With a positive attitude and a sharp sense of humor, Phillips has spent over four decades writing, speaking, and navigating the extraordinary landscapes - both literal and human - of Southern Africa. Now 74, he's devoted much of his life to exploring the region's beauty and complexity, while also working in diverse roles related to crime prevention and security. He retired in 2019 as Joint CEO of South Africa's Connect Group, capping off a career defined by leadership, resilience, and purpose. His passion lies in capturing the lighter side of life - penning humorous anecdotes drawn from a lifetime of unforgettable encounters and curious adventures. He has two published works to his name, and in this book enjoys the support of renowned cartoonist Anton Deetlefs, who brings many of these 'tails' to life with his brilliant illustrations.

INTRODUCTION
Definitions
~ Social research
~ Creativity and creative
~ Writing and creative writing
Synergies between creative writing and social research
What follows
DOING CREATIVE WRITING
Introduction
Doing it yourself: getting started
~ Reading for writing
~ Small steps and time frames
~ Warm-up exercises
Putting yourself in the picture
~ Writing in the first person
~ Diaries and journals
Observation and description
~ Autoethnography
~ Observational writing and the implied observer
~ Stories and storying
~ Collecting and transcribing stories
Writing about ideas: essays and lists
~ Essays
~ Lists and listing
Doing it yourself: following through
~ Drafting and editing
~ Seeking and receiving feedback
~ Writing together
DOING RSEARCH, GENERATING DATA, WORKING WITH PARTICIPANTS
Introduction
~ Rationale
~ Ethics
Getting started: participatory creative writing for social research
~ What is a participant?
~ How to invite or recruit participants
Workshops and groups
~ How to draw participants together into a cohesive group
~ Playful workshops
~ Getting started, warming up
~ How to write, review and revise together: workshopping
~ Scope
Working with individuals
~ Varying roles for participants and facilitators
Data and findings: process and product
~ Observing and documenting the creative writing process
~ Product: outputs and impacts
EXPLORING AND ARTICULATING FINDINGS
Introduction
Data analysis
~ Fiction in data analysis
~ Poetry in data analysis
~ Play and screenplay writing in data analysis
Dissemination
~ Visual methods of writing for dissemination
~ Performance for dissemination
~ Comedy in dissemination
Finding and telling stories; storying
SEARCHING AND QUEER(ING) WRITING
Introduction
Searching
Queer(ing) writing