xxRazmatazxx Presents: My Writing Style / My Skryf Styl..

*Translated in both English and Afrikaans.*

Hello Sunshines

Hello Sonskyn

I am so excited for my first Wattpad Block Party, it's the perfect way to kick off my new year here on Wattpad. So firstly, I would like to say thank you to our fabulous host Kelly Ann for this exciting opportunity and a big shout out to all the other amazing writers also featured in this Winter Edition IV of #WattpadBlockParty.

Ek is baie opgewonde vir my eerste 'Wattpad Block Party' dit was die perfekte manier om my nuwe jaar op Wattpad te begin. Ek wil graag baie dankie sê vir ons wonderlike aanbieder Kelly Ann, vir die gulde geleentheid. Ek wens al die ander skrywers all die beste toe met hulle aanbiedings, ek sien uit daar na om elke een te lees in die nuwe IV winter uitgawe van die #WattpadBlockParty.

I went back and forth on just what exactly I wanted to share in this post, in the end two things popped up. Firstly, how does my initial reason to write influence my writing style, and secondly, how does my culture influence my writing?

Ek was die kant toe en daai kant toe oor wat ek hier wou deel, in die einde was daar twee dinge wat by my opgeduik het. Die eerste ding was, hoe beïnvloed die oorspronklike rede om te skryf my styl, en tweedens hoe affekteer die verskil in kultuur en taal my skryf-prosess?

We all have different reasons why we write or enjoy the process. Whether it's making sense of the thoughts that constantly loops through our minds or putting our emotions into words, we all have a reason, a driving force to put pen to paper.

Ons het alamal verskillende redes hoekom ons skryf, en hoekom ons dit geniet. Of dit nou is om sin te maak van die gedagtes wat maal in ons kop of om sin te maak van ons emosies, almal het a rede om te skryf, 'n dryfkrag agter die proses.

What I decided to do was to share my reason, my inspiration, for writing and my struggle with language and cultural differences with you. I am from South Africa, and my native language is Afrikaans, so when I first started writing in October 2015 I had no idea how to write or the slightest clue how to properly write in Afrikaans, yet alone English. So why do something I had never done before? Simple I had to find a new creative outlet, a new form of art to feel passionate about. Why do I prefer to write in English, because it's the universal language and I enjoy the challenge ;)

Wat ek besluit het om te doen was om my rede, my inspirasie, hoekom ek begin skryf het en my gesukkel met die taal en kultuur verskille met julle te deel. Ek is van Suid-Afrika en my moedertaal is Afrikaans. Toe ek die eerste keer begin skryf het in Oktober 2015 het ek geen idee gehad hoe om 'n storie te skryf of hoe om ordentlike in Afrikaan, nie te min Engels te skryf nie. Hoekom het ek begin met iets waarin ek geen ervaaring in het nie? Die antwoord is eenvoudig, ek wou 'n nuwe kreatiewe uitlating hê, iets om passievol oor te voel. Hoekom verkies ek om in Engels te sktyf? Want Engels is die wêreld se taal, en ek geniet 'n uitdaging.

Before writing I was a dancer, it was fulfilling and it was my passion. After an injury I had to reconsider my career path, naturally I was devastated because I had lost the ability to portray my emotions and creativity through movement. I had always loved reading, and one day, after just finishing a book, I was lost in that blissful aftermath some stories tend to leave you with. A thought crossed my mind, what if I could make that feeling last? What if I wrote my own story? Something that could incorporate all the elements that I loved in a good story and silence the raging creativity that I had cropped up for so long, you know, unleash my caged imagination.

Voor ek ooit begin skryf het was ek 'n danser, dit was my passie en ek het elke oomblik daarvan geniet. Na 'n besering moes ek my toekoms heroorweeg, ek was baie hartseer, juis omdat dans my kreatiewe katarsis was. Ek was altyd lief vir lees, en eendag na dat ek 'n besonderse boek klaar gelees het, het ek gesit met daai nagedagte van fantasie. Ek het gewonder, hoe kan ek bly vashou aan die gevoel? Wat as ek my eie storie skryf? 'n Storie wat al die elemente omvat wat ek in 'n boek geniet, iets om my gedagtes op te laat gaan.

It was not easy, I still laugh at myself when I look at the first draft. The language transition proved to be a lot more entertaining than I initially anticipated. For example, have you ever tried to do a direct translation to English? Yeah, funny AF, but not good.

