orm ▁was ▁pra is ew orth y , ▁rather ▁than ▁something ▁to ▁be ▁ash amed ▁of , ▁and ▁let ▁Smith ▁know ▁that ▁his ▁writ ings ▁showed ▁great ▁promise . ▁He ▁t utor ed ▁Smith ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁achieve ▁dram atic ▁effects , ▁to ▁develop ▁characters , ▁and ▁to ▁keep ▁a ▁story ▁moving ▁forward . ▁ ▁For ▁high ▁school ▁Smith ▁attended ▁Michael house , ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁K wa Z ulu - N atal ▁Mid lands . ▁He ▁felt ▁that ▁he ▁never ▁" f itted ▁in " ▁with ▁the ▁people , ▁goals ▁and ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁students ▁at ▁Michael house . ▁On ▁a ▁positive ▁note , ▁he ▁did ▁start ▁a ▁school ▁newspaper ▁at ▁Michael house ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁wrote ▁the ▁entire ▁content , ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁sports ▁pages . ▁His ▁week ly ▁sat ir ical ▁column ▁became ▁m ild ly ▁famous ▁and ▁was ▁circul ated ▁as ▁far ▁af ield ▁as ▁The ▁Wy ke ham ▁Colleg iate ▁and ▁St ▁Anne ' s . ▁ ▁Account ant ▁Smith ▁initially ▁worked ▁on ▁his ▁father ' s ▁cattle ▁ran ch ▁and ▁also ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁Rh odes ian ▁Police . ▁" I ▁would ▁get ▁called ▁out ▁and ▁have ▁to ▁get ▁bodies ▁of ▁children ▁from ▁pit ▁lav ator ies ▁after ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁with ▁p ang as ▁[ m ach etes ] ", ▁he ▁re called . ▁ ▁Smith ▁wanted ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁journalist , ▁writing ▁about ▁social ▁conditions ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁but ▁his ▁father ' s ▁advice ▁to ▁" get ▁a