Show Your Working is a regular column exploring how some of our favourite writers get things done. This month, we take a peek into the writing routine of author Larissa Behrendt, whose new novel After Story is out now from UQP.
Larissa’ balcony workspace. Image: Supplied
What does your workspace look like?
I have a study with bookshelves on all the walls filled with books. I love that there is natural light and I have an arm chair in a nook where I can sit in and read. I’m not neat by nature but I like to be organised—I write lots of lists. I feel lucky to have a little space, surrounded by family pictures and the novels and books that mean so much to me. My cats often keep me company so I am covered in cat hair by the end of the day. I live in an apartment so I have a little space on the balcony where I can write on a warm day for a bit of variety.
Are you an analog or digital writer?
I write notes in a notebook and write my stories by hand. Typing the notes up is my first edit. Then I print and write on the pages. And repeat.
I keep an electronic diary—which I always muck up—but I keep lists in my notebook of what I want to achieve in a year, a month, a week, a day. I love the satisfaction of ticking something off my ‘To Do’ list.
I feel lucky to have a little space, surrounded by family pictures and the novels and books that mean so much to me.
What sort of software and hardware do you use to get your work done?
I have a laptop so I can write anywhere—and I write when I travel. I use Final Draft for when I’m writing for the screen. I’m not good at shared software. I’m pretty old fashioned. I do like using PowerPoint not for presentations but for ‘Look Books’ to keep my visual ideas together. I also use big art books for each project to paste in images and ideas. Even the act of cutting and pasting into those books feels like part of the creative process.
Describe your writing practice?
I like to do edits in the morning and write new material in the afternoon and evening. I am more of a night owl than an early bird but over the years have come to understand that cutting sleep is not a way to do better work. I like reading my research, getting ideas, taking notes. I like to make space for mulling time. The more space I give myself for the story, ideas and characters to form in my imagination, the easier I find it to write them on the page. I often come to my stories with a set of seemingly disparate ideas with just an intuition that they fit together. As I develop the characters and the storylines, those ideas weave together. I have a vague idea of where I want to start and where I want to finish. How I get there is a process of seeing where the muse takes me.
Has your writing practice changed over the years? If so, how?
I take the practice more seriously now. I have always seen it as a craft and love listening to other writers talk about their work. I have come to appreciate the concept of staying ‘match fit’—of treating my writing like I’m training for a marathon, that I need to train, keep writing, keep the process going. I am more focused on rewriting and refining. And I am better at letting things go when something doesn’t work.
I have come to appreciate the concept of staying ‘match fit’—of treating my writing like I’m training for a marathon.
How do you encourage inspiration to strike?
When I have a block, I go for a walk to one of the galleries or museums. I find the creativity in the air as I look at the art works helps stimulate my own creative juices. I grew up in a small, crowded house so it still takes a while to get used to a quiet space. Reading the work of great, innovative writers also is a source of inspiration. I have found that filmmaking has enriched my creativity in writing rather than drained from it. The more creativity in my space, the more productive I seem to be.
What’s next for you?
It’s been lovely to see After Story come out into the world and to have such a warm reception. I’m doing research for a new novel and I’m working on a few documentary projects. Life feels like it is a rich tapestry.
After Story is available now from your local independent bookseller.
