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Creative Differences and Other Stories
If not for money, then maybe for love.
Three years ago, Emily was a struggling literary author when she met Scott, a struggling screenwriter. Combining her elegant writing with his gripping story, the pair crafted a novel that became an international bestseller—and fell in love along the way.
Now her latest manuscript is stuck, his solo novel has flopped and their relationship is on the rocks. The situation is made even messier when an aspiring writer with her own agenda gets involved. Can Emily and Scott work it out and create another hit?
Creative Differences is a wry and incisive study of love, writing and creativity from internationally bestselling author Graeme Simsion. It’s accompanied by a selection of stories from across his career, including the first appearance of Don Tillman from the Rosie novels.
Graeme Simsion is the internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, The Rosie Result and The Best of Adam Sharp, as well as The Novel Project, Don Tillman’s Standardized Meal System and Data Modeling Essentials. He and Anne Buist, co-authors of Two Steps Forward and Two Steps Onward, live together in Melbourne.
Three years ago, Emily was a struggling literary author when she met Scott, a struggling screenwriter. Combining her elegant writing with his gripping story, the pair crafted a novel that became an international bestseller—and fell in love along the way.
Now her latest manuscript is stuck, his solo novel has flopped and their relationship is on the rocks. The situation is made even messier when an aspiring writer with her own agenda gets involved. Can Emily and Scott work it out and create another hit?
Creative Differences is a wry and incisive study of love, writing and creativity from internationally bestselling author Graeme Simsion. It’s accompanied by a selection of stories from across his career, including the first appearance of Don Tillman from the Rosie novels.
Graeme Simsion is the internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, The Rosie Result and The Best of Adam Sharp, as well as The Novel Project, Don Tillman’s Standardized Meal System and Data Modeling Essentials. He and Anne Buist, co-authors of Two Steps Forward and Two Steps Onward, live together in Melbourne.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2023
14 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Graeme Simsion
39 books5,951 followersGraeme Simsion is a former IT consultant and the author of two nonfiction books on database design who decided, at the age of fifty, to turn his hand to fiction. His first novel, The Rosie Project, was published in 2013 and translation rights have been sold in forty languages. Movie rights have been optioned to Sony Pictures. The sequels, The Rosie Effect, and The Rosie Result, were also bestsellers, with total sales of the series in excess of five million.
Graeme's third novel was The Best of Adam Sharp, a story of a love affair re-kindled - and its consequences. Movie rights have been optioned by Vocab Films / New Sparta Films with Toni Collette attached to direct.
Creative Differences was originally created as an 'Audible Original' audiobook, but is now in print with a collection of short stories from across Graeme's career.
Two Steps Forward is a story of renewal set on the Camino de Santiago, written with his wife, Anne Buist, whose own books include Medea's Curse, Dangerous to Know and This I would Kill for, The Long Shadow and Locked Ward. Movie rights were optioned by Fox Searchlight. A sequel, Two Steps Onward, was published in 2021.
Graeme is a frequent presenter of seminars on writing. The Novel Project is his practical, step by step approach to writing a novel or memoir.
Graeme's third novel was The Best of Adam Sharp, a story of a love affair re-kindled - and its consequences. Movie rights have been optioned by Vocab Films / New Sparta Films with Toni Collette attached to direct.
Creative Differences was originally created as an 'Audible Original' audiobook, but is now in print with a collection of short stories from across Graeme's career.
Two Steps Forward is a story of renewal set on the Camino de Santiago, written with his wife, Anne Buist, whose own books include Medea's Curse, Dangerous to Know and This I would Kill for, The Long Shadow and Locked Ward. Movie rights were optioned by Fox Searchlight. A sequel, Two Steps Onward, was published in 2021.
Graeme is a frequent presenter of seminars on writing. The Novel Project is his practical, step by step approach to writing a novel or memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 27, 2023
Full disclosure: I'm the author so this is definitely not an unbiased review - including the five stars of course. But let's see if I can help you decide if you're going to like it. (You don't want to waste your money and I don't want the one-star review!)
So it's a novella (Creative Differences - a bit less than half the length of a regular novel) plus 8 short stories and one very short story that doesn't really count (Twitter fiction I wrote for the Guardian). A big of a mixed bag, but everyone who's read it has found at least one story that made an impression. Back in the day, my attitude when I went to a course or seminar was that if I took away one idea of long term value, it was worthwhile... And short stories can be a nice break from the concentration that a novel demands.
Creative Differences is about a writing couple who've had some success but now want to pursue their own directions. Will that spell the end of the relationship? I like writing about established relationships and what keeps them together. But this is largely about writing: if you're the sort of person who's fascinated by how a book gets written, and the politics, snobbery and passionate differences in the world of writing and publishing, you'll probably enjoy Creative Differences. If not, you may well be bored, despite the scintillating writing ;-). As my sister-in-law said, 'The characters were annoyingly like you and Anne (my writing and life partner) but I learned how to write a book.
