Akata Witch is a young adult fantasy novel written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor. The book follows the story of a twelve-year-old Nigerian-American girl named Sunny Nwazue, who discovers that she has magical powers and is destined to be a part of a secret society of magical practitioners known as the Leopard People, or "akata" in Nigerian slang. The novel is set in Nigeria and explores themes of cultural identity, acceptance, and self-discovery. Sunny, the protagonist, is often referred to as an "akata" because she was born in America but has Nigerian parents. Throughout the book, Sunny struggles with her identity and finding a place where she belongs. As Sunny discovers her magical abilities, she becomes part of a group of four young Leopard People who are tasked with stopping a dangerous criminal mastermind who threatens their community.
Akata Witch (Akata Witch #1) (ebook online)
[PDF] Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) Ebook | READ ONLINE Download at http://therevealbooks.xyz/?book_detail=0142420913 #AUTHOR Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) read ebook Online PDF EPUB KINDLE Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) read online Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) vk Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) amazon Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) free download pdf Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf free Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) online Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub vk Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) mobi Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) PDF - KINDLE - EPUB - MOBI Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) download ebook PDF EPUB book in english language [DOWNLOAD] Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) in format PDF Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) download free of book in format PDF #book #readonline #ebook #pdf #kindle #epub
[PDF] Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) Ebook | READ ONLINE
Download at http://therevealbooks.xyz/?book_detail=0142420913
Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) read ebook Online PDF EPUB KINDLE
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf download
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) read online
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) vk
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) amazon
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) free download pdf
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf free
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) pdf Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1)
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub download
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) online
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub download
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) epub vk
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) mobi
Download Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) PDF - KINDLE - EPUB - MOBI
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) download ebook PDF EPUB book in english language
[DOWNLOAD] Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) in format PDF
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) download free of book in format PDF
#book #readonline #ebook #pdf #kindle #epub
The Sport of Writing by Nnedi Okorafor
Originally published in Writers of the Future Volume 29, this article written by Nnedi Okorafor provides useful writing tips on how to start writing and even more specifically how to start a story. She discusses her personal story beginning with a career as a professional tennis player and how this provided her greatest writing lesson learned. Nnedi explains the battle she fights when beginning a new story, when facing the dreaded blank page and her ultimate triumph that has made her one of today’s most successful fantasy writers.
“The Writers of the Future experience played a pivotal role during a most impressionable time in my writing career. Everyone was so welcoming. And afterwards, the WotF folks were always around when I had questions or needed help. It was all far more than a mere writing contest.” —Nnedi Okorafor
When I was sixteen years old, I learned one of the greatest lessons I could learn as a writer. This was four years before I wrote my first creative work, so I didn’t know this at the time. I was barely paying attention, really. I was too busy trying to win. I was in San Diego, California on the hot tennis court, Wilson tennis racquet in hand, Reebok tennis shoes on my feet. These were from my corporate sponsors, but I loved their products, too.
I was playing in one of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) junior national tournaments. These were where the top young players in the country battled it out. I wasn’t a top seed. Neither was my opponent. I don’t even remember her name. However, she and I were evenly matched and for this reason, our match was long. Where most tennis matches took about an hour, ours had stretched to five and a half.
I’d lost the first set 6–7, won the second set 7–6 and because of this, we had to play a third. The score was 6–6 and we were playing a tiebreaker. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky or a person on the sidelines. We had no audience. Both of us had flown to California alone, so neither of us had parents there to watch.
Regardless, we were two teenagers at war, slugging that ball back and forth, diving for drop-shots, acing serves, really digging into the root of the sport.
All the other girls had finished playing their matches. Everyone but the officials at the front desk had gone home for the day. Finally, after about five hours and forty-five minutes, I won the match. There was no burst of applause. I hadn’t advanced to any namable position like the finals or the semifinals. I didn’t scream or fall to my knees with elation. And if I had, there was no photographer to catch that moment.
Nevertheless, I felt I’d reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro; I experienced the purest form of success. This had nothing to do with winning and everything to do with loving the game and playing it well after being blessed with a formidable opponent. She and I shook hands and then sat in the shade and drank lots of water. We didn’t talk. We had nothing to say. We went to the front desk and reported our score. That was it.
Nearly a decade passed before I realized the lesson in this experience. Just as in sports, when writing creatively, if you don’t love the craft and art of it, you’ll never experience this pure form of success. Yet when you do have this love, you realize that pure success does not come from fame or fortune, it grows from that love.
Too often athletes and writers are seen as being on opposite sides of the spectrum, culturally, socially and in practice. The seed of this separation is planted early. In elementary and high school, there are “the jocks” who are the athletes and “the nerds” who are the academics (this group more often than not includes those who seek to and will become creative writers). Writers are stereotyped as sedentary people who loathe exercise; their movement is in their heads. Athletes are stereotyped as being anything but academics and thinkers. It is brains versus brawn.
