Tag: Writer

365 Days of Writing, 2026 – 226

Day 226 – Avoiding clichés

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Tired Tropes: Why It’s Time to Retire “Smart as a Whip,” “Light as a Feather,” and “dumb as a rock” (And What to Use Instead)

We’ve all been there. You’re in the flow of writing a scene, drafting a marketing email, or chatting with a friend, and a familiar phrase drops off your fingertips.

She was light as a feather. He was smart as a whip. That idea is dumb as a rock.

They’re comfortable. They’re automatic. And, frankly, they are dead on arrival.

In copywriting and creative writing alike, clichés are the fast-food of language: they fill a craving instantly, but they leave your audience feeling uninspired and unsatisfied. When we rely on tired idioms, we trade specific imagery for lazy shorthand.

If you want to elevate your writing, boost your SEO engagement by reducing bounce rates (readers stick around longer for original prose!), and captivate your audience, it’s time to banish these three overused similes.

Let’s break down why they fail, and explore fresh, vibrant alternatives that will make your writing pop.

Cliche #1: “Smart as a Whip”

Why It Fails

Where did this even come from? A leather strap attached to a handle doesn’t exactly scream “cognitive genius.” While etymologists debate its origins—some point to the snap of a whip representing quickness, others to a “smart” (stinging) lash—the phrase has been beaten to death. It’s a vague umbrella term that tells your reader someone is intelligent without showing how that intelligence manifests.

Fresh Alternatives

Intelligence isn’t a monolith. A person can be mathematically gifted, socially brilliant, or quick on their feet. Show your reader the flavor of their smarts:

  • For quick-wittedness: Sharp as a tack, quick-silver, nimble-minded, brilliantly agile.
  • For deep intellect: Encyclopedic, sagacious, razor-sharp, intellectually voracious.
  • In a sentence: Instead of “She was smart as a whip during the negotiation,” try:“She sliced through the corporate jargon with surgical precision, anticipating counter-arguments before they even left the room.”

Cliché #2: “Light as a Feather”

Why It Fails

Unless you are literally writing a scientific paper about avian plumage, “light as a feather” is completely devoid of sensory detail. It’s a ghost of a description. It doesn’t help the reader feel the weightlessness; it just tells them the math of the mass.

Fresh Alternatives

Weightlessness can be terrifying, graceful, or magical. Tap into the physical sensations of air, movement, and suspension to bring your descriptions to life:

  • For physical objects: Buoyant, ethereal, gossamer, weightless, vaporous, floating on a breeze.
  • For people or movements: Effortless, floating, unanchored, graceful as a drifted leaf.
  • In a sentence: Instead of “The vintage silk dress was light as a feather,” try:“The vintage silk cascaded over her skin like a second atmosphere, practically floating on the ambient air.”

Cliché #3: “Dumb as a Rock”

Why It Fails

Aside from being unoriginal, calling someone (or something) “dumb as a rock” is a blunt-force instrument. It lacks nuance, and frankly, rocks have a lot of geological history going for them—they are much more interesting than this insult implies. Relying on this phrase misses an opportunity to inject humor, vivid imagery, or specific critique into your writing.

Fresh Alternatives

If you need to describe a lack of common sense, ignorance, or a thoroughly unwise decision, you have a wealth of colorful alternatives at your disposal:

  • For foolishness: Clueless, vacant, dense as lead, hopelessly out-to-lunch, playing checkers in a chess grandmaster tournament.
  • For bad ideas: Ill-conceived, half-baked, structurally unsound, a house of cards.
  • In a sentence: Instead of “That business strategy is dumb as a rock,” try:“That business strategy was about as seaworthy as a screen-door canoe.”

How to Spot Clichés in Your Own Writing

Writing without clichés isn’t about never using a common phrase again; it’s about developing an editor’s eye for autopilot writing. The next time you edit your work, run this quick mental check:

  1. The “First Thought” Test: If a phrase or comparison pops into your head immediately, it probably popped into a million other writers’ heads, too. Pause, delete it, and force yourself to brainstorm three alternative descriptions.
  2. Appeal to the Senses: Clichés are abstract. Real writing is sensory. Does your description sound, smell, look, feel, or taste like something specific?
  3. Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of telling us someone is “smart as a whip” or a concept is “dumb as a rock,” show us the action, the consequence, or the environment that proves it.

Upgrade Your Vocabulary Today

Language is a living, breathing toolkit. When we rely on clichés like smart as a whip, light as a feather, and dumb as a rock, we dull our tools. Swap them out for specific, evocative, and surprising alternatives, and watch your writing instantly transform from generic to unforgettable.

What’s your least favorite cliché? Drop it in the comments below along with your favorite alternative!

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365 Days of Writing, 2026 – 225

Day 225 –  The fear you feel when you write

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The Fear You Feel When You Write, It’s Normal: Embracing the Wisdom of Marguerite Duras

Every writer knows the moment.

The cursor blinks relentlessly on a blank, stark-white screen. The room is quiet, perhaps too quiet. Your chest tightens, a familiar knot twists in your stomach, and a voice whispers: This is terrible. Who do you think you are? You have nothing to say.

If you have ever felt this paralysing wave of anxiety before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take a deep breath. You are not failing as a writer; you are simply doing the work.

As the legendary French novelist and filmmaker Marguerite Duras famously observed, the fear you feel when you write is not a sign to stop. It is normal.

Let’s unpack this profound truth and explore why fear is actually the secret companion of every great writer.

Who Was Marguerite Duras and Why Did She Understand Writing’s Terror?

Marguerite Duras was a literary force of nature. Best known for her autobiographical novel The Lover (which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt), Duras wrote with a raw, uncompromising intensity that cut straight to the human soul. She didn’t write polite stories; she wrote about obsession, desire, memory, and the dark corners of the human psyche.

Because she mined such deep, vulnerable territory, Duras understood the cost of creation. She knew that to write authentically, one must court vulnerability. And vulnerability is terrifying.

Duras famously spoke about the solitude and the terror of the writing life. She suggested that writing is not a gentle hobby or a neat profession; it is an expedition into the unknown. When you sit down to write, you are venturing into a territory that does not yet exist, dragging ideas out of the ether and forcing them into reality. Of course it’s scary.

Why Does Writing Actually Scare Us?

If we want to overcome writing anxiety, we first have to understand its roots. Why does a harmless activity like arranging words on a page trigger a fight-or-flight response?