If you're a Beatles fan, go to my blog at graemesimsion.com and read (for free) how I used the White Album to help the creative process.
Truce Films have Creative Differences in development as a movie.
Now the short stories. They're stories, not literary exercises. Beginning, middle, end. Quite a few go close to or cross the line into memoir. Some are from early in my writing career including the story that grew into The Rosie Project. All have been published before but you'd struggle to find most of them. If you like my writing (and not just the romance of The Rosie Project) you should enjoy at least some of them. If you've only read The Rosie Project, and want a taste of what else I can do, it's probably not a bad choice - though I'd say read the whole Rosie series! The Rosie Result is my personal fave an a lot of critics and readers agree.
Hope that helps.
Happy reading
GCS
So it's a novella (Creative Differences - a bit less than half the length of a regular novel) plus 8 short stories and one very short story that doesn't really count (Twitter fiction I wrote for the Guardian). A big of a mixed bag, but everyone who's read it has found at least one story that made an impression. Back in the day, my attitude when I went to a course or seminar was that if I took away one idea of long term value, it was worthwhile... And short stories can be a nice break from the concentration that a novel demands.
Creative Differences is about a writing couple who've had some success but now want to pursue their own directions. Will that spell the end of the relationship? I like writing about established relationships and what keeps them together. But this is largely about writing: if you're the sort of person who's fascinated by how a book gets written, and the politics, snobbery and passionate differences in the world of writing and publishing, you'll probably enjoy Creative Differences. If not, you may well be bored, despite the scintillating writing ;-). As my sister-in-law said, 'The characters were annoyingly like you and Anne (my writing and life partner) but I learned how to write a book.
If you're a Beatles fan, go to my blog at graemesimsion.com and read (for free) how I used the White Album to help the creative process.
Truce Films have Creative Differences in development as a movie.
Now the short stories. They're stories, not literary exercises. Beginning, middle, end. Quite a few go close to or cross the line into memoir. Some are from early in my writing career including the story that grew into The Rosie Project. All have been published before but you'd struggle to find most of them. If you like my writing (and not just the romance of The Rosie Project) you should enjoy at least some of them. If you've only read The Rosie Project, and want a taste of what else I can do, it's probably not a bad choice - though I'd say read the whole Rosie series! The Rosie Result is my personal fave an a lot of critics and readers agree.
Hope that helps.
Happy reading
GCS
February 13, 2023
I love when a book turns up in my letter box unexpectedly, especially when I really want to read it! So, my excited thanks to go to Text Publishing for my physical copy to read and review, which I did with pleasure.
Such an interesting premise. A smattering of small stories from the talented Graeme Simsion with the background on each, when they were written and for what publication. Followed by the titled story, which tells us about a creative couple who had co-authored a fiction story with success, for the relationship to now flounder after they decide what comes next, professionally, and creatively. The author knows this area well, having written with his own life partner, two stories I own but have not gotten to yet https://www.goodreads.com/series/3418.... I must get to it!
The inclusion of where Rosie began makes this an extra gem for the fan of GS; I have a special place in my heart for this book and the author as there is a certain amount of quirk in his writing and in his personality, as I met him at an event many years ago.
I enjoyed the short stories a touch more than the main one, which to me dragged and I did not embrace the characters. The short stories were unusual, varied, and original – all introduced by the author in his introduction. I related to Three Encounters with the Physical where a runner prepares for his first marathon, not being a professional but a man of 51 training hard. I run and I could relate, and I liked that.
Scott has flopped in his foray into solo writing. He’s a screen writer and this is what motivates his lessons in mentoring both women in his life. He and Emily fell in love during the writing process and now she teaches. Piper is her student and appears enamoured with her, but then becomes Scott’s mentee. Scott loves to direct these women in ways of writing and idea gathering, all from the screen writer’s slant. This is so interesting given GS’ background and I see a lot of good things about how to do this, particularly the ‘show don’t tell’ method. This author certainly is at the top of his game and puts no foot wrong.
I didn’t embrace the characters in the main story, but these three had their job to fulfill in this, and I still do not hesitate to rate this a solid five stars.
Such an interesting premise. A smattering of small stories from the talented Graeme Simsion with the background on each, when they were written and for what publication. Followed by the titled story, which tells us about a creative couple who had co-authored a fiction story with success, for the relationship to now flounder after they decide what comes next, professionally, and creatively. The author knows this area well, having written with his own life partner, two stories I own but have not gotten to yet https://www.goodreads.com/series/3418.... I must get to it!
