Writing your story with bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink

Cornish author Cathy Retzenbrink spends half her time writing and the other half encouraging others to give it a go themselves. In her latest book Write It All Down, she invites us to put pen to paper and explore the healing practice of writing our own story. 

To join Mind, our charity partner, in marking Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15th May) we spoke to Cathy about what inspires her to write, how she looks after her mental wellbeing and her tips for overcoming self-doubt and picking up the pen. 

What encouraged you to first start “writing it all down”?  

Books are extremely important to me and I’m pretty sure that as soon as I knew what a novel was, I wanted to write one myself. But then my adored younger brother, Matty, was knocked over by a car when I was seventeen and for years I couldn’t write anything at all. Reading other people’s books got me through, and – very gradually – I started trying to write about Matty and what happened to him. I finished The Last Act of Love when I was forty-two so it was a long road but I now feel really glad that I was bold and brave enough to face my fears and write it all down. One of the things I most enjoy about my life now is that I get to help other people tell their stories. 

Why do you think writing your own story can be a healing process?  

For years after Matty’s death I felt stuck. I couldn’t get over it or move on and felt like I was doomed to forever be obsessing over it. Writing about it really helped me because it felt good to externalise it. It is challenging to write about hard stuff, but upsetting things have a way of festering inside us and making us feel worse. It is almost always better off out than in and there can be both relief and comfort in taming a difficult time on to the page. Writing about Matty has helped me accept that I will always be sad and miss him, but there is plenty of life out there to live and that I am capable of experiencing all the beauty and joy that this world has to offer. 

What do you personally find helpful in terms of looking after your mental health?  

I need to be very careful with my consumption of screens, news and social media, all of which have an alarming power to crash my mood. It serves me to minimise my use of devices and technology and get outside into nature. Walking and swimming are both really good for me and I look at the sea as much as I can. It is calming and gives me a sense of perspective. No matter what I’m fretting about, it feels less oppressive if I can get myself out of the house and down to the sea front. Pictures of the sea also work. I surround myself with blues and greens and images of lighthouses, flowers, and stars. I also love curling up on the sofa with a good book and my cats. And I love honest connection with other human beings, which I am lucky enough to get through my work, but I also love chance conversations with strangers on the beach, or in cafes, or on trains.   

Do you have any advice for overcoming self-doubt when writing?  

The first most important thing is to know that self-doubt is part of the creative process and almost all writers feel it. I used to let it overwhelm me and force me to give up. Now I have just learnt to pay it less attention. It helps to make a schedule for when I’m going to write and then stick to it, whether or not I feel like it. I write first thing in the morning and need to do it before checking my email or consuming any news. Two hours tends to be enough, and is about as long as I can stay still. Getting started is the problem. If I can get going – can get myself into the chair – then I will start enjoying it. And there is a huge and calming sense of satisfaction when I have done my days writing and can then enjoy engaging with the world. So, don’t wait to be in the mood. Just make a modest commitment – five minutes even – and then stick to it. You’ll be surprised by what you can do in five minutes if you only have five minutes.  

How does living in Cornwall influence your outlook and work?  

I was born in Cornwall but then we moved to Yorkshire when the tin mines closed down so my Dad could get a job on Selby coalfield and I grew up in the North. Now that we have all come back, I do love having a sense of personal and family history here in Falmouth, where my parents met. My grandparents and great-grandparents on my English side are buried in Swanpool cemetery and I like to sit on a bench there and think about what all that means. Cornwall has such a rich literary heritage. I have glimmers of an idea for a historical novel set here, something about pilgrim routes, maybe, or set during the Second World War. And I’m obsessed with the sea and know that my daily life goes much more smoothly if I can spend lots of time down at the beach, looking at all the different colours of the water and watching the waves come in and out. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a go at writing, but doesn’t think they’ll be good enough?  

Just give it a go! I think everyone’s life would be enriched by writing. Just buy a pretty notebook and a comfy pen and start jotting down a few lines about your daily life, what you’ve done, who you’ve talked to, what is happening in your garden or in the park or in the hedgerow. Writing is an acorn activity; as long as you plant a seed and water it, you’ll be amazed at what it can grow into. Good luck. 

 You can find more of Cathy’s writing on her website, or order her book Write It All Down on bookshop.org. 

 For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week and available support, head to Mind’s website.