Rough Draft with Sarim & Rachel: Recent Episodes
Sarim Irfan, Rachel Evangeline Chiong
Rough Draft is a bi-weekly podcast where writers talk about what writers do. Every episode, hosts Sarim and Rachel explore, dissect, and meme on the craft they so adore. From book rants to writing woes, there’s a wealth of topics to find annoying, “middle ground” opinions on right here.
https://www.theroughdraftpodcast.com
Does competition make for good writing?
Well… Of course?
Working under pressure is nothing new. In fact, it’s an alarming constant in most everyone’s lives. Yet, some of us thrive under this pressure. We work harder, work better. At the very least, we work fast enough to avoid building up more pressure later on. Annoying as it may be, tension makes for a good motivator.
Surely, then, pressure we actively choose to take on is a good thing? We get all the push it brings, as well as the excitement of a new challenge. Writing competitions offer exactly that. At least, they claim to: pressure to perform, deadlines to meet, and a chance to show off your skill. Competitions can push a writer to a new level — but are they a double-edged sword?
...of course, this episode is two months late, so maybe pressure isn’t all that.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to contest the contests.
How does schooling affect a writer?
I mean, a lot, right?
Education is a complicated thing. While we all venerate and see the value in it, there are a great many problems with the world of academia. It can be expensive. It can get pretentious. It can place ridiculous amounts of stress on those far too young to deal with it. There’s a lot to unpack here.
Luckily, we’re not talking about any of that.
This is a show of two writers, after all, and writers are a selfish lot. Instead, we delve into the fallout of classrooms past. That is, how school shapes the young writer. How does the type of schooling affect the way we learn to write? Is there a vast difference in approach, content, or even style between our two differently-educated hosts? And if there is… Why?
...it’s probably the trauma.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to learn anew.
How important is originality in literature?
Better yet, does the damned thing even exist?
Teen dystopia went from a cool concept to an entire genre of its own across mediums. Cyberpunk: once an overexposed aesthetic, now delayed meme of 2020. Time and again, we’ve seen ideas redone, remixed, remade, or straight up copypasted. But is that such a bad thing?
Originality is easy to define, but hard to find examples of. Hell, we couldn’t even make the topic hyperspecific for this episode. With that being the case, then, is retreading old ideas truly a cardinal sin? Does originality in its purest form really matter?
Better yet, does the damned thing even exist?
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to see what I did there.
What is writing in comics like?
Between bombastic BAM!s, potent POW!s, and some truly philosophical SHK-SHKs, the medium of comics has some truly unique writing to offer.
Of course, there are some banging stories too. The marriage of visual art and short, snappy dialogue (“I am the Night” monologues aside) gives us adventures that simply cannot be experienced anywhere else. But how do we get there?
How do we write comics? How does the comic book experience really differ from other forms of storytelling? Using our knowledge as a comic reader and creator, what insights can we glean from between the panels?
Y’know, like you gleaned that snarky Snyder reference in the title.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to get graphic.
What’s in a collaboration?
The writer: an isolated, even introverted hermit, locked up in a ridiculously aesthetic study, surrounded by crumpled up pieces of paper, bookshelves of people who did it better, and the final sad tatters of their dreams.
Probably more than a little inebriated to boot.
Today, we deny such preconceptions. The writer’s life need not be solitary, especially when collaboration is so damn fun. Between editing a friend’s work, scripting a more visual piece of art, or even co-writing entire books together, collaborating offers a world of unique experiences for the modern writer. What does it take to do so, however? What is the difference between writing alone and writing with another?
...aside from a mildly increased number of arguments?
This week, Rachel and Sarim attempt to cultivate the concept of collusion.
When do you call yourself a writer?
You don’t.
I’m kidding, of course. Though, claiming any creative identity has long been a cause of concern. Is this normal? Will other people think I’m pretentious for doing so? And, of course: does it look good on my LinkedIn?
Y’know, the important questions.
Underlying all these concerns is one simple query: have I earned it? There’s no definitive milestone that one has to reach to claim writerhood, or any creative identity. And yet, we often find ourselves hesitating. As if there really is such a goal or achievement that lets us update our business cards.
Of course there isn’t. Who the hell still uses business cards?
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to stake their claims to the page.
Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Rachel the G*ngan Simp?
Between Prequel memes, Sequel woes, and whatever the hell Greedo is, there’s a lot to be said about Star Wars. The film franchise is as sacred as Sarim is egregiously handsome. But this is Rough Draft. What of the dialogue, the plot? The clever allusions and intriguing imagery? Just how well is this age-old epic written?
Star Wars has many iconic narrative moments, all ripe for thought-provoking, critical analysis by a pair of distinguished academics. Luckily, your hosts are anything but.
We start with The Hero’s Journey. This classic archetype is what Star Wars was built on. The series boasts brilliant examples of the Hero’s Journey arc - even some you may not expect. From sand-sulking Skywalkers to tantalising Togrutas, there are all sorts of heroes to follow in the galaxy far, far away.
Also Jar-Jar. Apparently.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to Force a balance of their own.
What’s in an essay?
Wait, you there! Quick, before you click off!
