RECIPIENT 
​REFLECTION

NORTHEAST OHIO SPOTLIGHT

Mentorship Recipient:
Further

Mentor ​Commentary:
​Matt Weinkam

On the Revision Process for "Further"

by ​Rose Driscoll

I originally wrote this story probably five years ago now, brought it to a few writing groups and workshops but mostly had it stashed away in my google drive folder, out of sight and out of mind. I spend a lot of time (probably too much time) online and I saw a tweet that Gordon Square Review was accepting fiction submissions until tomorrow—and I thought, oh what the heck, and sent this in.

Matt reached out to me first by email and when I didn’t reply he found me on Facebook. It was a real kick in the pants to find out not only that my story was accepted, and that I was chosen for an editorial mentorship, and that it was so important to GSR that they tracked me down even after my spam folder devoured the initial reply whole.

I spent the first couple years after I graduated from college selling my writing as a reporter and a campaign worker—writing that is meant to freak people out or compel them to do something that they don’t really want to do. I decided that I didn’t want to do that anymore, that I should get training to do something else for a living and only write for fun.

It was super easy to work with Matt. He made some line-by-line edits and larger revisions to help bring the more important focal points of the story forward—to make it rewarding to read. I am more proud of this story now after his help.  

Rose Driscoll
​
Rose Driscoll is from Youngstown, Ohio. They have worked as a reporter, a writer, and a political campaign grunt. They presently study public health at Northeast Ohio Medical University, skate for Burning River Roller Derby, and live in Cleveland. ​