Dit was nie maklik nie, ek lag nou nog vir my eerste rofwerk. Die aanpassing tussen tale was baie meer vermaaklik as wat ek verwag het. Het jy al probeer om 'n direkte vertaling na Engels te doen, die onderstaande voorbeelde sê alles ;)

English - direct translation - Afrikaans

Porcupine - iron pig - ystervark.

Leopard - lazy horse - luiperd

Warthog - shallow pig - vlakvark

(lol, you get my point right? / Julle kry die punt, die Afrikaanse mense dalk meer as die Engelse...hehe)

Don't even get me started on the English tenses, ugh. We have tenses in Afrikaans as well, but tenses remain my achilles heel when it comes to writing. If you're a non-native English writer and you struggle with these drop me a comment to feel less lonely ;) #TheStruggleIsReal

Die een ding wat my onder kry met die Engelse taal is die verlede, huidige en toekomende tye. Alhoewel Afrikaans dit ook het, is dit vir die een of ander rede iets waarmee ek baie sukkel. As jy ook hiermee sukkel laat my weet, dit laat my minder alleen voel ;)

In October 2015 I started writing my first story called Knight's Nightshade, it felt liberating. I finished it, notorious grammar and all but I did it, and I haven't stopped since. I lost the ability to express myself through movement but I found it again in writing and making graphics for my stories. Breathing life into fictional characters, creating new worlds and telling their stories is such a fun thing to do.

In Oktober 2015 het ek my eerste storie, getitel 'Knight's Nightshade' klaar geskryf, taalfoute en al, maar dit het wonderlik gevoel. Ek mag dalk nie meer my verbeelding deur dans en beweging kan uitbeeld nie maar ek kan deur te skryf. Dit gee my baie genot om lewe aan fiksie karakters te gee, nuwe wêrelde te skep en hul stories te vertel.

One thing that had me pulling at my hair was the metric vs the imperial unit system. Is my handsome bad boy 6 foot or 1.82 meter? Anyone else feeling the US influence winning in the end? It's amazing how strong the urge to fit in with Western pop culture is.

Nog 'n ding wat 'n struikelblok was, is die verskeie eenhede. Is my aantreklike manlike held ses voet of 1.82 meter? Ek is seker ek is nie eenigste een wat voel dat die Westerse invloed sterk is nie, en geneig is om te wen as ons skryf vir internationale lesers nie.

 I write according to my mood, and it's evident in the vast differences between my stories. Knight's Nightshade is an action packed story with fierce, independent and badass characters. While Glitter Glitches shows a humorous, girly side with characters revealing a vulnerable side. I have yet to settle into one genre, what can I say? Genre hopping is fun. What I had learned, was that the reason that inspired me to write shaped my writing style.

Ek skryf volgens my gemoed, dit is baie duidelik as jy kyk na die verskil tussen my stories. 'Knight's Nightshade' is 'n aksie storie met sterk, onafhanklike karakters. Waar 'Glitter Glitches' 'n meer humoristiese, en kwesbare kant van my karakters wys. Ek het nog nie besluit op 'n genre nie, ek geniet dit nog om rond te speel. Wat ek wel geleer het was dat my agtergrond en die rede hoekom ek begin skryf het wel my styl beïnvloed het.

Have I mentioned what an adjective junky I am? All the hauntingly, breathtakingly beautiful words makes the ominous, otherworldly elements so much more sinister and it evokes heart wrenching emotions to entice and mesmerize the reader. Is this proper grammar? Debatable, but it sure makes for one hella captivating story.

Het ek al genoem hoe lief ek is vir adjektiewe? Al die asemrowende en pragtige woorde wat by 'n mens spook maak die onheilspellende elemente net meer kragtiger. Dit ontlok die hartverskeeurend emosies wat met die lesers kan toor. Is dit die regte grammatika? Debateerbaar, maar dit maak die storie baie meer aangruipelik.

Ominous Attraction, a paranormal romance, is my newest story, and I would like to share the prologue with you to show how my background and reason to write reflect in my writing.

'Ominous Attraction' is my nuwe paranormale romanse. Ek wil graag die proloog van die storie met julle deel om te wys hoe my agtergrond en inspirasie om te skryf dit beïnvloed het.

Ominous Attraction - Prologue/proloog

Can you fathom? Do you even dare to imagine?

A world set apart from the ordinary, where the myths of old are more than just whispers.

Behold this world where the supernatural freely roam. They do not yield to human law they only fear the ancient Guardians and fearsome Keepers.

