When I first began writing the story and creating Amandla I knew, from the start, that it was going to be set in Africa and feature the constellations and folklore in some way. As for the protagonist and their journey...that would be revealed to me as the story started to take shape.
As I sat there at my make-shift desk, blasting Chika's Tiny Desk Concert through my AirPods I had no idea how I would begin or where the story would take me. All I knew is that it started with a dream... 1. Location. Location. Location. Why Africa?
Africa is the beginning of everything: magic, culture, life. It seemed obvious to me that a narrative that told the story of the "mother of all magic" would be set on the continent that is home to the mother of all civilization. There are so many untapped settings and stories that span the entirety of Africa, so there will always be something for Xola and her friends to engage with and explore as she goes on this path of self-discovery.
As for Amandla...Amandla is a place that I actually thought I dreamed up, having heard the name over and over again. Upon doing more research I found out that the name means "power". Well that makes perfect sense. Take this magical name and its meaning and make it the seat of power. It initially started as a castle but that felt too "Hogwarts". I needed it to be masculine but with traces of homage to a divine feminine. A fortress made sense as in many timelines the fortress was more that just a space of protection. To have it at the base of a sacred mountain whose peak touched the heavens was a way to connect man to the divine.
2. Myth Meets Magic When creating the creatures that live and fight alongside the characters I relied heavily on stories that already existed. I am a lover and avid reader of all things fairytale and folklore in every iteration, so researching the many African stories, deities, and creatures was such a worthwhile venture. I drew inspiration from the stories of the constellations I already knew like Andromeda and Orion and incorporated newly discovered creatures like the Tokoloshe and the Abada. Out of all of those stories the one I was most fascinated by was that of the Abada. The way it looked in artists' renderings and the story of its purpose (a mythical creature said to cure the ailments of its protectors) instantly created a deep connection within me. I felt that it fit Xola's personality to a T. I am excited about the new stories I read and the new creatures I will discover as I prepare to write the next book(s).
When it came to the spells they used, sure it could have been easy to sit there, take Latin and Greek derivatives and make up a whole new language. Or even create a bunch of gibberish and call it a language. I chose, instead, to use Xhosa as the mother language. Having heard it spoken by native speakers, I fell in love with how ancient and magical it sounded. It made sense that these Xhosa commands were the driving force behind their magic. I hope to work with more Xhosa speakers (and those who speak other African languages) going forward so that I can continue to encourage the world to connect to the Motherland in some way.
3. What's in a name? Xola's name is not unique. I first heard it when I was watching a play written, directed, and produced by my cousin at the local high school she taught at. It was actually the name of my niece's character and I instantly fell in love. Its meaning (stay in peace) and its lineage (Xhosa) was so fitting. Nothing else would do. It essentially drove the story for me.
Since her name held so much meaning I made sure that everyone else's names did the same. I poured over African baby name books and searched the internet to find names fitting to each character. I wanted to make sure that their names aligned with their purpose as names should. 4. Final Thoughts
Not wanting to five too much away too soon, I hope that you find yourself in the story. I hope that you learn something new. I hope that it inspires you to write your own story. To believe in yourself. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy going on this journey with Xola and her friends.
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