1. The Gap Between Taste and Talent

As Ira Glass famously noted, beginners (and even seasoned pros) suffer from a cruel paradox: our taste is refined enough to know when something isn’t working, but our execution often falls short of our vision. That gap—between the masterpiece in your head and the messy draft on your screen—is where fear lives.

2. The Fear of Exposure

Writing is an act of self-revelation. Even in fiction or copywriting, your worldview, your obsessions, and your fears bleed onto the page. To share your writing with the world is to stand naked in public. What if they judge you? What if they misunderstand you? What if they simply don’t care?

3. Confronting the Unknown

Unlike math or accounting, writing doesn’t have a definitive formula. When you start a piece, you rarely know exactly where it will end. You are stepping into a fog, trusting that the path will appear as you walk it. The human brain hates uncertainty, and it interprets that blank page as a survival threat.

How to Make Friends with Your Writing Fear

If fear is a normal, permanent resident of the writer’s house, how do we coexist with it? How do we write through the terror instead of running away from it?

1. Stop Waiting to Feel Confident

Many aspiring writers make the fatal mistake of waiting for the fear to go away before they start writing. They wait for inspiration, for the “right mood,” or for unshakeable confidence.

It never comes.

Professional writers don’t feel less fear than amateurs; they simply’ve learned to act in spite of it. As Duras understood, the fear is part of the process. Expect it. Greet it when you sit down at your desk: Ah, hello anxiety, I see you’re here. Let’s write anyway.

2. Lower the Stakes (Lower the Bar)

Perfectionism is fear in a fancy tuxedo. We get terrified because we put immense pressure on every single sentence to be brilliant.

Give yourself permission to write badly. As legendary humorist James Thurber put it: “Don’t get it right, get it written.” Your first draft is merely you telling the story to yourself. No one else has to see the mess.

3. Lean Into the Discomfort

If you feel a little sick to your stomach or nervous about a passage you are writing, pay attention. That discomfort is often a compass pointing directly toward truth. If a sentence makes you squirm, it usually means you’re touching on something real, raw, and powerful. Lean into it.

The Ultimate Takeaway

Writing is an act of courage. Every time you face the blank page and refuse to look away, you are engaging in a brave act of creation.

The next time that familiar knot forms in your stomach, remember the words and the spirit of Marguerite Duras. Remind yourself that the fear doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong; it means you’re doing it right. It means you care. It means you are treading on sacred, uncharted ground.

So, feel the fear. Acknowledge it. And then, open your document and type that first sentence anyway.

Are you struggling with writer’s block or creative fear? How do you push past the blank page anxiety? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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Top 5 sights on the road less travelled – Rabat

Rabat’s Secret Side: 5 Distinctive Attractions to Escape the Crowds

When you think of Rabat, Morocco’s elegant capital, images of the iconic blue-and-white walls of the Kasbah of the Udayas or the grand silhouette of the Hassan Tower likely come to mind. And for good reason—they’re breathtaking.

But the true magic of a city often lies just beyond the postcard-perfect sights. It’s found in the quiet corners, the local haunts, and the places where the city’s pulse beats a little softer. If you’re yearning to experience the distinctive soul of Rabat without the jostle of tour groups, you’re in for a treat.

Here are five remarkable, uncrowded attractions that will show you a completely different side of this imperial city.

1. The Ancient Whispers of Chellah Necropolis

What it is: A serene, sprawling archaeological site on the outskirts of the city that feels like a world away. Chellah is a captivating fusion of history, built upon the ruins of an ancient Roman town and later transformed into a fortified medieval necropolis.

Why it’s distinctive: This isn’t just one ruin; it’s a layered tapestry of time. You can walk along ancient Roman roads, touch the weathered stones of a forum, and then explore the hauntingly beautiful ruins of a 14th-century Islamic mosque with its elegant minaret. The real stars of the show, however, are the storks. Large stork nests perch precariously atop the ruins, and their constant clacking fills the air with a wild, primitive soundtrack you won’t find anywhere else.

Why it’s not crowded: Its location, a short walk or taxi ride from the main medina, naturally filters out the casual tourist. The sheer size of the site means that even on a busy day, you can easily find a quiet corner to yourself.

Pro Tip: Visit in the late afternoon. The golden hour light casts a magical glow on the stone, and the sighing of the wind through the cypress trees makes the whole place feel truly bewitching.

2. The Botanical Wonderland: Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel

What it is: A breathtaking 17-acre botanical garden nestled between Rabat and Salé, designed in the 1950s by French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier.

Why it’s distinctive: This is more than just a garden; it’s a masterclass in design. A labyrinth of paths winds through distinct zones, from an Islamic-style garden with a reflective pool to a cactus-studded desert landscape and a lush, palm-filled jungle. The garden is famous for its “Grotto Café,” a cool, subterranean restaurant built into a cave—a perfect spot for a mint tea break. It’s a tranquil, beautifully curated escape.

Why it’s not crowded: It requires a dedicated trip, so it’s often missed by those on a tight schedule. It’s a beloved spot for locals but rarely, if ever, overrun with tourists.

Pro Tip: Take your time. Don’t just look for the plants; listen for the birds. The garden is an important bird sanctuary, so bring a little patience, and you might be rewarded with some wonderful sightings.

3. An Architectural Marvel: The National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco

What it is: A stunningly modern structure that stands in stark, beautiful contrast to Rabat’s ancient history. The new building, opened in 2022, is a cultural landmark and a haven of tranquillity.

Why it’s distinctive: The architecture itself is the main event. A series of hexagonal modules create a visually striking facade inspired by traditional Moroccan geometric patterns (zellij). Inside, you’ll find a vast, light-filled reading room that feels like a cathedral of books. It’s a place where Morocco’s rich literary heritage meets cutting-edge design. You don’t need to be a researcher to appreciate the sense of peace and intellectual energy.

Why it’s not crowded: For a tourist, a library is an unconventional choice. You’ll share the space mostly with students and locals, making for an authentically peaceful and modern Moroccan experience.

Pro Tip: You can enter the public areas to admire the architecture. Check their website for visitor access policies, and be sure to walk up to the upper levels for the best view of the main reading hall.

4. A Timeless View from the Moorish Café (Café Maure)

What it is: A simple, historic café perched on a cliffside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. It has been serving tea and coffee since the early 20th century.

Why it’s distinctive: This is an experience, not just a beverage. The café offers what is arguably the single best panoramic view in Rabat. From its terrace, you can see the kasbah, the ocean, the Hassan Tower, and the city of Salé. The interior is a time capsule, with worn wooden benches and tables, and the air is thick with the scent of mint and history. The sound of crashing waves and the call to prayer drifting across the river is unforgettable.

