Love and money Question.
Do you want a story just about money? Or about love only? Do you want a story set in a bank? or one along Romeo and Juliet plot line? Can I write about food instead?
Those are just some of the questions we have been receiving about the theme of our recent Call for Submissions. To be frank, when I set out with this theme, I had “how money influences love” in view of what the story would look like. Whether the influence is for better or for worse or even reversed (love influencing money). Done. But, ever since I talked to my writer friends, since I sent out the call for submissions, and spread word fellow writers, and so forth, the theme has since taken on a path of its own. And there are still questions hence this blog, geared at trying to dissect the theme.
Now, without further ado, without mincing words, or beating about the bush, allow me, ladies and gentlemen to dissect the theme for you, in this email ( that I wrote to a friend) extract. Enjoy;
“Love-money stories can be of any angle, such as; a love story gone bad because of money, like a chic hooks a Musummer only to find out he’s from South Sudan not Dubai as she expected, a man who is so rich but also too impotent, a tale about love only e.g. a slum version of Romeo and Juliet, how about these Boda-boda – school girl romances (are they love based or money based or sheer immorality, how about we denounce them?), also how about those women in mansions married to rich men but chilling in Shamba Boys’ quarters, how about the rich men stuck with campus girls or waitresses, etc. Does money affect love? Does love affect money (when you love what you do you get the money, or those people who are so in love with their work they forget the love of their lives), how about the pastors who keep sleeping with their flock/women then dump them, or the men who get introduced more than once, or the young black girls who go in for old rich white men, or young black boys(with dreads) that white women (young and old) fall for, how about the people who marry for money. Does money constitute the success or otherwise of affairs? Is it purely love that counts or should money matter? Is money alone enough? By the way, is the Donald-Ivanka thingie a love or money thingie? How about the people who marry for money (slay queens), then people’s love for politics because of the money they anticipate once successful? What is money, is it the mansions, Prados and millions in banks or can I date a poor guy who looks rich? Like this guy here. Also, what is the African love story like? Kwegamba, there are so many engagements, and an equal number of break ups around the money-love issue. That’s why Mama Tendo Foundation page on Facebook is so popular. ”
That’s part of the email conversation I had with my friend about the theme. It should not limit the writer. I will feel horrible if it does. It should just be an eye opener.
That said, I hope for the stories to not be limited by the insights above. I hope for the stories to be as humorous, engaging and educating as possible. Stories that will make for debate around the Love-money issue and stories with characters we will never forget because they live next door.
Also, you can tackle the topic from one angle, either love or money. All the above, I hope, give you a glimpse and understanding of the theme.
Nalubaale Review Literary Magazine 