The Write to Know #20
Recommendations, reviews, randoms and reads
As I’m constantly on the hunt for content for The TEN, I tend to squirrel ideas away on an almost daily basis; a story here, a link there, a striking image, a meme, a gif, a sprinkling of screen-grabs, and I’ll also scribble down ideas for future use.
Looking through my drafts this week, I found a post called “Snack Round-up of the Year”, that I ultimately didn’t share with you. That’s not to say I never will but I just need you to know that this is the kind of nonsense that goes on when you’re not looking.
The behind the scenes of anything is always fun. I noticed that director James Gunn and the producers of the new Superman movie have been sharing footage of how they filmed their spectacular flying scenes.
I haven’t been inspired to go to the cinema for a while because, well, I’m a spoiled former celebrity journalist who misses living in Hollywood and having the cast appear post credits to talk about the making of the movie. But… because of the history of the character, my enduring love for the legend that was Christopher Reeve and the fact that David Corenswet seems, at first glance, to be a more than worthy cape-wearer, it looks like it could be an excellent way to pass a few hours.
I’m also curious to discover how The Marvellous Mrs Maisel actress, Rachel Brosnahan, plays Lois Lane. Every young female journalist, and I was one once, wanted to be Ms Lane, filling the pages of The Daily Planet with sparkling copy and dashing around town wearing an oversized pussy bow and a determined look on her face.
She was an early role model for young reporters like myself. The saying goes: ‘If you can see it, you can be it’, which is lovely but there weren’t many to ‘see’ in the late Seventies and early Eighties.
Aside from Margot Kidder, the only other woman I could literally ‘see’ doing the job (in my living room, on a weekly basis) was Rebecca Balding, who played journalist Carla Mardigian, on the US show, Lou Grant, with Ed Asner. Anyone remember that?
But when it comes to writing, it’s probably best that the reader doesn’t see all of what happens behind the scenes. Lola Young’s brilliant song Messy is a current favourite of mine and nothing is messier than writing. It’s also therapeutic, beautiful and snuggly but sometimes it looks like you’ve forgotten to tighten the cap on the shampoo bottle.
On a more personal note, my recent behind the scenes has been extraordinarily challenging as mum fell and broke her leg. It threw a curveball, as they say, and while she’s on the mend now, it left me with a depleted battery and almost no time to keep The TEN trucking along. I’ve hung on in there but I’m not superwoman, which is why it’s taken a while to compile this Sunday newsletter.
But as Superman would say (and did): “You’re much stronger than you think you are”, and of course, he’s right. We’re a resilient species. So, without further ado, here’s my carefully curated and yet simultaneously raggle-taggle collection of media and publishing nuggets. Enjoy!
ROOTED IN TRUTH
Ukrainian pop artist Ivan Dorn, above, has released the song Foreign Root, to accompany a powerful short film of the same name, that explores the refugee experience. The film is directed by Andzej Gavriss and follows a bus packed with migrants as they face the stinging challenges of displacement.
From the opening scenes, where a mother hands her sons soil of their land (so they never forget where they come from), this poetic short takes you on a journey that millions have gone through, and are living right now. With the news a constant litany of terrible events, and so many people in pain around the world right now, this compassionate perspective on migration is incredibly timely.
Dorn also plays the bus driver, guiding the passengers who share stories and solidarity. It’s most definitely worth 13 minutes of your time, and the surreal twist a at the end will surprise you.
MOTHER LOVERS
I had the pleasure of meeting the fabulous Sarah Harman, at a local book event. She’s an American journalist turned author, who is now living in London.
Her novel, All The Other Mothers Hate Me, out now in hardback, is about a disappearance of a child at an international school. Over wine and snacks, I joined some of my writers group, and other locals, to hear Sarah talk about her own ‘behind the scenes’, which included the challenge of writing the book as a new mum, and how she used an unexpected severance payout to fund the writing. She gave herself a year to write a novel - her first - and ultimately, won the prestigious Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, which champions women writers.
[This year’s award is now closed but mark your calendars in case you think it might be something you can enter in 2026].
Post Q&A, Sarah and I had a lovely chat, and in a sweet turn of events, she ended up buying my celebrity journalism memoir, Ryan is Ready for You Now, which had been sitting on the shelves of the Read on Sea book shop and cafe. We signed our books for each other (that’s a first!) and I’m currently enjoying ATOMHM, and looking forward to the sequel, which she’s currently writing.
A CRUSTY PATH
There’s been another memoir hoo-har, this time about veracity of The Salt Path.
The book tells the story of a couple who undertake a 630-mile trek of England’s south coast after being left homeless, financially broken and with a potentially fatal medical diagnosis. It sold a whopping two million copies and was adapted into a movie starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, see above.
Written by Raynor Winn, it has spawned two sequels, with a third available now for pre-order.
The hoo-har kicked off with this Observer newspaper article from Chloe Hadjimatheou, who suggested that the authors had been less than truthful in the way they presented their story.
I’m old enough to remember the James Frey hoo-har. His 2006 memoir of addiction, A Million Little Pieces, was proven to be embellished and after appearances on Oprah and the bestsellers lists, he had a huge fall from grace. If you want to know more about Frey now, read this.
