First day back
An email of two halves. Chris eases himself into work while Bec gets busy organising.
Hello there and a happy new year from both of us,
Chris here 👋 I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t at all productive over the festive period. In fact, I did very little. I love that indulgent feeling of not quite knowing what day of the week it is – that and eating my own bodyweight in blue cheese.
However, switching off from work entirely (which I realise I’m fortunate to be able to do), also brings with it that dread of the first day back – TODAY! 😲​
We all get started differently
The paperback of our book Written is out tomorrow which means over the coming weeks we have a rather overwhelming amount to do (see below).
Bec’s approach is to take the year by the scruff of the neck and start with a gargantuan to do list. I, on the other hand, slide into the year in a more gentle way - one that doesn’t make me feel like hiding under the duvet with the last of the after dinner mints.
I tend to start the year in the slow lane. One way I like to do this is spend a bit of time reconnecting with what I do and why I do it.  I did this last year with this post on why we wrote the book. It’s a good reminder as I get myself ready for a fresh round of book promotion.
Bec gets organised
Hello! 👋 Bec taking over the second half of the newsletter as Chris seems to have disappeared (I’ll check under the duvet later).
Like Chris, my past fortnight has been measured in handfuls of dry roasted nuts and the number of discarded Quality Street wrappers. I had no idea what time of day it was, what day of the week or what date of the month. Betwixtmas provided a blissful release from the demands of my regular calendar, a chance to rest and recharge.
That said, and very much unlike Chris, I love the New Year surge of organisation (no doubt fuelled by all those nuts and chocolates). It gives me great pleasure to pin up a new calendar, crack open the spine on a paper diary, and fill the days with inspiring things to do.
I am excited that 2024 is packed full of workshops and collaborations with our favourite writing cheerleaders. If you’d like to join us, read on.
Dates for your diary
✨Friday 5 January. Final call for our 6-week New Year Writing RESET! Sales end midnight this Friday, course starts next Friday 12 January 2024.
✨Wednesday 10 January. We are running a FREE, online workshop for the good folk at Reedsy at 8pm GMT. Grab your ticket: Writing Productivity in 2024: From Resolution to Habit.
✨Thursday 11 January. Our friends at the London Writers Salon have invited us to help their community Kickstart 2024 with a Healthy Writing Habit - buy a ticket to watch live at 6pm GMT.
✨Wednesday 24 January. In person at beautiful Gladstone’s Library is a non-fiction, all day workshop with Bec and Alison Jones to Kickstart your Writing.
✨18-22 March. The Mslexia Memoir School - a week for creating and shaping your memoir, Bec will be coaching alongside four outstanding teachers. Online, for women writers.
✨22-27 April. Arvon Residential Writing Week at The Hurst. Bec will be tutoring alongside writer, broadcaster and musician Musa Okwonga with a very special midweek visit and reading from Emma Gannon award-winning novelist, Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction author, former podcast host and Substack superstar. Find out more about Life Writing with Coaching: Unlock the power of your personal story.
✨All year! One of my favourite creative collaborations is with Mslexia on their 2024 Dairy & Planner. It’s a beautifully designed diary packed full of writing prompts and creativity advice for women writers.
Are you more like Chris or Bec?
We’re starting 2024 in a way that works for us personally. Chris is finding his why (he wrote about his approach in: Are you a People Person?) whereas Bec is setting goals and getting organised.
Do New Year resolutions fill you with dread or excitement? Is January a month of hibernation or hatching new plans? Whether you are resting, resetting, or racing off - we endorse whatever works for you and your writing.
Here’s to starting, Chris and Bec
Available to pre-order from Amazon and all good bookshops.
I did a lot of type-A work yesterday and today am hiding under the covers. good to know! might need to honor the little creatrix inside who is now like, 'ummm that was kind of intense."
I return to writing with a need to get organized. Fortunately, the rest of the holiday break has been valuable as I head into a very busy schedule. I suspect I will use a little of both strategies to manage it all.