The inclusion of where Rosie began makes this an extra gem for the fan of GS; I have a special place in my heart for this book and the author as there is a certain amount of quirk in his writing and in his personality, as I met him at an event many years ago.
I enjoyed the short stories a touch more than the main one, which to me dragged and I did not embrace the characters. The short stories were unusual, varied, and original – all introduced by the author in his introduction. I related to Three Encounters with the Physical where a runner prepares for his first marathon, not being a professional but a man of 51 training hard. I run and I could relate, and I liked that.
Scott has flopped in his foray into solo writing. He’s a screen writer and this is what motivates his lessons in mentoring both women in his life. He and Emily fell in love during the writing process and now she teaches. Piper is her student and appears enamoured with her, but then becomes Scott’s mentee. Scott loves to direct these women in ways of writing and idea gathering, all from the screen writer’s slant. This is so interesting given GS’ background and I see a lot of good things about how to do this, particularly the ‘show don’t tell’ method. This author certainly is at the top of his game and puts no foot wrong.
I didn’t embrace the characters in the main story, but these three had their job to fulfill in this, and I still do not hesitate to rate this a solid five stars.
February 1, 2023
This book begins with nine short stories which are all interesting but the novella which follows was the part that shone for me.
The story is about Emily and Scott, both aspiring authors but in very different ways. Emily wants to write great literature while Scott writes screen plays and is into all the different structures and techniques. Together they produce one international bestseller by applying both their skills but Emily refuses to do it again.
Is writing the only thing which holds their relationship together? Is the strange woman in Emily's class stalking her? Will any of them actually produce another book? Simsion himself writes exceedingly well and I was totally involved in the relationship and the characters of Emily and Scott, Piper the (maybe) stalker, and Gideon the failing publisher. Totally enjoyable!
My thanks to Text Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
The story is about Emily and Scott, both aspiring authors but in very different ways. Emily wants to write great literature while Scott writes screen plays and is into all the different structures and techniques. Together they produce one international bestseller by applying both their skills but Emily refuses to do it again.
Is writing the only thing which holds their relationship together? Is the strange woman in Emily's class stalking her? Will any of them actually produce another book? Simsion himself writes exceedingly well and I was totally involved in the relationship and the characters of Emily and Scott, Piper the (maybe) stalker, and Gideon the failing publisher. Totally enjoyable!
My thanks to Text Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
January 27, 2023
Full disclosure: I'm the author (and Goodreads knows it!). But, given the mixed reviews, I thought I'd try to help you decide whether you're going to like it. Because the extremes I've heard are 'Graeme's best writing' (that from a literary writer!) and 'Dead boring'. Truce Films are developing it as a movie...I think they're going to be aiming for a Nicole Holofcener / Woody Allen sensibility rather than James Cameron / Cecil B de Mille.
What about you?
If you're a writer, or an aspiring writer, or someone who goes to book events and asks writers whether they have a special place to write, then you'll probably enjoy the topic at least. It's about a writing couple with different methods, and a bit about the whole world of writing, publishing and selling. Book events where nobody turns up, the snobbishness of (some) critics and writers, the comedy of writing classes, politics of festivals...
At another level, it's about what keeps couples together after whatever brought them together isn't there anymore. It's a topic that interests me more than what makes people fall in love. But, you know, if reading about writers and the literary world sounds boring, the 'staying in love' topic is likely not going to be enough to keep you interested.
And if you're a Beatles fan (or are looking for a gift for someone who is) it took some inspiration from the White Album. If you don't know it, you won't see it, but if you're looking for it...
Now...
If you loved The Rosie Project because of the love story...this may not work for you. If you're looking for romance, well, there's love but not FALLING in love, or not much of it.
If you were hoping for an autistic character....no again. Though Scott is certainly on the scientific logic-oriented side of neurotypical.
If you want action, thrills, crime...nup.
If you're looking for a light read...probably OK there. None of my books are heavy.
If I've convinced you this isn't for you, you won't waste your time and you won't give me one star. You might even read another of my books: try Two Steps Forward for falling in love on a walk across Europe. Everybody wins.
Happy reading
Graeme
What about you?
If you're a writer, or an aspiring writer, or someone who goes to book events and asks writers whether they have a special place to write, then you'll probably enjoy the topic at least. It's about a writing couple with different methods, and a bit about the whole world of writing, publishing and selling. Book events where nobody turns up, the snobbishness of (some) critics and writers, the comedy of writing classes, politics of festivals...
At another level, it's about what keeps couples together after whatever brought them together isn't there anymore. It's a topic that interests me more than what makes people fall in love. But, you know, if reading about writers and the literary world sounds boring, the 'staying in love' topic is likely not going to be enough to keep you interested.
