chipping the block

I did it.

My first one ever.

Not a paragraph, not a character sketch, not amputated dialogue, but a whole story. One thousand four hundred fifty five words worth.

It's rough I know, it's still in first draft. It's simplistic, there's undeveloped characters, sparse dialogue, inconsistencies, mixed up tenses, bad grammar, probably a million holes and it doesn't have a title, but I don't care. It may have a face only a mother would love, but this is huge for me. I've never finished a piece of fiction before.

Thank you 5g33k for being such a fucking nag of a muse, couldn't have done it without you Genius.

Read the piece here.

And yes, I want to know what you think. Pat on the head or evisceration, I welcome all feedback.

*July09/08 edit* Have since removed the link for some official purposes. Thanks for all the feedback guys, it's been taken in to consideration for the final edit.

working words

Would you buy a book that's been self-published by its writer?
Or does it, not having an established publisher's backing, smack of self-indulgence and general dodginess?

a south african war story

Two gunmen entered our home tonight. They locked my husband and helper in separate rooms and made off with my husband's car and his bag containing house keys, store keys and wallet. No one was harmed, and for that no amount of forehead-bruising prostration will ever fully convey my gratitude.

I was delayed at the office; having to work on a last-minute layout, cursing the job and dreading the traffic, not knowing that this irritation may well have been a blessing from the Almighty.
While driving, it was an alarming call from my sister-in-law, "They're holding Naeem up at home. Don't go home. Come here," that brought on a silence within and and cold unlike anything I'd ever felt. Stuck behind a taxi stopping for passengers, I was helpless, my face wet, tasting the salt of my desperation. My voice, a frail drone, a fraught and feeble supplication, "Ya Allah, just let him be ok, Ya Allah just him be ok."

I reached my sister-in-law's house and after her reassurance, we drove on to my home. Naeem was outside with police and neighbours, getting things moving; giving statements, canceling credit cards, changing locks, taking inventory of what was in the car, picking up the pieces of himself.

The room in which Naeem was in had to have its door smashed at the lock to get him out. The splintered wood and ugly gashes are a stark reminder that our safety has been breached. We have been violated.

We're all victims. Even just knowing someone who's had a crime committed against them, is a stain on you.

I feel a fatigue. I'm tired of feeling helpless, I'm tired of feeling outraged. I'm just fucking tired. This insane crime issue, and now recently the xenophobia madness, this take-what-we-want mentality, this valueless moral breakdown, this quagmire of defecation we're all floating in.

People are being massacred for seeking refuge in our country. Seeking safety, trying to escape the demons and despots in their lands. Refugees and economic immigrants, all here to chase something better. What foolish, pathetic delusions when this beautiful country is being fucked up by inept leadership, blasé attitudes, lawlessness and mob mentality borne out of ignorance, fear and desperation.

I hope for better things for this South Africa, but I don't feel anything for her tonight.


---My husband's car was spotted in the Meadowdale area, south of Johannesburg. A picture of it can be accessed here.
Chances are virtually nil I know, but perhaps just putting the information out there is some sort of positive step.

Unfolding the magic and pragmatism of good Narrative

If one of the things on your to-do list is to tell the great South African story (or any damn-good story), you simply can not afford to miss this year's Narrative Journalism conference.

For both writers and journalists, the conference organisers have lined up speakers such as Zakes Mda, Mark Gevisser, Fred Khumalo, Jacqui Banaszynski, Tom French and Dave Hazelhurst, among others.

Master of magical realism, Mda will take participants through the journey of building effective characters while speakers such as Gevisser and Hazelhurst, pass on the practical skills to write and deliver compelling narrative.

French and Banaszynski have both won Pulitzer prizes for their work while acclaimed author Khumalo is the winner of the 2005 EU Literary Award for his novel Bitches Brew.

The award winning Gevisser, who is currently updating his much lauded biography of President Thabo Mbeki, writing a narrative film script on the ANC’s 1930 Congress and his celebrated Mail and Guardian political profiles were collected in the anthology: Portraits of Power.

Creative director at The Star newspaper, Hazelhurst will unpack the production of a narrative project – from idea to publication – through “The Search for Looksmart”, a story which recently won the Mondi Shanduka award for best narrative story.

Taking place at Hackle Brooke Estate on May 21 and 22, the conference aims to deepen the understanding and power of narrative journalism, and to give journalists the skills to use it more effectively.

The conference, now in its fourth year, continues to attract considerable media interest from across the continent.

Said frayintermedia Managing Director Charmeela Bhagowat: “This year we want to build on past gains and focus on practical skills for reporters, sub editors and editors from every type of media.
A specialist one day skills workshop will also be run on 23 May by Jacqui Banazynski.

With limited space, interested parties are advised to book sooner rather than later.

For more information on the conference, please contact Debby Kramer at: 011 341 0767 or at dkramer@frayintermedia.com

Download registration forms here.
Download the draft programme here.