Why it’s not crowded: While it’s well-known to residents, its simplicity deters the large tour bus crowds. It’s a place for lingering with a book or a friend, not for a quick photo stop.

Pro Tip: Go in the late afternoon and order a thé à la menthe (mint tea). There’s nothing quite like sipping the sweet, steaming tea while watching the sun dip towards the horizon.

5. The Treasure Trove: The Archaeological Museum

What it is: A compact, beautifully curated museum that houses some of Morocco’s most important archaeological finds.

Why it’s distinctive: While many museums attempt to do everything, this one has a focused, world-class collection. Its crown jewels are the incredible bronze artifacts from the Roman site of Volubilis, including a stunning portrait of Cato the Younger. The displays are excellent, providing a deep dive into the pre-Islamic cultures—from prehistoric to Roman—that shaped this land. It’s a quiet, scholarly space that tells a fascinating story often overlooked in the bustling medinas.

Why it’s not crowded: Let’s be honest: most tourists come for the souks and the sights, not the museums. This means you can often have entire rooms to yourself, allowing you to appreciate the incredible artifacts without distraction.

Pro Tip: The museum is right next to the Andalusian Gardens. Visit the gardens early when they’re quietest, and then escape into the cool, calm halls of the museum to escape the midday sun.

Ready to Discover Rabat’s Soul?

Rabat rewards the curious traveller. By stepping just a little off the main path, you’ll find a city of serene gardens, ancient echoes, and modern marvels. These five spots are just a starting point—a key to a quieter, more personal Moroccan experience.

Have you been to Rabat and discovered a hidden gem of your own? Share it in the comments below! We’d love to hear your secret spots.

Top 5 sights on the road less travelled – Nairobi

Nairobi’s Hidden Gems: 5 Incredible Attractions Without the Crowds

When you think of Nairobi, the mind often leaps to the iconic sights: the silhouettes of giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, the heart-warming sight of orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Trust, or the breathtaking skyline viewed from a safari in Nairobi National Park.

And for good reason—these are world-class attractions. But they are also, well, popular. If you’re looking to swap the bustling queues for a more intimate, unique, and equally memorable experience, you’re in luck. Nairobi is a city of layers, and just beneath the surface of the main tourist trail lies a treasure trove of hidden gems.

Here are the top five visitor attractions in Nairobi that are rarely crowded but burst with distinctive character and unforgettable stories.

1. The Kenya National Archives: A Treasure Trove of Culture and History

Tucked away in a grand building right in the heart of the city’s central business district, the Kenya National Archives is one of Nairobi’s most-underestimated attractions. While the ground floor is a bustling hive of document services, head upstairs and step into another world.

What Makes It Distinctive: The second floor houses the incredible Murumbi African Heritage Collection. This is a jaw-dropping assortment of artifacts, ethnographic material, books, and art collected by Kenya’s second Vice President, Joseph Murumbi, and his wife, Sheila. From ancient tribal jewelry and textiles to intricate masks and powerful contemporary art, it’s a comprehensive and beautifully curated journey through the art and culture of Kenya and beyond.

Why It’s Not Crowded: Most tourists walk right past it, assuming it’s just a place for official records. It’s a serene, air-conditioned escape from the city heat where you can spend hours lost in the exhibits, often sharing the space with just a handful of local students.

Pro-Tip: Give yourself at least two hours. Don’t miss the stunning collection of African postage stamps or the powerful portraits in the art gallery. The entrance fee is a bargain for the sheer volume of world-class history on display.

2. The Nairobi Railway Museum: A Journey to the City’s Birth

Ever wondered why Nairobi exists in the first place? The answer lies on the tracks. The Nairobi Railway Museum, located right next to the main railway station, is a charming and nostalgic ode to the “Lunatic Express,” the railway line that gave birth to the city.

What Makes It Distinctive: This museum is an open-air gallery of majestic, rusting giants. You can climb aboard historic steam and diesel locomotives, explore royal carriages (including one used for Queen Elizabeth’s visit!), and delve into the fascinating, and often dramatic, history of the railway’s construction. It’s a tangible link to a bygone era of colonial ambition, engineering marvels, and the man-eating lions of Tsavo.

Why It’s Not Crowded: In a city obsessed with wildlife, the history of a railway is often overlooked. It feels like a well-kept secret, offering a peaceful and fascinating stroll through the very machines that shaped the nation.

Pro-Tip: Hire one of the on-site guides. Their personal stories and detailed knowledge bring the old engines and carriages to life in a way that plaques never could. On weekdays, you might even see modern trains rolling past, creating a surreal contrast between past and present.

3. Kazuri Beads Factory: Where Art and Empowerment Meet

For a truly special souvenir and a feel-good experience, leave the city centre and head to the leafy suburb of Karen for a visit to the Kazuri Beads Factory. “Kazuri” means “small and beautiful” in Swahili, and that perfectly describes the handcrafted ceramic beads and pottery made here.

What Makes It Distinctive: This isn’t just a shop; it’s a working factory with a powerful social mission. Kazuri employs over 300 single mothers, providing them with a sustainable livelihood and healthcare. You can take a free tour to see the entire process—from the kiln firing to the meticulous hand-painting—and chat with the talented artisans. It’s a vibrant, colourful, and inspiring place that supports local Kenyan women directly.

Why It’s Not Crowded: It’s slightly off the beaten path compared to the Karen Blixen Museum down the road. Tour groups tend to rush in and out, leaving plenty of space for independent travellers to browse at their own pace without feeling pressured.

Pro-Tip: Go in the morning to see the factory buzzing with activity. The “seconds” section, where you can buy slightly imperfect pieces at a huge discount, is fantastic for finding unique treasures.

4. The Ngong Hills: Nairobi’s Iconic Escape

While the Nairobi National Park offers a safari on the city’s doorstep, the Ngong Hills offer a spectacular escape above it. These iconic, four-ridged peaks are the rolling, green giants immortalised in Karen Blixen’s “Out of Africa.”

What Makes It Distinctive: The views are, simply put, epic. On a clear day, you can see the entire Nairobi skyline to the north and the vast expanse of the Great Rift Valley to the west. A hike along the ridges is a fantastic way to get some exercise, feel the wind on your face, and appreciate the natural beauty that frames the city. It’s a spiritual and rejuvenating experience.