Memoir is not the same as an autobiography, which tells an entire life story and not just one thematic arc. Do the circumstances that led the Winns to undertake their walk matter? I think they probably do, partly because a memoir by its very description must be rooted in truth, otherwise how do you gain the trust of the reader? Some may disagree.
Raynor Winn released a statement setting out her perspective. Read that here. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be talking about this hoo-har for many years to come.
THE NEXT STORYTELLING GOLD RUSH?
Want to get your screenplay made? Then rework it as a micro drama for social media. Find out more by reading this enlightening article from Elaine Low and Natalie Jarvey at the Like & Subscribe Substack.
RUN FOR YOUR CREATIVE LIVES
📢 📢 📢 Long read klaxon! 📢 📢 📢
One from the vault. Haruki Murakami’s 2008 New Yorker essay, The Running Novelist, reveals how he transformed from jazz‑club owner to dedicated novelist and marathon runner.
After deciding to write his first novel during a 1978 baseball game, he balanced the club and writing, but sold the venue in 1981 to pursue a full‑time literary career.
Turning to running addressed his sedentary habits - he smoked heavily and struggled to focus - so daily jogging became key to both his health and creative clarity. Over the years he’s completed more than twenty‑six marathons, crediting running’s discipline and mental cleansing as vital to sustaining productivity and avoiding burnout.
Murakami emphasises that true endurance comes from intrinsic motivation - not willpower - and that both running and writing demand consistency, resilience and a readiness to embrace discomfort.
I’ll never run a marathon but I know from experience that movement/exercise can kickstart a creative process and keep you inspired. Read it here.
UNA BUENA LECTURA
My supremely talented writers group pal, the author Paul Schiernecker, has just seen his debut novel, The Counterfeiter of Auschwitz, published in Spain. Step forward, El Falcificador de Auschwitz. Buy it here.
IT’S HAPPENING NOW!!
United Agents have a limited submission window TOMORROW AND TUESDAY. Caps for emphasis because there’s no time to spare!
FESTIVE FABULOUSNESS
Apologies in advance for using the ‘C’ word in July but screenwriter Joey de Paolo, who I interviewed for my INSIDERS series, has just announced production of his first Christmas movie, She’s Making a List, for Hallmark.
Joey teased the movie in our chat last November and obviously, he’s overjoyed that his screenplay has made it to a point where someone has finally yelled ‘ACTION’. It’s rather fun to know that somewhere in California, signs of summer are currently being covered in fake snow and Christmas lights.
Lacy Chabert, a Hallmark favourite, stars alongside her My Secret Valentine co-star, Andrew Walker; the film is produced by Chabert and Joey’s wife Veronica Brown.
The official logline, which sounds as wonderfully bonkers as I hoped it would be, is as follows: “When Naughty or Nice inspector Isabel Haynes (Chabert) is assigned to evaluate mischievous 11-year-old Charlie Duncan, she expects a routine case. But things get complicated when Isabel unexpectedly falls for Charlie’s widowed father, Jason Duncan (Walker), and begins to question the rigid rules of her job. As Christmas approaches, Isabel must choose between following the holiday algorithm or following her heart.”
Naughty or Nice Inspector? Where do I apply? Roll on (sort of) December!
Read more about it on Deadline.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN!
Writing a mystery? Then you might want to take a few notes from Agatha Christie. She did alright for herself. Read more here.
FULL OF BEANZ
Love magazines? Love art? Love independent voices?
Then please give the Lost Art Media Substack a follow. They’ve recently launched the Lost Art mag, and I was delighted to be asked to contribute to the first issue, writing a humorous piece, called The Beaning of Life, about NFTs and the democratisation of art.
I was introduced to their ridiculously impressive editor, Nina-Sophia Miralles on a press trip and we bonded over our love of cocktails and traditional print media. As long as people such as Nina exist in the world, print will flourish!
You can subscribe to the magazine by visiting their website.
AND FINALLY…
Blello everybody! Nickelodeon, the fools, cancelled the short-form, stop-motion Tiny Chef Show and the world collectively lost its tiny mind.
I’d never heard of the Tiny Chef before he was canned by the network but after seeing the creators’ appeals online, I am now firmly Team Cheffy. They made a clip so beautifully poignant - showing the real stages of excitement of a new series, followed by disappointment and grief of cancellation - that thousands of followers (and then thousands of new followers like me), jumped on board to save the show. I kid you not, you will shed a tear watching this clip.
Do yourself a favour and follow TC on Insta and enjoy this chipper dude who cooks, dances and pulls on your heartstrings all at once. The Billie Eilish clip is one of my favourites and I always watch it in full when it pops up on my timeline. The pan pipes! The elbow to the garlic! The salt bae salting of the food!
For more long reads and recs, visit the The Write to Know archive.
Majestic. Hope mum on the mend x
Oh, the pussy bow. What an awful trend. I pretty much avoided it though it was during my time. And Lois Lane! Yes! 'Girl' reporter. Also loved the reporter character Rosalind Russell played in His Girl Friday. And Lou Grant! I was writing for a small college town newspaper at that time and we, the staff, would sometimes get together and all watch. Fun times, great show!