Not Too Busy To Write

When life is busy, we don't always get the long stretches of time we would ideally like to have to write. So how do you train yourself to write in tiny spaces of time? Ali and Penny discuss the techniques they have used over the past few years when time is short. From keeping up the frequency so your mind is never far from the project, to using mini rituals and music to short cut your way to writing mode, this is an episode which questions our default excuse to avoid writing because we only have tiny pockets available to us.Links mentionedJanet Murray Membership (virtual co-working)London Writers Salon (writers hour)BooksMedical Muses: Hysteria in 19th century Paris by Asti HustvedtHoly Anorexia by Rudolf M BellSummerwater by Sarah MossYou can find all of our book recommendations at Not Too Busy To Write - Bookshop.org

In Episode 7 Penny is absent due to self-isolation, so Ali takes the helm. She introduces their slightly ambitious plan to read the Women's Prize longlist before the announcement of a winner in July.Ali talks to Tetyana Denford about the first in her new trilogy of books, Conversation with Grief. Conversation with Grief was born after the death of Tetyana's grandmother, when Tetyana was forced to sit with her grief in the vacuum of a pandemic. They talk about how grief changes shape, how it constantly surprises us and how sometimes, the only thing we can do is invite it in. They also talk about how motherhood is a form of grief and how the opposite of grief is love. All of Tetyana's books are self published. In the second half of the episode she shares insights into the process, and talks about the challenges and rewards of wearing so many hats simultaneously. She also talks about how self publishing isn't a less than option, but one that requires just as much work and dedication as a more traditional publishing route. Conversation with Grief is available to preorder. Motherland by Tetyana DenfordTetyana's youtube series is here.Books mentioned in the episode are: Patricia Lockwood: No One is Talking About ThisGlennon Doyle: UntamedSarah Moss: Ghost WallA Little Life: Hanya Yanagihara. All Books mentioned on the podcast are now all in one spot on our very own Bookshop.org listhttps://uk.bookshop.org/lists/not-too-busy-to-write-recommends

The blank page can be terrifying, paralysing even. How do you overcome the fear of starting something new?In Episode 6 Ali and Penny - both at the start of new projects - talk about the different tools they use to make a strong start on something new. They examine artistic considerations as well as more practical techniques including: goal setting, spreadsheets, progress checkers, and the all important writing community. They also talk about ways of reframing the idea of 'dreams'. Is it a dream to write a book, or an ambition?Links mentionedPacemaker - online wordcount appClare Seal's (My Frugal Year) progress gridStory Genius - Lisa CronHeavy Light - Horatio ClareMrs Death Misses Death - Salena GoddenWomen's Prize for fiction 2021 long list

How does perfectionism hold our writing back? From not sharing our work, to not getting started at all, Ali and Penny dig into how to manage our perfectionism as writers. Asking can perfectionism ever be a positive thing for our work? We look at avoiding comparison, when to ignore your inner critic (and when to listen) and allowing yourself to be vulnerable.Books mentioned:White Feminism - Koa BeckThe See-Through House - Shelley KleinA Slice of the Moon - Sandi ToksvigThe End of the Sky - Sandi Toksvig

Aside from sitting down to actually write, where else do we get our creative energy and ideas from?From solo afternoon trips to the cinema, visits to modern art installations and long drives alone, this episode is all about how we feed our creativity, spark new ideas and solve creative problems. Becoming aware of how we feed our creativity is one thing - but how do we then protect that creative time? Penny and Ali talk about how they prioritise those activities by treating it as part of the process and why they think we should all take it seriously.Links mentioned in the show5x15 spoken word eventsHay Festival PlayerArvon at HomeEdinburgh Book Festival Mr B's Emporium Book SubscriptionGalley Beggar's Press subscriptionGirl A - Abigail DeanPew - Catherine LaceyThe Silence - Don DelilloThe Divers' Game - Jesse Ball

This week Ali and Penny are joined by debut author, Ilona Bannister, whose novel, When I Ran Away, is released in the UK on 4th March by Two Roads books and on 30th March in the US with Doubleday Books.When I Ran Away is a startling novel, funny and hard hitting, it tells the story of GiGi, an American mother of two living in London who just can't manage to do it all. In this fascinating and wide reaching episode, Ilona talks about how, after having children, she felt it was hugely important to write honestly about the effects of motherhood, trauma and grief, and in doing so breaking the narrative that we can have it all.Ilona tells Ali and Penny about her journey to publishing, how she set her own deadlines, treated the novel writing process like work before it was paid work, as well as what steps she took to maximise her changes of success. Books discussed When I Ran Away - Ilona BannisterWow, No Thank You - Samantha IrbyMrs Death Misses Death - Salena GoddenLuster - Raven LeilaniH(A)PPY - Nicola BarkerInsatiable - Daisy BuchannonYou can find Ilona Bannister on Instagram @ilona.bannisterYou can find Ali Millar of instagram @ali_millar_writesAnd Penny Wincer on instagram @pennywincer

The myth of ideal conditions can discourage us from getting on with a project, it's tempting instead to wait until things get easier or better. Just how do we let go of this idea and get down to work? Ali and Penny talk about how they've learnt to dismiss ideal conditions, instead accepting where they are, even if it's a bit shit. They examine the upsides of time constraints and how it can be important to dismiss what other (often male) writers say about routines, as well as why why neither of them believe in the muse. Links mentioned in the episode:Why I won't try to be super-mum - by Penny Wincer for The TelegraphMother for Dinner - Shalom Auslander Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 - Cho Nam-Joo

In the first episode of Not Too Busy To Write, Ali and Penny introduce themselves and how they came to writing and ask the big question - how the hell are they managing to write at the moment? This episode was recorded in London in January 2021 during lockdown (not, as Penny accidentally says, January 2001!!!) and between them Ali and Penny have a whole lot of kids and complications.Books mentionedHamnet - Maggie O'FarrellThe Creative Habit - Twyla TharpThe Rules Do Not Apply - Ariel LevyOther linksMaggie O'Farrell interviewed by Stuart Kelly for EIBFAli can be found on Instagram @ali_millar_writes and via her website alimillar.comPenny can be found on Instagram @pennywincer and via her website pennywincerwrites.com

Ali Millar and Penny Wincer are Not Too Busy To Write. Except sometimes they are too busy to write as much as they would like. Join us as we discuss the highs and lows of sitting down to the work, feeding our creativity and navigating the world of publishing. We’ll be looking at giving ourselves permission to write before it’s paid work, finding our feet in new genres, dismissing ideal conditions, bringing skills from other careers into our writing life and the joys (and sometimes pain!) of book marketing.You can find Ali Millar at www.alimillar.com and on Instagram And Penny Wincer at www.pennywincerwrites.com and on instagramwww.nottoobusytowrite.com