Kells McPhillips, our 2023 fellow, has just completed her time with us here at theOffice. She was able to make great use of the space over the last six months and we’re going to miss her warm presence in the room. I recently checked in with her about her upcoming plans and her favorite writing hacks.

So, Kells, I’m curious what it was like for you to work here?

My experience at theOffice left me so inspired. To see working writers show up each day and treat their craft with the focus and reverence it requires touched me deeply. I think the experience also made me realize how rare quiet is nowadays and what a valuable tool it is for thought. There’s nothing quite like looking around at a room of writers and realizing that everyone is tapping into their imaginations. Incredible. 

What project(s) did you work on?

I worked on the second draft of my speculative fiction novel and a short story about a mother, a daughter, and a cult. Hopefully, I will have agent/publishing news on these projects soon!

And what’s next?

I’ve been advised to put my novel in a proverbial drawer for a couple of months and work on something else. This distance is supposed to give me “perspective”—so wiser writers say! But I miss living inside that story. Luckily, I have another novel to work on, and it’s exciting, too. 

Are there any productivity hacks that you use? How do you stay focused?

This is an ongoing struggle for me. Lately, I’ve been setting a timer (an actual timer, NOT the one on my phone) for 20 minutes. I tell myself I only have to write for that long, but inevitably, I wind up fitting in three or four twenty-minute sessions. It’s funny that even though I know I love to write, I still have to trick myself into it. Maybe one day, that will change.

Another thing I’ve found helpful is really letting myself have shitty first drafts (SFDs). I adopted a terrible habit of micro-editing in my MFA program that I’m trying to unlearn. I know now that if I just get all the words out first, they will ultimately be more honest than if I’m stressing about each sentence along the way. I can polish later. 

I love me some SFDs! Anything else you’ve learned about your writing process that you didn’t know a few years ago?

I think I’ve learned that there’s no substitute for having people talk to one another. For a long time, I placed all my narrative attention on the inner worlds of characters and how they interacted with their surroundings. I had literary fiction-itis, some would say: Dialogue made me nervous, so I avoided it. In reading scripts and watching so many movies, I’ve come to respect how much character development happens through dialogue. What we say and don’t say matters. It may seem like an obvious revelation, but it was a hard-learned one for me—someone who often struggles with dialogue in her own life.

These are fantastic tips! All the best of luck, Kells. Cannot wait to see what the future holds for you.

And for those of you interested in applying for your chance to win six months at our quiet workspace here in Santa Monica, stay close. We’ll be launching the 2024 fellowship soon! 🙌