#16 The Offcuts
New films, coming-of-age stories and magical meatballs
I think I was a bit dramatic last week. I let doubt get the better of me. Worrying about whether The Offcuts works or not. I even called it stale. That was a bit harsh. I take it all back. In fact, as soon as I finished last week’s post and it was scheduled I didn’t feel the same as when I started writing. I guess it goes to show that writing and being creative is never a linear line of progress. It’s ups, downs and squiggly lines of fear and second-guessing. The Offcuts stays. But I am always open to feedback. So, if there are things you like more or less of, ideas about the frequency of posts, the days of the week I post ANYTHING please let me know or leave a comment.
There won’t be an Offcuts next week, because it will be a whole 6 months to the day of Drafting! Can you believe it? I honestly can’t. I’m thinking of doing a bit of a round-up, highlighting some of my favourite pieces and looking back. I would love to squeeze in a few more subscribers in this next week, so please subscribe if you haven’t already (it’s free) and share with anyone you think would also enjoy reading Drafting. THANK YOU <3
I’ve started reading Tennis Lessons by Susannah Dickey. And by started I mean I read a few pages last night before falling asleep. I love a coming-of-age journey to womanhood story. The weirdness, the disastrous and difficult realisations that lead to finding a sense of purpose. It’s making me think about Expectation by Anna Hope and Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead: A Novel by Emily Austin. Both of which were great. I’m excited to get stuck in.
I’ve seen a lot this past week about Emerland Fennell’s new film Saltburn. A nostalgic mid-2000s setting about a student who becomes infatuated with his aristocratic roommate. Fennell recently played Midge in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie blockbuster. She also wrote and directed Promising Young Woman, a revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan. Margot Robbie is a producer, it’s got Barry Keoghan, who gave an incredible performance in The Banshees of Inisherin and Rosamund Pike has been thrown in for good measure. It comes out in autumn and I’m expecting big things.
Ikea is magical, isn’t it? I went yesterday and every time I go I forget how much I love walking through all of the staged little rooms. Imagining my life in them. Getting lost in a giant adult doll's house. And they also have meatballs.
I’ve seen so many clips on Tiktok recently from Katie Price and Peter Andre’s old TV show, which aired about 18 years ago. Holy Hell. The way he speaks to Katie is vile. I can’t believe it wasn’t called out more at the time. Maybe it was? I mean I was literally 9 when it came out. Either way, I’m glad people feel rightfully shocked by it now. Katie always deserved better than that greasy-haired one-hit wonder.
I’ve been trying to remind myself to “trust in the timing” this week. Opportunities often arise just before we’re ready for them and it’s that tiny extra bit of faith and self-belief that helps us get there.
