Writing in a different genre

I have not written in my blog since June - but I have been writing - TEXTBOOKS!

I have been one of the authors on the English Today Senior Phase English First Additional Language team.  We have written 3 books of 18 chapters each in less than 4 months - which must be some sort of record!

The whole thing is a gamble - only 8 books per subject per Grade will be selected by the Department and schools will have to choose from that list.  Our books go forward for scrutiny and hopefully selection next year - but who knows!

So why did I do it - it was a real challenge!  And I didn't know how hard it would be - I've used textbooks for years - who would have known how difficult it would be to interpret the CAPS (Assessment standards) and write chapters that fulfilled all the criteria and still hung together?  I've had amazing co-ordinating authors, editors and publishers who have held my hand all the way, asked me to rewrite so nicely that I have looked forward to the ride (to hell, because rewriting is much harder than writing)

But the best part is that I have always suspected that there was a writer inside, but I have never really tried writing.  And now I know I am able to write - not just non-fiction, but even stories and plays!

So over the next few days I am going to put some of my writing on my blog.  I shouldn't really, in case our book is published, but the stories have been changed for the book.

I hope my readers - if there are some - enjoy the fiction.