And if you're a Beatles fan (or are looking for a gift for someone who is) it took some inspiration from the White Album. If you don't know it, you won't see it, but if you're looking for it...
Now...
If you loved The Rosie Project because of the love story...this may not work for you. If you're looking for romance, well, there's love but not FALLING in love, or not much of it.
If you were hoping for an autistic character....no again. Though Scott is certainly on the scientific logic-oriented side of neurotypical.
If you want action, thrills, crime...nup.
If you're looking for a light read...probably OK there. None of my books are heavy.
If I've convinced you this isn't for you, you won't waste your time and you won't give me one star. You might even read another of my books: try Two Steps Forward for falling in love on a walk across Europe. Everybody wins.
Happy reading
Graeme
January 23, 2023
Creative Differences and Other Stories by best-selling Australian author, Graeme Simsion, offers the reader nine short stories and a novella. The author explains in his introduction that most have been written for various assignments, competitions and invitations. Fans of his Rosie books will be pleased to know that two of them feature incarnations of Don Tillman, while four of this collection are memoir or inspired by events or people in Simsion’s own life.
In The Klara Project: Phase 1, Don describes the social error that leads to a date with Klara, a graduate student, and several more that ensue, to surprisingly good effect. Readers will recognise some scenes from the Rosie books, and Don’s now-famous Standardised Meal System also gets a mention.
In A Confession In Three Parts, a doctor follows the instructions of her aunt about her burial, and learns some important things about the life of the woman whose name she shares.
Three Encounters With The Physical, a story told in the second person, then third person then first person, of a debut marathon run that does not go as planned.
The Perfect Gift is a love(?) story in 140 characters.
Like It Was Yesterday is a tale of unfair primary school corporal punishment that demonstrates just how malleable memory is.
The Life And Times Of Greasy Joe is a story about that different, perhaps quirky, certainly memorable, character whom we all recall from our youth.
Intervention On The No 3 Tram is a delightful tale about an encounter on a tram that involves a clarinet player, a cellist and an origami swan/crane. And two well-meaning strangers who decide to intervene. It also happens to be a much more detailed version of The Perfect Gift.
Heartbreak Hotel describes a couple’s experience as the only guests of a deserted-looking hotel along their Chemin d’Assises walk.
Christmas Is Cooked is the Don and Rosie Tillman solution to hosting a large gathering for a Christmas Day meal.
Creative Differences: they say opposites attract, and that seems true for Emily Glass and Scott Solera. When they meet, Emily is a freelance copywriter trying to write the Great Australian Novel; Scott is trying to get his screenplay produced. Scott is a planner: technical, analytical and invested in structure. Emily’s writing is intuitive, instinctual, brilliant prose. They team up to turn Scott’s screenplay into a novel, have an international bestseller on their hands, and are in love.
Three years on, Scott’s solo novel is flopping badly; Emily has a stubborn case of writer’s block. Both their publisher and readers would like to see another joint effort, and that would solve a problem their publisher has not shared, but Emily wants to succeed in her own right. Both do some teaching, and Emily is somewhat irritated by a stalky Canadian student in her class: Piper sees Emily as her role model, her literary crush, then manoeuvres herself into Scott’s mentorship.
Emily is resistant to accepting Scott’s help with her novel, and they start to wonder if writing together was really all they ever had…
With insight and subtle humour, this novella gives the reader an intimate peek into how two very different writers might collaborate.
While the (very enjoyable) novella is almost two hundred pages, the short stories vary in length, with most are only a few pages long, small but delicious bites of Graeme Simsion’s literary talent. Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.
In The Klara Project: Phase 1, Don describes the social error that leads to a date with Klara, a graduate student, and several more that ensue, to surprisingly good effect. Readers will recognise some scenes from the Rosie books, and Don’s now-famous Standardised Meal System also gets a mention.
In A Confession In Three Parts, a doctor follows the instructions of her aunt about her burial, and learns some important things about the life of the woman whose name she shares.
Three Encounters With The Physical, a story told in the second person, then third person then first person, of a debut marathon run that does not go as planned.
The Perfect Gift is a love(?) story in 140 characters.
Like It Was Yesterday is a tale of unfair primary school corporal punishment that demonstrates just how malleable memory is.
The Life And Times Of Greasy Joe is a story about that different, perhaps quirky, certainly memorable, character whom we all recall from our youth.
Intervention On The No 3 Tram is a delightful tale about an encounter on a tram that involves a clarinet player, a cellist and an origami swan/crane. And two well-meaning strangers who decide to intervene. It also happens to be a much more detailed version of The Perfect Gift.
Heartbreak Hotel describes a couple’s experience as the only guests of a deserted-looking hotel along their Chemin d’Assises walk.
