Episode #27: PomoMARCHo! Setting Creative Goals

Join us for a little catch up episode where we check in on each other and how we’re doing, motivation-wise.

We can’t remember what number episode we’re on (is it any wonder with the amount of bonus episodes we’re knocking out?) but we are back to plot out our creative adventures.

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We’ve come up against a strange sort of writer’s block when it comes down to finishing our book, so we talk through how writing letters from their characters has given us a push to get into the next phase of novel writing. We then set Jenni up on PomoMarcho where she’ll be writing 25 minutes a day for the rest of March in a bid to get lots of lovely words in. Marc will then use his holiday time, once he’s finished being all creative on his other projects, to take a look at our latest draft.

Will we achieve our Italian-sauce based goals? Will Jenni’s family get bored with constant pasta dinners?

Also...

• Jenni looks angelic briefly, which is not helpful on a podcast
• We uncover a massive problem with the POW logo
• Some book recommendations based on old people – An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryby Rachel Joyce “If you like old people, you’d like it.”
• ‘Drag Race for Painters’ – Landscape Artist of the Year
• Old People TV! Great News on Netflix and Hold the Sunset on BBC
• The Screenwriting free course (plus loads of others) on FutureLearn

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Check out Jen's 2018 booklist

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 #26.5+: RPDG All Stars 4 & RuPaul's Drag Race 11

You lucky listener, you...not one, but TWO bonus episodes before our latest proper episode reaches you! We couldn't keep this bonus edition buried away for much longer. Jen and Marc finally get chance to catch up on our thoughts about RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4 (has Latrice had more chances than Shangela? Did Naomi make the right choice? Who's the real winner?) and we also chat all things season 11 (which has just started on Netflix/VH1), particularly which queens are standing out to us and who are early predictions might be.

Listen here or from wherever you find your podcasts...




Our next episode is nearly ready for your ears, so keep an eye out for that too x


#TeamNina

BONUS! Episode #26.5: Eurovision 2019 - Early Predictions!

Yes! We're approaching Eurovision season already! Whilst you're waiting for our next regular episode to emerge from the editting studio, Marc thought he would put together a tiny, bonus episode talking about one of the things he loves the most...no, not Kylie...Eurovision!

Just over half of the competing countries have announced which song will represent them this year, in Tel Aviv, so Marc takes us through some of his favourites so far, and also has a look at who the bookmakers are predicting to come out on top.

Our next episode will be winging its way to your podcast devices in the next few days, so keep an eye out x

Episode #26: How Do You Plot Your Book?

We have hit a wall in our book writing process, so we’ve decided to work on our plots.

Join us this episode to discuss techniques to structure plots and writing advice to plot your novel.

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Doing some research for once and looking at techniques from Jericho Writers, amongst others, Jenni and Marc break down some plots from famous novels and try and apply them to their own book. We also look at classic plot structures from Well-Storied.com, using Freytag’s Pyramid, the Fichtean Curve and the Hero’s Journey.

Is our problem that we have so many main characters? Do we need to keep structuring our plot? Is our timeline enough? We try and work out how to finish off our novel, and Jenni then tries to completely change the book by just having one main character. And Marc shuts her down. Quite rightly.

Also in this episode
· Writing down the Status Quo
· Who is the main character in Lord of the Rings?
· Is Harry Potter the main character in the Harry Potter books? (yes, yes he is)
· Our main plot line appears to be ‘he’s being a naughty boy and shagging about a bit’
· Jenni’s kids book plots – The Dog Stuck in the Fence and The Trip to the Post Office
· An update of the effect of the lovely Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s book on Jen and reducing phone time
· Our amazing idea of a pub, where your loyalty card gets you story updates! Plus red wine and steak night!


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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK

Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com

Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

Check out Jen's 2018 booklist

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 #25: What’s The Right Writing Challenge for You?

This episode we talk about writing challenges as we try to get ourselves writing on our book again.

What sort of writing challenges are there? What would suit or motivate you?





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POW Podcast UK has come of age – we can drive, drink, vote and not get ID’d in shops for alcohol – well done us!

