Rachel Knightley in conversation with British Fantasy Award 2025 nominee, Steve Toase:

Rachel Knightley talks to award winning author, Anthony McGowan.

Rachel Knightley talks to BAFTA-winning writer, director and producer, Dan Berlinka.

In memory of John J Johnson, 1965-2025

This is not the September newsletter I expected to write. 

On Thursday morning, my friend John J Johnson died after a short illness. John was an Egyptologist, lecturer, world-expert on Doctor Who and, with his husband John Cunningham, one half of the first same-sex couple to marry in a church. (There is plenty more to discover about John, and here would be a good place to start.) 

I wish our friendship had been longer than the less-than-two years it was, but what I knew immediately and will always treasure was here was a person who truly appreciated and celebrated all his life contained. He possessed that best of qualities: genuine, appreciative, knowledgable enthusiasm. He also possessed that equally important of gifts: the articulacy to communicate, connect and therefore spread that enthusiasm. 

I’m not an Egyptologist, and my Doctor Who knowledge is comparatively humble, but John’s example could not be more relevant to me professionally as well as personally. As writers, we know characterisation is communicated not through telling the reader what someone’s like, but showing their behaviour, facial expression, tone of voice, actions, gestures and choice of words. Whether you encountered John in a university situation or as a blu-ray commentator, he was the ideal ambassador because he was celebrating the material: the message, not just the messenger. As writers, as coaches, as coaching clients, we discover the best of ourselves when we wear our knowledge lightly, because we know the magic happens not in expert mindset but beginner mindset; dwelling not in knowledge but in curiosity and possibility. Being truly present in whatever room we find ourselves, because there’s always some new joy to discover. 

John, I’m so glad I knew you. 

This month:

Focus and Flow: Creative Confidence Tools for Life
Friday 5 September, 12.30pm-1.30pm on Zoom
A practical, thoughtful space to discover what you want your future to look like and identify the gentle, authentic steps from where we are to where we choose to be. 
Book here

Writers’ Gym Writing Workout
Tuesday 9 September, 6pm-7.30pm on Zoom
The perfect place to hone your writing. A creative writing warm-up, followed by exercises, tips and techniques for making the most of feedback on creative work. Click here.

Coffee & Creativity
Central London venue, Friday 26 September, 10am-11.30am 
Whatever you want to create on the page or in the world, this creative confidence building workshop will give you what you need to enjoy the journey and relish the destination. Turn curiosity into creativity, whether you’re building creative and professional writing skills, or writing a new chapter in your professional and personal life story. Bring a notebook and an open mind. Places strictly limited: email info@rachelknightley.com

The Writers’ Gym Podcast
Every Monday on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Creative confidence workouts for art and life with authors including World Fantasy Award winner Priya Sharma, multiple-BAFTA-winning screenwriter Dan Berlinka and Carnegie winning novelist Anthony McGowan. Listen here

– Rachel Knightley Coaching: creative confidence for life, work and art –www.rachelknightley.com

Writers’ Gym Podcast: Rachel Knightley talks to British Fantasy, Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Award winner, Priya Sharma.

Writers’ Gym Podcast: Rachel Knightley talks to Tiny Pieces of Skill author and 2016 Lambda winner Roz Kaveney.

August news, recordings and workshops

While Writers’ Gym weekly member sessions continue over the summer, I’m making a point of being as gloriously inactive as I can. ‘Inactive’ in the productivity sense, that is. Meaning I’m awarding myself adult-life brownie points for how long I can spend with whatever I’m in the mood for reading – or writing – or strumming – or repotting – and making a note on my to-do list to quieten my brain instead of leaping off the sofa to feed my ‘need’ to be productive.

Because I don’t need to be productive. I don’t need to make the ‘most’ of my holiday time. I need to be rested. I need to the do the things that are why we do the productivity.

So, here are a few things to explore while I’m not ‘here’ this month:

The Writers’ Gym podcast

Yesterday’s episode features novelist, academic and instant Sunday Times Bestselling author Sarah Brooks. We’re three weeks into the current series so if you’re not already following, there are many more author interviews to enjoy on Spotify, Apple, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts:

Creative Confidence

Creative confidence is about narrowing the gap between who we are on the inside and who we are in our careers and personal lives. It celebrates what’s already been achieved, recognises what we’re growing beyond, and asks what we want to create next. Join me for my one and only non-Writers’ Gym workshop of August: final places available here.

Guest Blogging for Little Lies

Really, really honoured to be asked to guest-blog for my favourite brand’s tenth birthday.

Coaching is a space to think and feel out loud. It holds a mirror up to who we are and who we choose to become, letting us see what the life we want looks like and, most of all, our power to make it our reality. It’s about showing up as our full selves – in life, in work and in art. So, for me, was Little Lies: a clothing brand inspired by the music I love, which I discovered through my best friend during lockdown. Little Lies has always been a space for dreaming, which is where our authentic goals are formed, and the business Jade and Stuart created from dreams I share has been an example to me of creativity, collaboration and celebration: Read my first post (of three) for Little Lies here.

Curious about coaching for professional or personal life? Click here
Or visit the Writers’ Gym

Guest Passes for the Writers’ Gym this month:

Writing Workout and Feedback | 6.30-8pm Tuesday 5 August
This friendly group workshop is the perfect place to hone your writing – and how to get the best out of feedback. Click here

Coffee & Creativity | 1-2.30pm, Wednesday 27 August
Grab a coffee and have a mid-week chat, a write and then another chat with your fellow creatives. Free for members: type your discount code where indicated. Click here