Hello Ebi! Hello Fam!

Today I thought I’d write about where the characters of Amachi’s Hope reside. In most stories, either we create worlds of our own, develop worlds influenced by the environment around us, or combine both. In my case, Amachi and her kin exist in and around a mountainous region of West Africa, particularly in a rain forest. Their village is called Kadara, which is just on the outskirts of the mountain Etinde.

Top 30 Tropical Rainforest GIFs | Find the best GIF on Gfycat

I researched rain forests in West Africa and rain forests in general. I needed to know what the milieu would be like—the type of fauna found in that region. I even looked into the sea creatures that may be found in the waters surrounding Nigeria. One of my protagonists was swallowed by a giant manta ray!

Manta Ray Swimming GIF by Oceana - Find & Share on GIPHY

My story occurs before Christ, so I also thought about the kind of flora that could have existed during that time. One of the trees found in my story is called an Iroko tree. They are found in Nigeria and can live up to 500 years!

It is from a small seed that the great Iroko tree has its beginning. -  NIgeria Proverb. | Words, Life after death, Own quotes

The Earth and our imaginations are filled with a plethora of ideas to help us create our characters’ fictional realms. We can visit different countries with books and the internet since travel is difficult out on these COVID streets. 😉

If I close my eyes, I can step on the nearest space ship and warp to galaxies far away—visit planets, meet other intelligent life forms and discover the beauty of our universe. I can rewind time and stand before the pyramids or move forward and listen to Martin Luther King speak.

Trippy Pyramid GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Where are your characters from? Did you create their worlds from scratch or did you get a little help from history? I invite you to share! Thanks again for visiting and I hope you come again soon!

Ibukun! Blessings!

S-