Media Flaws

Now overcoming writers block is something I can really relate to. So as I sat through Gail Smith’s session on “Overcoming Writers’ Block” I was quite relieved to learn that I wasn’t the only one who often succumbs to this horrible thing and often pens down due to severe bouts of writers block.

“Perfectionists write with one eye on the audience,” says a calm Gail, as she eyes her audience, scanning us, gauging our knowledge hunger levels – to be honest we all seemed hungry to hear more on overcoming this terrible writers’ curse. As if she had the cure, she then proceeded to say, “List any resentments or anger you may have in connection with your project.” she paused, “No matter how picky or irrational, just list them.” As Smith says this I’m already overwhelmed by the thought in itself. Surely I’d never get down to actually writing down anything if I were to ever start by listing my resentments or anger. Heck that would be an article on its own. And so I listened attentively and even stuck it out until the Q & A session where writers shared ideas on how they ‘blast through writer’s block’. Hmm, I just write and write and write until somewhere in the middle of all the smoke I’ve produced there’ll be something I can lift out and present as an article. Can’t exactly sit around waiting for a writer’s block to go away now, can I?

So after Gail Smith spoke, I then stole a few minutes of her time to discuss the state of play of narrative journalism in South Africa. I wish I could write down her responses on the ‘corporatization’ of newsrooms that ‘militate’ against editors and journalists here, but those responses are reserved for my research paper...

Next up was Fred Khumalo and Mark Gevisser, who ran us through some challenges they, as nonfiction narrative writers, were battling through in their latest projects. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to spill the beans on Fred Khumalo’s latest forthcoming book and the underlying politics. So I won’t tell you Fred is having a bit of difficulty with his subject, Jacob Zuma. Yep, I won’t tell you that Fred’s primary source is refusing to co-operate and now Fred is experiencing a real-life writer’s block – forget the mental one – the source just won’t co-operate, because he “writes for the Sunday Times”. Yes indeed I won’t tell you that it’s been difficult for Fred because “Zuma thinks the Sunday Times has an anti-Zuma agenda.” I won’t say a thing.

But come now.

Isn’t that rather childish? Or maybe illiterate? It’s a book for chrissake and even if Fred didn’t work for the Sunday Times I bet you Zuma wouldn’t like the final output from Fred anyway. No-one ever likes what’s written about them, unless they’ve written it themselves about themselves. Trust me I know that for a fact. Even Mark Gevisser ran into a few tiffs here and there for having attributed President Mbeki’s present-day mannerism to a deprived childhood. In trying to psycho-analyse Mbeki, Gevisser, got a response along the lines of “Mbeki is acting [actions today are based] on the past issues [apartheid] and not because of a deprived childhood.”

I’m curious to see how far Fred Khumalo will go to regain the trust of his subject. A Zuma book would come quite handy, and would probably rake-in tons of cash especially if it goes to print before the 2009 elections. But wait, wait, Fred is Zulu… and… Jacob Zuma is… Zulu. “Would you have preferred a non-Zulu Zuma biographer?” asks a young lady from Botswana. “No. No. It’s fine.” I replied to quickly cut off this inexplicable line of thought on my behalf.

The first day comes to an end. I spend an hour or two in traffic. Get to Newtown. Have massive R60 ribs and salad at Sophiatown restaurant. Watch Manchestor United and Chelsea battling it out on a big screen projection outside … Day 1 ends …

To be continued…