February 2026
Good theatre, bad theatre, and the excitement slash terror of being out on submission...!
Life Updates
Hey hey everyone!
Gosh, it’s blog time again already, it sure comes round quick! I’m glad the endless rain seems to have finally stopped (at least at the time of writing), and I’m looking forward to Spring finally bursting into bloom. I mean, honestly, just NOT WET would be the ideal weather condition right now. All the grey and gloom definitely makes the daily grind so much more miserable… ALTHOUGH, I’m now getting to my “jammy part of the year” (as I always tell everyone) where I shoot in and out of work like an over-enthusiastic boomerang. In for a week. Off for a week. In for a few weeks. Off for a few weeks. I can’t complain really.
I even managed to sort out my wardrobe on my most recent week off, reducing it BY A WHOLE THIRD which I am ridiculously chuffed about. I can actually see what’s in there now! HALLELUJAH!
The only thing is, I feel this insane pressure to fully utilise my free time during this part of the year, and for the first time in ages, I just don’t know what to do with it all?! Usually I’m writing non-stop, but until I know the fate of my author career, I can’t quite dive in as deeply as I normally would. It’s like I’m sitting in a waiting room, twiddling my thumbs and flicking through out-of-date magazines. Do I tidy my house more? Write songs? Slob around playing Disney Dreamlight Valley? I honestly have no idea!
Anyhoo. Here’s some non-slobby things I’ve been up-to in Feb:
This month’s musicals!
At the start of the month, I went to Oxford with my Mum to see Sunny Afternoon - the musical about The Kinks that we were supposed to see together in Brighton at Christmas, but sadly Mum got really sick and couldn’t make it. She’d been so excited to see it because she is a MASSIVE fan of the band, so I wanted to try and go together before the end of the national run. Luckily, Oxford was doable in a day, and gave us the perfect excuse for a Mummy/Daughter day!
Despite already having seen the show, I found it massively enjoyable the second time around - the songs are all brilliant and I love the story, it’s got so much spirit. I’d happily go see it a third time! Is it a sleeper contestant for one of my fave musicals of all time? Quite possibly! Mum absolutely loved it, and it was so nice to share the experience and a fun day out together. We used to see each other every day at work, and since Mum retired, we don’t spend half as much time together. So days like these really are so special!
A less impressive show I saw this month was (I hate to say it) The Hunger Games: On Stage. Mat and I got tickets for Valentine’s Day weekend (because nothing says romance like watching a bunch of children kill each other in a death arena), and we were super excited for the show… Sadly it was all a bit meh.
The actual staging was INCREDIBLE. Like, A+ immersive, so it was probably worth going for the set and stunts alone. HOWEVER, the acting was beyond dreadful - wooden and emotionless at best, hyped-up, overacting GCSE drama student at worst - and the story was incredibly rushed and tonally all over the place. SUCH A SHAME because it had the potential to be out of this world as stage productions go. Perhaps with better casting and some story tweaks it could be saved?
Also, I can’t just blame the teenagers for bad acting - John Malkovich loomed over the audience via video-screen and gave the most mumbling, impassionate, 10-second-delay-at-all-times “performance” I have ever witnessed. WHY? What did we do to deserve this? We dystopian lovers deserve so much better. BUT OH WELL, IT WAS A DAY OUT!
Besides that, there’s not much to report really… I’ve been catching up with lots of friends, eating lots of pizza, unpacking lots of deliveries at work. You know, the usual!
Creative Updates
My book is OUT on submission (AAAAHHH).
It’s finally happening. My adult rom-com Just For Likes (formerly Romanticising Robert) is now out on submission to 18 publishers in the UK, and a similar sized list in the US.
Bloody hell. Even just writing that doesn’t feel real. It’s been such a long, winding road to get to this point - having to rebuild pretty much everything after my last attempt at traditional publishing, the whole painful querying process, many rewrites of the manuscript - that I almost forgot it all ends in this. Real people actually reading my words. Real people actively considering me.
My agent Daisy has been so completely amazing during this process - she really helped me transform this book into what it needed to be, and I couldn’t ask for a more enthusiastic or engaged champion to represent me. I am also incredibly lucky that her American co-agent David Forrer at Inkwell Management fell in love with the book, and is simultaneously pushing it across the pond. He worked with the incredible Sophie Kinsella, one of my author heroes, and told me my writing reminds him of her. When Daisy told me that, I think I nearly fell through the floor. I shall keep such a compliment with me forever and ever and ever.
So now… the wait begins. It is agonising. I’m already going mad and it’s only been 2 seconds. I spend my days googling things like “how long to wait for feedback from being on submission” and get answers like “on average, you’ll hear within 2 days or 200 years”. Very helpful. I know I need to put it out of my mind and just live life, BUT I CAN’T. Well, I mean, I can. But the anxiety is ALL CONSUMING as I do so.