Christmas Is Cooked is the Don and Rosie Tillman solution to hosting a large gathering for a Christmas Day meal.
Creative Differences: they say opposites attract, and that seems true for Emily Glass and Scott Solera. When they meet, Emily is a freelance copywriter trying to write the Great Australian Novel; Scott is trying to get his screenplay produced. Scott is a planner: technical, analytical and invested in structure. Emily’s writing is intuitive, instinctual, brilliant prose. They team up to turn Scott’s screenplay into a novel, have an international bestseller on their hands, and are in love.
Three years on, Scott’s solo novel is flopping badly; Emily has a stubborn case of writer’s block. Both their publisher and readers would like to see another joint effort, and that would solve a problem their publisher has not shared, but Emily wants to succeed in her own right. Both do some teaching, and Emily is somewhat irritated by a stalky Canadian student in her class: Piper sees Emily as her role model, her literary crush, then manoeuvres herself into Scott’s mentorship.
Emily is resistant to accepting Scott’s help with her novel, and they start to wonder if writing together was really all they ever had…
With insight and subtle humour, this novella gives the reader an intimate peek into how two very different writers might collaborate.
While the (very enjoyable) novella is almost two hundred pages, the short stories vary in length, with most are only a few pages long, small but delicious bites of Graeme Simsion’s literary talent. Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.
January 31, 2023
Enjoyed the short stories but the novella bored me to tears. 2.5 ⭐️
March 2, 2023
In this delightful collection of short stories and a novella, Simsion shows how versatile he is as a writer. Some of his stories, especially The Klara Project: Phase 1 which is one of my favorites, are written in the same quirky, humorous, generous voice we are most familiar with. Other pieces are tougher, such as The Life and Times of Greasy Joe (another of my favorites) or more personal, memoirish in nature. The novella is an engaging, thought-provoking exploration of the different elements and styles of creative process. I read this book really fast and it was great fun reading it.
January 27, 2023
The novella gives the writer the opportunity to explore a theme rather than invest in full character development. Ivan Turgenev, Henry James and Franz Kafka gave it a go, so it makes sense that Simsion would too. To this reader, the theme is the complexity of collaborative processes.
The ability to 'collaborate' or be a 'collaborative person' are contemporary buzzwords that gloss over the inherent frustrations that so many of us experience when participating in group projects. Simsion draws on these difficulties to the point of making the reader squirm, as we undergo the struggles that come with finding a way to 'express yourself' while supporting the people you are 'working' with.
Simsion brings his signature humour and sharp insights into human nature to Creative Differences, while reminding us about the importance of 'hanging in there' when we're struggling to 'collaborate'... no matter what the creative endeavour is.
The ability to 'collaborate' or be a 'collaborative person' are contemporary buzzwords that gloss over the inherent frustrations that so many of us experience when participating in group projects. Simsion draws on these difficulties to the point of making the reader squirm, as we undergo the struggles that come with finding a way to 'express yourself' while supporting the people you are 'working' with.
Simsion brings his signature humour and sharp insights into human nature to Creative Differences, while reminding us about the importance of 'hanging in there' when we're struggling to 'collaborate'... no matter what the creative endeavour is.
May 31, 2023
Love everything this brilliant Aussie author writes
March 30, 2023
A wonderful selection of Graeme Simsion's short stories and enjoyable in bite size chunks. The longer story was really thoughtful and gave me an insight into how a collaborative partnership can work, strain and ultimately come together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 24, 2023The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Creative Differences
‘These short, sharp stories reveal the best of Simsion: curious, interested in the world and with a whimsical ability to report his findings…Entertaining and instructive.’
Helen Elliott, Age
‘A droll and insightful study of partnerships—in love, in writing, in work—and creativity.’
Mindful Puzzle
‘Simsion is a master raconteur.’
ArtsHub
‘A varied selection, held together by the author’s unique voice and his ability to make something special from the slimmest of experiences. The author’s introduction is not to be missed either.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
‘These short, sharp stories reveal the best of Simsion: curious, interested in the world and with a whimsical ability to report his findings…Entertaining and instructive.’
Helen Elliott, Age
‘A droll and insightful study of partnerships—in love, in writing, in work—and creativity.’
Mindful Puzzle
‘Simsion is a master raconteur.’
ArtsHub
‘A varied selection, held together by the author’s unique voice and his ability to make something special from the slimmest of experiences. The author’s introduction is not to be missed either.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
January 22, 2023
Creative Differences and Other Stories
The novella gives the writer the opportunity to explore a theme rather than invest in full character development. Ivan Turgenev, Henry James and Franz Kafka gave it a go, so it makes sense that Simsion would too. To this reader, the theme is the complexity of collaborative processes.
