Farewell Tegs

Tiffany Markman

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?

Clean, strategic, occasionally rebellious, sometimes contradictory, hopefully ironic. [That's 5 adjectives and 3 adverbs.]

Who is your favourite author?

Yikes. Fiction: Wally Lamb. Non-fiction: Vicki Iovine. But that’s an unfair question to ask a book reviewer. Real answer here.

What are you reading right now?

It’s easier to list what I’m NOT reading. Okay, okay: The Mystery at Mercy Close (Marian Keyes), The Lighter Side of Life on Robben Island (Khumalo, Harper, Kunene et al), The Racketeer (John Grisham), Live By Night (Dennis Lehane).

How do you define a good piece of writing?

Depends on the brief

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?

Because a) it makes me happy, b) I’m better at writing than anything else I’ve ever tried and c) there’s good money in it. In random order, of course.

What do you listen to while writing?

My husband grumbling. My assistant chirping. My kid (distantly) chattering.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

I’d like to say Liv Tyler. Cos she’s pretty. But she’s not much of an actress. How about Ellen Page? Too ‘cute’? Um, a short Maggie Gyllenhaal? No. Michelle Monaghan. Google her.

What’s on your desk right now?

Really? Skaam. 1/3 of a packet of Woolies shortbread (I ate the first 2/3 earlier). My purse: open and in a state. Assorted stationery. Macbook Pro. iPhone. iPad. Multiple cords, plugs and cables. Diary. Photo of my mom, in a Winnie-the-Pooh frame. Gym timetable from June 2012. Wireless Wipes. A picture my daughter ‘dew for mommy’.

What other art / creative channels interest you?

I like pottery, but I’m bad at it. I adore mosaic, but only other people’s. I love plays (especially when my husband’s in them) and I am mad about crappy TV… CSI: Las Vegas, Hawaii Five-O, Nikita, Revenge, Big Rich Texas, BridalPlasty, America’s Next Top Model.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?

With a big fat YES. But I’m not as eccentric as I’d like to be. A gal can hope.

Check out Tiffany’s website, book review blog and Facebook page.

Fred Felton

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?

Dark, Humour, Horror, Thoughtful, Short.

Who is your favourite author?

Stephen King

What are you reading right now?

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

How do you define a good piece of writing?

Something that you can come back to a long while later and still learn from. In other words, it is written
by a writer who is always one step ahead of you.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?

For the enjoyment of it, for the love of it and to hopefully make my readers think for themselves.

What do you listen to while writing?

Mostly Trance Music or Chill Out, sometimes some Depeche Mode.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Gosh, difficult one. Maybe Cillian Murphy.

What’s on your desk right now?

Are you sure you want to know? Let’s see, a laptop, a cellphone, a iPad, various books.
business cards, a year planner, a zen garden and a overflowing inbox.

What other art / creative channels interest you?

Certainly Photography. Love the medium and what you can do with it.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?

Who told you that? Tell me their names. Ha ha, I guess many people think that of writers.
I’m sure you have to be a bit eccentric to write the things you do. While you sit in a coffee shop
I might be sitting at the next table listening to your conversation and wondering how to fit that in
to my next story.

Learn more about Fred here:

Website

In my experience, the problem usually comes from expectations and assumptions. We believe that, because we’ve become friends, the other party should treat us (and, often, reimburse us) for work done or effort made without putting it down in writing. We invest more time, effort, travel and expertise, believing that financial issues can be discussed once the job is done, for example. At the end of the day, the other party is quite happy to accept your effort with no financial obligation on their part and you’re left wondering what on earth went wrong. Shouldn’t they have known that NO-ONE else would do that for free? Well, yes, they do. But, try to prove that.

Another problem is that, when differences or issues do arise, the discussion can easily become emotional. “After all I’ve done for you”, “you should’ve known I needed that money”, “I sacrificed time away from my family for that”, and so on. This is not the way that you would approach a purely professional issue. So, feelings get hurt. This doesn’t benefit anyone, least of all the company. It also threatens to sever your ties for good, a surefire way to break up families and friendships.

A very clear line needs to be drawn between professional relationships and those that go a little deeper. This is for the protection of both of you, your family and your friends.

Bettina Johnson

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?
Inspirational, Motivational, Human Interest

Who is your favourite author?
Cannot say I have one. I am an avid reader and absolutely devour books, but I have no particular genre that I follow and hence no particular author. I will read romances, adventure, biography’s, mysteries, medical or legal stories – anything really – except science fiction, fantasy, Mills and Boons, Barbara Cartland, Danielle Steel or Joan Collins.