Why It’s Not Crowded: While it gets busy with local hikers and picnickers on weekends, you’ll rarely find international tour buses here. Go on a weekday, and you might have large sections of the trail entirely to yourself, with only the sound of the wind for company.

Pro-Tip: Start early in the morning to avoid the midday sun. It’s an exposed hike, so bring plenty of water, a hat, and sunscreen. You don’t need a guide for the main trail, but hiring one from the local community at the entrance gate can provide fascinating insights and support the local economy.

5. Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site: A Glimpse into Human Origins

For the ultimate off-the-beaten-path adventure, take a day trip south of the city to Olorgesailie. This is not your average tourist attraction; it’s a world-class, paleoanthropological site and a UNESCO World Heritage contender.

What Makes It Distinctive: This dry, dusty basin was once a lakeside prehistoric camp. The ground is literally littered with fossilised bones and, most astoundingly, hundreds of hand-axe tools created by early human ancestors (Homo erectus) over a million years ago. The small, excellent museum and guided walk take you through the incredible discoveries made here, offering a mind-bending perspective on the deep history of humanity in the very place it unfolded.

Why It’s Not Crowded: It’s a drive (about 90 minutes from Nairobi) and requires a dedicated trip. This geological and historical marvel is simply too remote and niche for the standard tourist itinerary, making it one of the most peaceful and profound places you can visit in the region.

Pro-Tip: A 4×4 vehicle is recommended, especially after rain. Combine the trip with a visit to Lake Magadi, a spectacular soda lake often tinged pink with flamingos. Pack a picnic and make a full day of it—the journey is as spectacular as the destination.

So next time you find yourself in Nairobi, I urge you to venture beyond the well-trodden path. Ditch the crowds for a morning at the Railway Museum, find your cultural bearings at the National Archives, and discover that the city’s most distinctive features are often its quietest. Happy travels

365 Days of Writing, 2026 – 225

Day 225 –  The fear you feel when you write

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The Fear You Feel When You Write, It’s Normal: Embracing the Wisdom of Marguerite Duras

Every writer knows the moment.

The cursor blinks relentlessly on a blank, stark-white screen. The room is quiet, perhaps too quiet. Your chest tightens, a familiar knot twists in your stomach, and a voice whispers: This is terrible. Who do you think you are? You have nothing to say.

If you have ever felt this paralysing wave of anxiety before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take a deep breath. You are not failing as a writer; you are simply doing the work.

As the legendary French novelist and filmmaker Marguerite Duras famously observed, the fear you feel when you write is not a sign to stop. It is normal.

Let’s unpack this profound truth and explore why fear is actually the secret companion of every great writer.

Who Was Marguerite Duras and Why Did She Understand Writing’s Terror?

Marguerite Duras was a literary force of nature. Best known for her autobiographical novel The Lover (which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt), Duras wrote with a raw, uncompromising intensity that cut straight to the human soul. She didn’t write polite stories; she wrote about obsession, desire, memory, and the dark corners of the human psyche.

Because she mined such deep, vulnerable territory, Duras understood the cost of creation. She knew that to write authentically, one must court vulnerability. And vulnerability is terrifying.

Duras famously spoke about the solitude and the terror of the writing life. She suggested that writing is not a gentle hobby or a neat profession; it is an expedition into the unknown. When you sit down to write, you are venturing into a territory that does not yet exist, dragging ideas out of the ether and forcing them into reality. Of course it’s scary.

Why Does Writing Actually Scare Us?

If we want to overcome writing anxiety, we first have to understand its roots. Why does a harmless activity like arranging words on a page trigger a fight-or-flight response?

1. The Gap Between Taste and Talent

As Ira Glass famously noted, beginners (and even seasoned pros) suffer from a cruel paradox: our taste is refined enough to know when something isn’t working, but our execution often falls short of our vision. That gap—between the masterpiece in your head and the messy draft on your screen—is where fear lives.

2. The Fear of Exposure

Writing is an act of self-revelation. Even in fiction or copywriting, your worldview, your obsessions, and your fears bleed onto the page. To share your writing with the world is to stand naked in public. What if they judge you? What if they misunderstand you? What if they simply don’t care?

3. Confronting the Unknown

Unlike math or accounting, writing doesn’t have a definitive formula. When you start a piece, you rarely know exactly where it will end. You are stepping into a fog, trusting that the path will appear as you walk it. The human brain hates uncertainty, and it interprets that blank page as a survival threat.

How to Make Friends with Your Writing Fear

If fear is a normal, permanent resident of the writer’s house, how do we coexist with it? How do we write through the terror instead of running away from it?

1. Stop Waiting to Feel Confident

Many aspiring writers make the fatal mistake of waiting for the fear to go away before they start writing. They wait for inspiration, for the “right mood,” or for unshakeable confidence.

It never comes.

Professional writers don’t feel less fear than amateurs; they simply’ve learned to act in spite of it. As Duras understood, the fear is part of the process. Expect it. Greet it when you sit down at your desk: Ah, hello anxiety, I see you’re here. Let’s write anyway.

2. Lower the Stakes (Lower the Bar)

Perfectionism is fear in a fancy tuxedo. We get terrified because we put immense pressure on every single sentence to be brilliant.

Give yourself permission to write badly. As legendary humorist James Thurber put it: “Don’t get it right, get it written.” Your first draft is merely you telling the story to yourself. No one else has to see the mess.

3. Lean Into the Discomfort

If you feel a little sick to your stomach or nervous about a passage you are writing, pay attention. That discomfort is often a compass pointing directly toward truth. If a sentence makes you squirm, it usually means you’re touching on something real, raw, and powerful. Lean into it.

The Ultimate Takeaway

Writing is an act of courage. Every time you face the blank page and refuse to look away, you are engaging in a brave act of creation.

The next time that familiar knot forms in your stomach, remember the words and the spirit of Marguerite Duras. Remind yourself that the fear doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong; it means you’re doing it right. It means you care. It means you are treading on sacred, uncharted ground.

So, feel the fear. Acknowledge it. And then, open your document and type that first sentence anyway.

Are you struggling with writer’s block or creative fear? How do you push past the blank page anxiety? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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What I learned about writing – I need a writing room, don’t I?

The Sacred Space: Do You Really Need a Writing Room? And What Are the Bare Bones Requirements?

The romantic image of a writer often conjures up a cozy study, perhaps with a crackling fireplace, shelves overflowing with books, and a perfectly placed vintage desk. But for many of us, the reality is a bit more… chaotic. Squeezed into a corner of the living room, hunched over the kitchen table, or even balancing a laptop on the bed.

