Welcome!
How to Build a Life is a newsletter by bestselling author Laura Jane Williams, for people bang in the thick of life’s mess and mayhem - but who are still trying to find the magic. Think midlife career changes, shifting ambition, and parenting. How do we build a life? But like, a good one.
👋👋👋 Hi! I’m Laura. No big deal, but I’m kinda known as queen of the cute-meet. My adult romantic comedies include worldwide bestseller Our Stop, as well as The Lucky Escape, Enemies to Lovers, and my latest Love at First Sight. My novels have been translated into scores of languages all around the globe and have been endorsed by superstar stalwarts Dolly Alderton and Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary and Jacqueline Wilson (!!) to name just a few. I’m is also the author of teen books Taylor Blake is a Legend and Taylor Blake Seizes the Day.
As a non-fiction author and magazine columnist I’ve made headlines.
Grazia magazine once said I’m a ‘general all-round-speaker of what-is-in-our-heads’
Stylist said my honesty and voice are unique - and invited her to write an essay for their Life Lessons from Remarkable Women book
Marie Claire made me their #BreakFree from Fear ambassador
and The Independent even called me ‘a happiness expert’.
I am currently undertaking a career change. Maybe. Possibly? I’m not sure. It turns out, books light up my brain but pastoral work with teenagers feeds my soul, so in addition to the novels I am studying children and young people’s mental health, counselling, and working in a high school. Apparently I contain multitudes. Don’t we all?
If you’re interested in following the journey, you should subscribe!
The cornerstone of all my work, be it fiction or real life, is encouragement to go all-in on the adventure of your own life. Scrap the to-do list, pick three things to give a damn about, and sod the rest. That’s me on my best day, anyway. On my worst? Well, I write about that too.
When I’m not telling stories or completing my studies, I love being a solo adoptive parent, CrossFit, and I’m getting into gardening. Yes, I do turn 40 next year.
My words have been featured everywhere from The Guardian to Glamour, Stylist to The Telegraph, The Metro, Buzzfeed, Red, Closer, Grazia and Bella as well as across the BBC and on Sky News.
I have run online writing workshops with thousands of participants from all around the world, and live events at major corporate events including with Soho House, Pinterest, Benefit Cosmetics, and at Stylist Live.
So why should you sign-up to How to Build a Life?
When you subscribe to the paying membership, you’ll get full access to the newsletter and publication archives. I write posts you can read in the time it takes the kettle to boil, twice a week - no links, no recommendations about what to watch or read or wear. I’m not here to add to your to-do list. I’m here to say wow. Could somebody maybe take a few things off our to-do lists? Do you feel the same? Didn’t we all think it was going to calm down next week? Why does next week never come? Are you happy? Am I? Did I decide what success means, or did I accidentally do what I thought I was supposed to?
How to Build a Life is stories about about how I'm almost 40, and in the thick of it: parenting, deadlines, trying to lose that double chin, paying the mortgage, painting the kitchen, and occasionally? maybe? trying to have some fun? It's a juggle. I hope we can figure it out together. Because hard as it is, sometimes it’s really freakin’ beautiful, too. See you in the comments section to talk it out.
Most content is for paying subscribers
…Because I believe that writers should be paid for their work. At £30 for a year of twice-weekly posts (minus vacation time, naturally) that works out as less than £2.50 a month. What else can you get for £2.50? NOTHING, THAT’S WHAT.
Get yourself on the mailing list, and join us in figuring out how we might not only just survive, but thrive. (lol, jk, we won’t thrive. But we might giggle a bit more and probs feel less alone.)
Some of my most popular posts include these:
And just for fun, a few last things about me: I can squat 95 kilos for 3 reps. I am a single parent by choice. I became a parent through adoption. My own parents are my best friends. I have a first-class honours in Creative Writing and Media Writing. I’ve lived in Italy, Bali, India, Russia, London and am now in the Peak District, England. I am currently decorating my new house, and consider my style to be just a little bit “bad taste”. I lost 70 pounds on weight-loss injections. I’m partial to a protein iced coffee. I will never get a pet. I’m a terrible driver. My greatest achievement is completing a Tough Mudder. My second greatest achievement is knowing that completing a Tough Mudder once was enough. I read exclusively on my Kindle. I believe in love, and boundaries, and chocolate cake. Oh, and I’m exhausted. But trying not to be!!