Come now, did you really think we’d dedicate an entire episode to some sort of essay guide? There are a million and one resources like that out there. Ours would likely be no different. The base process is the same:
Open word processor. Realise you have no idea what you’re writing. Cry. Submit.
And then profit… somehow.
Of course, though we joke that each essay is a breakdown waiting to happen, the process isdifferent for everyone. What makes an essay unique is not what we write, but how we write it. Some plan down to the last punctuation mark. Others wing it so hard, even birds are left in awe. In the midst of either type of chaos, one realises just what an essay really means to them.
Y’know, aside from pain.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to have their (es)say.
How do you deal with failed or unfinished projects?
Writing is often romanticised: portrayed as a beautiful, simple artistic form, where great ideas and poetic imagery are as free flowing as Sarim’s references to Persona 5. And a lot of the time, that can be true! But what of the times when it’s not?
Sometimes, projects don’t come with a neat little bow. Some are simply abandoned or left to the void. Mozart died before he could finish Requiem. Mark Twain took three stabs at The Mysterious Stranger before giving up entirely. Cyberpunk 2077 is six months past launch, and is yet to fully release. The pain of the incomplete is immense, and transcends genre and medium.
How, then, do creatives deal with such projects? How does one move past a work they poured so much into? Is there value in the forsaken, or is each failed venture a mere reminder of our shame?
I’m just kidding. Writers are a shameless lot.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to find peace with the passed-up.
Where do you buy books?
Death to Amazon! Down with the chains! Support local bookstores! Indigo has a banger sale on right n- wait what?
Buying books is both simpler and more complicated than ever before. Everything can be found online, and in multiple formats. You can read, scroll through, or listen to most any book out there. Despite all this convenience, though, there is a flip side. In an age of hypercapitalism, we want to support our small community businesses… But in the middle of a pandemic, it’s hard to say no to those sweet, sweet deals online.
So where, then, does one buy their books? Indie bookstores offer unique experiences, while online bookstores often have better prices. Which outranks the other, and which should be on top?
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to talk shop.
What is writing in music like?
We rave to the genre-bending stylings of Rina Sawayama. Meditate to the guttural lulls of Mongolian throat singing. We fall asleep to the crashing of waves from Rachel’s sweaty palms. There are a great many types of music to listen to, now more than ever. With such variety, it begs the question: where does one find the words?
That is, what makes for good writing in music? While not all songs have lyrics, all lyrics are integral parts of their songs. A catchy beat can be immortalised as the rhythm of a generation with the right words set to it (see: Cruel Angel’s Thesis). Even language barriers falter in the face of the sound of music.
...mostly. I’m mumbling through most of my anime playlist, but damn if I’m not having a good time.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to strike a chord.
Does the medium you use affect the way you write?
Between our Notes apps, notebooks with “All Who Wander Are Not Lost” tackily emblazoned on them, and the voodoo dolls of our enemies, there are a lot of places to write nowadays. With so many options, one wonders: does the medium matter?
In other words, does where you write affect what you write? Our note apps are quick and easy to access. Perhaps they lend themselves to shorter writing, like poetry or skits. Journals involve physical writing, the act of which feels more intentional than ever in a digital age. Does this sense of purpose lead to writing of greater scope or introspection?
...or maybe people are out here writing entire Odysseys in Evernote. Who knows.
In this episode, Rachel and Sarim attempt to find a happy medium.
Should you numerically rate books?
No.
Okay wait, there’s an actual description.
Rating things out of some arbitrary number or other has long been the critic’s pastime. In a society with an ever decreasing attention span (you’re not even reading this far are you, ye jammy sod), numbers do what words rebuke: they rate in simple terms.
They quantify where we once spoke of quality. They convince you of an opinion with nary a word. They give value... without all the hassle of actually explaining where it lay.
Is this convenience truly all positive, though? Does the number help, or hinder? Hell, is it even that simple, when a 5 technically means average, but we turn up our noses at anything below a 7? Forget a name, what’s in a number?
In this episode, Rachel attempts to add a few points to Sarim’s infinitesimally low rating of ratings.
Can translations live up to their original language source material?
Naguib Mahfouz. Saadat Hasan Manto. Gabriel García Márquez.
Literature knows a great many names who transcend one of humanity’s oldest barriers: language. The act of translation is not to be taken lightly. It is one of the most powerful bridges between East and West. It has brought - and sent - literature, music, and so much else across the globe.
Every act has its consequences, however. In translating a novel or other work, one takes the nuances and quirks of one language away, and replaces them with those of another. In giving a book new life, one alters its very identity.
Or do they? In this episode, Sarim & Rachel attempt to find a meaning of their own.
How do you get over Writer’s Block?
A sudden stop to the writing flow is an issue so common, you’d think there’d be a thousand different remedies to it by now. There are the classics, of course. Read something else; just freewrite; take a break and come back to it “with fresh eyes.”
Yet, writer’s block remains one of the literary world’s most daunting and enigmatic problems. How do you beat it? Can it be avoided at all? What even is it?
In the inaugural episode of Rough Draft, Rachel & Sarim attempt to break the block.