The Best Writing Tip: Don’t Write What You Know
BY KIRSTY MACDOUGALL ‘Write what you know, Kirsty.’ This advice stayed with me for well over a decade. At 17, I wrote an essay about an alcoholic. As you can imagine, my English teacher was less than impressed. In her defence, she was probably right in that context. But is it great advice in every […]
The Best Writing Tip: Write Like No One Is Looking
BY WENDY SPENCER My phone beeped as I was buying milk in Sainsbury’s. Mom’s icon flashed on my screen and I smiled. We had said goodbye only a couple of days ago on her front step in Cape Town, and she wished me the best holiday and celebration of Robert’s graduation. I opened the message […]
The Best Writing Tip I’ve Ever Received: Write to Rewrite Someone’s Life
BY LYN CUBILLAS Time checked: six o’clock in the morning. I was gearing up for my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I looked towards the corner of our house, near the aquarium, where my youngest brother usually slept. He was lying on his mat with headphones on, and he seemed happy. I woke him […]