Writing Lives: with Maura McHugh

What does full-time writing look like? It depends on the writer – and what we create in our lives off the page depends directly on what we imagine.

Today's Personal Training at the Writers' Gym takes in the spaces between what goes on the page, and how to work with our feelings about ourselves and the world to create the work lives as well as the art we want.

Rachel Knightley's guest is Maura McHugh. Maura was born in the USA, but raised in Ireland, where she developed a love of mythology, horror fiction, art, and writing. She has lived in New York, Dublin, and Galway, and worked in IT before succumbing to her love of storytelling.

She co-wrote the comic book Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland with Kim Newman, and is working on a variety of comic book stories in the 2000 AD universe. She's the author of the fairy tale collection, Twisted Fairy Tales, and the collection of world myths, Twisted Myths. Her collection of original short stories, The Boughs Withered (When I Told Them My Dreams), is published by NewCon Press and was nominated for a British Fantasy Award for Best Collection. Her non-fiction exploration of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was nominated for a British Fantasy Award for Best Non-Fiction. She's also a published poet, a produced playwright, and a screenwriter, and often appears on Irish radio discussing pop culture. She loves exploring the woods: the darker, the wilder, the better.

Download your Writing Workout here – and why not bring it along to the Writing Room? (If you're not already signed up, visit linker.ee/drrachelknightley to join the mailing list or, for exclusive events and coaching sessions, become a paid Subscriber on Substack.)