The Rough Draft: April

Hello! It’s been a busy time since I last wrote and you might have noticed that I’ve been experimenting with a few different platforms for my newsletter (Substack vs Website vs Mailchimp)…thank you for your patience! But as it goes sometimes… the best option was the original one.

So while I’m not ruling out tinkering with Substack and other platforms from time-to-time, going forward all my updates, writing tips, interviews and reviews will be all in one place, here on the website.

You’ll also notice a new newsletter title: The Rough Draft

I’ve been brainstorming for a little while about different names for this newsletter, and The Rough Draft seems to fit! In these updates you’ll find a ‘rougher’ version, or a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a book editor, writer, student, and cat-lover.

With that little explanation out of the way… let’s catch up!

Writing

I’m continuing to work on finishing the first draft of Project cruise. It’s slow going, but I’ve just begun swapping chapters with a writing buddy which is helping so much with motivation, accountability, inspiration, and all those good things!

I’ve been continuing to make it to regular writing sessions in a local cafe, which what writing session isn’t made better with pastries? Good company helps too, and I’m constantly encouraged and excited to write alongside other writers.

In my last newsletter, I mentioned that I’d entered a few short stories into contests, and I’m hoping to have more to share soon on that front. Exploring short form writing has been a lot of fun and is pushing my creativity into new places.

I have quite a few story ideas buzzing around at the moment, in part thanks to a tutor who challenged us last semester to keep a notebook of random tidbits (in the style of Helen Garner) which is a practice I’m keeping up (though mine is in my Notes app of my iPhone, which isn’t particularly Garner-like).

When I occasionally take the chance to review my random musings, I find they’re often a source of inspiration and amusement. There’s something nice about paying a little more attention to the world around, that I’ve found particularly nice in such a hasty world.

Have you ever kept a writing tidbits/musings notebook?

Editing

As always, I’m so thankful for the authors whom I get to journey alongside. Here are a couple of highlights from prohject I’ve been working on recently.

Steph gets it. There were so many instances in my manuscript where a lesser editor might’ve suggested changes or rewrites, but Steph has the rare ability to see past the surface level of a work and understand the truth behind it. She understands what it means to be an author and can intuitively understand the intention behind the creative choices we make. She’s prompt, efficient, responsive with a keen eye for detail and subtlety, truly a pleasure to have worked with!

J.R Smythe, Into Disintegrate, Shawline Publishing, 2024.

Thank you again to all the wonderful authors who I’ve gotten to work with recently, and who share their trust and amazing stories with me! I love my job. While I can’t feature every project I’ve worked on recently, I hope you find it interesting to see a brief snapshot!

Recent project genres have included: Absurdist fiction, Dystopian YA, Memoir/creative non-fiction.

Studying

Things are pretty busy at the moment as I’m part way through semester for my Masters. Assignments are plentiful and deadlines are looming (it’s times like these that I’m glad I’m well-versed in time-management). That being said, it’s nice being back on campus and continuing to get to know some of my fellow students.

Resting

Recently, the Mister and I have been fortunate to see some live theatre! There’s something so magical to me about a live show, and the dedication to craft of all involved – both on the stage and behind-the-scenes.

The first show we saw was Piece of Mind “a quirky, funny tale about two long-suffering nurses and best friends opening a rather unique new therapy business. The idea is that you and your partner spend an hour or two reflecting on your relationship… while one of you is lying in a coffin playing dead.”

This show wasn’t one I’d heard of before, but it was great! I especially loved the themes of friendship and love between the two leads. I’ll never tire of women supporting women.

Speaking of… The second show we saw was Wicked in Melbourne. This show has been one I’ve been eager to see since they first came to Melbourne back in 2008 — so my teenage self was thrilled to finally see it! The show was incredible as was the talent, especially Courtney Monsma who almost stole the show as Glinda. I highly recommend it!

In other restful news, I’m currently reading several books, including:

• Chomsky & Me by Bev Stohl (fascinating and well-written so far!)
• Empire of The Damned by Jay Kristoff (pacing myself, as it’s quite the tome! but so far, it’s got the worldbuilding I’ve come to expect from Kristoff)
• Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (This is the sequel to Divine Rivals and I’m listening to it on audiobook, so far it’s made me tear up and I’m only a few chapters in. Wish me well!

I’ve also been dabbling in video games. I recently finished Spiderman 2 on PS5 and had such a fun time. The story was great and there was some cool representation in the game too, which was encouraging to see. I blame/thank this game for my urge to rewatch all the Spiderman movies, which I did in fact do, when I came down sick for a few days last month (I’m feeling much better now!). I definitely have lots to say about Spiderman… but that’s for another day!

I’ve just started playing Horizon: Zero Dawn and I’m really enjoying the story, as well as the beautiful open world. If you have any game recommendations for me, let me know!

Cat Corner

This month’s cat photo comes from a contented Magnus, glad to be joining me in the office as I write.

Thanks for reading!