I’m a fiction writer. I prefer to clothe my deepest thoughts and concerns by inventing a character and giving him/her my views and problems. Cowardly I know, but I cringe at people who can write about their innermost being, even if it makes them look bad. I cringe on their behalf, but also on … Continue reading On personal essays
Thrilled to have a story in this collection http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/experimental-writing-africa-vs-latin-america-vol-1
In writing a poem I usually know what I want to say and how to say it, before I start. This involves thinking, planning, editing. During the past week, however, I had a different experience. I started writing a poem to present at our monthly poetry group, Jozi House of Poetry, with the theme 'new … Continue reading Welcoming the muse
Wow, what a good start to the new year. The proof copy of my book arrived this morning and it is looking good. I’m looking forward to the launch in South Africa in April. In the meantime I have to make a list of everything I want to do. First should be building the … Continue reading Book launch April 2017
All of us use our minds to write. Have you ever wondered what it is, this mind that we employ with such abandon in our stories? I recently did a six-week MOOC course on ‘What is a mind’ by Prof Mark Solms from the University of Cape Town on FutureLearn. It was the most thought-provoking … Continue reading Your tool box
This slogan of the first Abantu literary festival ignited my imagination into thinking, what would that entail? Here we can take a leaf out of recent events in America. Concerned about Donald Trump becoming president, most literary magazines set a challenge to their writers – write, explore the implications. An example, PenSA currently has on … Continue reading ‘Imagine ourselves into being’
I have Christmas snow falling across my computer screen (a feature of WordPress) and I'm feeling slightly queasy. It has been an eventful year. I almost died, published my debut collection of short stories, Eye of a Needle, made the longlist of the Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award, and had three poems accepted for the … Continue reading Highs and lows of 2016
Like many of the best story tellers, Connie Fick is funny. There are stories in Eye of a Needle And Other Stories that unfold like a Herman Charles Bosman stoep yarn. In “Belinda”, the Oom Schalk-like narrator tells the tale of a small town beauty who tamed a no-good layabout. Some stories derive their humour from … Continue reading Eye of a needle: Review by Jo-Ann Bekker
My how the time has flown. Some of the items on my list influenced my writing more than others. I feel that I've grown as a writer by choosing books to feed my imagination, and then reading them with attention. I intend to go through the same process again in January and look forward to … Continue reading My reading list
I love writing short stories, and plan to publish another collection from stories I've written over the years. But first I have to write a historical novel that begs my attention. I've done some of the research and look forward to writing it. At the same time I'm nervous, it will be the first time … Continue reading On writing
Cornelia Smith Fick 