Episode #40: Boosting Your Creativity

We’re celebrating our 40^th episode with a little look at ways to boost your creativity. Jenni has notes and Marc has lots of thoughts, so we can make creativity work for you!

Listen to us on

> iTunes
> Stitcher
> Spotify
> Acast

or right here...

We talk a lot about what we do to boost our creativity. Things like taking walks, getting out in nature, taking a shower, having some background music or chat, solitude and, of course, NEVER GIVING UP. Marc also explores our mental health and wellbeing, including forest bathing and the massive benefits for our both our physical selves and our brains. 

It seems like there are many ways to help your creativity – it’s whatever suits you and your working style, but hopefully you’ll get some new ideas and info from our comprehensive-ish research. We also float the idea of POW retreats where people mainly have showers then stay in their room and are allowed out occasionally for walks… prison. It’s a POW retreat prison.

Also this episode -

• Jenni can’t pronounce ‘Nietzsche’
• More The Good Place talk  
• DON’T GIVE UP
• Big up our hero Dr Rangan Chatterjee
• The return of talking about rollercoaster games – woohoo!
• Amazing insights into the world of charity shops and puzzles. 
• A silly word game of Rhyming Tennis

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

Episode #39: How To Write (by Other Writers)

Jen and Marc look at the BBC Women's Hour short clip of writers giving tips on how to write a novel. We pick out the key points for us, and how they have, or will, affect our creative journey. Also, Jenni gives an update on her book and we talk The Masked Singer, Taylor Swift, folding crisp packets, Hot Cross Bun day and much more silliness.

Listen to us on

> iTunes
> Stitcher
> Spotify
> Acast

or right here...

Marc happened upon this lovely clip of writers talking to Women's Hour about their writing tips and advice. Writers such as Prue Leith, Angie Thomas, Ruby Wax, Allison Pearson and Nina Stibbe talk about how to write and how they write, and how to write that book! Jenni and Marc pull out their highlights, what resonated with them, and also how Prue Leith manages to get her laptop into the toilets at cocktail parties (what if she needs a plug? Does she carry a rucksack? Does everyone else think she's just doing a massive poo? SO MANY QUESTIONS!).

These tips might not be groundbreaking but they definitely ring true for us and other writers we've talked to, including Negeen Papehn who talked to us a while ago where we discussed how constantly she writes. Finding your own voice is really important, and we think about the style and pace of books we loved to read, as well as the books we've found difficult and hard going. We also talk about accepting things as imperfect and not chasing the impossible perfection.

We also find out just how much this podcast has helped Jenni's writing experience in terms of motivational techniques, characterisation and plotting a book. Sadly you'll miss the beautiful hand movements of wobbly waves and circles.

Also this episode -

• Learning through failure with How To Fail by Elizabeth Day and also the new Taylor Swift Documentary Miss Americana on Netflix
• Check out the hot men on the new covers of Negeen Papehn's trilogy 
• We mention the books The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan and Love of Imperfect Things by Haemin Sumin
• We put our predictions down for The Masked Singer
• Who remembers The Big Breakfast? We do some reminiscing and Marc has an impressive memory!
• Progression not perfection! Thank you Marc's business course!
• Jenni is obsessed with Stacey Solomon and her hanging crisp cupboards and that leads to an odd conversation about that popular old cleaning duo Kim and Hagrid and folding up crisp packets. You're welcome!

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

BONUS! Episode #38.5 Jen's Complete NaNoWriMo Journey

A special bonus episode featuring Jen's meanderings as she attempted NaNoWriMo 2019. It's not a surprise that she did actually complete it, as we put the episodes up weekly, but if you missed them or fancy immersing yourself in the NaNoWriMo world this is the podcast for you!

Jen challenged herself to write a brand new novel over the course of November. That means 50,000 words. It was, as she finds out, a challenge. That is why they call it a challenge. Join her in an audio diary to find out exactly how many words she managed to write each day and her struggles with procrastination and plot lines.

There's also a lot of maths talk, and working out how many words Jen has written that day and how much she needs to do to complete it on time, but if you get over that bit and get to the points where it seems like she's losing her mind* it's a lot of fun. We find out what procrastination-busting methods work best and how to motivate yourself to keep writing under pressure.

Also this episode:

• Mayonnaise pixies!
• Questions from Marc!
• Fried croutons!
• Hypnotherapist cheating!
• Boo barks!

*No minds were lost in the recording of this podcast.

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

Episode #38: Friends Reunited

In our first episode of 2020, and our first one together FOR AGES, Jenni and Marc talk about what we've been up to. We chat about Jen's NaNoWriMo achievement, what else we've done over the end of 2019 and what books and other sources of inspiration we've found lately. And then we talk a lot about puddings.

Listen to us on

> iTunes
> Stitcher
> Spotify
> Acast

or right here...

We're back, bright and breezy for a new decade of writing talk! In this episode we discuss Jenni's approach to NaNoWriMo, the motivational techniques and how it feels to actually finish a book. NaNoWriMo, and especially the appy-tool website thing, was a real advantage to setting a challenge and completing it and we recommend it to all budding writers. Then we talk editing and next steps, as well as Jen's problematic title (warning, there is a BIG swear in there).

There's also some chit chat about books we've loved recently, how Michelle Obama and Marc are practically twins and Marc's adventures into networking and being a start up. Then the real reason for the podcast - we work out what puddings and how many are appropriate for Christmas Dinner. What's the deal with trifle anyway?

Also this episode -

• The campaign for Jen to narrate her own audiobook starts here
• We rate Michelle Obama's Becoming, Nadiya Hussain's Finding My Voice and Dawn O'Porter's So Lucky
• Audiobooks vs real books (again)
• A good old wartime adventure romp - John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps
• Are we doing Dry January? Uh, no.

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

Episode #37: NaNoWriMo 2019... Part Four

Not to give anything away but... Jenni finished her book! Yes, find out how if feels to write 50,000 words in 30 days and only slightly lose your mind. Join us for the final stretch, as tensions are high and time is running out.

If you're writing a novel this month for NaNoWriMo, you can follow Jenni as JenniPOW at NaNoWriMo

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

Episode #36: NaNoWriMo 2019... Part Three

It's week three of NaNoWriMo and it's full on writing time for Jen.

If you're writing a novel this month for NaNoWriMo, you can follow Jenni as JenniPOW at NaNoWriMo

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.

Episode #35: NaNoWriMo 2019... Part two

It's week two of NaNoWriMo so join Jenni as she has a little breakdown and gets hysterical over mayonnaise pixies.

It's a week of highs and lows, peaks and troughs, 6,000 words one day and 0 the next. Jen talks about how she's finding the challenge and how difficult it is to explain the plot to people without feeling a bit stupid and embarrassed. She is also begins to work out what writing and motivational strategies work for her, with great results and how to start getting the most out of defined writing times.

If you're writing a novel this month for NaNoWriMo, you can follow Jenni as JenniPOW at NaNoWriMo

Thanks to our sponsor, BadFish - use offer code POW for 10% off
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

If you're reading this far, maybe you have time to like and leave a review on our podcast...also, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all our latest news.