We bring you another instalment in our Where Are They Now series which profiles some of our former interns. We ask them to look back at their internship/work experience with Spineless Wonders and tell us about any highlights and anything they found useful from the experience.
Of course, we are curious about what happens to our interns, so we ask what they are doing now – workwise, in further study or training as well as other interests outside of work. We find out what they are reading or writing. And finally we ask them to look towards the horizon and say where they see themselves in the future. In this post, you’ll meet Emma Darragh, Jess Magrath, Ashleigh Mounser and Laura Scheidegger.
If you are looking for an internship or work experience with a dynamic small press, contact info[@]shortaustralianstories.com.au
Emma Darragh
- Looking back at your internship with Spineless Wonders, can you tell us what your role entailed, any highlights, things you found useful from the experience? And tell us about other internships/work experience/volunteer roles you have undertaken.
My first role with Spineless Wonders was on a team of editors to select stories for publication with the Slinkies under 30s. It was really fun to read so many stories and to see the variety of ideas pouring out of young Australian writers. My favourite part of the process was working with Tyler Mahoney on his story ‘Headlights like Satellites’. Tyler’s voice is fresh and powerful and this story is dark, funny, compelling and sad all at once. It was an exciting and rewarding experience working to get the story ready for publication. I really refined my editing skills—and interpersonal skills—with this role.
Since my internship with Spineless Wonders I’ve done some proofreading on one of the journals UOW publishes and I’m looking at getting involved with the Wollongong Writers Festival later this year.
2. What are you doing now – workwise? Are you able to make use of your studies in publishing and work experience? Are you involved in any further study or training? What about your other interests, outside of work?
Right now I have casual work at Dymocks in Wollongong and as a mentor with UOW’s In2Uni program while I’m undertaking my BCA Honours in creative writing. I just completed my BA in Writing and English Literatures and am hoping to do my PhD next year. I’d love to keep writing and studying as an academic but I’d also like to work in publishing. Of course, all this editing work has been excellent for my own writing.
- What have you been reading, writing, watching or listening to?
As part of my summer reading for Honours I’ve been reading a lot of short story collections. I loved Robert Drewe’s The Bodysurfers, Alice Munro’s Runaway, and Margaret Atwood’s Moral Disorder. Over the summer Atwood’s Alias Grace consumed me and I’m keen to check out the Netflix series.
At the moment I’m working on a short story collection that explores what I’m investigating with my Honours thesis: the subjectivity of mother characters in narratives that don’t centre on their children. I’m interested in how narrative voice and focalisation situate the reader in these texts, and how ‘who sees’ and ‘who speaks’ forms meaning.
I tend to keep my viewing pretty light-hearted most of the time as what I read can be pretty dark. My boyfriend introduced me to The Mighty Boosh recently so I’ve just finished that (how did I not know this existed?!), but I also love The Good Place and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix. I’m keen for the second season of GLOW to come out.
SMILF on Stan is a really interesting show that deals with the subjectivity of mothers. Frankie Shaw created the show and stars in it and she is brilliant! It’s based on her own experiences as a young artist and mother. It’s funny and moving and really smart.
I’m bingeing on Dear Sugars – Cheryl Strayed’s podcast right now. I listen to all kinds of music but lean towards country and country rock lately.
- And looking towards the horizon, where do you see yourself in the future (say, in one year’s time and in five years’ time and even further if you fantasise that far…)?
I see myself doing my PhD next year! I’m keen to explore representations of ageing women in literature and film and to write my first novel. I love editing and workshopping and plan to keep on doing it in whatever capacity I can.
Jess Magrath
- Looking back at your internship with Spineless Wonders, can you tell us what your role entailed, any highlights, things you found useful from the experience? And tell us about other internships/work experience/volunteer roles you have undertaken.
I think of my internship with Spineless Wonders very fondly. Being a part of the Slinkies project was my first real experience in the field and I used what I was learning almost immediately afterwards. I was also studying professional writing at the same time and had to produce a major project for the semester.
From shortlisting stories for publication to performing the final proofread, the whole experience was so vital in helping me grow as an editor. In each step I learned so much and I have carried what I’ve learned with me today. I learned just how much I love collaborating with enthusiastic authors and getting excited about a project together. I saw how effective editing requires not only technical skill, but empathy. Writing, as with any creative expression, does involve a degree of vulnerability, and I think the idea of approaching an editor can be really daunting for some authors. I’ve found it important to be able to provide a calming assurance while going through the publishing process. It helps the “red pen” feel less confronting, and if an author feels like they can talk things through with you, then the result is a happy author with a well-refined work, a rewarding experience for everyone.