So, the burning question arises: Do I really need a writing room?

The short answer? It depends. For some, a dedicated space is the holy grail, the key to unlocking consistent creativity and productivity. For others, the freedom of writing anywhere can be liberating. However, if you’re finding your words are constantly interrupted, your focus is fractured, and your writing sessions feel more like a battle than a flow, the answer might lean towards a resounding “Yes, you probably do!”

Think of it like this: you wouldn’t expect a surgeon to perform a delicate operation in a busy marketplace, would you? While you might be able to grab a few scribbled notes amidst the hustle, sustained deep work often requires a controlled environment.

But before you start picturing an elaborate home renovation, let’s break down the basic requirements of a functional writing space. You don’t need a palace; you need a sanctuary.

The Bare Bones: What Your Writing Space Absolutely Needs

Forget the antique globe and the plush Persian rug for now. Let’s focus on the essentials that will actually help you get words on the page:

  1. A Designated Spot (However Small): This is the cornerstone. It doesn’t have to be a separate room. It could be a corner of your bedroom, a specific chair at the dining table that’s only for writing, or even a visually distinct area in your living room. The key is that when you occupy this space, your brain knows: “It’s writing time.”
  2. A Comfortable and Ergonomic Work Surface: This is where you’ll spend your time. Whether it’s a sturdy desk, a well-positioned table, or even a comfortable lap desk, it needs to allow you to sit or stand in a way that doesn’t cause strain. Think about the height of your chair and table, and the position of your screen. Your body will thank you in the long run.
  3. Adequate Lighting: Straining your eyes in dim light is a recipe for headaches and fatigue. Natural light is ideal, but if that’s not possible, invest in a good desk lamp that provides sufficient, focused light without glare. You should be able to see your work clearly without any discomfort.
  4. Minimal Distractions (Within Reason): This is where the “room” aspect often comes into play, but it’s about managing distractions more than eliminating them entirely.
    • Visual Clutter: While your dedicated spot might be small, try to keep the immediate area around it as clear as possible. A cluttered space can lead to a cluttered mind.
    • Auditory Clutter: If you live with others or in a noisy environment, consider noise-canceling headphones or a white noise machine. The goal isn’t absolute silence, but rather to control the auditory landscape so it doesn’t hijack your focus.
    • Digital Clutter: This is a big one. Turn off unnecessary notifications on your phone and computer. Close irrelevant tabs. Create a digital environment that supports your writing, not hinders it.
  5. Your Essential Tools: What do you need to write?
    • For Digital Writers: Your laptop or computer, a reliable power source, and perhaps an external keyboard or mouse if that improves your comfort.
    • For Analog Writers: Pens, paper, notebooks, a dictionary, a thesaurus – whatever your preferred analog tools are.

Beyond the Bare Bones: Making it Your Writing Room

Once you have the essentials covered, you can start to personalize your space. This is where the magic happens and it truly becomes your sanctuary.

  • Inspiration: Add a few things that spark your creativity – a favorite quote, a piece of art, a plant.
  • Comfort: A comfortable chair is a huge plus.
  • Organization: Shelves or drawers to keep your research, notebooks, and other writing-related materials tidy.
  • Sensory Elements: Perhaps a calming scent or a favorite mug for your tea or coffee.

Ultimately, the most important requirement for a writing room is that it facilitates your ability to write. It’s a space where you can enter a flow state, where distractions melt away, and where your imagination can take flight.

So, do you need a writing room? If you’re struggling to find your focus and consistency, the answer is likely a resounding yes. Start with the bare bones, and then build your personal haven, one word at a time.

What are your must-have elements in a writing space? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

365 Days of Writing, 2026 – 224

Day 224 – The trashy novel

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Guilty Pleasures & Best-Sellers: Why “Trashy” Novels Sell (Even When They Make No Sense)

Let’s be honest: we’ve all done it. We’ve stood in an airport bookstore, eyes scanning the spinning racks, and pulled out a paperback with a neon-hued cover, an impossibly sculpted torso, or a plot synopsis that sounds like a fever dream.

We roll our eyes. We scoff at the clunky dialogue. We lambast the predictable tropes and inherently “bad” writing qualities. And then… we buy it. We devour it in a single sitting, hidden behind a polite book cover or glowing dimly on our phone screens at 2:00 AM.

The phenomenon of the “trashy” novel is undeniable. But it goes deeper than mere guilty pleasures. History—and modern publishing data—shows that even when authors intentionally write disjointed, hastily stitched-together, multiple-author novels that make absolutely no sense, they still sell far better than anyone could possibly imagine.

Why? What is the dark magic behind the poorly written page-turner? As a copywriter and consumer psychologist, let’s dissect the anatomy of the trashy novel and uncover why we keep feeding the beast.

1. The Psychology of Cognitive Relief

High-brow literature demands work. When you pick up a Booker Prize winner, you are signing up for an intellectual workout: dense metaphors, unreliable narrators, deeply nuanced character arcs, and social commentary that leaves you pondering the human condition.

Sometimes, we are too tired for that.

Trashy novels offer cognitive offloading. Because the stakes are immediately clear, the villains are cartoonish, and the prose requires zero decoding, the brain can finally switch off. It’s the literary equivalent of eating a bowl of sugary cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons. There is no guilt in low-stakes entertainment—only pure, unadulterated escapism.

2. Emotional Fast Food (The Dopamine Loop)

Good literature builds tension slowly, like a masterclass in suspense. Trashy novels, however, operate like a slot machine. They hit you with constant, cheap dopamine spikes.

  • A shocking betrayal on page 3? Ding!
  • An implausible romance trope introduced by page 10? Ding!
  • A cliffhanger at the end of every single chapter? Jackpot.

Even when a book is disjointed or nonsensical—especially when multiple authors contribute in a chaotic, Frankenstein-esque fashion—the pacing rarely slows down. If plot logic gets in the way of a sensational scene, trashy fiction simply discards the logic and moves straight to the next explosion, bedroom scene, or plot twist. Our brains are wired to chase that next hit of resolution, even if the overall story is falling apart at the seams.

3. The Power of Subverted Expectations and Camp Value

Sometimes, a book doesn’t sell in spite of making no sense; it sells because it makes no sense.

We live in an era that deeply appreciates camp. Think of the runaway success of The Room in film or the viral TikTok reviews of wildly unhinged self-published romance novels. When a book is so convoluted, absurd, and disconnected from reality that it crosses the threshold of “bad” and enters the realm of the surreal, it becomes an event.

