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Hey Reader,

Everyone talks about the obvious benefits of writing a book (credibility, authority, connection, opportunities, etc.) and they’re all fine and dandy but have you ever considered THIS:

1. You’ll become a human Wikipedia page.

If you’re thinking of writing a book you’re already a nerd on your topic. This is your opportunity to take nerdom to the Next Level. Be the go-to geek for everything related to your topic because you will discover stuff you never knew you needed to know.

(Psst: when people ask you questions you’ll forever be able to say, “Actually I wrote a whole book on this. Let me give you a copy.”)

2. Your Google search history will be the stuff of legend.

“How to change people’s minds about Bigfoot” could exist side-by-side with, “Why can’t I stop procrastinating” and “what is metadata and how do I use it” and “will I die from too much caffeine” and “easy batch lunch recipes” and “what’s the proper use of an Oxford comma” and “why has Word fucked up all my headings” and, well, you get the picture.

(Psst: this all makes for great material if you decide to become a stand-up comedian. You’re welcome.)

3. Your home will be extremely clean.

Seriously, the cleanest it’s ever been. Your garden will be weeded and planted. Any outstanding DIY will be completed. You’ll discover a sudden and pressing need to learn the accordion — and do it.

(Psssssst: every cloud has a silver lining and other clichés.)

4. You’ll develop a close relationship with pets and inanimate objects.

My cats and my sheep are great sounding boards. They don’t argue with me in words, but their withering stares are a great indication that my ideas need more work. If I’m feeling fragile, I’ll talk to my stuffed dinosaur instead.

(Pssst: this is actually super useful because even if the thing we’re talking to doesn’t understand, we still have to organise our thoughts enough to speak them aloud.)

5. You’ll develop a shield of steel, like Batfink.

It takes enormous courage to write yourself onto a book and then put it where people with eyeballs might find it. People will love it… and some people might not. And that’s okay. And once you’ve done it, you’ll find the courage to do other scary things, too.

(Pssst: this is my favourite of all because doing scary things that other people might hate or judge you for is magical. It’s why I love doing stand-up.)

If you’re thinking of writing a book, I’d like to invite you to a free masterclass I’m running with Sophie Lee (author of Beyond Palatable: A Manifesto for Unapologetic Women), Samantha Harman (author of the upcoming Just Get Dressed) and Yinka Ewuola (whose book is currently underway).

It’s called “So you think you want to write a book?” and we’re going into the dirty details, so you go into the whole adventure with your eyes wide open.

Register here:

Anyway, it’s Good Friday so it’s time for a Friday Goodie Bag. You ready? Buckle up, buttercup, here’s what I’ve found for you…

Horsemanning from the 1920s

Every generation of kids thinks they’re the first to do whacky stuff like Extreme Planking or making memes or whatever but NO. Back in the 1920s, when photography became more accessible to regular folks, horsemanning became a craze for a while and I LOVE it. It involved taking a photograph in which it looks like you’ve been beheaded. Like the headless horseman.

And because back then it was expensive and time-consuming to get photos developed, people went to a lot of trouble to set these shots up. Just for shits and giggles. And I love that for them.

Jeanne de Clisson: The Lioness of Brittany — pirate queen

In the 1300s, Jeanne de Clisson lived a peaceful life as a noblewoman — until King Philip VI of France betrayed and executed her beloved husband. So Jeanne did what any self-respecting woman would do: she sold all her estates and possessions and assembled a fleet of ships, painted black with crimson sails, and became one of history’s most feared pirates.

She targeted French ships in her quest for vengeance, regularly slaughtering almost the entire crew. She always left at least one sailor alive to carry her message back to the crown. This is the energy (minus the bloodshed) I think we need to carry into the rest of this year, against the billionaires.

Ever wondered why the Guinness Book of Records happened?

Me too. So I decided to find out. Apparently it was to settle an argument in a pub.

Why we should study paintings

Please check out one of my new favourite Instagram accounts called Explaining Paintings. This is why we always should be looking deeper. Not just at art, but also at, ya know, all this so we can figure out what’s really going on.

Anyway, next time you’re in a museum or art gallery, look a little closer at the painting in front of you. What’s really going on?

Half a million people marching for hope not hate

Last week, ten of thousands (if you believe the police, which I do not) or almost 500,000 (if you believe Together Alliance, which I do) of people marched in London for unity, for love, for peace. They marched in response to last September’s hate-filled far-right “unite the kingdom” nonsense. There was no violence. There was dancing. There was love. There was hope.

​Here’s more positive news for you to feast upon.

Word of the week

Sussurous

A soft whispering or rustling sound, often used to describe the sound of leaves in the wind.

I love me a bit of onomatopoeia.

Quote of the week

Have a wonderful weekend, my friend. Spread a little joy where you can and it will return to you tenfold.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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