Writing the Next Thing

I’ve started work on a new play. This month’s podcast is about what’s been helpful and supportive as I’ve taken the very first steps to develop my next idea. I speak about:

  • Bringing more attention to areas of influence and inspiration that are already capturing your attention.

  • Brainstorming and freewriting on the themes, genres, central relationships and formal references you’re most drawn to at the moment.

  • Noticing the threads and patterns and finding ways to draw them together.

  • Prompts I used in my process journal to develop these different threads further.

  • Writing prose before trying to write scenes. 

  • Letting the themes guide the content I was consuming (audiobooks, podcasts, radio etc) and creating a thematic container in day-to-day life.

  • 'Writing under the influence' of what you let in.

  • You have to begin with what’s on your heart to write and trust that good writing is the stuff of multiple drafts, not perfect ideas.

Resources: I also speak about themes and creating thematic containers in Episode 12 Managing Research Draft to Draft.

Thank you for listening. Learn more about my work on my about page or say hi and ask me a question via @emilysheehan__ on Instagram.