Readers love to be in on the joke. Sharing the most ridiculous excerpts on social media creates a viral marketing loop. A nonsensical, multi-author disasterpiece becomes a badge of honour to read, talk about, and mock lovingly with friends.

4. The Illusion of Speed and Instant Gratification

Modern attention spans are fractured. We scroll through TikTok feeds featuring thirty-second clips of entirely unrelated content, jumping seamlessly from a recipe to a comedy sketch to a DIY project.

In many ways, the disjointed, multi-author, wildly chaotic “trashy” novel mirrors the modern digital feed. Because it lacks a rigid, slow-burning traditional structure, it reads like a rapid-fire sequence of viral moments. For readers accustomed to fast-paced digital consumption, traditional pacing can feel agonisingly slow. Trashy novels keep the velocity high, ensuring you never get bored—even if you have no idea who the secondary antagonist is anymore.

5. Zero Pretentiousness, Total Accessibility

Literary snobbery can be exhausting. The moment a book feels like it’s trying to teach you a lesson or prove how smart the author is, a wall goes up for many readers.

Trashy novels have zero pretension. They make no promises other than to entertain you for a few hours. This radical accessibility makes them universally appealing. You don’t need a degree in English literature to enjoy a book about billionaire shadow-beasts fighting rogue cyborg assassins. You just need a pulse and a willingness to suspend your disbelief—way, way up in the stratosphere.

The Verdict: Long Live the Trashy Read

We may continue to mock them in polite literary circles, but the trashy, nonsensical, hastily assembled page-turner isn’t going anywhere. It fulfils a primal human need for stories that thrill, shock, and entertain without demanding too much in return.

So, the next time you find yourself sliding a trashy paperback onto the checkout counter, don’t blush. You aren’t falling victim to bad taste—you’re simply participating in a time-tested tradition of joyful, unapologetic escapism.

What is the most delightfully ridiculous “trashy” novel you’ve ever secretly loved? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

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Top 5 sights on the road less travelled – Nairobi

Nairobi’s Hidden Gems: 5 Incredible Attractions Without the Crowds

When you think of Nairobi, the mind often leaps to the iconic sights: the silhouettes of giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, the heart-warming sight of orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Trust, or the breathtaking skyline viewed from a safari in Nairobi National Park.

And for good reason—these are world-class attractions. But they are also, well, popular. If you’re looking to swap the bustling queues for a more intimate, unique, and equally memorable experience, you’re in luck. Nairobi is a city of layers, and just beneath the surface of the main tourist trail lies a treasure trove of hidden gems.

Here are the top five visitor attractions in Nairobi that are rarely crowded but burst with distinctive character and unforgettable stories.

1. The Kenya National Archives: A Treasure Trove of Culture and History

Tucked away in a grand building right in the heart of the city’s central business district, the Kenya National Archives is one of Nairobi’s most-underestimated attractions. While the ground floor is a bustling hive of document services, head upstairs and step into another world.

What Makes It Distinctive: The second floor houses the incredible Murumbi African Heritage Collection. This is a jaw-dropping assortment of artifacts, ethnographic material, books, and art collected by Kenya’s second Vice President, Joseph Murumbi, and his wife, Sheila. From ancient tribal jewelry and textiles to intricate masks and powerful contemporary art, it’s a comprehensive and beautifully curated journey through the art and culture of Kenya and beyond.

Why It’s Not Crowded: Most tourists walk right past it, assuming it’s just a place for official records. It’s a serene, air-conditioned escape from the city heat where you can spend hours lost in the exhibits, often sharing the space with just a handful of local students.

Pro-Tip: Give yourself at least two hours. Don’t miss the stunning collection of African postage stamps or the powerful portraits in the art gallery. The entrance fee is a bargain for the sheer volume of world-class history on display.

2. The Nairobi Railway Museum: A Journey to the City’s Birth

Ever wondered why Nairobi exists in the first place? The answer lies on the tracks. The Nairobi Railway Museum, located right next to the main railway station, is a charming and nostalgic ode to the “Lunatic Express,” the railway line that gave birth to the city.

What Makes It Distinctive: This museum is an open-air gallery of majestic, rusting giants. You can climb aboard historic steam and diesel locomotives, explore royal carriages (including one used for Queen Elizabeth’s visit!), and delve into the fascinating, and often dramatic, history of the railway’s construction. It’s a tangible link to a bygone era of colonial ambition, engineering marvels, and the man-eating lions of Tsavo.

Why It’s Not Crowded: In a city obsessed with wildlife, the history of a railway is often overlooked. It feels like a well-kept secret, offering a peaceful and fascinating stroll through the very machines that shaped the nation.

Pro-Tip: Hire one of the on-site guides. Their personal stories and detailed knowledge bring the old engines and carriages to life in a way that plaques never could. On weekdays, you might even see modern trains rolling past, creating a surreal contrast between past and present.

3. Kazuri Beads Factory: Where Art and Empowerment Meet

For a truly special souvenir and a feel-good experience, leave the city centre and head to the leafy suburb of Karen for a visit to the Kazuri Beads Factory. “Kazuri” means “small and beautiful” in Swahili, and that perfectly describes the handcrafted ceramic beads and pottery made here.

What Makes It Distinctive: This isn’t just a shop; it’s a working factory with a powerful social mission. Kazuri employs over 300 single mothers, providing them with a sustainable livelihood and healthcare. You can take a free tour to see the entire process—from the kiln firing to the meticulous hand-painting—and chat with the talented artisans. It’s a vibrant, colourful, and inspiring place that supports local Kenyan women directly.

Why It’s Not Crowded: It’s slightly off the beaten path compared to the Karen Blixen Museum down the road. Tour groups tend to rush in and out, leaving plenty of space for independent travellers to browse at their own pace without feeling pressured.

Pro-Tip: Go in the morning to see the factory buzzing with activity. The “seconds” section, where you can buy slightly imperfect pieces at a huge discount, is fantastic for finding unique treasures.

4. The Ngong Hills: Nairobi’s Iconic Escape

While the Nairobi National Park offers a safari on the city’s doorstep, the Ngong Hills offer a spectacular escape above it. These iconic, four-ridged peaks are the rolling, green giants immortalised in Karen Blixen’s “Out of Africa.”