The ability to 'collaborate' or be a 'collaborative person' are contemporary buzzwords that gloss over the inherent frustrations that so many of us experience when participating in group projects. Simsion draws on these difficulties to the point of making the reader squirm, as we undergo the struggles that come with finding a way to 'express yourself' while supporting the people you are 'working' with.
Simsion brings his signature humour and sharp insights into human nature to Creative Differences, while reminding us about the importance of 'hanging in there' when we're struggling to 'collaborate'... no matter what the creative endeavour is.
The novella gives the writer the opportunity to explore a theme rather than invest in full character development. Ivan Turgenev, Henry James and Franz Kafka gave it a go, so it makes sense that Simsion would too. To this reader, the theme is the complexity of collaborative processes.
The ability to 'collaborate' or be a 'collaborative person' are contemporary buzzwords that gloss over the inherent frustrations that so many of us experience when participating in group projects. Simsion draws on these difficulties to the point of making the reader squirm, as we undergo the struggles that come with finding a way to 'express yourself' while supporting the people you are 'working' with.
Simsion brings his signature humour and sharp insights into human nature to Creative Differences, while reminding us about the importance of 'hanging in there' when we're struggling to 'collaborate'... no matter what the creative endeavour is.
January 22, 2023
Clever! This one caught me unawares. I am a fan of The Rosie Project and her sequels and enjoy Graeme Simsion's writing. That said, I was a little wary of his move into explaining the writing process with The Novel Project. But I borrowed this collection of short stories and it has captured my interest despite my reservations. I'm off to get my own copy. There are passages to be underlined and stories I need to read and reread. Creative Differences, the long form (?novella? that forms the main part of this collection, is a sneaky and ultimately successful way of explaining the writing process in a thinly veiled fictional form that had me hooked from the first part. Worth reading!
February 5, 2023
I don't usually read short stories but I found this book in my mailbox (no note, I assume it is a review copy courtesy of the publisher) so I decided to give it a go. I enjoyed the 9 short stories especially as Don Tillman from The Rosie Project appears in two of them. The novella was an interesting insight in the writing process.
April 21, 2023
This is a collection of nine short stories and a novella written at various times over the course of Graeme Simsion’s writing career, either for class assignments, contributions to anthologies or entries in writing competitions, allowing him to experiement with different styles and writing techniques. It’s a fascinating look at where some of his embryonic writing ideas came from and then evolved into fully developed novels.
The short stories are varied and fans of The Rosie Project will be pleased to see that two of them (The Klara Project: Phase 1 and Christmas is Cooked) feature an earlier incarnation of Don Tilman and his standardised meal system. Heartbreak Hotel is an account of a sad, run down hotel he and his partner stayed in during their walk on the Chemin d’Assise from Burgundy to Rome, which later appeared in their novel Two Steps Onward based on their experience. Three Encounters with the Physical is also memoir written about a near death experience running a marathon while the shortest story, The Perfect Gift, a 140 word entry for a Twitter fiction series, is later expanded into a more detailed version Intervention on the No. 3 Tram.
The novella, Creative Differences, first written as an audiobook, is an exploration of how writers write, featuring Scott and Emily, who fell in love when they teamed up to turn Scott’s screenplay into a novel, but are now struggling to write on their own. Scott’s screenwriting background means he plans everything before writing, whereas Emily, a copywriter, writes more organically, seeing where the characters and their stories take her. When Scott agrees to mentor Piper, one of Emily’s writing class students, the boundaries of their personal and writing relationship become blurred. It’s both a wry and insightful look at the process of writing and the difficulties of writing partnerships.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of the book to read
The short stories are varied and fans of The Rosie Project will be pleased to see that two of them (The Klara Project: Phase 1 and Christmas is Cooked) feature an earlier incarnation of Don Tilman and his standardised meal system. Heartbreak Hotel is an account of a sad, run down hotel he and his partner stayed in during their walk on the Chemin d’Assise from Burgundy to Rome, which later appeared in their novel Two Steps Onward based on their experience. Three Encounters with the Physical is also memoir written about a near death experience running a marathon while the shortest story, The Perfect Gift, a 140 word entry for a Twitter fiction series, is later expanded into a more detailed version Intervention on the No. 3 Tram.
The novella, Creative Differences, first written as an audiobook, is an exploration of how writers write, featuring Scott and Emily, who fell in love when they teamed up to turn Scott’s screenplay into a novel, but are now struggling to write on their own. Scott’s screenwriting background means he plans everything before writing, whereas Emily, a copywriter, writes more organically, seeing where the characters and their stories take her. When Scott agrees to mentor Piper, one of Emily’s writing class students, the boundaries of their personal and writing relationship become blurred. It’s both a wry and insightful look at the process of writing and the difficulties of writing partnerships.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of the book to read
September 26, 2024
I never intended to read this book. I went to a library twenty minutes away to borrow two books but I arrived near closing and both had already been borrowed. Not wanting to leave empty handed, I borrowed two books - this included.
