Welcome to As I Was Saying
An explanation of what you can expect from me via a small existential crisis
I’ve been a journalist for over 20 years, written four books, yet writing this first introductory post has been surprisingly nerve-wracking. It has taken four cups of tea, several Instagram wormholes, a quick Google about where to find manatees, and finally, here we are.
Why the nerves? Partly because aside from book stuff, I haven’t felt this excited about writing for a while. I was on the verge of giving the journalism part of my career a Viking funeral due to the combination of rates not changing since I first started out, met with an increasing despair that the stories I want to write and know people want to read, are not the stories being commissioned.
I feel a fizzing in my teeth now that you are here. I want my writing to be the sweetest part of the orange, the plumpest cushion. I want it to comfort you, feed you and at the same time keep you so engrossed, you never want to leave. Not in a Misery/Kathy Bates kind of way, more that you feel at home. I want this to be a place you love, that you comment on, a place you feel a sense of community.
Occasionally there may be a brick-in-the-pillowcase situation when I’m delivering some home truths or writing opinion on something topical, but most people who know my writing know that I try to be fair. I don’t clickbait, and I don’t punch down – but I do feel sometimes the tough thing needs to be said, and people in power should be held accountable.
Some of you who are familiar with my work will know I tend to write across a broad range of topics. I’ve had a career that has always spanned women’s interest and issues, topical lifestyle news, dating and relationships and health, but over recent years, that has expanded. For the last eight years, I’ve included writing about mental health and wellbeing after my husband Rob passed away in 2015. Although this won’t be a grief account by any means, I may occasionally post about it.
I also decided to take up weightlifting in my late 30s to try and get strong, which accidentally segued into me doing amateur powerlifting – a competitive sport where you ping on a glorified onesie and lift the heaviest weights you can handle. That changed everything I knew about strength, and health and fitness in general. It liberated me from a past of being shit at P.E and thinking I wasn’t sporty, and a future of needing to be As Slim As Possible At All Times. It remains one of my most passionate subjects.
Since turning 40, I also love chronicling the mid-life experience. It’s not just about saying: “Hey guys! Turns out society was lying and you don’t turn into a withered bag of dust once you turn 40! It’s because I think people of all walks of life being visible about the diversity of their life choices allows us to think better, dream bigger. I think no matter what age you are – older or younger – I have something to learn from you and vice versa.
As a result of experiencing a lot in a relatively short time, I’m also a strong advocate for shucking off societal expectations and forging your own path. I truly believe a lot of our problems would be solved if a) we lived the lives we want versus what other people expect us to do and b) we allow other people grace to do the same. I am fascinated by how other people live their lives, because we are capable of such variety, yet at the same time the things we care about are universal. Being safe, being understood, feeling loved.
Lastly, depending on the interest, I can dispense everything I’ve learned about writing books, which has been a hard-won lesson, from the writing process to mentally navigating it, getting paid, to understanding the publishing process as a whole.
In terms of the subscription aspect – these are all lean times, so I completely understand if all you need and want right now is the free subscription. But, if you have the capacity, and have followed my work, or if you are a new reader and like what you see, being able to support through a paid subscription would be amazing.
Increasingly, creatives and writers are being forced to pivot to different professions because it is becoming harder to get paid for what we do (particularly digital writers). What I love about Substack is the ability it gives to create that relationship between writer and reader, as well as continue to create, and I hope you give me the chance to be able to do that with you.
Please do comment below or drop me a message on what you’d like to hear about - I’ll be publishing a fresh piece every Wednesday. Every month I’ll be publishing an Ask Me Anything which can be life advice, questions for me, or an ‘Am I The Arsehole’ sense check on a personal situation from friendship to workplace drama, so do get in touch!
I am so here for writing at the intersection of grief, powerlifting, and forging your own path...three of my own favorite subjects! ❤️
I’ve been following your writing for a while now, I loved your recent piece on tattoo shaming (I’m a new convert to my body being for me). Your hope that your Substack will be the plumpest cushion made me well up, it’s such a beautiful and evocative description. I’m hugely looking forward ti reading more.