What are you reading right now?
Andy McDermott – Temple of the Gods

How do you define a good piece of writing?
A good piece of writing is when through the words on a page, you can transport yourself to a place, smell the smells, see the people, hear the music and feel the emotion.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?
I am a content writer so spend a good part of my day writing. I wrote my book to bring hope and inspiration to people who might be facing devastating events in their lives like the death of a loved one, cancer, miscarriages, divorce, emotional abuse etc. My book is about all those things and more, but it is also about not allowing these events to hinder your progress in life. It is about not being a victim to these events but rather to take control of your own emotional well being and move on to experience life, enjoy life and to take all the good that one can from life.

What do you listen to while writing?
My preference is to write in silence.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Would love to say Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock because they are fun, light hearted, chirpy and look absolutely stunning – but they would truly not depict who I truly am – so to answer your question – I have absolutely no idea.

What’s on your desk right now?
Cup of coffee, diary, paraphernalia relating to my book, hand cream, a camera, papers that need to be filed, inspirational sayings, photos of my husband and daughter and pictures that my daughter has made, coloured in or drawn for me. Oh yes and a traffic find (that my husband got) that needs to be paid.

What other art / creative channels interest you?
Lavishly decorating cakes. To me that is downtime and time where my mind can wonder. It can work things out, put ideas together and sometimes just be. (http://justbcakes.weebly.com)

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?
I am not eccentric at all. I am straight laced, feet firmly on the ground, practical, blunt in my manner of speaking, logically minded – don’t deal in fabrications or beliefs that cannot be defined and proven.

Check out Bettina’s website here.

Maria Victoria Pereira

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?
Wry, inquiring, inspiring, metafiction, metaphysical.

Who is your favourite author?
Many. (Paulo Coelho’s first books just came to my mind…)

What are you reading right now?
Daniel Dinnie’s Through the Crimson Mirror, Zuleikha M Mayat ‘A Treasure Trove of Memories’ and Leslie David’s 33.3- all South African authors.

How do you define a good piece of writing?

It should grab your attention and immerse you in the story or work.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?
To clear my mind, to reflect, share experiences and for healing (mine and others).

What do you listen to while writing?
I don’t listen to anything when writing. I write usually very early in the morning.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
No idea, dear! Well, perhaps the actress of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, Julia Roberts.

What’s on your desk right now?
Papers, books, notes, bills, correspondence, files, pens of all colours, the novel that I am proof reading, a post card from SOS Children’s Villages….

What other art / creative channels interest you?
Ceramics, gardening, piano.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?
Eccentric? Well, some more than others, but for sure you are not the norm if you spend time writing – going inwards instead of going out and enjoying yourself (whatever that means…). My grand-children do consider-me nuts, love my sense of humor (not the wry one) and I am told that their school friends want to meet me!

Victoria’s new blog will be posted as soon as it’s up and running.

Derrick Spies

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?
Words on a page / screen

Who is your favourite author?
There are plenty. Terry Pratchett, James Patterson, Brent Weeks, Trudi Canavan, Peter F. Hamilton. George R. R. Martin (before the rest of the world heard about Game of Thrones)

What are you reading right now?
The correct answer to this question would be your e-mail and the sentence I’m typing, but fiction wise, I’m not reading anything at the moment (there’s just not enough hours in a day). Current non fiction reads includes articles on Fracking and tips for organic planting.

How do you define a good piece of writing?
A good piece of writing is hard to define… there are so many different styles and genres of writing, and I have different expectations from each of them. As a professionally trained journalist, with ten years plus of writing for a living behind me, I do tend to be a bit or a grammar Nazi. Correct spelling and punctuation are always important and the lack thereof tends to put me off immediately. 

But it’s more than that. From a journalistic perspective, a piece of writing is good if it makes sense. There is an adage that states write what you know. For a journalist, this is probably the best advice anyone could ever give you. I always maintain that if I don’t understand something I’m writing about, how can I expect my readers to? 

It’s also a good piece of writing if it succinctly portrays the events that have taken place while at the same time going beyond the straight forward who what where when how. A great example of good journalistic writing would be the recent feature done by City Press on the Faces of Marikana (http://www.m24i.co.za/facesofmarikana/)

A good piece of fiction, for me, must create a believable world that you can immerse yourself into. 

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?
Why do I write? Because I must. Because the ink is in my veins. It’s a compulsion. It’s so bad that I started my own newspaper just so that I could have a platform to continue writing. 

What do you listen to while writing?
When writing news articles I’m usually not listening to anything, except the click clack of the computer keys as I type. When writing fiction, sometime between midnight and 3am, I tend to listen to Metallica. (In fact two tracks on repeat, Turn the Page and Whiskey in the Jar).

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
I would never do that to any actor, ever… unless, maybe, Morgan Freeman?

What’s on your desk right now?
Perhaps a better question would be what’s not. Invoices, stapler, various assorted papers, notes, bluetooth keyboard, computer, newspaper, hand sanitizer, flash drive, empty tea cup (which reminds me… I want tea).

With other art / creative channels interest you?
 I love gardening, graphic design and photography.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?
 I have no idea what they’re talking about  

Have a look at Derrick’s website,  Metro Newspaper.