The ancient Guardians are both powerful and mystical. They possess neither, compassion towards the affairs of mankind nor a physical form to appeal to mankind. These Guardians merely govern the elements that enslave the supernatural.

The fearsome Keepers are dauntless, both malevolent and benevolent. Each pair a perfect set of opposites, balancing the universe both light and dark. They bridge the gap between the supernatural and mankind, doing what the Guardians neglected to do.

One fearsome Keeper went too far in her attempt to unite two opposing forces.

Their attraction so unlikely, yet still proclaimed forbidden.

Their love all consuming, they both fell dangerously together.

She was completely drowning in him. Like a moth to a flame, she was only ever drawn to him.

But, it was forcefully ended...

For as long as her immoral heart still beats, she will bear the curse of profound heartache. An everlasting punishment, deemed fit by the ancient ones, for the simple sin of loving a mortal.

They erased him from the depths of her now tortured mind, and even though millenniums past the burn of his undying passion still lingered on her lonely lips. Every detail of his face, every touch, every kiss, every single moment spent in sweet embrace. She now spends her immortal days wandering; searching for a love lost and wanted.

The rivers ran full with the showers of her tears, and slowly the loveless drought around her turned into an oasis.

As seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades and even centuries passed into one consistent blur she realized that only time could heal the most severe of shattered hearts. Raw wounds and tears eventually fade; only scars in the shape of memories remain.

She learned to live amongst the mortals, demoted and cursed. Unaware of her true nature, and oblivious to her powers, she blindly soldiered on never questioning, never caring for her past.

Until one fateful day, their paths crossed again. Their apocalyptic love reignited.

_________________

My dance background gives me a poetic edge, with flowing words to match the grace of ballet and the romantic essence to stay true to Swan Lake and Giselle. The reason, or driving force behind our written work is what inspires unique stories. These stories are haunting and they stay with the reader, even after the last page was turned.

My dans agtergrond help my in die sin dat my woorde rym en vloei met die selfde grasie as ballet en die romanse in my stories kan kers vashou by gunsteling produksies soos Swanemeer en Giselle. Die rede wat ons dryf, ons inspireer om te skryf is wat lei to unieke stories. Die tipe stories het die vermoë om by lesers te spook lank na dat die storie klaar is.

As for grammar, well that's something to improve on but my stories are written with passion. All those still in the process of perfecting the art of writing, keep your head up so your tiara don't slip!

Wat die grammatika aanbetref, wel dit bly 'n gesukkel maar dit raak beter en ek geniet die proses. Vir almal in dieselfde bootjie as ek tans, besig om die skryfkuns onder die knie te kry, hou jou kop op sodat jou kroon nie afglip nie!

But ultimately my question to you is how does your inspiration, your reason to write shape your writing style? I challenge you to share your reason with me in the comments, why do you write and what does it say about your writing? What are some of your struggles with honing your writing craft?

My vraag vir jou is, wat inspireer jou om te skryf, wat is jou rede? Ek daag jou uit om jou antwoord met my en die ander lesers te deel in die kommentaar hieronder. Wat sê jou agtergrond van jou skryfstyl? Wat is die areas waarin jy die meeste sukkel as dit kom by skryf?

Lastly, to celebrate the #WattpadBlockParty, I'm giving away a big shout out from my own account and the Rebel_Town account (An amazing community and my Wattpad family) along with a review of max 5 chapters (English or Afrikaans only) to three lucky people. This giveaway is open internationally.

Laastens, om die #WattpadBlockParty te fier, gaan ek 'n spesiale 'shout out' vanaf my persoonlike profiel en die 'Rebel_Town' ('n fantastiese gemeenskap en my Wattpad familie) profiel stuur, asook 'n resensie op maksimum 5 hoostukke (slegs Afrikaans en Engels) doen vir drie gelukkige mense. Die prys is oop vir internationale lesers ook.

Cheers, to each and every one riding the ups and downs of this exciting roller coaster, keep writing and happy reading. To my Rebel family, I truly appreciate you and to the Royal Rebel Guard I salute you.

Sterkte vir almal wat die selfde boodjie roei as wat ek doen, vasbyt met die skryf prosess, ek wens jou alles van die beste toe. Aan my 'Rebel' familie, ek waardeer julle en aan die 'Royal Rebel Gaurd' ek salueer jou.

Lots of love and lollipops

Baie liefde

Jeanette

★ ★ ★

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