Things I need in order to write:
- Something to say.
- A desire to get it out of my head.
- Tea. Water. Juice/pop. Yes, I am Vicky Three Drinks.
- Warm feet.
- Pen and paper for scribbling and doodling and planning.
- Past notebooks to flick through.
- An opinion about something.
- A laptop/keyboard/computing device of some kind so my hands can keep up with my thoughts.
- A minimum of 10 minutes.
- Ideas.
- A quiet place.
- Noise-cancelling headphones.
- A gentle pat on the head and reassurance that I am not a terrible person.
Things I don’t need in order to write:
- A secluded cabin in the woods (although I wouldn’t say no).
- Gin. Whiskey. Alcohol of any description.
- A first class honours degree in English.
- All the information.
- The confidence of a Booker prize winner.
- Uninterrupted hours, days, and weeks.
- More qualifications.
- Opium. We’re not Byron, the melodramatic tart.
- Certainty.
- Other people’s approval (although it can be nice).
- Special writing software.
- Permission.
What do you need in order to write? It’ll probably be different from what I need. And it might vary from day to day. That’s fine.
Finding out is useful though.
Cos when you can create conditions that make it more likely that you’ll write, you’ll be more likely to write.
And you probably need much less than you think.
Maybe one of those things is someone to help you get started and show you that you can, in fact, write the book you’ve always wanted to write.
If you’ve got a book idea but no clue where to start, my Book Blueprint Session is 90 minutes of intensive 1-1 work where we nail your big idea, map your reader journey, and build your book structure. You leave with a complete blueprint — everything you need to actually start writing.
Previous clients have come to me after spending TWO YEARS in book purgatory — and in just a couple of hours I’ve got them unstuck and well on their way, with their books published just 6 months later.
It’s £1,450 +VAT and I have just 2 spots left in February. Hit reply if you want one.
Right. It’s time for the Friday Goodie Bag. Buckle up and get ready for this stash I’ve gathered for you…
Rev Jesse Jackson’s speech to kids
Sad sad news this week as the Reverend Jesse Jackson died aged 84. He was a true giant in the civil rights world, and never stopped fighting for a better world for all of us. I wanted to share this clip of him on Sesame Street in 1972. He read a call-and-response poem with the children, called I Am Somebody. It’s beautiful. It’s important. Say it with him:
“I am Black. Brown. White. I speak a different language. But I must be respected. Protected. Never rejected. I am God’s child. I am somebody.”
Super Javi’s superhero ice dance routine
Being obsessed with the Winter Olympics, the algorithm is showing me all kinds of stuff from past years — including Javier Fernández’s comedy skating routine as part of the gala entertainment display in 2018. I love this kind of thing, and I’d love to see more comedy routines in the actual competitions. But I think figure skating is still too stuffy for that…
Laura Chamberlain NOT operating in the shadows
My lovely client Laura explains why marketing operates in shades of grey, while teams are still expected to deliver clear ROI narratives and confident answers. Laura’s work lives in nuance and her jam is critical thinking in marketing. She’s incredibly knowledgeable and very funny and kind and you can listen to her being brilliant here.
Adidas’s single shoe policy
A quick testament to the power of stories: I’d never given much thought to what amputees do when they buy new shoes. Of course, they only need one… so it’s such a waste to have to buy a pair! Well, not if you’re after Adidas running shoes. Stef Reid is a blade runner and when she asked Nike if she could buy only one shoe, they said no. BOO to Nike. But Adidas said yes! And now I understand a little more about the life of an amputee.
Sophie Lee’s Unapologetic Voices marathon
On Monday March 2, Sophie Lee is hosting the Unapologetic Voices marathon as part of her book launch. She has dozens of incredible voices speaking that day including my bestie Yinka Ewuola and other amazing people like Samantha Harman, ‘Ronke Kokoruwe, Thomas Woodhams, Wendy Gannon, and Sapna Pieroux. I’m closing the day at 7pm so don’t miss me! It’s totally free, which is delightful and bonkers, and you can sign up here.
What I’m reading
I gave up on the Adrian Tchaikovsky book because it didn’t have a plot or a story or a protagonist as far as I could tell, and the writing was terribly self-indulgent, and I lost interest. I’m now reading Matt Haig’s The Humans and I’m already intrigued — it’s a story written by an alien visiting Earth and honestly I relate because so much of the behaviour that is strange to the alien is also strange to me.
What I’m writing
My next zine! I’m drawing and doodling and writing and thinking. And I’m tweaking my stand-up comedy set for Sunday evening in Bristol. Wish me luck!
Word of the week
krutitsya
I learned this word from one of my college students. He used it in a piece of work he sent to me, and I love it.
It’s a Russian word meaning “spinning” — when someone asks you, “What do you do for a job?” Bit of this, bit of that, difficult to describe. Flitting.
Quote of the week
“I am somebody.” —Rev Jesse Jackson
Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you see some sunshine. I’ve forgotten what it looks like…
p.s. Know someone who might enjoy my week-daily emails? Please get them to sign up here.
How to work with The MicroBook Magician
MicroBook Magic: Write your MicroBook in just 8 weeks — book for March 30, 2026
The MicroBook Doctor: Got a first draft that needs polishing? I can help
Kickstart Your Book Mini workshop: Everything you need to finally get started
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Buy My Book: How the hell do you write a book?