This Might Work

Bec Evans
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Books
  • Series

When a writer tells you how to get the work done, they’re telling you what works for them. That’s useful. But it might be completely wrong for you. So we test it. This Might Work is a podcast about creative experiments. In each episode, host Bec Evans takes one idea from a writer, artist or thinker - something practical, surprising or slightly unconventional - and puts it to the test with a real writer, working on a real project. Every experiment is different. Every writer responds differently. But each episode leaves you with something concrete to try in your own work. Because writing advice is everywhere. The only question that matters is: will it work for you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Episode 8

    Writing by water with Wyl Menmuir

    Nominated for the Man Booker Prize, the novelist Wyl Menmuir credits the sea with transforming him from a distractible city-dweller into a working writer. Bec explores the 'blue mind theory' behind why water calms our minds and unlocks creativity - then sends retired teacher Nancy Harris McLelland on a 12-hour round trip across Nevada to test it for herself, with surprising results. Featuring Wyl Menmuir is a multi award-winning author of novels, non fiction and short stories. His 2016 debut novel, The Many, was nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Wyl's non-fiction books have been awarded the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors, the Award for Excellence from the OWPG, and a Holyer an Gof Award. In 2026, he received the Blue Metropolis Planet Literature Prize, awarded for a body of work that demonstrates the beauty and fragility of the living world and promotes greater ecological awareness. A former journalist, Wyl has written for Radio 4, The Guardian and The Observer. He lectures in creative writing at Falmouth University and when he is not writing or teaching writing he enjoys messing around in boats. More about Wyl. Nancy Harris McLelland is an ex cow-girl and Elko County native who grew up on ranches along the Ruby Mountains, Nevada. Before retiring, Nancy taught creative writing for 20 years at Mendocino College in northern California. She has presented her work at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, and her writing appears in Cowboy Poetry Matters, Nevada Humanities' Heart-to-Heart, UNR Brushfire, New Mexico Magazine, Edge, Tahoe Writers Works, and the Writers of the Mendocino Coast anthologies. More about Nancy. For bonus material and conversations about the experiments featured in the show, visit Breakthroughs & Blocks on Substack. If you enjoy the show, please leave a five-star review. It’s one of the biggest ways you can help new listeners discover the podcast. This Might Work is written and presented by Bec Evans and Chris Smith, authors of Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Episode 9

    Reading aloud with Susanna Schrobsdorff

    Editing our own writing is hard when we're too close to the words. Journalist and editor Susanna Schrobsdorff shares a simple, free technique she learned at TIME magazine: read your work out loud, then find a 'willing victim' to read it to. Business writer Bruno Selun puts it to the test on a report he's finishing, and we hear how David Sedaris uses a live audience as his first editor. About the guests Susanna Schrobsdorff writes the It's Not Just You newsletter on Substack where she has 17k subscribers. She is a contributor to The Washington Post, Monocle and TIME magazine, as well as co-founder of The Blue Hour Paris writing retreat. Previously, she was an executive editor at TIME magazine. She lives in Paris with a small, cosseted dog. Bruno Selun is a team coach and facilitator. He writes for clients and for his business, Kumquat. He is based in Brussels, Belgium. He specialises in helping international executive teams, boards, and organizations navigate complex dynamics to achieve measurable, transformative impact. For bonus material and conversations about the experiments featured in the show, visit Breakthroughs & Blocks on Substack. If you enjoy the show, please leave a five-star review. It’s one of the biggest ways you can help new listeners discover the podcast. This Might Work is written and presented by Bec Evans and Chris Smith, authors of Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Episode 10

    Writing around with Cathy Rentzenbrink

    It’s easy to get stuck when we’re preoccupied with what the finished thing will be. Bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink shares her advice to 'write around' the writing: head out with a notebook, a five pound note and a simple prompt, and let go of whether the words will make the final draft. Willing guinea pig Helen Meller puts it to the test on a project about a lost silent film of Wuthering Heights, and we hear advice to keep writing from renowned radio producer Ira Glass (Current TV, 2006) on the gap between our taste and our work. Thank you to Cathy and Helen. About the guests Cathy Rentzenbrink is the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of The Last Act of Love, Dear Reader, How to Feel Better, Everyone Is Still Alive and Ordinary Time. Her new book is The Agatha Christie Cure. She is a renowned book reviewer and literary festival panellist and host. Prior to writing her own books, Cathy was a passionate bookseller at Waterstones, working in seven different branches before becoming Publisher Relations Manager for the group. After that she became Project Director at literacy charity Quick Reads, then Books Editor at the Bookseller. She runs the Curtis Brown memoir-writing course and the highly popular online ‘Sunday Sessions’. Helen Meller is director of Arvon at Lumb Bank and vice chair of the Brontë Society. She has a background as a creative producer in festivals, TV, radio and publishing. She hosts The Brontë Lounge, a series of online interviews with Brontë-inspired creatives. For BBC Radio 4, she abridged The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum and script edited Picnic at Hanging Rock. She was also Mariella Frostrup’s producer for more than a decade, working on everything from talk shows to cult movie programmes. Helen has an MA in creative writing and is working on a Brontë-related non-fiction project. For bonus material and conversations about the experiments featured in the show, visit Breakthroughs & Blocks on Substack. If you enjoy the show, please leave a five-star review. It’s one of the biggest ways you can help new listeners discover the podcast. This Might Work is written and presented by Bec Evans and Chris Smith, authors of Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

When a writer tells you how to get the work done, they’re telling you what works for them. That’s useful. But it might be completely wrong for you. So we test it. This Might Work is a podcast about creative experiments. In each episode, host Bec Evans takes one idea from a writer, artist or thinker - something practical, surprising or slightly unconventional - and puts it to the test with a real writer, working on a real project. Every experiment is different. Every writer responds differently. But each episode leaves you with something concrete to try in your own work. Because writing advice is everywhere. The only question that matters is: will it work for you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Bec Evans
  • Episodes
    11
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bec Evans
  • Show Website
    This Might Work

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