What Makes It Distinctive: The views are, simply put, epic. On a clear day, you can see the entire Nairobi skyline to the north and the vast expanse of the Great Rift Valley to the west. A hike along the ridges is a fantastic way to get some exercise, feel the wind on your face, and appreciate the natural beauty that frames the city. It’s a spiritual and rejuvenating experience.

Why It’s Not Crowded: While it gets busy with local hikers and picnickers on weekends, you’ll rarely find international tour buses here. Go on a weekday, and you might have large sections of the trail entirely to yourself, with only the sound of the wind for company.

Pro-Tip: Start early in the morning to avoid the midday sun. It’s an exposed hike, so bring plenty of water, a hat, and sunscreen. You don’t need a guide for the main trail, but hiring one from the local community at the entrance gate can provide fascinating insights and support the local economy.

5. Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site: A Glimpse into Human Origins

For the ultimate off-the-beaten-path adventure, take a day trip south of the city to Olorgesailie. This is not your average tourist attraction; it’s a world-class, paleoanthropological site and a UNESCO World Heritage contender.

What Makes It Distinctive: This dry, dusty basin was once a lakeside prehistoric camp. The ground is literally littered with fossilised bones and, most astoundingly, hundreds of hand-axe tools created by early human ancestors (Homo erectus) over a million years ago. The small, excellent museum and guided walk take you through the incredible discoveries made here, offering a mind-bending perspective on the deep history of humanity in the very place it unfolded.

Why It’s Not Crowded: It’s a drive (about 90 minutes from Nairobi) and requires a dedicated trip. This geological and historical marvel is simply too remote and niche for the standard tourist itinerary, making it one of the most peaceful and profound places you can visit in the region.

Pro-Tip: A 4×4 vehicle is recommended, especially after rain. Combine the trip with a visit to Lake Magadi, a spectacular soda lake often tinged pink with flamingos. Pack a picnic and make a full day of it—the journey is as spectacular as the destination.

So next time you find yourself in Nairobi, I urge you to venture beyond the well-trodden path. Ditch the crowds for a morning at the Railway Museum, find your cultural bearings at the National Archives, and discover that the city’s most distinctive features are often its quietest. Happy travels

Top 5 sights on the road less travelled – Accra

The Accra You Haven’t Seen: 5 Unique & Uncrowded Tourist Spots

Accra, Ghana’s dazzling coastal capital, is a city that pulses with life. From the vibrant beats of highlife music to the aromatic symphony of street food, every corner offers an adventure. But with adventure often comes a crowd. The usual suspects—the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the bustling Arts Centre, the sun-soaked Labadi Beach on a Sunday—are rightfully famous, but they can sometimes feel overwhelming.

What if you could peel back a layer of the city and find the spaces where its true, quiet soul resides? Places brimming with distinctive character, history, and beauty, yet blissfully free from the tourist throngs?

Forget the long lines and the jostling crowds. Here are the top five visitor attractions in Accra that offer a richer, more intimate encounter with the city.

1. For the Soulful Historian: The W.E.B. Du Bois Centre

Tucked away in the serene residential neighbourhood of Cantonments is a place of profound historical significance and hushed reverence: The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture. This isn’t just a museum; it was the final home of Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, the iconic American civil rights activist and Pan-Africanist who spent his final years in Ghana.

What Makes It Distinctive: The centre offers a deeply personal journey into the life of a giant. You can walk through his preserved study, see his personal library, and visit his simple yet moving grave, which lies in the peaceful courtyard alongside the tomb of his wife, Shirley Graham Du Bois. It’s a place for quiet reflection, not just sightseeing, offering a powerful connection to the global quest for African liberation.

Why It’s Not Crowded: It’s often overshadowed by the larger, more centrally located monuments. Its scholarly nature naturally attracts a more contemplative crowd, meaning you can often have the entire space to yourself to absorb its powerful history.

Pro Tip: Give yourself at least an hour. The exhibits are detailed and the atmosphere invites you to slow down and read, reflect, and appreciate the legacy of this incredible figure.

2. For the Art Lover: Artists Alliance Gallery

If the chaotic, beautiful energy of the Arts Centre market feels like too much, there is a sublime alternative. Located near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, the Artists Alliance Gallery is a magnificent three-story haven for Ghanaian art.

What Makes It Distinctive: This is not a market; it’s a curated gallery experience. Housed in a beautiful, traditional-style building, it features an astounding collection of high-quality art, from intricate contemporary paintings and sculptures to stunning Ashanti kente cloth and ancient beads. All pieces are for sale, and there’s no pressure to buy. You can simply wander through the airy rooms and appreciate the sheer breadth of Ghanaian creative talent.

Why It’s Not Crowded: Many tourists flock to the bargain-hunting vibe of the main Arts Centre, leaving this gallery as a hidden gem for those in the know. Its tranquil, almost museum-like atmosphere is a welcome escape.

Pro Tip: Even the building itself is a work of art. Be sure to explore the courtyards and every floor, as each one hosts different styles and mediums of work.

3. For the Nature Seeker: Legon Botanical Gardens

Need a break from the concrete and traffic? Head to the Legon Botanical Gardens, a sprawling green oasis located within the University of Ghana campus. This isn’t your typical “garden”; it’s a vast, natural reserve offering a genuine breath of fresh air.

What Makes It Distinctive: The gardens are a destination for both relaxation and light adventure. You can wander through the lush forests, spot exotic birds, and enjoy the serene scenery around the central lake. For the more active, there are rope courses, canopy walks, and canoeing. It’s the perfect place for a family picnic, a romantic stroll, or some peaceful solo time with a book.

Why It’s Not Crowded: Its sheer size means that even on a busy day, the crowds dissipate across the lawns and trails. It feels less like a tourist spot and more like a local’s secret escape from the city heat.

Pro Tip: Go in the late afternoon when the sun is less intense. The golden light filtering through the trees is absolutely magical.

4. For the Beach Escapist: Bojo Beach

While Labadi and Kokrobite beaches have their charms, they can get packed. For a truly unique seaside experience, take a short trip to Bojo Beach Resort. What makes it special is its location—it sits on a pristine strip of land between a lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.

What Makes It Distinctive: The adventure begins the moment you arrive. You are taken across the calm waters of the Densu Delta in a small wooden boat to reach the beach resort. This short journey immediately sets a festive, exclusive tone. On one side, you have the tranquil lagoon, and on the other, the roaring Atlantic. It’s the best of both worlds, with cleaner sand and a far more relaxed vibe than the main city beaches.

Why It’s Not Crowded: The boat crossing naturally filters the crowds, creating a more intimate and exclusive atmosphere. It feels like you’ve discovered your own private island paradise just minutes from the city.

