Reading time: 4.25

Hey Reader,

“Oops, sorry!” I say, to the doorway I just walked into.

“Sorry sorry sorry,” I mutter to the man who’s just elbowed me out of the way.

“Gah! So sorry! I’m such a clumsy potato,” to the chair I bashed with my knee.

It’s almost as if I am apologising for my own existence, right?

Well, that’s enough.

ENOUGH, I SAY!

And to you, too, because I suspect you apologise faaaaaaar more than you need to.

In Sophie Lee’s Brilliant program this week, she pulled us up for apologising before we presented our work.

“Sorry, this isn’t finished.”

“Sorry, this is a bit rambly.”

“Sorry, this might not make sense.”

Sorry sorry sorry JFC woman stop saying sorry. Apart from anything else, it’s infuriating to listen to.

I sound pathetic, weak, insignificant when I constantly apologise for my very existence. I AM ANNOYING MYSELF. It’s an invitation for people to not take me seriously, to ignore me, to trample upon my face.

I get it; it comes from a place of fear. I’m compassionate to that self who has been taught to shrink and make room for other, more important, more dangerous people.

But it has to stop.

Especially the apologies to inanimate objects.

(although tbh there is a part of me that wants to placate them because sometimes I really do feel attacked by door handles)

It has to stop because we have nothing to apologise for. And when we really DO need to apologise, our sorrys are weakened because they’ve been overused.

So my new hobby is not saying sorry.

Or, rather, only saying sorry when I’ve really done something to be sorry for. And meaning it.

No more apologising to doors, chairs, lampposts, or rude people.

No more apologising for using my voice.

No more apologies for simply existing.

Are you with me?

Expand to fill your available space, and do it with gusto and no apologies!

Speaking of no apologies: I make none at all for offering you this little bundle of joy:

The 2-part Find Your Funnybone microworkshop bundle for just £40 + VAT.

(A saving of £10 if you were to buy them individually or attend live)

These previously live recordings will teach you six quick techniques to add a little humour to your writing.

Funny makes you sexy and it makes you more money. What could be better?

And with that: are you ready for the Friday Goodie Bag?

Yemen’s ancient high-rise city

Think the Western world was the first to build skyscrapers? Nah, bro. Like so much of what we’re taught about our history, it’s liesssss. Check out the 16th century walled city of Shibam, dubbed “the Manhattan of the Desert” by explorer Freya Stark. I reckon Manhattan is “the Shibam of the colonies” tbh.

You can read about it in this National Geographic article but essentially it’s an ancient metropolis built of high-rise mud-brick buildings and everything about it is strategically designed.

Lex Roman’s article on ways to get paid for writing

Lex Roman’s Journalists Pay Themselves is one of my fave newsletters, and this particular article is a good one. Because in my experience, writers and artists are fond of moaning about how little money there is out there to make, and less fond of doing something about it. (OH YES I WENT THERE. If you feel angry with me for saying this, do what I did when someone first said it to me, and consider why. In my case, it’s because they were right. I wasn’t doing what I needed to do.)

So check this out.

Ash Ambirge’s 5 marketing ideas you should steal

I love Ash’s writing and I do most of her courses (I’m doing one on local newsletters right now because I have A Cunning Plan) so I’d like to point you towards this article today, containing 5 marketing ideas you can steal.

My client’s brand new book Brilliantly Bouncy!

Laura Chamberlain, who is a MicroBook Magic alumni and literal extraordinary human, launched her brand new book this past Monday evening. It’s called Brilliantly Bouncy, it’s a wonderful take on how resilience doesn’t have to be a grind, and she’s looking forward to a torrent of inappropriate DMs from her new TikTok account, also titled Brilliantly Bouncy.

You can and should buy her book and then leave her a beautiful review right here.

My absolute bestie Yinka’s brilliant LinkedIn shows

Yinka does the Booster Shot Show every Friday at lunchtime so you might just catch her if you get this in time (my fault, I’m late today!) She is the absolute DUCHESS of Cashflow, so do follow her on LinkedIn, and check out this short show right here for a super fast “3C’s on your Fastest Path to Cash”

What I’m reading

Currently halfway through some weird Japanese fiction: Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata. It’s a world in which sexual reproduction is now taboo, and most babies are conceived through artificial insemination. I’m not sure whether I’m enjoying it or not, but it’s certainly interesting!

What I’m writing

I have another newsletter, you know. It’s called Project Dingle and you can find it here. Joe and I moved into our 350-year-old cottage in 2016 and we’ve been renovating it. We bit off far more than we could chew, we’re doing almost all of it ourselves, with our own two hands, and we’re 90% loving it, 10% seriously regretting our life choices.

​Please subscribe here, I promise you’ll enjoy it.

Word of the week

Waffle.

My friend suggested we do a Wednesday Waffle, which is where we each record a short video update of what’s going on in our lives, and send it to select people. I do this with three friends and my brother, and it’s so wholesome. We get to keep up with each other.

Plus the word “waffle” is very satisfying to say, and waffles are delicious.

Quote of the week

Big love to you, my friend.

Go and make something cool.

TTFN,

Vicky