After Slinkies, I stayed on for a while longer and assisted with other projects, such as assisting with the proofreading of the second edition of The Waterfowl Are Drunk! by Kate Liston-Mills. The book is incredible, and I’m so grateful that I could be a part of that project. I haven’t been able to shake the urge to take a road trip to Pambula ever since!
I have met so many incredible, talented and kind people thanks to the internship through Spineless Wonders and it’s something I will always be grateful for.
2. What are you doing now – workwise? Are you able to make use of your studies in publishing and work experience? Are you involved in any further study or training? What about your other interests, outside of work?
I currently work as a closed captioner – I create captions for a couple of different TV networks, and I occasionally branch out into captioning events, work meetings and university lectures. My experience and studies have been invaluable in this role, as being able to quickly and accurately splice text into the required format that is an integral part of the job. If we need to caption something that has no text already available, we must repeat what is being said verbally. Our speech is fed through voice recognition software and other programs, and then converted into captions. Often when I talk to people about my current job they are surprised that it isn’t a more automatic process, or that my work doesn’t mimic that of a stenographer. Some of my co-workers are stenographers, but most of us at the company create captions by respeaking dialogue and converting pre-existing text into a TV-ready format.
I would also love to continue freelancing as an editor, but unfortunately, I have had to go on hiatus, for the most part. Since I haven’t been able to work as an editor as much, I have been focusing on refining my work as an author. I love getting up to many different things, though – aside from writing, editing and reading, I also love drawing and painting, creating music and exploring what music is already out there, gaming, astronomy, sewing, and exploring places near and far.
I am taking a break from studying for now, but it is likely I will do more in the future. I finished my professional writing studies in late 2016, and in early 2017 I did a short course on natural history illustration. It’s very likely I will explore more courses for editing, creative writing, and various forms of art in the future, but I’m considering doing a short course in astronomy, just for fun.
3. What have you been reading, writing, watching or listening to?
I have been reading, writing, watching and listening to such a wide variety of things! I started out writing a couple of spooky slice-of-life short stories and I’m intending to create a collection of them, but I started working on one that’s turning out to be not so short at all. What will come first, the novel or the anthology? I can’t say for sure yet. I’ve also been experimenting with song writing and poetry recently, and while I don’t think what I produced will be something I release to the world, it was incredibly cathartic. Having multiple avenues of expression is something that’s always been vital to me.
I’ve just finished reading ‘Depends What You Mean By Extremist’ by John Safran, which I highly recommend if you’re intrigued by Aussie politics and the current debate around immigration and identity. I’ve just started reading ‘Reckless’ by Charles Zammit, a book which I am already beginning to appreciate for its ability to be a page-turner that still lets you catch your breath – though I already know that as I continue, the suspense can only build! Some of the locations are set right in my hometown, which was a pleasant surprise. Next on my list is ‘Heart of Mist’ by Helen Scheuerer.
I’ve started watching ‘Black Mirror’ and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. I really enjoy the all-encompassing melancholic atmosphere it creates and the episodic nature of the show. I do find I have to be in a particular mood for watching shows and movies in general, but I have had a background itch to re-watch ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ for quite a while…
I think what I’ve been listening to in terms of genre has been more all-encompassing than anything. In short, I’ve just discovered Hiatus Kaiyote and have been playing their music, along with Nai Palm’s ‘Needle Paw’ solo album a lot recently. Their music gives me a lot of strength. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Tash Sultana and Minus the Bear. I was lucky enough to see them both live last year. They were both very special gigs, and I’ll always treasure those memories. There are many other artists and bands I bounce between, though. Some genres include indie and alternative rock, Korean electronica and house, pop (which I’m happy to admit to just because of Kimbra and Michelle Branch), folk, jazz, RnB, rap and hip-hop, and heavier rock and metal.
4. And looking towards the horizon, where do you see yourself in the future (say, in one year’s time and in five years’ time and even further if you fantasise that far…)?
I never thought that I would end up creating closed captions for a living, but it’s something I really enjoy doing and I plan to keep doing for a long time. I also want to work as an editor when I can, and keep creating, whether it be writing more spooky stories, sketching, or creating more songs. I’ve been based in Melbourne for 1.5 years now, and while I see myself staying here for a while longer yet, my hometown is in the Newcastle area so I foresee myself continuing to travel, at least a little bit. What I want to do, above all else, is continue to share the stories I have and the stories I’ve heard everywhere I go, with love.