Pro Tip: Plan to spend a few hours. Rent a relaxing beach hut, enjoy a freshly prepared meal at the restaurant, and take a dip in both the lagoon and the ocean.

5. For the Inquisitive Explorer: The Forts of Ussher Town

Everyone knows about Jame Town’s vibrant street art and boxing gyms, but fewer take the time to explore its deep, layered history. Beyond the iconic lighthouse lie the Forts of Ussher Town: James Fort and Ussher Fort.

What Makes It Distinctive: These forts are a poignant and powerful reminder of Ghana’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. While not as large as the castles in Cape Coast or Elmina, their history is just as significant. Walking through the dungeons and standing on the ramparts, with the crashing waves of the Atlantic below, is an incredibly moving experience. They also offer some of the most stunning, uncrowded panoramic views of Accra’s coastline.

Why It’s Not Crowded: They are often missed by standard tour itineraries that focus on the more monumental sites. The forts can sometimes be under renovation or have limited access, adding to their mysterious, overlooked quality. Always check if they are open to visitors before you go.

Pro Tip: Hire a local guide from the Jamestown community. Their personal stories and historical knowledge will bring the stones of these forts to life in a way no guidebook ever could.

Discover Your Accra

The true heart of Accra isn’t found only in its busiest plazas or on its most popular beaches. It lives in these quiet corners, these spaces of reflection, creativity, and natural beauty. By stepping off the beaten path, you’re not just avoiding a queue; you’re choosing to connect with the city on a deeper, more authentic level.

So next time you’re in Accra, dare to explore. Your greatest adventure might just be where the crowds aren’t.

Happy exploring

365 Days of Writing, 2026 – 224

Day 224 – The trashy novel

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Guilty Pleasures & Best-Sellers: Why “Trashy” Novels Sell (Even When They Make No Sense)

Let’s be honest: we’ve all done it. We’ve stood in an airport bookstore, eyes scanning the spinning racks, and pulled out a paperback with a neon-hued cover, an impossibly sculpted torso, or a plot synopsis that sounds like a fever dream.

We roll our eyes. We scoff at the clunky dialogue. We lambast the predictable tropes and inherently “bad” writing qualities. And then… we buy it. We devour it in a single sitting, hidden behind a polite book cover or glowing dimly on our phone screens at 2:00 AM.

The phenomenon of the “trashy” novel is undeniable. But it goes deeper than mere guilty pleasures. History—and modern publishing data—shows that even when authors intentionally write disjointed, hastily stitched-together, multiple-author novels that make absolutely no sense, they still sell far better than anyone could possibly imagine.

Why? What is the dark magic behind the poorly written page-turner? As a copywriter and consumer psychologist, let’s dissect the anatomy of the trashy novel and uncover why we keep feeding the beast.

1. The Psychology of Cognitive Relief

High-brow literature demands work. When you pick up a Booker Prize winner, you are signing up for an intellectual workout: dense metaphors, unreliable narrators, deeply nuanced character arcs, and social commentary that leaves you pondering the human condition.

Sometimes, we are too tired for that.

Trashy novels offer cognitive offloading. Because the stakes are immediately clear, the villains are cartoonish, and the prose requires zero decoding, the brain can finally switch off. It’s the literary equivalent of eating a bowl of sugary cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons. There is no guilt in low-stakes entertainment—only pure, unadulterated escapism.

2. Emotional Fast Food (The Dopamine Loop)

Good literature builds tension slowly, like a masterclass in suspense. Trashy novels, however, operate like a slot machine. They hit you with constant, cheap dopamine spikes.

  • A shocking betrayal on page 3? Ding!
  • An implausible romance trope introduced by page 10? Ding!
  • A cliffhanger at the end of every single chapter? Jackpot.

Even when a book is disjointed or nonsensical—especially when multiple authors contribute in a chaotic, Frankenstein-esque fashion—the pacing rarely slows down. If plot logic gets in the way of a sensational scene, trashy fiction simply discards the logic and moves straight to the next explosion, bedroom scene, or plot twist. Our brains are wired to chase that next hit of resolution, even if the overall story is falling apart at the seams.

3. The Power of Subverted Expectations and Camp Value

Sometimes, a book doesn’t sell in spite of making no sense; it sells because it makes no sense.

We live in an era that deeply appreciates camp. Think of the runaway success of The Room in film or the viral TikTok reviews of wildly unhinged self-published romance novels. When a book is so convoluted, absurd, and disconnected from reality that it crosses the threshold of “bad” and enters the realm of the surreal, it becomes an event.

Readers love to be in on the joke. Sharing the most ridiculous excerpts on social media creates a viral marketing loop. A nonsensical, multi-author disasterpiece becomes a badge of honour to read, talk about, and mock lovingly with friends.

4. The Illusion of Speed and Instant Gratification

Modern attention spans are fractured. We scroll through TikTok feeds featuring thirty-second clips of entirely unrelated content, jumping seamlessly from a recipe to a comedy sketch to a DIY project.

In many ways, the disjointed, multi-author, wildly chaotic “trashy” novel mirrors the modern digital feed. Because it lacks a rigid, slow-burning traditional structure, it reads like a rapid-fire sequence of viral moments. For readers accustomed to fast-paced digital consumption, traditional pacing can feel agonisingly slow. Trashy novels keep the velocity high, ensuring you never get bored—even if you have no idea who the secondary antagonist is anymore.

5. Zero Pretentiousness, Total Accessibility

Literary snobbery can be exhausting. The moment a book feels like it’s trying to teach you a lesson or prove how smart the author is, a wall goes up for many readers.

Trashy novels have zero pretension. They make no promises other than to entertain you for a few hours. This radical accessibility makes them universally appealing. You don’t need a degree in English literature to enjoy a book about billionaire shadow-beasts fighting rogue cyborg assassins. You just need a pulse and a willingness to suspend your disbelief—way, way up in the stratosphere.

The Verdict: Long Live the Trashy Read

We may continue to mock them in polite literary circles, but the trashy, nonsensical, hastily assembled page-turner isn’t going anywhere. It fulfils a primal human need for stories that thrill, shock, and entertain without demanding too much in return.

So, the next time you find yourself sliding a trashy paperback onto the checkout counter, don’t blush. You aren’t falling victim to bad taste—you’re simply participating in a time-tested tradition of joyful, unapologetic escapism.

What is the most delightfully ridiculous “trashy” novel you’ve ever secretly loved? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

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