A talk about Mandy de Waal's first year as a writer and investigative journalist. Following her stroke in 2007 Mandy de Waal set out to live an authentic life and become what she always dreamed of being, a full time writer and journalist. This talk chronicles the personal and professional lessons she learned during her first year as a professional writer.

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

2. my life as a fraud

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

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

5. my stroke of genius

6. 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

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

8. Do what you love:

9. Love what you do:

10. Doors will open:

11. Doors will open:

12. Doors will open:

13. 3 my kinda journ?

14. a couple of things I learned along the way…

15. 1 the truth “ Journalism is the first draft of history....” - PHIL GRAHAM, FOUNDER WASHINGTON POST

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

18. 1 the truth

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

21. 2 why write? “ The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself....” - ALBERT CAMUS

22. 2 why write? understand express communicate breathe process impact change record create legacy beauty

23. 3 it’s a struggle Writing as a metaphor for life : “Every book I wrote killed me a little bit more...” - NORMAN MAILER

24. 4 the metaphor How you struggle with your writing is how you struggle with your life.

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

27. 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

29. “ 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)

31. 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.

32. 9 the only thing that matters Just write!

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