Argh. Whatever is meant to happen is what will happen. That’s what I’m trying to tell myself. I’ll let you know as soon as I have a sniff of news…!
Other Stuff
I’ve been loving the new screenwriting group I’ve joined - The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pages - and this month, the other writers critiqued my first ever screenplay, One Song Wonder. Their feedback was honestly invaluable and gave me so much confidence, as well as plenty of ideas for what to improve. It blew my mind that everyone had read the whole thing and engaged so much with my characters and world - I mean, that’s kind of the point of groups like these I guess, but the enthusiasm and support really meant a lot to me. I’m excited to return the favour and read everyone else’s works in the upcoming weeks!
As mentioned last newsletter, I’m outlining my next book idea. But here’s the thing. I switched ideas. So now I have the outline for the next TWO book ideas. GIRL, I AIN’T PLAYING AROUND WITH THIS ROM COM SHIT.
I’ve been working on 2 jazz-pop style songs to accompany Just For Likes - it’s not a ‘booksical’, but I’d love to have songs to accompany promotion and to sing at book events. (Look at me, talking like there is definitely going to be promo and book events). I’ve been exploring different routes for production and basically just lining all my ducks in a row… Hopefully things will move forward soon and I can get to recording them!
Olly and I have been jamming at work and getting a new set together for a gig later this year! We need to book said gig… but it’s coming!
Mat and I also held our Valentine’s Special Quiz night at Ted’s - our 8th (I think?!) quiz night now, if you can believe it?! I honestly never had “regular quiz master” on my thirties Bingo Card, but it has been such a joy to host these nights. They really have become such a huge part of mine and Matty’s life!
It was a little quieter this month, which is to be expected in this crappy weather - but even quieter quizzes are still super fun. Mat’s Mum and Step-Dad came along for this one and my lovely friends from work, plus my oldest bestie Katie! We sooo appreciate all the support, and the fact that people travel to play with us from far and wide. I think everyone had a great night!
Movie Recs
Wuthering Heights - As I already proclaimed loudly on my Insta stories - THE HATERS CAN SHUT THEIR TRAPS!! This was a visually stunning masterpiece: sexy, gorgeous, tragic, twisted… I loved it SO much!!
The Iron Claw - A surprisingly tender and emotional biopic about a group of brothers and their toxic father, set in the world of wrestling. Zac Efron’s performance is just phenomenal.
Confessions Of A Shopaholic - I just loved rewatching this classic movie, it makes me laugh every single time! Becky Bloomwood, the icon that you are.
TV Recs
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model - The documentary that EVERYONE has been talking about… SO shocking to go back to this iconic show and discover/remember how fucked-up it all was. I’m not joking when I say this was one of the best doc series I’ve ever watched!
Ru Paul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World - This show is always great, silly fun and there are some totally crazy queens this year who have been thoroughly entertaining me. The Crazy Frog lip sync battle made me laugh so hard I CRIED.
The Apprentice - More idiots trying to do business tasks and cocking it all right up. Why can I never not tune in??!
Book Recs
Thirty, Flirty & Forever Alone by Christine Riccio - Finally finished Queen Christine’s hilarious, magical realism rom-com! It was positively bursting with personality and quirky humour, I loved every single page!
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy - I was blown away by Jennette’s debut memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died and her first fiction book, Half His Age, did not disappoint. This is a short, pacy and often quite graphic story of a 17-year-old who begins an affair with her much older, married college professor. A fascinating character exploration and examination of imbalanced power dynamics. Jennette is such a fantastic writer, and an insta-buy author for me from now on!
The Long Haul by Hannah Doyle - I received an ARC of this from Hannah’s publisher (which was so lovely) and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! A time-loop rom com set in an airport, featuring an adorable leading lady and two potential love interests… It was so bloody funny and a total joy to read. After also devouring The Spa Break last year, I can tell you Hannah is a fave author of all time now!
Music Recs
Wuthering Heights by Charli XCX - The most EPIC soundtrack to most EPIC movie, this is truly a work of art. ART, I SAY DARLING.
luck… or something by Hilary Duff - The highly anticipated new album from Queen Hilary does not disappoint - her songwriting is so quirky and unusual, and each song tells a vivid story. It’s what all us Millennials needed this year.
lovestrong. by Christina Perri - I’ve been making an effort to listen to older, beloved albums of mine on the bus to work, and I’ve SO loved going back and revisiting Christina Perri. This album is sooo beautiful!
Also, can I just say… ALYSA LIU ICE SKATING?! I am completely obsessed with everything about her. GUESS I’M A SPORTS GIRLY NOW!!
Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did - and I’ll see you next month!
Becky xx
👏🙌👏