cupboard ministers, Afrikaners, personnel of the World Bank. When speaking about exploitation by using foreigners, mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa’s scenario. But do now not be too particular.
Broad brushstrokes at some stage are correct. Avoid having the African characters chortle, or battle to train their youngsters, or make do on mundane occasions. Instead, have them light up something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters need to be colorful, distinguished, large than life — but empty inner, not using a speak, no conflicts or resolutions in their tales, no depth or quirks to confuse the motive.
