Show Your Working: Nardi Simpson

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 Yuwaalaraay author and 2018 black&write! fellow Nardi Simpson, whose debut novel Song of the Crocodile is out now from Hachette Australia (Read our review!).

What does your workspace look like?

I am lucky enough to have a large desk at my bedroom window that soaks in the sunlight most of the day. At it, I sit overlooking two thick blue gum trees. I spend a lot of time thinking and daydreaming stories into the tree’s branches. My street is relatively quiet for inner city Sydney and the trains and planes (less so these days) are a gentle interruption to the birdsong and leaf rustle in front of me. My only frustration is, as I accumulate books, my room is quickly running out of space to store it all.

Reflecting back on the early drafting of Song of the Crocodile, I think often sought places with ambient noise, cafes and parks, that sort of thing. Something about the energy of people going about their lives inspired me to get words onto the page. When I was editing, I sought silence and solitude. My mind seemed to be working in a different way, connecting deeply with characters, their inner motivations and my own writing goddesses and ancestors.

I always have some kind of music in the works, whether it’s songwriting or composing for ensembles or vocal pieces, so my workspace changed regularly between the inner and outer pursuits of writing and composing. These mediums tend to work well together, and I don’t find any tension between the two. I find the regular physical shifting of materials and gear on my desk (keyboard’s, mics, notebooks etc. ) means my workspace is continually morphing between lyric and melody. There is a lovely, liquid chaos to my workspace that works well for me.

My desk overlooks two thick blue gum trees; I spend a lot of time thinking and daydreaming stories into the tree’s branches.

Are you an analog or digital writer?

I write everything down in a diary. If I write it, I remember it and I am better at holding myself accountable.

I draft in longhand and edit on computer. Because I try to channel my country and ancestors when writing, I like to leave the door open for spirit when writing and dreaming about cultural things. I reckon they are much more able to guide me directly with a pen in my hand, so my conceptual work is always written in a series of notebooks. When I have to knuckle down into hard work and make tough decisions—editing, structural work, crafting rather than creating the story—I get busy on the computer.

What sort of software and hardware do you use to get your work done?

I had a really great run with Scrivener until I began spending more time formatting and organising my thoughts than I did writing them down. I know this is weird but sometimes I run passages through Grammarly also, not to shape the flow of my words but to see and learn from alternatives. Grammarly showed me the tendencies I had, and the example helped me recognise and decide on the right approach for me to commit to.

I’m pretty adaptable, so no pet peeves on any programs. I did much of my work with editors in Word. I found it was easier to engage with editor’s queries if I changed the colour of their comments on the document to pink rather than red. I quickly learned to love the indirect conversations—through comments asking for deeper thought or clarification, focus or attention on sections—with editors in Word. Their manner of suggesting and never prescribing seemed quite wonderful and generous to me. I now have a soft spot for Word!

What would your perfect work/writing setup look like?

I feel pretty lucky to have the space that I have. It seems to work with my situation and temperament. My desk doubles as a stand-up desk so I’d probably just do more standing work than I do now. And maybe invest in a better chair as my neck gets stiff when I get into long, hard slogs at the computer.

Because I try to channel my country and ancestors when writing, I like to leave the door open for spirit when writing and dreaming about cultural things.