First
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas
It is weird to be writing my first newsletter at the end of the year.
Although one of my favourite times of the year is the end of it – watching my kids’ school concerts; singing Christmas carols; going on beach holidays; long summer days; sumptuous Christmas lunch with family; watching the Boxing Day test cricket; and of course reading all day without feeling like I should be doing something else. As a teacher it feels like an achievement to have made it through each term and now that the students are all at home, anxiously awaiting their results, the school is quiet and empty. It’s a totally different atmosphere … a lot more chill but also you feel the lack of the students’ presence, vibrancy and energy.
Teachers are finishing up their marking, working on reports, cleaning classrooms. We’re busy but we’re also far more relaxed. There’s also the anticipation of a long summer holiday, hopefully a visit to the coast - to get away and to refresh. Is there anything better than lazing on the beach, sand in your toes, the kids frolicking in the water and having a book open on your lap? December holidays are the only school holidays where I completely shrug off my teacher worries. I guess it’s because when teaching Matrics there is a constant anxiety gnawing at me that I will not complete the syllabus on time (and yet every year, I manage to - phew!). In December, that stress is finally no longer hovering over me. Until the night before the matric results are released – I simply cannot sleep.
The end of the year is also the perfect time to get more writing done, now that it is less hectic. I have always struggled with writing habitually. I often write in short spurts and then, almost as if my creativity has been sapped, I can’t write anything for ages. Every established writer will tell you how important it is to have a routine. To write regularly. To keep the story buzzing in your head. This is my single biggest struggle as a writer. Even now that I have time to write (so precious!), I am giving myself hundreds of little tasks to do instead of writing. Or I decide to watch one episode of a series instead of writing. And that one episode will then become binge watching the entire series. Every year I tell myself I need to be more disciplined… but every year I fail.
Talking about endings…as a writer I have come to appreciate the importance of writing a good ending. It has to be satisfying for the reader and believable (would your character really do this? Could this really happen in the real world?). It also has to leave the reader thinking about the ending long after they close the book. The ending of “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel is so perfect (actually that whole book is chef’s kiss) and it’s a great example of how to leave the reader thinking about themes of the book. In “The Swim Team”, I left the ending slightly ambiguous and I’ve received so many comments and questions on the ending. I knew the ending of the book quite early on in the story and I built up to that moment. For me, it was the only way to end Khethiwe’s story.
Unfortunately my current WIP is not even close to the end. I am almost 25 000 words into my next novel. I mostly love it (but why is writing so hard?). It is more challenging than my last novel because I have four character POVs, so essentially four story lines. It’s harder but I kind of love all four characters.
This year I’ve almost finished reading 40 books. Yes, I do keep a record. Yes, I am that person. Currently I am reading “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley. I think the book was released a couple years ago. It’s a thriller about a wedding taking place on a remote island – and then someone dies. It’s very atmospheric and fast-paced… so I’m enjoying it but I’m not too far in. I want to read Sabaa Tahir’s new YA book, “All My Rage”, before the end of the year. I have it on my Kindle already so once I’ve finished “The Guest List”, I will dive into it. It won the National Book Award for 2022 so I’m sure it will be great.
Just before the new year, I always compile a list of my best reads for the year… it’s nerdy as hell but I love it. It’s so fun to revisit the characters that I’ve fallen in love with and world’s that have drawn me.
So as the school year draws to a close, and Christmas is peeping around the corner, I would like to wish you a wonderful, relaxing December holiday full of beach sand and white waves, and, for those who celebrate, a Merry Christmas.
Until my next newsletter,
Cath xx