"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: [email protected]

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:

Doors will open:

Doors will open:

3my

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

1. Serve the truth2. Serve the story3. Accuracy4. Objectivity5. Gut6. Knowledge7. Hard work8. Avoid sensation9. History or,10. Opinion?

1

the truth

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

1

the truth

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

2why

write?

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

2why

write?

3it’s a

struggle

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

4the

metaphor

How you struggle with your writing is how you struggle with your life.

“Murder your children.”- BRYCE COURTNEY

4the

metaphor

5want

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

5want

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

6think &

have an

opinion

(for god’s

sake)

WRITING TALKS ABOUT:1. Who you are2. The power of your mind3. Your ability to think4. Displays your logic5. Shows your creativity6. Be fearless7. Develop a voice8. 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.

6think &

have an

opinion

(for god’s

sake)

7the big

three

THE HOLY TRINITY:1. The big idea (concept)2. The structure3. The style

8fiction

- 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.

9the only

thing

that

matters

Just write!

JOURN BLOG: mdw.typepad.com

FICTION BLOG: mdw.typepad.com/mdw

TWITTER: mandyldewaal

FACEBOOK: mandy de waal

EMAIL: [email protected]