As Sunny discovers her magical abilities, she becomes part of a group of four young Leopard People who are tasked with stopping a dangerous criminal mastermind who threatens their community. Alongside her friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, Sunny embarks on a journey filled with danger, mystery, and adventure. Akata Witch incorporates elements of Nigerian folklore, mythology, and culture, bringing a unique and refreshing perspective to the fantasy genre.
How to Start Writing
Both groups miss out on valuable lessons by being so separated. The fact is that there are many parallels between the worlds of sports and creative writing. In my experience, they are nearly interchangeable. They are both forms of craft and art. Since I am speaking to writers, I’d like to share some of the lessons I learned from sports that are perfectly applicable to writing.
One of the greatest lessons is how to gracefully, bravely face fear. I remember vividly those matches where I had to play against someone ranked just below me. These were matches where I had nothing to gain and everything to lose. One of the unique things about tennis is that it is a very mental sport. The best player does not always win. All it takes is a small distraction and next thing you know, you’ve lost.
For example, I was playing a girl in a tournament when I was about fourteen. I was winning easily. I’d won the first set 6–2 and I was up 5–3. I was about to wrap things up. Then during one of the changeovers (every two games you switch sides), I noticed her left hand. It was prosthetic. I was only about fourteen years old and this killed my concentration. I went on to lose the match because I couldn’t stop looking at her hand and marveling at the fact that she could compensate so well.
Loss of concentration is not the only type of mental struggle when playing someone ranked below you. I was immature and highly competitive and such matches sparked sharp nervous fear. Despite this, I had to go out there. The walk out to the court was like a death sentence. The warm-up was torture. When I began playing the first point, I would find that I had to either curl up and lose or stand up and fight.
This is a battle I fight when beginning a new story when facing the dreaded blank page. There’s a voice in my head saying, “There’s nothing there! How can you create something from nothing? Where do I begin? There’s no instruction manual or guide I can Google.” That blank page is like the opponent who has everything to gain from me and nothing to lose.
Though I feel this fear every time, I have never walked away from it. I stand and face the monster, then I dance with it and it is exhilarating. “If you fear something you give it power over you,” says a North African proverb. And if you conquer that fear, you are rewarded with power and joy.
For one year, between the high school tennis season and my first (and only) year playing college tennis, I joined my high school’s track team. I went on to win over twenty-two medals and compete and place in the state championship in multiple events. My best event was the 400m. This race was once around the track; it is the longest sprint. Whenever I ran this race, something peculiar happened. I’d black out from the hundred-meter mark to the three-hundred-meter mark. Then I’d return to myself in that last hundred meters. The sound of the crowd would burst back into my ears as if it had been on mute and I’d speed up all the way to the finish line.
The book provides readers with a vivid and immersive portrayal of Nigeria, showcasing its rich traditions, beliefs, and magical practices. With its diverse cast of characters, Akata Witch highlights the importance of representation in literature, especially for young readers. The book tackles issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, presenting them in a way that is accessible to its target audience. Overall, Akata Witch is a captivating and compelling novel that blends fantasy, adventure, and cultural exploration. Nnedi Okorafor's storytelling prowess shines through as she transports readers to a world filled with magic, friendship, and self-discovery..
Reviews for "A Tale of Two Worlds: Navigating Between the Physical and the Magical in 'Akata Witch' on VK"
1. John - 1 star - I couldn't get into "Akata Witch." The characters felt flat and the plot was slow-moving. It started off with a promising concept of a young girl discovering her magical abilities, but it didn't deliver on its potential. The writing style was also lackluster, making it difficult for me to connect with the story. Overall, it fell short of my expectations and I don't recommend it.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - "Akata Witch" didn't captivate me as I had hoped. While the world-building was interesting, the story lacked depth and the pacing felt off. The protagonist, Sunny, had a lot of potential, but her character development was superficial. The magic system introduced had potential, but it was not explored enough to truly engage me. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unimaginative. Overall, it had its moments, but it didn't leave a lasting impression.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I was disappointed by "Akata Witch." The story had an intriguing premise, but I found the execution lacking. The pacing was slow and the plot lacked a sense of tension or urgency. The writing style was also a bit tedious and failed to draw me in. While the concept of a magical society in Nigeria was interesting, it felt underdeveloped and the cultural aspects felt superficial rather than authentic. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. Mark - 3 stars - "Akata Witch" didn't quite live up to the hype for me. While the African setting and mythology provided a unique backdrop, the plot felt repetitive and predictable. The characters, though likable, lacked depth and I didn't feel emotionally invested in their journey. The writing style was engaging at times, but overall it didn't grip me. It had its moments, but it ultimately fell short of my expectations for a magical adventure novel.
5. Jessica - 2 stars - I struggled to connect with "Akata Witch." The story felt disjointed and the pacing was uneven. While the world-building was unique and vibrant, the plot lacked a clear direction and purpose. The characters felt one-dimensional and their relationships lacked depth. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Overall, the book didn't engage me as much as I had hoped and I found myself losing interest as I read on.