We Did it Anyway
Parents that Write #38 Q&A with Stevie Dillon
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
Hello Lovely,
I need to level with you: I’m not going to write about the usual today. It’s not that I’m blocked, uninspired, or creatively withered. Quite the opposite.
I’m chockablock FULL. Saturated. Maxed out. Like one of those dish sponges you forget to wring out because dinner’s burning, a client just sent a four-paragraph WhatsApp voice note, and someone small is standing behind you whispering “Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.” for the seventeenth time with absolutely no follow-up words.
I’m writing memoir. Finalising the TV series treatment. Deep in consulting work. In the final throes of editing a Parents who Think Quiz I know you’ll value1. Rehearsing for a comedy sketch show because I said yes in a moment of high-confidence delusion. Oh, and I mowed the lawn this week and briefly felt like a minor Greek deity, right before I noticed the postman watching and waving like I wasn’t mid-existential spiral.
The point is: it’s not that I don’t have anything to say about the writing/creative life this week.
It’s that I’m living it so hard there’s no room left to narrate it.
I’m certainly not crying for help on this. And this isn’t a simpering confession.
It’s just a clean acknowledgement that some weeks are less about breakthroughs and more about bracing yourself in the flow.
But here’s what I can give you: the piece I wrote about the Write Up event, about memoir and truth plus the audio of my own memoir excerpt, if you want to hear it2.
For now, let this be a dispatch from the middle of the creative swell. Not drowning. Not waving. Thank you Stevie Smith. Just riding it, like a clumsy pro!
And You?
What’s the thing you keep protecting time for, no strategy needed, no ROI (srsly why bother), just because it truly matters to you?
Next week, I’ll bring you ,a writer and editor whose work cuts across fatherhood, masculinity, and the messy business of being a feeling man in a world that still doesn’t know what to do with one.
But this week, MEET who is the founder of , where she teaches women how to build emotionally intelligent, strategically sound online businesses. A former lawyer turned educator, Stevie is known for her unwavering commitment to helping women claim ambition without apology. Her work blends practical mastery with genuine emotional depth.
Share a broad snapshot of your life. Who are you parent to and/or have caring responsibilities for?
Mother of two - 5 and 3. Recently had my partner un-retire himself (our business had me as the breadwinner for many years) so he could join the 'real world' again. Meanwhile, I had burnt my high-stress business to the ground in favour of a lifestyle business and get to test drive it with my new, very limited, work hours. Happily, I love it (for the most part).
Where can we find you?
Can you share favourite praise for your writing?
You're writing a book? I knew it! I feel like writing a book & writing in general is 100% part of your life path! You clearly have a gift! ✨' - A client of mine when I told her I had just spent the last five months writing 100,000 words!
Why do you write?
When I was eight, I marched into the school playground and distributed the very first edition of ‘Especially for Kids’ - a kids newspaper I created from scratch and printed on my Mums photocopier - to every single student in the primary school. A few weeks later, the local city newspaper – the Courier Mail – got wind of my little endeavour and I was handed my own column writing kids book reviews. A few years later, I studied journalism. Writing has always been my one true love.
At uni though, I got sidetracked and ended up spending 10 years studying to become a lawyer. I HATED IT, quit and somehow ended up landing a gig creating 'content' for a business. From there, I made a business helping others create content.
I keep finding my way back to writing. It's in my blood and feels as natural as breathing! Can't stop, won't (ever!) stop!
What does the inside of your writing mind look like?
I write to learn. When I write, I'm able to organise ideas and thoughts into clear patterns, and make them easy for other people to understand. The inside of my writing mind is chaotic, but the process of getting things down on a keyboard clarifies things for me.
How is your ability to write affected by being a parent and your ability to parent affected by your writing?
I used to wait for the perfect cabin in the woods moment to write: easier pre-kids. Post-kids, I just do it. I do it tired, I do it when I have just 10 minutes. I do it when I feel fuzzy. And because of that, it gets done MUCH, MUCH faster.
How often do you write with your child around or not, and what kind of writing do you get done when they are nearby?
Last week, I booked a 12 day solo trip to Bali to finish writing a book I have spent the last five months writing in stolen moments. For the most part, I just write with them around but to really polish things off I needed the final push. It was magical, and rare.
What is your best writing habit, and how did you discover it?
Don't wait for the cabin in the woods! My book coach, (Fiona Killackey, told me and it put a fire under me. It's the most valuable piece of advice I've got and the most powerful habit I've implemented.
What are the three most important characteristics of being a writer who is a parent?
➡️ Know what you're going to write so that when you get a pocket you can start right away.
➡️ Don't spend more than three hours trying to finish something that requires big focus (you'll just be fuzzy and waste time/burn yourself out) - a fresh mind will finish it off fast.
➡️ Don't try to multitask, you'll fail at both.
What or who is your secret writing weapon?
Walking. Walking is the single best source of creativity for me; I need to constantly pause and pull my notes app out to capture ideas before they float away. It's my secret weapon!
What are your coping tactics for being (constantly) interrupted in your thought process?
Don't let it happen. Don't try to do focus work when you are minding kids; you will end up failing at both. Save truly focused time for a pocket when you can be uninterrupted. Then, spend time with your kids when you can be fully focused on them.
What motivates you to write amongst the flurry of family life?
I don't want to get to the end of my days and regret it. Especially with writing a book, it's the one thing I wanted to accomplish in life and it just got to the point that I couldn't put it off any longer. I lost my mum last year, and it put things into perspective for me. It made me realise what's important, and that often we put things off for an undefined later that never actually comes. I refused to let that happen.
What is the favourite sentence you’ve ever written, and why?
It's a few sentences:
”When someone you love dies, there is always a moment. It might be the dull murmur or flatline of a machine. A vacant gaze or a helpless flash of fear. Or the chime of the phone from a relative or friend telling you they’re gone. It doesn’t matter what it is. That moment changes everything”.
Until next time.
It’s called Parents have Needs Too. Tbh you don’t need to be a parent to find the bespoke resources incredibly useful in your life. How do I know? I’ve tested it widely and people raved about it. It’s an ambitious ask to bring a quiz with meaningful resources into Substack. And I’m thrilled to say it is nearly yours to try out! I won’t keep you waiting, I promise.
Gentle warning: listen in private, away from young ears please. Mind you, one 88 year old Write Up attendee whooped then hugged me after I performed this piece live.
 | A guest post by
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Thank you for the wonderful feature! I would love to cross post it, let me know how (I’m still Substack illiterate). Thanks again for having me on your INCREDIBLE publication and to @Lucy Werner for connecting us!