Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial "we."
~ Mark Twain
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Contents
1. News
2. Guest Speaker for Next Year – Melinda Ferguson, author of Smacked
3. December 2007 & January 2008 – Courses & workshops
4. How to Become a Subscriber
5. Book Reviews
6. Author / Guest Interviews – Jackie Collins & Tim Plewman
7. The Star Struck Writer - Sagittarius
8. The Write Co Competitions
9. Classified
10. Students Writing
11. Contacts
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1. News
The Write Co Short Story Competition
Dear short story writers
Thank you all for entering the competition, Paint it Black!
And I really do mean ALL.
The judges have their hands full of hundreds of entries.
Lovely holiday reading.
They better be good!
The winners will be announced and the 15 winning stories will be published in March/April 2008.
Morné Malan will be marshalling the judges. He will be the editor-in-chief of the publishing.
Warm regards
Amanda
The Caption Competition
Christmas Double.
Write a caption for the pictures below and win!
Write a caption & win!
Amanda Patterson introduces Tim Plewman – Defending the Caveman, 20 November 2007
And later...
Susan Greenhalgh, Tim Plewman and Amanda Patterson.
Winners - October
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The Write Foundation – You can make a difference
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For Fun
We’re still waiting!
Which were your 3 best books of 2007?
Please send the title and the author’s name to amanda@thewriteco.co.za
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South Africa’s best-selling books – click here to find out more
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2. Guest Speaker 2008!
Melinda Ferguson, author of the shocking best-selling memoir, Smacked
Melinda is also the Features Editor of True Love Magazine
Date: 30 January 2008
Time: 17:30 for 18:00
Venue: TBC
RSVP: info@thewriteco.co.za or call Wiida 011 706-4021
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3. Coming up in Writing
Creative Writing Courses & Workshops
End of year special 1-week course:
3 December – 7 December from 08:30 - 12:30
10 December – 14 December from 08:30 – 12:30
Writers Write (4 weeks): See web for January dates
Lyrics: 8 December
Romancing the Dollar: 8 December
PR Plan / Press Release: 4 December
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2 Hour Sessions – It’s worth subscribing!
Mornings: 09:00 – 11:00
Evenings: 18:00 – 20:00
- Poetry – January 2008
- Creative Writing – January 2008
- Romance Writing - January 2008
- Evening Writing – January 2008
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4. How to Become a Subscriber
Please click here for a subscription form
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5. Reviews
Our reviewers rate books from 1 – 5
1 - For use as a doorstop only
2 - Keep for publishers' & booksellers' strikes
3 - A great holiday read
4 - You'll remember this with enthusiasm a month later
5 - Unforgettable
Ever wondered what our reviewers look like? Dedicated reviewers!
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More reviews
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6. Interviews
Anthony Ehlers interviews Jackie Collins
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The Write Co Questionnaire – 17 Questions & Answers
Author: Tim Plewman
Date of Birth: 11 March
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Where: The Local Grill
Book: Defending the Caveman
1 Who is your favourite hero in fiction?
Gandolf. Or Jeeves.
2 What is your most treasured possession?
My cottage in Port Edward
3 Which living person do you most dislike?
All politicians.
4 What is your greatest fear?
Not achieving.
5 Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?
The theatre and my wife, Cathy.
6 What is your greatest regret?
Not being able to perform due to the Equity Blacklist in the past.
7 If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be?
One of Mickey Spillane’s characters
8 Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?
The King Arthur sagas
9 What is your favourite journey?
To my cottage in Port Edward
10 Cats or dogs? Which do you prefer?
Dogs.
11 What quality do you most admire in a woman?
The ability to say yes
12 Which book that you’ve written is your favourite?
Defending the Caveman
13 What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write with a purpose.
14 What are your favourite names?
James, Catherine.
15 What do you do as a hobby?
Read. And my work is my hobby.
16 What are your top three books?
The Lord of the Rings
The Catcher in the Rye
(And I can’t read my writing) Apologise - editor's note to interviewer
17 Where do you get your ideas for writing?
Observing life.
Amanda Patterson, 20 November 2007
More Interviews
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7. The Star Struck Writer
SAGITTARIUS
23 November – 21 December
Writing for Star Signs
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8. The Write Co Competitions for Subscribers
Monthly ‘What’s on your mind?’ Competition
Write 400 words and win!
Prize: 2 Books from The Write Co and Publication on our web site, in our newsletter and in Off the Cuff.
Conditions: 1 Entry per Person, 400 words.
Closing date: 25th of every month
To enter: Send entries to info@thewriteco.co.za
October Winner: Christine Weston – Adventures of an Aging Backpacker
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Monthly Poetry Competition
December’s theme is Stolen Holidays
Prize: A case of Leopard's Leap Wines
Conditions:
1. Only 1 poem per month per subscriber is allowed.
2. The poem must not be longer than 30 lines.
3. The poem must be about the given topic.
4. If you are not a subscriber please pay an entrance fee of R50, 00 per entry.
Closing date: 30 December 2007
To enter: Send entries to amanda@thewriteco.co.za
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The winner for She Belongs to Me (October) is:
Barry Finnegan,
followed by Jackie Kelly (2 votes behind), Sue Woodward & Charity Letlape (both1 vote behind)
She’s five you see, and she belongs to me,
With cherub face and dimpled knee,
And wild curls that frame her soft wide eyes,
That are as deep and as blue as winter skies.
