Episode 45: Our monthly writing check-in, Nanowrimo, and Ursula K. LeGuin

This episode is one of our regular check-ins, where we talk openly about how our writing and day job balancing act is going. In this one, both of us have been really busy with various things – including finding new routines – and haven’t had much chance to write lately. We talk about dealing with our expectations and about trying to be less rigid with our schedules (but still find a way to get work done).

Then, we talk about the acceptance speech that Ursula K. Le Guin gave at the National Book Awards in 2014 (video and transcript here).

I see a lot of us, the producers, who write the books and make the books, accepting this — letting commodity profiteers sell us like deodorant, and tell us what to publish, what to write.

Books aren’t just commodities; the profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable — but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words. –Ursula K. LeGuin

You can listen to the episode right here on this page, or get Marginally on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever get your podcasts.

As always, we’d love for you to take a minute to rate and review us in your podcast app, as this helps other listeners find the show.

Check us out on social media:

Theme music is “It’s Time” by Scaricá Ricascá.

Have a question you’d like us to try to answer, or a topic you’d love to have us cover? Interested in being a guest? Contact us here.Thanks for listening, and keep up the good work!

Discussed in this episode

Episode 44 with Jane Friedman on working in chunks of time rather than every day

Episode 27 with Hamid Ismailov on seasons of writing

Episodes 9 and 10, our Nanowrimo episodes

National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo)

Episode 39 with Jean Hannah Edelstein on her non-standard routine

Ursula K. Le Guin documentary, Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

Video and transcript of her acceptance speech at the National Book Awards in 2014