This week, I got to feature on one of my absolute favourite substacks - the brilliant Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s Honest Day in the Life of a Writer. If you don’t know Morgan’s work - she’s totally brilliant. Maybe most famous for the feminist war-cry of a historical drama Emilia in 2022, her writing is sharp, wry, witty and glorious. I was lucky enough to work with her more than 10 years ago on a mad immersive halloween show in a crypt - and I’ve loved her ever since. Here, reposted with her kind permission, is my feature in Honest Day.
An Honest Day In The Life Of A Writer #25
Jess Edwards
Aug 18, 2025
I will say this with every writer I post - what follows is unedited. Try to read without prejudice. Everyone’s circumstances are different and even behind these honest answers will be other factors they may not wish to disclose. But mainly - read in solidarity and hope that we all get a good writing day soon…
Name: Jess Edwards
Pronouns (If you wish to disclose): she/they
Age (If you wish to disclose): 36
What sort of writing do you do?: I write plays, musicals and TV pilots - and a weekly substack, The J Mail, about creativity and culture. I love collaborative writing and do quite a lot of that.
Right now, my TV pilot Clitorati is in development with ITV Studios, my first play as a solo writer, Private View is going to be at the Soho Theatre in November 2025, and I'm developing three book musicals with different producers.
What happens on a ‘good writing day’: FLOW! I wish I knew what the flow alchemy truly was, but really it's pretty elusive. I am a fairly urgent person and so I often try to write very quickly - it's like a way of out-stepping my inner critic. Sometimes this works well and I can lay down many pages of reasonable first draft in one day - sometimes it falls totally flat and I produce garbage that needs to be rewritten.
Probably the one constant on a good writing day is that I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get to the end and that I told at least some emotional or logical truths with what I got down on the page - regardless of the word count. I'm learning to slow down and take my time even when urgency insists in nipping at my heels.
What happens on a ‘bad writing day’: One of two things - either grinding to a total halt and writing nothing or writing a huge amount and it all being quite shit, or even if not shit, it all being false in some way. I'm getting better at recognising when this is happening and just going to do something else, usually something with my body - cooking or going for a walk with the dog or simply switching to another project. I'm quite creatively omnivorous and find a varied diet of writing and creativity is really useful - so if something really isn't landing that day I'll jump ship to something else.
I find even if I leave a project my brain tends to keep noodling on it without me even realising - so spending time with my creative mistress (usually a project that doesn't pay) means I end up solving my wife's problems in the back of my mind. As it were.
What are the things that can get in the way of you writing?: God, so many things. I am battling a long term email addiction. I'm trying to restrict myself to two checks of the inbox a day so it doesn't just take over and expand to fill the time allowed.
I generally work from home and domestic tasks sometimes get in the way - but also I find folding the washing or cooking the supper helps distract my anxious brain and can sometimes even make me solve a problem.
And, in a big way, directing! I've been a theatre director for more than 10 years and there is nothing to stop you writing like directing a show. Or three shows - which is the number I've opened in the last three months. I love directing, and I think I'll always balance it with writing as it can be a great compliment to it. Extroverted where writing is solitary, impulsive where writing is reflective, fast where writing can be slow. But it sure as hell gets in the way of the headspace I need to write. When I'm directing, everything else has to go on pause.
What are the things that help you write?: Now, I feel like I've really found the things that help me not just write, but be a creative connected human in general. I have a morning routine which I practice religiously. It takes three hours which horrifies people (I obviously don't have kids or caring responsibilities) but it works so well. Here it is:
I wake up between 6am and 6.30, hopefully without an alarm and make a coffee. Then I take it back to bed and read of 45mins to an hour. This makes me feel like I am literally on holiday and is the most relaxing way I've found to start my day. It also helps to fill my cup with interesting, curious ideas from whatever I'm reading. I like non-fiction in the morning and fiction in the evening. Right now, it's The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole.
I do my morning pages - I'm a big fan of the Artist's Way. For those unfamiliar, you write three pages longhand of whatever is in your brain. It's honestly magic - I've had so many ideas in the pages and it makes me understand my weird brain so much better. I also do some self coaching each morning which takes a few mins but sets me up for the day really well. This stage also happens IN BED.
I do 45 mins of whatever exercise I fancy doing - usually related to my cycle. So maybe yoga, maybe cardio, maybe running.
I walk my dog and we explore the park together and look at things we find.
I don't look at my phone until after the walk.
I'm so aware of the privilege of this kind of morning routine but I honestly swear by it and it is the best way for me to start a creative day.
What do you do when you’re stuck and struggling to write?:
Stop. Walk around. Move my body. Wrestle with the dog. Cook something. Exercise. I love to take a writing problem for a swim. If I'm in Margate I'll take it to the tidal pool. In London, the Hampstead Ladies Pond. Swimming round and round a problem usually unsticks if. If not time for any of those, I'll read or watch something or just ring another writer and relentlessly complain. I'm lucky to have the best housemates in the world in both London and Margate and they are very tolerant of my writing woes.
If you could go and tell a younger you one thing what would it be?:
Slow down. Take your time. I literally have that pinned to my computer. I also think that the older you are as a writer the better you get - so I'd take out the urgency. You got time. I find this thought very comforting but hard to practice.
Now, I can hardly believe I get to have writing as my job. It makes me endlessly happy. And the younger me would hardly believe that my debut play would be going on at the Soho Theatre this year.
Which writer’s day in the life would you love to read about?:
A great question! Mike Bartlett mentored me when I was writing my first play and I learned so much from working with him. He's so wise and kind and fascinating. I'd love to hear his day. I also think Ava Pickett is a genius and loved 1536 with all my heart - she's so funny and warm. So I'd love to hear about hers too.
Jess’s Substack can be read here The J Mail and tickets for her debut play ‘Private View’ at Soho Theatre can be purchased here.