Amy Beeson on Why We Never Really ‘Turn Off’ (Even on Holiday)
Welcome to Parents That Write.
Parent writers, artists, and creators are more than just their ‘chaos’. We’re publishing books, dropping albums, optioning screenplays, and making magic every day.
HOW DO THEY DO IT? That's what we're here to find out. Each week, my guests tackle eight quick-fire questions, plus a few wildcards. But first, a peek into my own creative life:
No-Fluff Notes from my Writing Life
I WENT AWAY AND TOOK MYSELF WITH ME
You pack light: a pile of books, SPF, three swimsuits, and a brain that refuses to shut the hell up.
Supposedly, you’re “on a break.” And even if you’re not away-away your idea of switching off is outlining a new memoir between laundry loads. The neighbour’s windchimes trigger a character idea.
You’re halfway through a sexy paragraph in your mind when a child screams because the sandwich is “cut wrong.” You were going to take a break. You really were.
But creatives on holiday?
We’re like crocodiles in sun hats. Outwardly resting, inwardly stalking the next good line.
And sure, maybe you’re technically in leisurewear. Maybe you’ve tried to “relax” by watching a mediocre Netflix series with your feet in a paddling pool.
But if your mind’s still rearranging the structure of that unfinished essay while the kids argue about whose turn it is with the hose, guess what? You’re working.
You’re always working.
No shame here, just a glimpse into how we’re wired.
We don’t turn off. We turn down. We turn sideways. We write in the margins. We dictate into Notes while yelling ‘DO NOT PUT THAT IN YOUR BUTT’ across a National Trust picnic area.
We think, feel, obsess, invent..constantly.
And when people say, “It’s good to take time away from the work” we nod politely. But inside we’re whispering, Sweetheart, the work never left.
Welcome to the holiday edition of Parents That Write.
Before this series catches its breath, I bring you our second-to-last guest: straight-shooting, brilliant, and entirely unmissable. She’s a firecracker.
And she knows a thing or two about holding creative ambition while navigating the unholy mashup of parenting, writing, and occasionally wishing she could disappear for a week just to hear herself think. Don’t lie, you’ve googled flights.
Let’s go.
MEET Amy I Beeson 🐝 writer, mentor, branding whiz, and community conjurer who’s spent years weaving words around life’s realest edges. She’s penned bestselling memoirs, co-founded a grassroots collective for creative collaboration, and now writes from her newly built rather lush garden pod.
Share a broad snapshot of your life. Who are you parent to and/or have caring responsibilities for?
Hi, I'm Amy Beeson, an author (HarperCollins) and Head of Storytelling at Wordsby Communications, where I work with brands, communities and campaigns to shape stories that make real connections for change. My Substack publication, "I Need To Finish This Before I Die", explores memoir writing, brand development, and creating platforms and opportunities for yourself and others.
I live in West London with my husband, writer Takbir Uddin, our two daughters (Ava and Lyra), and two utterly chaotic kittens. Between work, parenting, and chasing deadlines, I host monthly writers' meet ups, circles, and creative events, including WRITE UP; all spaces for conversation, momentum and support.
Where can we find you?
Can you share favourite praise for your writing?
“A beautifully written and moving memoir… Beeson’s daily life and the colourful characters she met are superbly described…A comforting and inspiring read.” THE LADY
Why do you write?
Without writing I don't feel like my complete self.
What does the inside of your writing mind look like?
Like a crime scene board in a murder mystery, and so do the walls of my garden pod.
How is your ability to write affected by being a parent and your ability to parent affected by your writing?
You can't be perfect, there's no ideal time or space, you have to create opportunities and know you'll never come to the end of your to do list.
How often do you write with your child around or not, and what kind of writing do you get done when they are nearby?
I try and write something everyday. I don't always manage it, but I try. I've written with the rain pelting down, whilst I've sheltered with the buggy under the entrance of the Design Museum on High Street Kensington, balancing my laptop on a low wall.
I've written in cafes after walking round in circles to get a baby to sleep in the pram so I can squeeze in a thousand words during nap-time. In the front seat of the car in-between meetings and school pick-up. In bed, with one ear alert to a waking child, the demand for snacks, a fight between siblings and the inevitable....Mummmmmm.
What is your best writing habit, and how did you discover it?
Morning pages. That’s where the magic happens, buried beneath scribbles tangled with low-level frustration, despair, pettiness, and desire.
What are the three most important characteristics of being a writer who is a parent?
My mum, parenting author Sarah Beeson MBE, taught me patience, practice, and perseverance. I learned them at her elbow, both as a new mum and an editor. They keep me grounded through chaos and doubt, and help me stay gentle with myself, my family, and my colleagues.
What or who is your secret writing weapon?
My secret writing weapon is those small, stolen pockets of time when the writing flows easily from my fingertips. It’s simple, but it feels like magic, and it's addictive.
What or who has been the most significant creative influence in your life?
My mum. She was my first reader, my biggest supporter. She believed I could do whatever I set my mind too, so I did too.
What are your coping tactics for being (constantly) interrupted in your thought process?
Tea, water, walks. A cup of tea is like witches brew, it settles me. I have so many moments when I'm in water, even if it's just washing my hands where I get ideas. Even though I live in London I'm from a country village so being amongst tall trees enlivens me instantly.
What’s your best writing time?
Before I had children, I was a night owl. I’m still not a morning person, but writing before the day’s tasks pull me in has become my best time to create.
What motivates you to write amongst the flurry of family life?
Writing is when I feel most like myself; the truest, fullest version of me. It’s the space where everything else fades and I just am.
You’re a writer: name 3 of your procrastination techniques.
When I’m procrastinating, you’ll find me buried in laundry mountains, scheduling every bit of family admin like it’s a secret mission, or disappearing down the endless rabbit hole of my phone.
What unfinished writing projects do you have lying about?
Sooo many unfinished projects, you know how it is. That’s exactly why I called my Substack "I Need To Finish This Before I Die".
There’s a memoir, a historical fiction novel, a magical realism novel, an immersive theatre play, and a podcast, all sitting there, half-finished, waiting for me to find the time (and the focus) to finish them.
If you could have a conversation with any writer throughout history (who was also a parent) about their writing routine and creative process, who would that person be, and why?
I read that Margaret Atwood once said, “You can’t really be a writer and a mother at the same time without being absolutely determined. It’s the most exhausting thing in the world.” She’s spoken openly about the challenges of balancing creative work with parenting, highlighting the discipline and perseverance it demands.
Since going from one child to two, I’ve felt that challenge grow even more intense, whether you write or not, it's exhausting. It’s no wonder so many women produce their best work later in life; it’s not that they couldn’t do it earlier, but that you simply can’t do it all at once. Even for women who are child-free, the pressures, expectations, and circumstances that shape women’s early lives often make the creative journey a complex one.
Share a picture of what ‘A Room of One’s Own’ means to you.
I have now, it's my garden pod.
Thank you, as ever, for reading.
If this piece struck a chord or simply made you feel seen in your utterly un-relaxing attempts to rest, do tap the heart, leave a comment, or send it on to someone who’d appreciate the wink (e.g. send it to your friend who’s ‘on holiday’ but secretly writing a novel).
It all helps this series land where it needs to.
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I loved this Amy. What an interview and what a garden pod too !
Lovely interview!