What resulted is initial confusion as I didn't expect there to be half a dozen short stories before the 'main event'. Needless to say, I knew something was wrong when it went from a story about dating to someone's death. Short stories wise, I enjoyed most of it from the story about the divorcee with a false memory onwards. They were a nice precursor to the main story and a little backstory in the first few pages to these short stories were a nice touch.
I really enjoyed the main story. I thought the two main characters were interesting and even sympathetic. It was cool to peek behind the curtains of writing and the schedule of a writer from tours to brainstorming. The problems they run into were relatable and I couldn't help but root for them to succeed. The other two characters were... Okay. They are secondary so perhaps it makes sense they don't get too much page time but, without spoilers, I was unsatisfied with the direction they led to which I found felt forced and nonsensical; almost like the author ham-fisted it in just to create an ending that 'fits the vibes'. Even the conclusion of the two main characters felt a little rushed and abrupt. I flipped the page and saw the acknowledgements, and thought "Oh, the book's finished. That was a little unexpected". There's only so much you can say without spoiling so I'll just leave it at that.
I debated between a three and four star review for a little since finishing. As I was reading it, I was pretty set on four stars but the ending of Creative Differences made me consider a 'high' three star. But the fact I stayed up until 2AM to finish the book when things started getting real as I was eager to see what happens next, and the fact that overall the book was surprisingly enjoyable especially for one that I went to completely blind and chose on a whim after a skim read of the blurb, I think it's ultimately deserving of four stars.
Just remember, show, don't tell.
What resulted is initial confusion as I didn't expect there to be half a dozen short stories before the 'main event'. Needless to say, I knew something was wrong when it went from a story about dating to someone's death. Short stories wise, I enjoyed most of it from the story about the divorcee with a false memory onwards. They were a nice precursor to the main story and a little backstory in the first few pages to these short stories were a nice touch.
I really enjoyed the main story. I thought the two main characters were interesting and even sympathetic. It was cool to peek behind the curtains of writing and the schedule of a writer from tours to brainstorming. The problems they run into were relatable and I couldn't help but root for them to succeed. The other two characters were... Okay. They are secondary so perhaps it makes sense they don't get too much page time but, without spoilers, I was unsatisfied with the direction they led to which I found felt forced and nonsensical; almost like the author ham-fisted it in just to create an ending that 'fits the vibes'. Even the conclusion of the two main characters felt a little rushed and abrupt. I flipped the page and saw the acknowledgements, and thought "Oh, the book's finished. That was a little unexpected". There's only so much you can say without spoiling so I'll just leave it at that.
I debated between a three and four star review for a little since finishing. As I was reading it, I was pretty set on four stars but the ending of Creative Differences made me consider a 'high' three star. But the fact I stayed up until 2AM to finish the book when things started getting real as I was eager to see what happens next, and the fact that overall the book was surprisingly enjoyable especially for one that I went to completely blind and chose on a whim after a skim read of the blurb, I think it's ultimately deserving of four stars.
Just remember, show, don't tell.
June 1, 2023
Normally I love short stories. The idea of two people with totally different writing styles coming together to create a best seller sounds perfect, right? In theory, yes … on paper, there’s potential. The ‘Creative Differences’ novella, namesake of the collection, sat with several other short stories - this was less captivating and interesting and full of life than the other little stories. And I think that is the beauty of short stories: they are all so different, and not all will take your fancy but some will definitely speak to you.
I think authors and writers may enjoy the novella more. It was a good exploration into writing workshops and the reaction of students. The piss-take of writing workshops was rather clever and humorous, yet it didn’t captivate my total interest and fell a little flat. Could I have possibly taken it a little too seriously? If the premise was to be a caricature of what writing could be, I’m not sure it’s a place that I want to delve into, even for a laugh.
I think authors and writers may enjoy the novella more. It was a good exploration into writing workshops and the reaction of students. The piss-take of writing workshops was rather clever and humorous, yet it didn’t captivate my total interest and fell a little flat. Could I have possibly taken it a little too seriously? If the premise was to be a caricature of what writing could be, I’m not sure it’s a place that I want to delve into, even for a laugh.
February 25, 2023
How do writers write? Do all writers write the same way? Can they collaborate on projects? The main novella part of the book was a reworking of an audio book written for Audible at their request. Graeme bought the rights back to then publish it in print.
The other short stories came from submissions to journals or those he had been requested to write for anthologies or magazines. Reflecting another way in which writers can develop their skills.