Ashleigh Mounser
- Looking back at your internship with Spineless Wonders, can you tell us what your role entailed, any highlights, things you found useful from the experience? And tell us about other internships/work experience/volunteer roles you have undertaken.
Originally, I became involved with Spineless Wonders in a marketing capacity, and was tasked with brainstorming promotional ideas for the Slinkies U30’s.
My major highlight with Spineless Wonders would be attending the National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle in 2017 to conduct the Phone It In competition with Emma Howe, another intern. There were a lot of great events on, and I wouldn’t have made the time to go if it hadn’t been for my role in the festival.
I’ve also completed internships for Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Festival and Away in Style, a travel and fashion digital magazine.
- What are you doing now – workwise? Are you able to make use of your studies in publishing and work experience? Are you involved in any further study or training? What about your other interests, outside of work?
At the end of 2018, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting at the Australian School of Film, Television and Radio. My writing experience has enabled me to get some freelance work, mostly through networking and social connections. At the moment, I do some interview write ups and some copywriting, and I’d love to pick up more of this kind of work as I love to travel and it’s amazing to be able to keep making money wherever I am. I’m currently overseas in Thailand after a month in Eastern Africa.
- What have you been reading, writing, watching or listening to?
Because I’ve been travelling, I’ve been reading a lot. I’m about halfway through ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ which is beautifully written, if a little slow going and earlier in January I read a Gillian Flynn novel, which I always whip through. On the plane I watched Baby Driver and The Big Sick, which were both good.
- And looking towards the horizon, where do you see yourself in the future (say, in one year’s time and in five years’ time and even further if you fantasise that far…)?
I’m at a bit of a crossroads at the moment, so it’s hard to say where I’ll be in five years. There’s a lot of avenues I’m interested in (travel writing, freelancing, screenwriting) but I’m less sure about entry points. A year, five years, or ten years into the future, I hope I’m still writing.
Laura Scheidegger
- Looking back at your internship with Spineless Wonders, can you tell us what your role entailed, any highlights, things you found useful from the experience? And tell us about other internships/work experience/volunteer roles you have undertaken.
I was an editorial intern for SW and worked on a short story for the Slinkies series. I particularly enjoyed how much responsibility I was given from the beginning and how my tasks corresponded with what I had been taught in my classes. I also interned for a big publisher where I was only given ‘menial’ jobs and had pretty much zero opportunity to apply the things I learned at uni.
I also attended a couple of literary readings during my internship with SW which was really helpful to get a more wholesome insight into the local creative scene.
For two years, I volunteered for the SWF which was an amazing experience and which I would recommend to everyone who wants to work in any book related industry!
2. What are you doing now – workwise? Are you able to make use of your studies in publishing and work experience? Are you involved in any further study or training? What about your other interests, outside of work?
I just started a paid editorial internship at a small publisher back home in Switzerland. I’ve already been able to make great use of my studies – everyone is really impressed with my Master in Publishing, as there is no equivalent course here – and the experiences I’ve made being an intern in Australia. I honestly think that the recommendation from SW helped me getting the job, as the positions are really similar.
I’m currently working full-time, but going back to uni is an option that lingers at the back of my mind… not sure yet. I’ve just moved to a new city so my free time has been pretty packed with organising things and finding my way around, but I’m hoping to take up swimming and Pilates again once I’m a bit settled in.
What have you been reading, writing, watching or listening to?
I’ve just started reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. I completely missed out on reading them when I was a child so it was high time I gave them a go and I’m actually quite enjoying them. I just started ‘the Goblet of Fire’ and things are getting pretty dark…
And looking towards the horizon, where do you see yourself in the future (say, in one year’s time and in five years’ time and even further if you fantasise that far…)?
My current position is a one-year-contract so in a year from now, I’ll hopefully have another job secured… I’d really love to be working in editorial for a publisher, but positions are really scarce here. I might just have to take any job that’s remotely related to the field I guess…
But in five years’ time I really see myself working for a good, mid-size publisher, preferably as an editor. If that means going abroad again, I don’t mind. In the very far future, I would love to have my own little bookstore / wine bar with a grumpy red cat somewhere. That’s my little personal fantasy.
You can read about other interns here at Meet the Interns Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1.