#1 The Offcuts
An ode to the things that didn’t quite make it, still.
I have decided that after being able to post at least weekly for over two months (success!!!) I want to post MORE. Introducing Your Weekly Offcut. This will be a round-up of things that didn’t make it to the newsletter this week. The outtakes. “The offcuts”. Though Drafting may well indeed be a resourceful (for want of a better word) use of my notes and ideas, even I need to draw a line somewhere.
Consider these the drafts that weren’t quite right. A bit too much. Or not enough. Completely non-sensical. Perhaps they still hold value though. Maybe I can find a new home for them. Not that I need any more encouragement to write everything that comes into my mind. That’s what led me to Substack in the first place.
We’re here now so why don’t we experiment. Knock those offcuts into shape. Expand them a little more to become things that influence my week. What probably led me to create newsletters I managed to churn out. Little sparks become catalysts for big ideas. In the philosophy of Nora Ephron, everything is copy.
I think it’ll help give me balance. I’ve realised that sometimes I want the newsletters to be more focused and specific which can make them feel a bit more serious. These snippets should be consistently more relaxed and conversational. Not that the regular (I’ve earnt the right to say regular now) newsletters will suddenly become all doom, gloom and broadsheet but I think I’ll just have space to make things more concise.
The Offcuts will be weekly on a Monday and the regular newsletter will now be on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays. So don’t forget to update your alarms, change your calendars and turn the Drafting clocks forward! Two posts a week wow okay. Not sure yet if I’m overcommitting here. Probably. We’ll see how it goes.
I’ve split things out into five tasty bite-size segments. Maybe these will change over time but it feels like a good mix right now.
Something I read this week. You should be reading this like “newlywed”. Wedded to my reading. I don’t know I thought it was funny and punny at the time. Could be books, articles, newsletters, essays... Maybe it wasn’t good, maybe it was strange. But as long as it had words and resonated with me it shall belong here.
Something I’ve bookmarked to come back to later. It’s in the back pocket. Maybe what’s new on my Goodreads or something I’ve added to my Netflix watchlist. I probably won’t have much else to say apart from that I’ve heard good things. So if I share something you’ve already seen, read or watched give me your thoughts!
What’s “super spicy” this week and trending in my world? Drop it like it’s hot (adding to Drafting’s Spotify playlist immediately). Most likely a random rec like a TV show or film or restaurant - something I want to share that I’ve seen, eaten or done and enjoyed.
What’s annoyed me this week? Probably a lot. I feel like learning how to communicate your annoyance at something (the more irrational the better) is one of the most cathartic exercises you can engage in. I have a lot of these ready and raring to go. Sit tight.
A quote, a line or some words of wisdom. Something that resonated with me and either flowed into a river of words or a pondering thought.
