Not Too Busy To Write

Alice Kinsella is a poet based in the west of Ireland. She's the author of the poetry pamphlet Sexy Fruit, the prose poem memoir Milk: On motherhood and madness and the genre blending Wake of the Whale, co-authored with Daniel Wade, which was a Sunday Independent Book of the Year in 2024. This conversation covers so much - from unpaid work in publishing, to blending genres, to the creative energy and frustrations of early motherhood. We also talk about why Alice and Daniel chose their local independent publisher Mayo Books Press to publish their latest book.You can order Wake of the Whale directly from Mayo Books and use the code Whale25 to get free shipping. *Join The Fold writers membership*This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!*LinksWake of the Whale by Alice Kinsella and Daniel WadeMilk by Alice KinsellaSexy Fruit by Alice KinsellaAlice Kinsella on Substack Poet Mark Grist Not Too Busy To Write on Substack

Sarra Manning is the author of 8 adult novels, over 15 YA novels. She began her career on teen magazines and has been writing about love and sex ever since. Sarra talks about being a 'word count slut', writing books fast, how what she learned on magazines helps her pitch novels and the secret to writing about sex successfully. Sarra is also the literary editor of Red magazine and is my go to person for book reccos - this episode is chock full of amazing books!!The Last Days of Summer is out March 27thThis series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!You can listen to The Last Days of Summer on xigxag :)LinksThe Last Days of Summer - Sarra ManningLondon, With Love - Sarra ManningRachel's Holiday - Marian KeyesA Sky Painted Gold - Laura WoodRomantic Comedy - Curtis SittenfeldThe Wedding People - Alison EspachMaeve Kerrigan Series - Jane CaseyDeep Cuts - Holly BrickleyThe Eights - Joanna Miller

Want to know how to get funding to write?Today I'm speaking to Robyn Law, head of Fundraising, Grants and Prizes at The Society of Authors, a UK trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators. As well as looking at everything the SoA can do for all of us, we do a deep dive into how to apply for grants to help support you while you write, including my own experience as an SoA grant recipient.This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!LinksThe Society of Authors - How to joinThe Society of Authors - GrantsThe Society of Authors - Advice and Resources

Aime McNee is a writer and creativity coach and author of We Need Your Art - a look at the power and essential nature of creativity and how to kick start and maintain your own creative habits. From perfectionism to permission and the difficulty in finishing work, Aime talks about some of the big challenges and joys we experience as artists, and why it's worth spending our precious time on the process of creating. We Need Your Art is out 13th MarchThis series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!LinksWe Need Your Art - Aime McNeeThe Rules Upheld By No One - Aime McNeeRegrettably, I Am About To Cause Trouble - Amie McNeeRange - David Epstein

Alice Wilkinson, an award-winning journalist and author of 'How To Stay Sane In A House Share', dives into the world of personal non-fiction writing. She shares insights on the emotional complexities of cohabiting and the importance of open communication in building deep connections. Alice reflects on her boarding school experiences and how they shaped her understanding of intimacy and responsibility. The conversation also touches on the art of editing, balancing narrative structure with authenticity, and the creativity found in collaborative storytelling.

Grace Timothy is a journalist and author of Is It My ADHD? On the podcast today Grace talks about getting a late diagnosis of ADHD and how wading through the misinformation online drove her to write a book in order to understand her own brain better. Is It My ADHD? is out 27th February This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!You can purchase Is It My ADHD? on xigxag hereLinksIs It My ADHD? by Grace TimothyLost in Motherhood by Grace TimothyEarthed by Rebecca Schiller

Tessa Hadley is an award winning author of eight novels, many short story collections and one of my personal favourite writers. In this conversation Tessa talks with me about the pleasures and irresponsibility of the short story, her first novella The Party, writing as a performance and the benefits of publishing for the first time in mid life. This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!You can purchase The Party on xigxag here.LinksThe Party - Tessa HadleyFree Love - Tessa HadleyBad Dreams - Tessa HadleyThe Best Intentions - Ingmar BergmanGoing Home - Tom LamontLong Island - Colm ToibinParades End - Ford Maddox FordWriting Literary Fiction with Tessa Hadley - Curtis Brown Creative Not Too Busy To Write on Substack

Daisy Buchanan is a bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster. Today we're talking about her latest book Read Yourself Happy and the unique power of books to make us feel better, as well as how reading makes us better writers.Read Yourself Happy is out nowThis series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxagListeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play. Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account. Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code NTBTW to your account. After your first purchase, your second title will be free!You can purchase Read Yourself Happy on xigxag hereLinksYou're Booked with Daisy BuchananCreative Confidence Clinic with Daisy BuchananBrigit Jones Diary - Helen FieldingExit Interview - Kristi CoulterCan You Ever Forgive Her? - Anthony TrollopeSo Thrilled For You - Holly BourneMad Woman - Bryony GordonThis Is Not A Pity Memoir - Abi MorganThe Come Up - Jonathan AbramsThe Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - Eva RiceHappy All The Time - Laurie ColwinMiddlemarch - George ElliotAlison - Lizzy StewartA Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara The Great Believers - Rebecca MakkaiDon't Look At Me Like That - Diana AthillRachel's Holiday - Marian KeyesI Capture the Castle - Dodi SmithProbably Nothing - Lauren BravoWhen Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith KerrCazelet Chronicles - Elizabeth Jane HowardInto the Woods - John Yorke

A little taster of what's to come in series 10 featuring Tessa Hadley, Daisy Buchanan and Grace Timothy.The new series begins 5th FebruaryYou can subscribe to Not Too Busy To Write on Substackpennywincer.substack.compennywincerwrites.comPenny on Instagram @pennywincer4bf661332a54c42dda99f791c1378d9407200820

Join me for a special episode digging deep into the Women's Prize Discoveries 2025, a prize and program for unpublished women fiction writers in the UK and Ireland, with two of this years judges Dreda Say Mitchell, an award winning and bestselling crime and mystery author and Chloe Timms, journalist, author and podcast host. We are joined by the winner of the inaugural Discoveries Prize 2021, Emma van Straaten, whose debut novel This Immaculate Body will be published in February. This episode is packed full of advice and will get you itching to pull out your Work in Progress and enter the prize.LinksWomen's Prize Discoveries 2025Girl, Missing - Dreda Say MitchellThe Seawomen - Chloe TimmsThis Immaculate Body - Emma van StraatenDreda Say Mitchell - dredamitchell.comChloe Timms - chloetimms.co.ukConfessions of A Debut Novelist with Chloe TimmsEmma van Straaten on Instagram @evswritesBook Proposal Group Program - pennywincerwrites.com/bookproposalgroupNot Too Busy To Write on Substack