Writing down south
When I was writing scifi with my friends, we would write together on an online doc at the same time. Silently for the most part, but like we were in the same room and could ask each other stuff or clarify points. I loved it so much. But one thing was how it freaked them out that words come to me easily. The words were words they had not encountered... sorghum, sheath... words that astonished me they didn't know. Both are first language English in terms of proficiency, their mother tongue proficiency so undermined by the legacy of Bantu Education. It's horrible. When I was at university, when I was 20, I was already aware that people around me needed me to translate those words I wanted to use because they were the perfect word. Even now, irreducible. I love that word, but you said no. I am still there. Translating words. I looked at the word allay - allay fear - and thought, should I use it. Two minutes ago. That's why I am a better editor than writer. With editing I can pi...