COINAGE

Category: words

  • The stories we carry

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    by

    Try
    in ,

    Not long ago, we had a few friends over for a braai. Some I have known since we were boys growing up in Johannesburg. Others came into my life much later, although time has a way of making those distinctions feel less important. Eventually, friendships measured in decades and those measured in years begin to…

  • Why we read

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    by

    Coin Macy
    in ,

    I cannot remember the first book that truly belonged to me. Not the first one I owned, nor the first one I was made to read at school, but the first that felt as though it had arrived carrying some quiet knowledge about the world that I did not yet possess. I have tried, over…

  • Manuscript Assessment: Things You Need to Know

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    by

    Ava Debe
    in ,

    In this third instalment of our series for writers, we move to a stage that can feel both exciting and nerve-racking: letting someone else read your manuscript seriously. After setting writing goals and working through drafts, many writers reach the point where they start asking the same question: should I get a manuscript assessment? A…

  • When Adults Write Childhood

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    by

    Coin Macy
    in ,

    Increasingly, authors, and aprents alike, describe children’s books as the stories they “wished they had as children.” But when adults write childhood from memory, the centre of the story can quietly shift from the child reader to the adult remembering.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Writing

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    by

    Try
    in

    From manufacturing to healthcare, artificial intelligence has revolutionised many industries. Its impact on writing as a profession has been debated. Some say AI threatens the writing industry, and others say it can improve it. There is no doubt that there are potential threats and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in writing as a profession. With…

  • Setting Achievable Writing Goals

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    by

    Ava Debe
    in

    The process of writing a book can be frustrating, to say the least. There’s the initial stage when you just write and tell everyone you know you’re working on a book, “the next great South African novel” by setting attainable and realistic writing goals, writers can stay motivated to outline, draft, edit, and revise their…

  • How many drafts for my fiction writing?

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    by

    Ava Debe
    in

    We came up with a foolproof three draft step to writing fiction; he whole process takes time, but you will notice the results in the quality of your manuscript if you put in the effort.

  • An Ode to Johannesburg

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    by

    MKShuping
    in

    Johannesburg, Jo-hustlers-burg, Jo-hazardous-burg, Damn, I love this city. (2007)