Francesca's Thoughts

Let's go old-school internet and hold a conversation.

brain chat

21/08/2026

An apology to subscribers (in which it’s been 17 years and I’m still not able to use the internet)

The following anecdote is brought to you by someone who has to laugh or they will shrivel up and die from EMBARRASSMENT. So a while ago I decided to link my Patreon page with this blog, because I get a lot of views on posts from 2011 and it is no longer 2011. I’ve changed,… Continue reading

brain chat
05/02/2024

A Week in the Life of an Undergrad Student and Professional Creator in Deadline Season (ft. chronic fatigue and probably too much time thinking about cheese)

I last did a week in the life back in… 2021. Someone on Patreon suggested doing another, and I have chosen this week to record because a) I have a deadline, and if I’m talking about it here then I will meet the deadline, b) I’ve had a horrible few weeks of chronic fatigue and… Continue reading

brain chat, Health

a week in the life of a creative, chronic fatigue, Francesca's Thoughts, Patreon creator, undergraduate life, week in the life of a freelancer, week in the life of an indie author, week in the life of someone with chronic fatigue
01/07/2023

Breaking Down How Different Forms of Support Help Indie Creators (and why it’s all genuinely helpful)

Hello! I’ve been tidying up my Patreon page, because Patreon’s done that thing where they’ve redesigned the website and now the page looks different and I thought I’d better check it’s still easy for people to find information. It got me thinking about how Patreon factors into my working life, and how grateful I am… Continue reading

Books, brain chat, DISCUSS., Internet, Social Media

authorship, do libraries pay authors, Francesca's Thoughts, how Patreon is useful for creators, indie creators, indie writers, Ko-Fi, libraries, Patreon, self published authors, why are libraries important
26/05/2023

Friday evening soup thoughts

Hello lovely humans, It has been so long since I’ve written here that WordPress just tried to give me a tour of the post-builder. Bit personal, that. Anyway I find myself with zero desire to think about anything academic or worsky, but very little desire to just scroll Am I The Asshole, so I thought… Continue reading

brain chat

'Real Life Money' by Clare Seal, Clare Seal, Do Something Directory, Francesca's Thoughts, hayfever, Real Life Money

Let’s close the door on the rest of the internet.

Francesca Astraea here.

When I began this blog in 2009, I was a teenager. That’s why you’ll find some posts have been hidden behind a paywall. I was an incredibly different, less eloquent person when I was a teen, so if you want to read the thoughts of that teenager, you can join the No. 1 Readers’ Club for access.

What will you find here now?

This blog continues to evolve with me. My favourite topics are books and reading, travel adventures, the extensive works of up and coming rock band My Chemical Romance and the occasional update about my life and work as an author and scriptwriter. I’m also interested in digital minimalism, how we can solve environmental issues and why it’s probably a better idea to make a cup of tea than it is to shout at people you disagree with.

Speaking of tea… Make a cup and settle in.

Leave a comment on posts to continue the conversation and tell me your favourite MCR song! Oh, and while you’re here: this is a no-gen-AI household. You may not put any of my posts through an LLM. If you’re going to email me or write a comment, do it yourself.

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brain chat

An apology to subscribers (in which it’s been 17 years and I’m still not able to use the internet)

A Week in the Life of an Undergrad Student and Professional Creator in Deadline Season (ft. chronic fatigue and probably too much time thinking about cheese)

Breaking Down How Different Forms of Support Help Indie Creators (and why it’s all genuinely helpful)

Friday evening soup thoughts