I did not take to the novella part of the book. It seemed to have too much 'tell' in the writing. The story is based on a partnership between a husband and wife in their writing. I do not think it is autobiographical, although I think some may read it that way.
Do not choose not to read it because of my review, as it may be that I came to it after a book that affected it.
The other short stories came from submissions to journals or those he had been requested to write for anthologies or magazines. Reflecting another way in which writers can develop their skills.
I did not take to the novella part of the book. It seemed to have too much 'tell' in the writing. The story is based on a partnership between a husband and wife in their writing. I do not think it is autobiographical, although I think some may read it that way.
Do not choose not to read it because of my review, as it may be that I came to it after a book that affected it.
March 19, 2023
Creative Differences is a cornucopia of the author's writing over the years: competition winners, commissioned pieces, a novella, a Rosie Project prototype. Any writing that features Don Tillman is a bonus for me, but there was so much more to enjoy in this collection. My absolute favourite was 'Like it Was Yesterday' - a cautionary tale about our fallible memories and the narratives we tell ourselves. It's a great book to dip in and out of: the stories range in length from a few words to the 150-page novella. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2024
1 1/2 star rounded up to 2
You MIGHT like if you are writing a novel, and if you can relate to the singles scene. Free Audible book, this was just the novella version and did not include the other stories in the complete book. I would not buy it, and about 2/3 through was considering to quit listening, but I already had time invested and with less than an hour left & being a little curious about the conclusion I stuck it out. The free Audible Original was 3.3 hours. I would have quit reading/listening if it had been any longer.
You MIGHT like if you are writing a novel, and if you can relate to the singles scene. Free Audible book, this was just the novella version and did not include the other stories in the complete book. I would not buy it, and about 2/3 through was considering to quit listening, but I already had time invested and with less than an hour left & being a little curious about the conclusion I stuck it out. The free Audible Original was 3.3 hours. I would have quit reading/listening if it had been any longer.
March 5, 2023
The selection of short stories by Simsion are fascinating to read, but the novella which followed was a tad disappointing for me. Emily and Scott met, fell in love and wrote a book together. Now both of them are struggling with their writing and their relationship. I found the discussion of writing processes interesting but the whole story didn't quite gel, perhaps it is better as an audiobook (which is how it started). Still worth a read though.
May 22, 2023
Having read read & loved "The Rosie Project", I didn't hesitate to pick this one up. However, it is a little different in that it comprises of a number of short stories and one novella.
The short stories were quite varied but I recognised some themes from "The Rosie Project" in one of the short stories (The Klara Project) so maybe that was an idea the author decided to develop.
The novella, is basically about a couple who write together. The question is, is their writing what keeps them together or is there more to their relationship? The introduction of a third person into the mix makes them ponder on the strength of their relationship.
The scenes about constructing a novel are quite detailed, which, as I'm a writer myself, interested me, but I can see they could prove a little boring to others.
The short stories were quite varied but I recognised some themes from "The Rosie Project" in one of the short stories (The Klara Project) so maybe that was an idea the author decided to develop.
The novella, is basically about a couple who write together. The question is, is their writing what keeps them together or is there more to their relationship? The introduction of a third person into the mix makes them ponder on the strength of their relationship.
The scenes about constructing a novel are quite detailed, which, as I'm a writer myself, interested me, but I can see they could prove a little boring to others.
January 15, 2024
3.5⭐️
-Some of the short stories were interesting (especially 'Like It Was Yesterday'), but some were a little confusing for me.
-Appreciated the various character POV chapters in the 'Creative Differences'.
-p. 191- example of 'show not tell'- really highlighted its effectiveness
-Emily and Scott's interdependent relationship!
Finished in one sitting (1.76hrs)!
-Some of the short stories were interesting (especially 'Like It Was Yesterday'), but some were a little confusing for me.
-Appreciated the various character POV chapters in the 'Creative Differences'.
-p. 191- example of 'show not tell'- really highlighted its effectiveness
-Emily and Scott's interdependent relationship!
Finished in one sitting (1.76hrs)!
April 11, 2023
Probably more a 3 & 1/2 stars rounded up kinda book. Good writing but didn't blow my socks off. Don't think the final story should have ended the way it did.
April 17, 2023
Got some ideas on how to be more creative with my own writing.
February 19, 2024
Some of the short stories were pretty good, but then it finished with the novella, which I found so boring.
February 24, 2024
The stories were of variable quality, some with interesting insights. The novella of the title stretched a promising idea too far.
August 21, 2024
Entertaining because I'm an author. It wouldn't have kept my interest otherwise.
August 29, 2025
Found this to be a very compelling novella. Really enjoyed it.
November 7, 2025
I really enjoyed Like It Was Yesterday. Brilliant!
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