Jenny Arnesen

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?
Caring – Eutopian – Amuzing – Fair – Philosophical

Who is your favourite author?
Jeffrey Archer

What are you reading right now?
A manuscript from 1888 that I have been asked to write.

How do you define a good piece of writing?
It must touch me – it must have feeling and come alive.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?

To fulfil a need.

What do you listen to while writing?
Music.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Angelina Joli.

What’s on your desk right now?
Oolong tea, a computer and Purchase Order Book.

What other art / creative channels interest you?
Children’s stories.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?
Perhaps! It all depends on how people respond to you as a person.

I have written and published 6 books (written and published in 18 months) – see- jennyarnesenpublishedbooks or jennyarnesen.com

I have written a further 5 books since November 2011 which I hope to self-publish.

This week I was fortunate to be handed a manuscript written in the 1800’s during the Boer War

by a relative of President Kruger which I have been asked to put into story form. This is the most exciting thing for me. Where I have

always written fiction I now have a book to write on fact! I am sorry I never paid proper attention in my History class all those years

ago because now I have to research the information I need.

Gill van der Walt

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?

Passionate, exciting, soul-searching, real, therapeutic

Who is your favourite author?

Francine Rivers

What are you reading right now?

I’m busy reading The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer & The Atonement Child, Francine Rivers

How do you define a good piece of writing?

A good piece of writing must have detail to it e.g. reader must be able to picture the scene, feel the surroundings.

It must convey a feeling and make the reader want to “read further”.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?

To ‘escape and relax’ but most importantly to touch peoples lives. All my books will have an inspirational side to it that readers can benefit from. I also write because it’s my passion. It’s what i call “me time” and when I’m inspired, I write at my best.

What do you listen to while writing?

I prefer silence in the background, when i write. A good time for me is when I’m on holiday (especially the mountains) where my children are all entertained. Another preferred moment to write is when the children have all gone to bed at night and the silence is golden, that’s when I pick up my pen. The latter is how my second book came about.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

I think Sandra Bullock because in most of her movies, i relate to her (not in looks – i wish) but we have the same giggle nature, ways of expression etc. One of her latest movies “The Blind Side” where she encourages the orphan boy to play football, well… everything about that movie from the way she acted, to what she said and did, was replica of me.

What’s on your desk right now?

a lap-top, scraps of paper (which only I can make head or tail of), pens, a dictionary (cos google is not always the answer) and some snacks to keep me going.

What other art / creative channels interest you?

poetry, I’ve written poems since the age of eight and I have over 200 poems which I have made into wall hangers as a hobby.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?

Yes, I tend to get carried away with my characters, bringing them to life. Also I get told I’m a drama queen at times but what do you expect, with an imagination like mine, it should be dramatic – but so long as it’s a “good” dramatic.

Have a look at Gill’s website and blog (click on her book “Take my Hand”)

Gill’s second book is being published in late September and is called “Angel’s Secret,” which will be a trilogy – fiction romance drama.

Kerry Katz

What 5 words would you use to describe your writing?
I would describe my writing as imaginative, creative, humorous, child-like and energetic.

Who is your favourite author?
My favourite authors are Roald Dahl and Babette Cole (for kid’s books… Don’t have a favourite adult’s book author although I read avidly)

What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading ‘Shattered Dreams’ by Irene Spencer, ‘The Happy Gospel’ by Benjamin Dunn and ‘The Spectacular World of Southern African Birds’ (Reader’s Digest).

How do you define a good piece of writing?
My definition of a good piece of writing is one that evokes emotion and thought, holds your interest and causes you to meditate on it long after you’ve put it down.

Why do you write (to relax, to vent, etc…)?
I write poetry to vent negativity (anger, sadness, loss…) And stories for enjoyment. I love writing stories for my children and seeing their reactions to them. They are my guinea pigs for all stories before they go to print.

What do you listen to while writing?
Listening to classical piano gets my creative juices flowing nicely, or music from the 70′s. i.e. Cat Stevens, The Eagles.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
I have no idea who would play me in a movie… Possibly Helen Hunt because she’s not too girlie and is the only one with a big enough nose!

What’s on your desk right now?
The question isn’t ‘What’s on my desk right now,’ but rather ‘What isn’t!’ I am an artist and designer, so my desk (a 6 seater table) is full of craft tools, papers and brushes.

What other art / creative channels interest you?
I worked as a textile designer for 10 years, so fabrics and design in general inspire me. I paint often and supply a few craft shops and a gallery with my paintings and crafts. I am also very interested in education through art.

Writers have a reputation for being a little eccentric. How would you respond to this?
I don’t think all writers are eccentric. I know some painfully analytical ones, though. Apparently I fit into the eccentric group. I guess I’m a bit OTT. In my 20′s I learned not to concern myself with others perceptions of me which makes life much less stressful. Glad I had the revelation so early as most only come to the realisation in their 50′s.