Strength in Surrender

Parents that Write #22 Q&A with Lucy Werner

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 quickfire questions, plus a few wildcards. But first, a peek into my own creative life:

No-Fluff Notes from my Writing Life

The Cover That Made Some Noise

When NOISE landed, I expected readers to react to the ideas inside the book. What I didn’t anticipate was just how much attention the cover would generate.

With PR maven Lucy Werner supporting (who also happens to be this week’s interview guest), advance copies were sent to media columnists, journalists, and social media influencers. The buzz started quickly—partly because of the book’s unusual size, but also because that sumptuous pink-and-red cover demanded attention. It’s called NOISE, after all. It packs a punch.

Then, within days, PRINT magazine named it one of the “30 Best Book Covers of the Year (So Far!).” Now, granted, it was only March, but still—PRINT is PRINT. Founded in 1940, it’s an iconic publication that celebrates visual culture and graphic design across all mediums. Seeing NOISE featured there? A proper moment.

Did this buzz translate directly into book sales?

Hard to say. But it did make the book a thing. People bought it for coffee tables, for their partners, for mothers. Men sent me messages saying they’d gifted it to the mothers of their kids.

Readers loved how it felt in their hands, how it fit in their bags. And more than anything, they just loved looking at it.

Did Rodrigo Corral (iconic designer) nail the right visual?

No question. If anything, the cover captures the feeling of NOISE just as much as the words inside—words that cut through the noise of motherhood itself.

Would I rewrite parts of the book differently now? Show me an author who wouldn’t say probably! But the cover? I wouldn’t change a thing.

Next week, I get into how I structured my writing process around alongside my super-brood, and managed my time. Trust me it’s unorthodox. My guest, Tiffany Chu, will share how she creates her incredible works in the margins of parenthood. Hope to see you there for the next step in this journey!

Today, I’m delighted to be in conversation with my friend Lucy Werner—Top 50 Business Substack writer and the ultimate cheerleader for solopreneurs. She’s on a mission to make self-promotion feel less painful, cut through the time-sucking stress, and, as she puts it, actually make it fun.

Share a broad snapshot of your life. Who are you parent to and/or have caring responsibilities for?

I am parent to three mini people under 7 and my dog (arguably more needy and slightly more demanding). Historically, I've always undertaken shared parenting with the co-founder of my children 50/50 but in a dramatic life pivot, I turned 40, shut down my agency, had the third child, moved to rural France and started to grow a solopreneur business from writing around now being primary carer and studying French.

Where can we find you?

My Substack | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | Hype Yourself book | Brand Yourself book | DIY PR for Small Businesses book

Can you share favourite praise for your writing?

It doesn't exist anymore but I daydream about a feature of how I've grown my Substack into a newsletter empire and Courier magazine review me as a profile and call it "An Unmissable Resource for Every Aspiring Solopreneur"

Why do you write?

To get the words out of my head.

What does the inside of your writing mind look like?

Crowded.

How is your ability to write affected by being a parent and your ability to parent affected by your writing?

Parenting reminded me I love to write. Having children made me think about what I enjoyed when I was little. I was a "self-published author" 😉 quite young when my Dad helped me with his binding machine to make one exclusive handwritten copy. A treasured possession that I believe has only ever had one reader. My ability to write was solidified by parenting

My ability to parent affected by my writing? Truly, I have never thought about this. Great question. You know I could be in my delulu era but I think it might make me better. My previous work was all encompassing and I could never switch off. By the end of my agency days, I was lucky enough to get to pick and choose the people I worked with and I adored them but I was constantly wanting to do a better job for them.

My chosen career before, in PR, was very unpredictable and often outside of my control. I would lie awake at night thinking about who else could I pitch to.

Writing and then promoting it is a joy. I've spent 20 years promoting businesses and I enjoy trying to find new ways to promote my writing. Being able to switch off and be with my children is a gift when many elements in my life are overwhelming.

How often do you write with your child/ren around or not, and what kind of writing do you get done when your child is nearby?

My ideal scenario is to write totally alone (maybe with the dog). I can't write when all three are nearby as I need to be able to get into flow. Sometimes, first thing in the morning or last thing at night when the elder two are a bit more occupied with doing their own thing I might flesh out an idea or empty some thoughts to come back to later.

What is your best writing habit and how did you discover it?

Write down every idea when you have it and note down the questions you are asked. My time to write is minimal so I can't afford to get writers block. Having a long list of prompts is so helpful for me to sit down and get in flow.

What are the three most important characteristics of being a writer who is a parent?

➡️ Prioritising - the baby is sleeping, do I clear up the kitchen and tidy up the house, do another load of laundry or get my first draft of my weekly recipe done? You know its the latter.

➡️ Daydreaming - in my head, I'm writing three different types of fiction novel and just finished another non-fiction. I jot down ideas and anecdotes and plot twists all the time. It is ok I don't have time to do these because when I do I know how well baked they will be.

➡️ Surrender - a word you gave me actually Danusia. Accepting that plates will drop and that is ok. More than ok, it is normal. Be kinder to myself that I can't achieve everything I want to, at the pace I'd prefer right now.

What or who is your secret writing weapon?

Bobby Lyte and his podcast Flow State. I've completed every book with him.

What or who has been the most significant creative influence in your life?

The Funday Times¹. That is what taught me I wanted to be a journalist which led me through my wayward journey to where I am today.

What’s your best writing time?

As soon as I wake up.

You’re a writer: name 3 of your procrastination techniques.

Emptying my inbox.
Cleaning the office.
Social media (this is the worst, it's a sucker)

If your writing discipline was a food, what would it be?

A roast dinner with all the trimmings and gravy. Just too much for some but a cosy hug on a cold day for others.

What are your favourite/preferred writing conditions in terms of clothes, environment, food you eat and anything else that helps you write?

I'm like Goldilocks. It can't be too cold or too hot. A cup of tea. I quite like to sit cross-legged on my desk chair or perhaps controversially, I like writing from the bed whilst looking out the window.

Closing out this Column with:

“A poet needs to keep his [sic] wilderness alive inside him. To remain a poet after forty requires an awareness of your darkest Africa, that part of yourself that will never be tamed.” ― Stanley Kunitz

Lucy can’t afford writer’s block because, well, time. Her solution? A long list of prompts to kick her into flow.

What about you? When the words won’t come, do you push through, switch gears, or walk away and hope for the best? Got a weird, wonderful, or foolproof trick for breaking the block? What’s your magic cure? Share away.

Sending you love,
Danusia x

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funday_Times