Here we go

I’m sitting in my newly converted home office, looking south over the moss‑covered red‑tile roof of our neighbour’s home to a line of autumn‑coloured trees hiding most of the nearby street in South Hurstville, Sydney.

The sun is slipping away to the west, tinting the late‑afternoon sky with soft pinks and oranges. A golden palm just to my right waves gently, catching the last breaths of the day’s breeze.

I’m excited, a little nervous, and trying to quiet the whispering voice on my shoulder questioning the wisdom of shifting from a corporate career in behavioural science and conference speaking to writing an Australian historical‑fiction novel.

But that’s what I’m doing.

Sipping my favourite liquorice and peppermint tea, I can’t help but smile in a small celebratory moment. I’ve just finished building my new website, and now it’s time to type this… my first blog.

Today’s the 23rd of June 2026, and it’s been almost six months since I typed The End on the first draft of a 127,000‑word manuscript. It’s a big deal for me. The last eighteen months have been tough — and if you ask my wife and best friend Liz, she’ll tell you my decision to complete a year of creative writing courses with the Australian Writers' Centre and start work on The Catalina has not only kept me busy and my mind active, it’s helped me emotionally as well.

So, as I’m now venturing into all the work needed for the second draft, I had this idea to start a weekly Behind‑The‑Scenes blog about my journey. Why, you might ask. Well, as part of my weekly writing process, I’m asking myself two questions:

(1) What have I learned about the creative writing process

(2) What has that taught me about myself

A month ago, I started another creative writing course called Cut, Shape, Polish, and it’s guiding me through what I need to do to complete my second draft. In the first module, the suggestion is to leave the first draft for at least three months—longer if possible—to let the story settle and to avoid rushing into revisions.

Well, tick. Not knowing that was going to be the advice, two things happened earlier this year that meant I’m only now ready to begin the second draft—almost six months after finishing the first.

The first was that I sent the manuscript out to several readers for feedback. While the feedback has been very encouraging, mixed with a sprinkling of plot and structural issues (exactly what I was after), it took almost three months for everyone to get back to me.

Module two of Cut, Shape, Polish tells me that was a rookie mistake—apparently you don’t seek feedback until after the second draft. That’s why they call them beta readers. The alpha reader, it seems, is me.

Oh well.

The second reason for the six‑month gap is a wonderfully happy one. In January this year, our second grandchild was born… in Sweden. Our youngest son, Anthony, left Sydney in mid‑2019 on a six‑month contract as a creative designer. One year became two, he met a beautiful Swedish woman, Sara, Covid hit, they locked down together, fell in love, and had our first granddaughter, Essa. Liz and I now travel annually to escape Sydney’s winter and visit them in their Swedish summer. But with the birth of our grandson, Ubbe, in January, we decided to head over in mid‑March through April. Best decision we’ve made in a long time. Such a joyous time.

So here I am now—six months since finishing my first draft—working through Cut, Shape, Polish and beginning the journey toward my second draft. And I’ve decided to share that journey with you in these weekly posts.

Here’s the thing though. While I’ve shifted focus from professional conference speaking to creative writing, the truly wonderful part is… there’s no pressure, no deadlines, and I can simply enjoy the creative process.

And that I am.

Next week, I’ll share the first thing I discovered when I opened my manuscript again after six months—and it surprised me.

Until then, my very best to you.

If you’d like to follow my writing journey, you can find me on my Facebook Author Page.