Turning the page on editing

By Lydia Roberts

SUCCESSFUL SEGUE: Editor Anna Thomson is also a published writer.

​EVER get stuck into a good story, only to find your mind drifting after a few chapters because you can’t understand the characters?

Armidale editor Anna Thomson found she couldn’t “fall into” the story with some works she edited, even though the plot was well written and constructed.

Her solution was to write her own novel and, thanks to the inaugural Varuna-New England Writers' Centre fellowship, she spent a week working on Bloodwood.
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“Having an entire week to work uninterrupted on the manuscript was just what I, and it, needed,” Thomson said.

Anna Thompson was the winner of the 2019 Inaugural Varuna-NEWC Fellowship

​“Bloodwood is my first attempt at a long form novel, and not really knowing what I was doing, I made some very ambitious decisions initially.

“This caused me some problems with the structure and the fellowship allowed me the time to solve those problems, which would have been much harder to resolve without that dedicated slab of time.

“Varuna [the national writers’ house in Katoomba] itself is a very nurturing environment.

​"There really is something special about the place and my fellow residents, despite being on very different writing journeys, were generous and giving with their time and advice.”
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Armidale born and bred, Thomson is a freelance editor and writer with an honours degree in literature.
She has three published short stories, White Christmas, Santa’s Little Helper and The King of Winter in anthologies by Christmas Press.

Bloodwood is a paranormal fantasy in an imagined world.

Thomson says she was helped in the writing of Bloodwood by short courses organised by NEWC.

“They were with Bronwyn Parry, Kate Forsyth and Isobel Carmody, and they were excellent courses and the authors gave really useful advice,” Thomson says.

“Had I done that sooner I’d have saved so much time.”

Thomson has successfully segued from being an editor (which she still is) to a writer, which she describes as a craft.

“I’ve always loved words but didn’t have confidence in my ability to be a storyteller,” Thomson said.

“I remember editing a manuscript or two and becoming very frustrated with certain plot turns. It’s a short journey from there to realising you might be at the wrong end of the process.

“I still edit work, but find writing a far more peaceful and enjoyable occupation. It’s also made me a better editor I think; it gives you a better perspective on why certain errors happen.”
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After years living away from Armidale, the best bit about returning is the nine-minute commute time, from anywhere to anywhere .... “plus the sense of community and connectedness”, Thomson says.

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