Episode
Six writers, six experiments
- Podcast
- This Might Work
- Published
- Jul 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 713
- Processing state
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Summary
To close series one, we're revisiting six writers' advice and the experiments it inspired - from Oliver Burkeman's ‘massively eccentric' approach to editing (delete the document, retype from scratch) to Mason Currey's cut-up-your-draft-with-scissors method for finding new connections in your work. Along the way: Emma Gannon on artist dates and solo creative boosts, Benjamin Myers on the writing advice he ignored for years before it caught up with him, Alison Jones on what six minutes of exploratory writing can unlock, and a tribute to the late Peter Elbow – freewriting hero and the writer who convinced Bec that getting stuck might be the most creative thing that can happen to you. Six writers, six volunteers willing to put the advice to the test, and no guarantees any of it will work for you too. That's rather the point. All six episodes of This Might Work are available now wherever you get your podcasts. Rate, review, and join us on Substack at Breakthroughs & Blocks . Featuring Oliver Burkeman is the author of four books and writes The Imperfectionist , a newsletter on productivity, mortality, the power of limits and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment. A former colunmist on the Guardian , his book Four Thousand Weeks was a Sunday Times instant best seller. He also wrote the foreword to the book that inspired this podcast Written: How To Keep Writing and Build A Habit That Lasts . Emma Gannon is the Sunday Times bestselling author of eight books, including A Year of Nothing and Table for One . Her new book, A Creative Compass , publishes in June 2026. She writes the bestselling Substack newsletter The Hyphen , hosts creativity retreats around the world, and served as a judge for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Born in Durham Benjamin Myer…