Episode 470 - The emotional labour of writing a book

When we talk about writing business books, we usually focus on concepts, models, clarity, structure, impact. But alongside the head work is a whole invisible heap of emotional labour: behind every sentence lies a secret history of fear, doubt, frustration and occasionally joy. In this Best Bits episode, we're bringing that emotional undercurrent front and centre.

Because writing a business book, just like starting a business, isn't simply an intellectual exercise. There's a profound inner journey behind every book, from the creative spark of the idea, so often born of frustration, through the gritty, vulnerable, exhausting middle, the stress of overwhelm and deadlines and the courage it takes to complete, and throughout it all, the unexpected moments of joy.

Writing a book is a whole-brain, whole-person exercise, and these conversations prove it. Hear from:

• Eleanor Tweddell on turning anger and confusion into the first steps of the writing journey.
• Parul Bavishi on accepting fear as part of the process and showing up anyway.
• Rachel Fairley and Sarah Robb on building trust and joy through collaboration.
• Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst on navigating difficult moments with curiosity and respect.
• Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic on the three moments of joy (and the many hours of masochism).
• Maria Franzoni on falling out of love with you book (and then back in again).
• James Spackman on making choices guided by pride, joy and connection.
• Sally Percy on overcoming overwhelm.

The work is real - but the good news is you don't have to do this alone.