But I am overstretched by work and school, so I hope you’ll forgive me.
Yep, school again. I’ve decided to brave the waters of academia once more. At the recommendation of a professional editor, I’m taking some postgraduate classes in editing and publishing to polish my skills and make some connections in the business. I’m confident that this, on top of the courses I’ve taken through the EFA, will launch a new stage in my career.
My paying job continues much as before, and my savings are slowly growing. Ideally once I start to work as an editor I’ll be a step closer to living independently, but we’ll have to wait and see. I don’t dare let myself rush into home ownership or a pricier rental – the current statistics on food and housing insecurity are too scary to risk it.
What’s Next?
Let me introduce you to my new favourite hobby: costuming.
(Tangent: the WordPress spell checker wants me to change favourite to favorite. I REFUSE.)
This is where I’ve spent most of my spare time in the last 18 months or more. I’ve admired the work of YouTubers like V. Birchwood and Prior Attire for ages, and after a certain point, I wasn’t content with watching. I wanted to try making.
There were a few oddly shaped shirts and shifts (inspired by this Bernadette Banner video), a cute skirt with off-centre buttons, and a modern tunic top, and then I felt ready to jump into drafting my own patterns.
To everyone who just yelled “Hold on! Start with a pattern first!” I thought about it, but the prices of historical patterns can be eye-watering and I wasn’t yet sure how much I wanted to invest in this new passion. So back I went to YouTube to study a kirtle drafting tutorial that looked promising.
Since then, I’ve made four sixteenth century kirtles, various shifts and caps, a few gowns, and a doublet…and I have no intention of stopping.
Costuming has been an adventure unto itself. if you’d like to read more (and see more photos!) drop a comment below and I’ll write up the whole story.
Time to Edit?
It’s hard to say whether I’ll have time to take on any editing work this summer. On top of work and classes, I’ve got a book review in the works and some family obligations to see to. But if you’re interested in hiring me as an editor or just to evaluate your manuscript, you’re always welcome to contact me and ask. I’ll do my best to find a block of time when I can help you with your stories.
Emma Lammers 