We’re discussing writing challenges this time – the whys and hows of setting specific goals for your writing. If you want to stimulate your creativity and set some priorities for your writing, a challenge is the way to go.

Writing challenges give you some space to try something different – looking at perspectives, forms, narration and themes that you might not have tried before. Whether it’s something based the style of prose, or something more practical like scheduling in your writing into your day, there’s a writing challenge for you.

After discussing some types of challenges and the theories behind them, we find a challenge that works for us and we’re excited to see how this works for our book!

Also in this episode:

• A lengthy discussion of whether to edit a spoiler out of the podcast – which ended up being left in, as all references to things being edited out always are!
• Our free writing makes an appearance again as we plan to send it to Cheryl Cole
• Our obsession with the dreamy Dr Rangan Chatterjee and his podcast Feel Better Live More
• “Writing is my rockclimbing”
• A Savage Garden singalong
• A Reading Challenge update, with a new entrant, Jen’s husband, reading his first book this year
• More Harry Potter talk, this time the script (The Cursed Child) vs book debate

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Follow us on twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK

Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com

Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

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.

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

Episode #24: Reading for Pleasure VS Reading for Challenge

Happy New Year from POW Podcast UK! This episode we’re talking about reading for pleasure versus reading as a task.

Following on from Jenni’s 2018 reading challenge against friend-of-the-show-Gemma’s husband Scott, Marc and Jenni discuss how the challenge went, how it affected Jenni’s love of reading and, crucially, WHO WON!


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If you’re reading with one eye on the total, it really makes a difference about what and how you read. We discuss the choices that you make, as well as the books Jenni really enjoyed this year, which ones she read really quickly, and which ones she abandoned because they were just taking too long.

We also discuss the perfect environment for competitive reading, which may or may not involve a spa break paid for by Marc, and whether listening to an audio book counts as reading an actual book.

Also on the podcast:

• Hot lovin’ with the band on the aeroplane on holiday in the shack
• Approaching reading like eating, and getting your full range of nutrients
• A lot of Harry Potter chat
• The perils of listening to a podcast on 11/2 speed
• How do you say Katniss?
• Some more podcast recommendations including Off Menu, Homosapiens and Happy Place
• Marc talks about one of inspirations and mentors Douglas Jeal

You can find out all the books Jenni read in 2018 on the official reading list page

And finally, we realise that we haven’t done any writing recently which is the point of this podcast. We need some help with ideas for writing challenges – can you help us?

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Follow us on twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

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.

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes

Episode #23: All We Want for Christmas is... Books!

Marc and Jen are back to give you a run down of the best Christmas gifts for the readers and writers in your life.

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It’s Chriiiiiiiiistmas! With jingle bells at the ready and a naughty elf, Marc and Jen either think about what other people would like (Marc) or just write down what they want (Jen). Along the way we ponder the trouble with goats and sheep, reminisce about the books we read as kids, confuse Albert with Abdul and reignite the Kindle debate.

Whether it’s a bestseller, something critically acclaimed or an off the wall choice, we’ve got a great selection should you need a last minute present. There’s still time, so make someone happy with a book specially chosen from the masters of procrastination.

On our wishlist this Christmas:

1. The Liberty Faber Poerty Diary, with “poemy-poems”
2. Dynasties: The Rise and Fall of Animal Families – David Attenborough
3. Three Things About Elsie – Joanna Cannon
4. The Spy Who Loved School Dinners – Pamela Butchart
5. Becoming – Michelle Obama
6. The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell
7. From Crook to Cook – Snoop Dogg
8. One Enchanted Evening – Anton Du Beke
9. A Boy Called Christmas – Matt Haig
10. Love is Blind – William Boyd
11. Taskmaster – Alex Horne
12. Fire and Blood : 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones - George R R Martin
13. Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow – Lucy Worsley
14. I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year

And keep listening to the end for another INSPIRATIONAL quote, that was not found at the last minute by Jenni because she forgot, oh no…

Follow us on twitter and Instagram: @POWpodcastUK
Email us at: powpodcastuk@gmail.com
Find all our episodes: Pow Podcast UK Episodes

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.

Music credit: "Clap Your Hands" by Scott Holmes