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Stories From My Desk: A Year at My Desk in 2025
What I've been creating and consuming during 2025.
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This Murder Mystery Series Took Over My Life: 15 Books in 30 Days
Aug 8, 2025
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Helen Redfern
147
94
7
Why I've Started a Reading Journal
Feb 11, 2025
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Helen Redfern
85
7
5
The Little Lies We Tell Ourselves
Apr 15, 2024
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Helen Redfern
86
13
8
My Journals for 2025 and What I'm Using Them For
Feb 28, 2025
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Helen Redfern
82
14
7
Recent posts
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STORIES FROM MY DESK | December 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Dec 20, 2025
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Helen Redfern
31
12
1
An Interview With Rachael Lucas on Procrastination, Blogging and Self-Publishing
Learning from the writers I’ve long admired.
Dec 10, 2025
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Helen Redfern
26
4
4
What We Think We’re Doing Versus What is Actually Happening
Chapter Three of my Non-Fiction Book: Stop Hiding Under the Desk
Dec 2, 2025
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Helen Redfern
13
4
1
STORIES FROM MY DESK | November 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Dec 1, 2025
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Helen Redfern
23
7
4
40:01
🎬 {watch} DESK TALK: What Happened To My Writing When I Allowed Myself to Follow My Joy?
How following my joy led to a new direction, new ideas, a passion project and enabled me to recover from burnout
Nov 25, 2025
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Helen Redfern
12
7
3
Christmas Gift Guide for Cosy Crime Lovers
A handy gift guide: Christmas cosy crime books, special edition hardbacks, Folio editions, children's cosy crime, writing crime and cosy crime…
Nov 17, 2025
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Helen Redfern
31
10
4
CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #7
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 9th November 2025
Nov 15, 2025
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Helen Redfern
37
13
4
From Brave Words to The Ink-Smudged Writing Desk
Not another rebrand, our Helen?
Nov 12, 2025
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Helen Redfern
42
18
2
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Crumbs From the Writing Desk
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CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #7
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 9th November 2025
Nov 15, 2025
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Helen Redfern
37
13
4
CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #6
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 21st October 2025
Oct 30, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
36
12
5
CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #5
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 6th October 2025
Oct 16, 2025
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Helen Redfern
33
13
4
CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #4
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 22 September 2025
Sep 28, 2025
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Helen Redfern
23
6
2
CRUMBS FROM THE WRITING DESK #3
A Writer's Junk Journal Diary | Week Beginning 9th June 2025
Jun 15, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
38
6
3
Monthly Summary
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Stories From My Desk: A Year at My Desk in 2025
What I've been creating and consuming during 2025.
Jan 11
•
Helen Redfern
28
8
3
STORIES FROM MY DESK | December 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Dec 20, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
31
12
1
STORIES FROM MY DESK | November 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Dec 1, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
23
7
4
STORIES FROM MY DESK | October 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Nov 2, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
28
9
4
STORIES FROM MY DESK | September 2025: A Monthly Update on Writing, Reading & Watching
What I've been creating and consuming in the past month.
Oct 1, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
30
7
1
Writing
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From Brave Words to The Ink-Smudged Writing Desk
Not another rebrand, our Helen?
Nov 12, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
42
18
2
My Writing Life, Right Now
People on t’internet often talk about a state of paralysis they feel when they have an appointment later in the day, and they cannot do anything but…
Aug 20, 2025
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Helen Redfern
32
7
1
The Longer Read: Why I Write
Re-posting an article that I published in 2022, but was written in 2021.
Jul 7, 2025
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Helen Redfern
23
9
Anniversary Essay: YEAR THREE
Thoughts from my third year on the Substack Platform.
Jun 25, 2025
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Helen Redfern
41
14
2
Behind-the-Scenes of an Agatha Christie Essay
How did it feel to be writing something out of my comfort zone? What was the initial spark and what did my research and writing process look like?
Apr 16, 2025
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Helen Redfern
10
6
2
Reading
View all
30:49
🎬 {watch} October Birthday Books
Sharing the books I was gifted, or I treated myself to, during October
Nov 4, 2025
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Helen Redfern
8
7
1
Cosy Mysteries for Cosy Days
Refill your creative well and relax with these mysteries on TV and in books.
Sep 18, 2025
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Helen Redfern
37
14
3
This Murder Mystery Series Took Over My Life: 15 Books in 30 Days
A deep dive into the murder mystery series that had me hooked. What made it so moreish?
Aug 8, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
147
94
7
Summer reading for 2025
The novels I'm planning to read this summer
Jul 11, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
30
6
2
Agatha Has Been AI-ed, and I Feel Uncomfortable About It
What are the ethics of bringing a long-dead author 'back to life'?
May 14, 2025
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Helen Redfern
34
35
7
Essays
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How Writing Becomes a Lifeline for Women on Screen
From Despair to Transformation in Something’s Gotta Give, Julie & Julia, and 84 Charing Cross Road
Nov 9, 2025
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Helen Redfern
29
10
7
From Nosy Spinster to Feisty Spy: The Evolution of Older Women in Detective Fiction
How the 'old maid' became the most interesting woman in the room.
Oct 10, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
42
11
6
THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK: Agatha Christie's Darkest Chapter
Betrayal, breakdown, and the book she could never love
Apr 12, 2025
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Helen Redfern
55
18
7
STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE and straight into a flock of chickens
The first time I held a chicken, I thought: This. Is. It.
Dec 10, 2024
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Helen Redfern
51
24
3
When a Rabbit Hole Saves You
A recovering doom-scroller’s journey through books, films, and unexpected connections
May 15, 2024
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Helen Redfern
39
12
2
Mindset
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The Fear of Growing Too Big Too Fast
Why we sabotage our own creative projects (and how to break the cycle).
Sep 15, 2025
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Helen Redfern
31
4
1
The Longer Read: Why I Write
Re-posting an article that I published in 2022, but was written in 2021.
Jul 7, 2025
•
Helen Redfern
23
9
How does it feel to be running out of time?
Hustling our way through life.
Jun 10, 2025
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Helen Redfern
55
7
6
Navigating the Troughs: Finding Inspiration (and Not Allowing the Negativity to Take Hold) in the Low Bits of Your Writing Journey
For when the writing journey feels a little dispiriting.
May 19, 2025
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Helen Redfern
19
7
You're Doing It All Wrong!
There's a reason why some of us need rules on Substack. But, that doesn't make it right. And it certainly doesn't mean we all have to follow them.
May 4, 2025
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Helen Redfern
77
19
9
Stop Hiding Under the Desk
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What We Think We’re Doing Versus What is Actually Happening
Chapter Three of my Non-Fiction Book: Stop Hiding Under the Desk
Dec 2, 2025
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Helen Redfern
13
4
1
Searching the Internet for Creative Connections. And Falling Down Rabbit Holes.
Chapter Two of my Non-Fiction Book: Stop Hiding Under the Desk
Nov 10, 2025
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Helen Redfern
11
1
2
So, You Want to Be a Writer? Why? And How Are You Going to Go About it?
Chapter One of my Non-Fiction Book: Stop Hiding Under the Desk
Oct 25, 2025
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Helen Redfern
25
21
2
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