"My Year Of Writing" Media24 Blog Workshop

JOURN BLOG: mdw.typepad.com FICTION BLOG: mdw.typepad.com/mdw TWITTER: mandyldewaal FACEBOOK: mandy de waal EMAIL: mandyldewaal@gmail.com

my life as a fraud

want to be a writer ? Jonathan Ball when asked what advice he’d profer aspirant writers: “ Rather become a stock broker.”

want to be a writer ? 2% of SAfricans read books Local market 500k regular buyers 300 titles published annually

my stroke of genius

follow your bliss “ Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.” - JOSEPH CAMPBELL

do what you love Have you heard the one about the 44 year old who wants to become a journalist…?

Do what you love:

Love what you do:

Doors will open:

3 my kinda journ?

a couple of things I learned along the way…

1 the truth “ Journalism is the first draft of history....” - PHIL GRAHAM, FOUNDER WASHINGTON POST

Serve the truth

Serve the story

Accuracy

Objectivity

Gut

Knowledge

Hard work

Avoid sensation

History or,

Opinion?

1 the truth

What is the truth? - Two hats, a story of perceptions 1 the truth

1 the truth

Trust your gut

The first story isn’t always the right story

The better writer you arethe more people will want to use you

“ The truth is a sustainable commodity... sensation is not.” - ALEC HOGG, Moneyweb 1 the truth

2 why write? “ The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself....” - ALBERT CAMUS

2 why write? understand express communicate breathe process impact change record create legacy beauty

3 it’s a struggle Writing as a metaphor for life : “Every book I wrote killed me a little bit more...” - NORMAN MAILER

4 the metaphor How you struggle with your writing is how you struggle with your life.

“ Murder your children.” - BRYCE COURTNEY 4 the metaphor

5 want to write well ?

READ GOOD WRITERS:

Barney Mthombothi

Sam Sole & Stefaans Brummer

Jacques Pauw

Kevin Bloom (Daily Maverick)

Chris Roper & Tom Eaton

Justice Malala

Andrew Miller

Paul McNally

Max du Preez

Deon Basson

Duncan McCloed (TechCentral)

Barry Sargeant (MoneyWeb)

Saul Kropman, Audra Mahong

Noseweek, FM, M & G, Weekender

Vanity Fair, The New Yorker

Huffington Post, Daily Beast

The Onion, John Stewart

AdBusters

5 want to write well ? Banish navel gazing. “ When the media writes about itself, it considers itself more important than the mission it is on.” - ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK

6 think & have an opinion (for god’s sake)

WRITING TALKS ABOUT:

Who you are

The power of your mind

Your ability to think

Displays your logic

Shows your creativity

Be fearless

Develop a voice

Don’t worry about being liked – care about liking yourself

“ The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” - Anaïs Nin Be original. Take risks. 6 think & have an opinion (for god’s sake)

7 the big three

THE HOLY TRINITY:

The big idea (concept)

The structure

The style

8 fiction - the best advice Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. - Anton Chekhov Involve your audience.

9 the only thing that matters Just write!

JOURN BLOG: mdw.typepad.com FICTION BLOG: mdw.typepad.com/mdw TWITTER: mandyldewaal FACEBOOK: mandy de waal EMAIL: mandyldewaal@gmail.com

"My Year Of Writing" Media24 Blog Workshop

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