She cooks and tells stories for a tremendous crowd,
Of queens and fairies, no boys allowed.
There’s always tea, and there’s always cake,
And honeysuckle syrup for the elven-folk’s sake.
She’s made up some songs for all to sing,
Some are for picnics, some for banqueting in.
And after some tea there’ll be games to play,
And then they can chat, they’ve got all day.
To say she’s mine, I can’t be sure,
It’s more like Dad belongs to her.
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Written in Bone (Haiku) was the theme for November 2007.
Please choose your winner and send the poets name in the subject line to amanda@thewriteco.co.za
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New writing competition – The Battle of the Sexes
Conditions:
1. Only 1 column per month per subscriber is allowed.
2. The column should not be longer than 500 words.
3. The column has to be humorous.
4. If you are not a subscriber please pay an entrance fee of R50, 00 per entry.
Closing date: 30 December 2007
To enter: Send entries to amanda@thewriteco.co.za
Winner: Tanya van Eyk – Click here
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Rick Thinks?
What do you think?
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9. Classified
Need Bookshelves? – Contact Rod 083 750-6854 or mail colleenrw@telkomsa.net
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10. Students Writing
Oefening: Jy het skrywersblok – beskryf dit. Skryf ten minste ’n bladsy vol.
Lizet Engelbrecht - Skrywers Skryf 2007
Ek het skrywersblok. Ek het nie skrywersblok nie. Ek haat hierdie hoofstuk. Elke boek wat ek al ooit oor skryfwerk gelees het, het ’n hoofstuk oor skrywersblok, en ek haat dit. Ek vrees as ek dit genoeg lees steek ek dalk aan. Hel weet, in Zambië sal daar nie medikasie daarvoor wees nie. Dit is ’n vermorsing van tyd, vir my in elk geval. Ek ly nie aan enige van die eienskappe nie. Ek is nie lui nie, ek het geen verskonings nie, ek skryf – elke oomblik wat beskikbaar is – en ek het baie van hulle. Ek het ’n roetine, is gedissiplineerd en gemotiveerd. Verwerping maak my woedend, nie omdat ek verwerp is nie, maar omdat ek die rede kan insien hoekom my werk verwerp is. Ek haat dit om my beste te gee en dit is nie goed genoeg nie want, as ek eerlik is, besef ek dit was nie goed genoeg nie. En as ek eerliker is, besef ek dit was nooit my beste nie en, as ek brutaal is, besef ek dit was nou eintlik sommer ’n pot …
As ek enigsins aan skrywersblok lei is dit wanneer ek skryf. Ek skryf, ek redigeer, ek hou van wat ek geskryf het. Ek lees my bladsy oor en oor, dit klink goed, mooi, ’n wenner dink ek. Ek stuur dit aan Morné. Hy maak ’n nota: as ek eerlik moet wees het ek bietjie gegril toe ek hierdie gelees het, of dit is ’n cliché, of wees meer oorspronklik. En ek voel woedend, want hy is reg. Hoe kon ek dit nie sien nie? Hoe kon ek gedink het dit is mooi? Of hoekom het ek dit in die eerste plek gebruik? Ek het skrywersblok gehad toe ek geskryf het.
So het ek skrywersblok of nie?
Ja, moet ek eerlik antwoord, maar ’n ander tipe. ’n Unieke tipe. Ek maak van al die hulpbronne gebruik, en daar is menigte, en nog sien ek nie die duiwel raak as hy my in die oë staar nie. Ek is soms so vasgevang in die ‘blok’ dat ’n vyf pond hamer my nie eens kan uitkry nie. Ek haat die gevoel want ek sê vir myself ek het baie foute; spelling, sinsnedes, oorspronklikheid, varsheid, dialoog, maar ek het altyd geglo ek het nie skrywersblok nie. Ek voel soos ’n twaalf maande oue baba wie se woordeskat op een hand afgetel kan word. Die teleurstelling van my karakters hang swaar om my kop en ek wens hulle kon my ’n snotklap gegee het toe ek hulle so verneder het. Ek gooi my papiere dat hulle soos ryskorrels op ’n Hindu troue trek en ek stoomroller die huis onderstebo. As jy al ooit kleuters sien skarrel het, het jy nog nie myne gesien nie.
Ek stap uit. My skrywersblok is nie so ernstig nie, probeer ek positief bly. Maar ek voel ’n kriewel in my vingerpunte en ek vrees ek steek aan. Ek voel deurmekaar. Een stem skreeu: wees oorspronklik en eg aan jou karakters; die ander maan oor kru taal. ’n Module pleit om deeglike beplanning, ’n gewaad sonder gesig insinueer: skryf sonder om te dink. Die een sê “just open a vain,” maar iemand anders kontroleer die mes.
Ek haal asem en hoor die wind oor die dak vee. Vryheid met menslike grense maak by bang en ek haas myself terug na my skryfwerk. Op my knieë krap ek my papierwerk bymekaar en lees weer die probleme. Dit lyk snaaks. Hoe meer ek dit lees hoe snaakser lyk dit. Selfs ek gril nou. Uiteindelik lag ek lekker vir my skrywersblok. My man sukkel om die ironie tussen my frustrasie en plesier te verstaan.
Ek begin weer skryf want ek weet ek het nie skrywersblok nie.
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11. Contacts
Johannesburg:
General queries: info@thewriteco.co.za
Cape Town:
General Queries: capetown@thewriteco.co.za
