The Other Dark Meat

Halloween 2011 will most likely go down as my most memorable yet. I’ll tell you exactly why later on.

Halloween in South Africa basically consists of watching scary movies. There are no trick-or-treating (unless a small neighbourhood decided otherwise), creepy pumpkins or any other decorations. A few shops will however try and score some money by selling a few Halloween themed goodies.

So after spending every Halloween watching a blood-smeared bucket load of horror movies, I dec...

Six o’ clock on a Friday morning and I am wide awake. And yes, I am on holiday. So why have I been awake since four, you might ask. Let’s call it anticipation. Perhaps ‘excitement’ sounds a bit more appropriate.

After writing fifty seven short stories, of which thirty five have been published and eighteen are still taking space on the desks of editors from all over the world, I’ve finally decided to write my first novel. I’ve tested the novel-writing waters for the last few m...

Like a lot of people I know, I’ve always wanted to get more involved with charities. But, as most people, I’m just too busy. Being a teacher, writer and husband is more than a full time job. And I don’t even have kids yet.

Then there’s the famous, "I’ll do it when I have more time. When I have enough money to scale down a bit or when I retire."

But I recall someone once saying you should live your live as if you are already where you want to be. I want to be a successful...

Welcome to the final installment of my 3-part series of blogs related to questions you should ask yourself about your novel. Questions you need to ask before, during and after writing your story. Click here if you’ve missed part 1(Setting) or part 2(Characterization).

Today’s post covers mostly plot and theme:

Can you summarize your plot in one sentence? You should.

Can you point out the major events in your plot in such a way as to summarize the plot?

Is th...

This is part 1 of my ‘blogathon’ on questions to ask about your novel before, during and after writing it. Click here if you’ve missed part one, which covers the setting of your novel.

Here we go:

Have you given the character enough motivation for his or her actions? If not, build on the motivation or change the actions and reactions accordingly. This includes the villain in your story.

How does the point of view of your story affect the characters? 1^st person works g...

I’ve been writing short stories, quite successfully, since the end of 2008 and recently started my first novel. Which made me think about what questions I need to ask myself during the planning phase of my novel. I wanted to plan the novel just like I did my short stories, but even more structured. Being a busy person, I’d rather spend a bit more time on the drawing board than wasting time in unnecessary and time consuming rewrites.

For the next few weeks I’ll be posting a few thi...

Last night I accompanied two of my friends on a ghost tour with Bloemfontein’s very own ghost tours, and had quite a remarkable experience with an EMF meter. An EMF meter, which measure electro magnetic fields, is known for picking up the residual energy of ghosts.

We were at the Rambler’s Sports Club when Stephan, the tour guide, placed the meter on the stairs where a nurse is known to frequent. The unnamed nurse worked there back when it was still a field hospital during th...

Walk in. Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds of the old observatory turned theatre. You might be lucky enough to hear the sound of the old piano creep down the passage. Perhaps you’ll even meet one of the observatory’s many ghosts, including music lovers sticking to their seats, musicians clinging to better memories, or even the old director who died before he could see his observatory completed.  

I dare you to follow me through a short history and then a step-by-step ret...

This week I had the privilege of interviewing the two members of Bloemfontein’s own Paranormal Investigators or Ghosttours, Stephan Verwey and Sonja van Rooyen.

The Bloemfontein Ghosttours visit Bloemfontein’s haunted sites every Friday and Saturday evening. South African’s might remember seeing them on a recent television appearance on Pasella. For those of you who have never gone on a tour, it is truly a nice experience, whether you see a ghost or not.

J.M:  So how did y...