Hello, Goeie Dag, Sawu-bona - and greetings in our other 8 official languages.
I hail from Johannesburg, South Africa. Any other tjaina's here?
I hail from Johannesburg, South Africa. Any other tjaina's here?
Hi Gail,
I'm also proudly South African - you're not alone!
I was living in Joburg until about 8 months ago when my day job brought me to the backwaters of Brazil Now I'm a confused gringoChina with a mighty longing for biltong
I have friends in South Africa that write, but they're not members here. Glad to have you aboard and sorry I don't know any languages from the southern regions.
Hi desertbob,
Just for you I'm cutting up some biltong, putting the boerewors on the braai and looking for ways of parceling up some bobotie, pap and chakalaka. Darn! The customs people might have a problem with that.
I hear they make good empanadas in brazil.
When you're not doing your day job, what do you write?
Hehe, thanks Gail!
I've smuggled biltong over in my suitcase before - the trick is in vacuum packing it securely, otherwise those lovely beagles at airport security start getting overly interested in your baggage, and then you have problems!
Yes, empanadas are awesome (I live in empanada central - Goias) and sadly my day job is the sort where "non-working" time is just sufficient to choose between eating and sleeping that day... so the writing suffers. But someday when I get sick of this and am happily unemployed, I plan to finish the messy Sci-Fi novel that's been floating around on scrap paper and in various misplaced journals for the last few years.
How bout you? Do you write about life in South Africa? I'm finding living out here has really influenced the tone and character of what I want to write (even in a futurist sci-fi) - but I guess that´s natural, life's experiences is where we draw inspiration, right?
Fantasy, most subgenres.GailD said:What do you write?
Definitely. I hope to see some fantasy in a Serengeti-like environment. It'd be interesting to see a futurist story with a SA touch.desertbob said:I'm finding living out here has really influenced the tone and character of what I want to write (even in a futurist sci-fi) - but I guess that´s natural, life's experiences is where we draw inspiration, right?
Fantasy, most subgenres.
Definitely. I hope to see some fantasy in a Serengeti-like environment. It'd be interesting to see a futurist story with a SA touch.
This having to earn-a-living business really puts an irritating spoke in the wheel of one's writing life, doesn't it?
What I did learn along the way is that one doesn't have to set aside large blocks of time for writing. One can learn to write in small increments, even 15 minutes is enough to jot down a couple of sentences. It's a little frustrating at first because you think you're going lose your train of thought but with practice you really can pick up where you left off each time.
Oops, sorry, that sounded like lecture.
I'll get back to making that milktart and try and vacuum-pack it.
PS - I love the 'hehe'!
No, no, Gail this is actually exactly what I wanted to hear. I´ve been really struggling with the motivation, and it feels like all I have are a lot of half-finnished scenes which aren't going to meet up in the middle. How did you handle structure and flow working stop-start? Did you carry on linearly, or try follow some sort of plan?
Thx for the help.
God I miss milktart...
I don't know that there is any right way to write a novel. (Maybe experienced writers like SaraP can jump in here and comment.)
BIC-FOK! I like this. First time I've come across it.There is a right way to write a novel, and that is by doing what works for you. Between outliners and pantsers, you have the whole spectrum. Each writer is different, each one works differently. As you long as put that BIC-FOK* time in, getting those words in is what really matters.
Btw, I'm hardly experienced, but thanks anyway.
Thanks, Sara. You are quite correct - that is what I meant to say.
*BIC-FOK = Butt In Chair - Fingers On Keyboard
When I saw BIC-FOk, I was thinking Bic pens and the Afrikaans expletive - this would definitely characterise my writing attitude some days!
Now you know why I like it!
I studied in Cape Town last fall-- absolutely amazing city, with even amazing-er people