Written conversations: Break the Rules with Cathy Rentzenbrink

We're joined by acclaimed memoirist, writing tutor and author of five books Cathy Rentzenbrink. In this honest, frank and occasionally strongly worded conversation we explore how the 'rules' we come to believe about our writing aren't necessarily true. And why we shouldn’t always believe what other writers tell us about their writing process!
Cathy provided the epigraph to the first part of ‘Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit that Lasts’ writing:
"It is a seductive myth that if we start writing on day one, then we will gradually get better and more confident as time goes on. In my experience this is simply not true because writing is a tug of war between desire and fear, and therefore feels much more like a hazardous zigzagging."
As we write, we all come to believe certain things about how the writing should get done. In chapter one of 'Written' we call these 'writing myths' and explain how they come to shape and define us over time. With encouragement, developing kindness and cultivating a positive mindset we can figure out how to keep writing.
Packed full of practical takeaways and personal stories, this conversation between Bec Evans and Cathy Rentzenbrink covers:
03:03: Cathy gives us a sneak peek of her writing room with the plans of her latest book on the wall around her
04:58: "Careful or you'll end up in my next novel."
05:34: Bec asks Cathy about her early or pre-writing days and the myths that we take on as writer
07:14: Cathy says how it makes her feel really sad, what other people get told
08:35: “I'd say I wanted to be writer or a detective and then people would just say, ‘Don't be silly, you can't do that.’”
10:12: Cathy’s Dad told her “you can do whatever you like."
11:57: Bec says it’s really profound how these myths can really come to define us. The beliefs that we have affect our behaviour. So if we are told you're not a writer we start to believe we are not writers, we’ll stop writing.
13:17: Cathy explains why she think it's a miracle she’s finished anything, let alone finished five books. “But the reason why I've done that is because I've just learned to not listen.”
16:45: A lot of nonsense is talked about writing! Writers make stuff up because they don’t know how to answer questions about their process.
18:22: Productivity is personal - you've got to figure out what it is for yourself
20:27: How Cathy wrote her first book while working two jobs and with a small child to look after
23:00: “So writing for me is 95% self-doubt management”
23:51: “I put all my energy into how do I start and then how do I stay in the room? And if I do that, then the rest will sort itself out.”
24:25: Zigzagging confidence
27:23: Dreaming the first line of her novel
31:43: Successful writers still want to go on writing courses
32:41: Ask for advice and then learn to reject it and trust where that's not going to work for you
35:36: Matt Haig in ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ shares how he lacked the confidence to write that book and Cathy was the person who encouraged him over wasabi flavoured popcorn.
40:21: How Matt Haig encouraged Cathy. He just said "Everyone hates the 30,000 words stage."
41:29: Quickfire questions: How do you stay in the room? Cathy’s Zoom dates and Bec on FocusMate
43:34: How do you manage self-doubt? Jabbering monkeys and sleeping Labradors
44:57: How do you switch between projects? By working on the skivey secret squirrel side project
46:20: Dealing with rejection, waiting to hear from publishers, waiting to hear from agents
49:35: Cathy’s final advice to keep writing
52:28: Thank you and wrap up
About Cathy Rentzenbrink
Cathy Rentzenbrink is an acclaimed memoirist whose non-fiction books include ‘How to Feel Better’, ‘Dear Reader,’ ‘Write It All Down’ and ‘The Last Act of Love’. Her first novel ‘Everyone is Still Alive’ was published in 2021 and garnered brilliant reviews. Cathy regularly chairs literary events, interviews authors, runs creative writing courses and speaks and writes on life, death, love, and literature.
Cathy Rentzenbrink’s website is cathyreadsbooks.com/ sign up to her wonderful monthly newsletter, get details of her Sunday Sessions, find out about latest reads, events, explore her writing and share the delight of swimming in the Cornish sea. Cathy is on Instagram Twitter @catrentzenbrink
About Bec Evans
Bec Evans is the co-author of ‘Written: How to Keep Writing a Build a Habit That Lasts’ and co-founder of Prolifiko, a coaching business that helps people build productive writing habits. Bec worked in publishing, led teams of writers and managed a writing centre for Arvon. She’s also the award-winning author of How to Have a Happy Hustle.
Bec Evans and Chris Smith can be found at prolifiko.com/ where you can get the latest on courses, coaching and articles, on Substack with newsletter Breakthroughs & Blocks breakthroughsandblocks.substa.... You can also find Bec on Instagram @eva_bec

[@davidpowell5959]

Terrific , despite all the challenges and self doubt Cathy pulls it off . Think the blinding honesty is inspiring 😊 and weirdly funny.

[@MonicaRodriguez-pj1qy]

love this!!! ❤️🫶🏽

[@pathopewell1814]

Kindergarten