Chronically Ill, She Wrote | Substack Building a new life by becoming a publishing indie author - while being a chronically ill mum in midlife. Chatting identity work, writing life, and how I'm following my ambitions.

If you are interested in reading more about why I took the break and how it went - I've been writing some essays over on Substack substack.com/@vikkijonesa...

I took a bit of a break from most socials over Q1 of this year - it helped enormously with regaining clarity about how I wanted to advance my indie author goals moving forwards. I am tentatively 'back' for Q2 but aim to be scrolling much less often in order to keep writing.

A quarter of the year less online What I've done instead; what I'm learning about myself in the process; and what difference this is making to my indie author ambitions

A quarter of the year less online
open.substack.com/pub/chronica...

Slowly reaching for accountability over self-sabotage as a chronically ill indie author Why I'm taking a step away from 'building my author platform' on Instagram & TikTok in 2026

Slowly reaching for accountability over self-sabotage as a chronically ill indie author
open.substack.com/pub/chronica...

Chronically Ill, She wrote | Substack Indie Author writing in and through illness and ambition. Click to read Chronically Ill, She wrote, a Substack publication. Launched 4 months ago.

I have quite a bit to say. It's not to revisit or rehash 'all the bad bits', so this is not intended to be 'click-baity'. It will be about why there is no timeline for healing, but how I'm now ok, I think! May be over on Substack - which is still free to read x chronicallyillshewrote.substack.com

It's pretty much 7 years since I decided to leave academia for my own good... and it is the first time in years that I am feeling like writing about why it was good for me - and also why it has taken ALL of these long, difficult, tricksy past 7 years to come to some kind of identity reconciliation!

Can I find Indie Author Success without (most) social media? Let's find out Hi, I'm Vik and I'm an indie author writing my first cozy(ish) mystery series. I write this blog to share my experiences of publishing my first fiction series as a chronically ill mum on a shoestring ...

Struggling with a cold, but I finally have my first blog of 2026! Why I'm off - most - socials; spending far less time online & what I hope to achieve through this. More personal (vulnerable) essays will be on Substack soon(ish). Link to blog if of interest: payhip.com/VikkiJonesAu...

Name that carpet… a January joy was a long, long overdue & delightful trip to study in the Mitchell library 🥰

Almost through January 🙌 and signs of brighter days on the way in my garden this morning

Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) Happy 2026 lovelies! M is for more of this: coffee, my garden, fresh air, blue skies. Slow, quiet, simple. January intentions 💕

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Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) I’m feeling surprisingly zen for someone in a pain flare and who has yet to purchase the Christmas turkey crown. Decided to take a ‘fuck about and find out’ approach to Christmas this year - and I rea...

Note to self - you can make Christmas much easier on yourself and you kids will still have the best time just chilling with you x

Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) I finally updated my ‘About’ page for my publication. You can read what to expect and why I think you should subscribe to ‘Chronically Ill, she wrote’. x https://chronicallyillshewrote.substack.com/...

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Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) I had planned to write ‘x no of things I want to do before the end of 2025’ style post; but honestly, I am feeling utterly depleted. So, instead, I wrote about whether I want to put my remaining ‘to d...

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Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) https://open.substack.com/pub/chronicallyillshewrote/p/finding-the-right-place-at-the-right?r=3z1p1b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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A picture of Vik's tidied wooden desk with a black notebook, cup of coffee, pile of vintage paperbacks and screen on.

After an essential rest/rot day yesterday, I restarted my writing week with a much needed desk declutter, clean and tidy. Desk with my essentials - a5 dot grid bullet journal, coffee, tbr pile, bit of online engagement. #chronicallyillwriters

Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) I wanted to have the proof copy of my book in my hands this month - this year - esp. after missing my own pre-order deadline. I don’t know if this is going to happen. I’m frustrated, but also acceptin...

Feeling the December busyness frustration with my writing goals again; but trying to give myself grace and keep on going. Another missed deadline is likely, but keeping going is the key, right?!

Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) Thinking about my current bio - it’s still not brave enough! Currently reads “Rebuilding a career based in writing after academia, burnout and in chronic illness. Sharing personal essays to help fello...

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Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) Re-reading my introduction post and thinking how this is not actually what I need to write; it is still too superficial in a way. What I need to do is a deep dive into the ways that chronic illness re...

Currently rethinking what I actually need to write in my Substack - I want to write here as an exercise in therapeutic writing - so it needs to go much deeper than I initially thought. More soon - subscribe if this speaks to you.

Reading and then clipping, collating, photocopying newspapers to send out press clippings packs!

Lost a week to added illness in the house - so I took a slow weekend to reset that involved knitting, television with my daughter, a jog, some pottering. Back at my desk today listening to CMAT Euro-Country. Late to the party, I know - but exactly the kind of writing I need to hear today

Slow Sunday with the smell of a roast chicken in the air and some journaling time with a pen and notebook - elite! Thinking about what I want to focus on as we roll into December in terms of my writing goals - and also how these all come together. Challenging, but exciting times ahead!

Where I left off - when I left academia due to chronic illness and total burnout - thinking of picking the germ of the idea here again ... scispace.com/papers/first...

A day of Bluesky & I'm glad I gave it a go; it feels a little like Twitter of old - if you carefully curated your feed! It's been comforting to come back to content that is primarily the written word. I was worried adding another platform would feel overwhelming, but so far, so good.

Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) Feeling absolutely this today; at 46 and in the last days of November 2025. A long-term road of building through my writing still ahead, but I can see the kaleidoscope of my writing projects/places/id...

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Chronically Ill, She Wrote (@vikkijonesauthor) Tuesday morning thoughts: why can’t I try to do more? Chronic illness / esp. after major (failed) surgeries - has done an absolute number on my trust in myself & I need to give myself the grace and ti...

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Chronically's Substack | Chronically Ill, She Wrote | Substack My personal Substack. Click to read Chronically's Substack, by Chronically Ill, She Wrote, a Substack publication. Launched a month ago.

I am also dipping back into Substack to write more about rebuilding a writing career in chronic illness - after academia - and as an indie author. Currently free - link here: chronicallyillshewrote.substack.com

Dipping my toe into Bluesky as a space for my non-fiction & scholarly writer identity. It's been a while since I wanted to write this way, but I have some ideas percolating. If autoethnography, auto-fiction, family history, class, feminist essays are your thing - hi!