Thank you – and happy new year!
A huge thanks to everyone who was so supportive last year. You rock my world.
A big fat HAPPY NEW YEAR to you gorgeous subscribers to Just One More Thing – and an even bigger THANK YOU for all your support.
I launched this newsletter because I wanted to write articles that I wanted to write, in the way I wanted to write them, after 15-odd years writing for other people. Don’t get me wrong – I still work for lots of different publishers and publications and I still LOVE my job, but I think it’s fair to say that not all of them would be comfortable publishing articles called “God, I miss smoking” or “Calling all crotch-grabbers”.
Which is where you come in.
Thank you for subscribing, liking, sharing, commenting, and reading or listening to my posts. I started this with no expectations and you’ve blown me away with your encouragement and support. I am wary of getting bogged down in goals or data with this newsletter as at the moment I just enjoy writing it for the sheer creative joy of it – which is something quite rare nowadays, I think. To that end, this year, I will attempt to continue as I have been: publishing one story a week or every two weeks about anything that gets me riled up, that I’m passionate about, or a life lesson that’s hit me in the face. I hope you’ll continue along with me.
Please note though that I am massively pregnant and due to go on maternity leave in Feb/March. I’m going to try to stock up on some evergreen stories meanwhile so there isn’t a massive break, but let’s be realistic: I haven’t stopped throwing up in seven months and spend most of my time lying on the floor, so the chances are slim. But hey, we live in hope.
Until then though, I’ll see you again very soon. If you know of anyone else who you think would enjoy these pieces, please do share it with them. New subscribers/comments/likes are the only ways I know anyone is out there…
Thank you so much again!
Some of my personal Just One More Thing faves of 2023
Settle in for the festive tale of my (literal) Christmas car crash
(I didn’t realise how much this post would affect me until I had to re-record the audio because I sobbed through the first version. Enjoy!)
The best relationship advice a therapist ever gave me
The agony and the ecstasy of travelling alone
I visited ‘the nuns’ to learn Dutch in a week. Here’s what happened
Falling into creative paralysis
Substacks I really enjoy
(From one of my fave writers: Justin Myers, aka the Guyliner)
(A hilarious, motivational and insightful running and body image newsletter)
(Heather Havrilesky’s groundbreaking NY Magazine advice column has moved onto Substack. Hurray!)
(Satisfying short stories and flash fiction)
(Tackling some of the biggest issues that stop us from making nice things)
Snippet of inspiration
While lying on the floor trying not to vomit, I have managed to re-watch the whole of BBC’s Sherlock and this scene blew me away. I can’t get over how beautiful the writing is. I must have watched it 12 times and wept every time. So, please enjoy this happy cry as a gift from me to round up this thank you post.
Sherlock’s best man speech
Really enjoyed reading ‘Just One More Thing’ in 2023! Always a highlight when I see a notification saying a new post has been released 🙌
Thank you so much for the mention - too kind! 😊