Inside the Victoriana Collection: A Writing Box of Mystery, History, and Creative Intrigue

This all started with a feeling.

The feeling of holding something old - a torn photograph, a crumpled letter, a worn train ticket - and wondering, what story does this tell?

That’s always been my way in. I don’t just get inspired by ideas. I get inspired by objects. Real, physical things. Tangible pieces of a world that once existed - or could exist again, if you’re brave enough to write it.

That’s the heart of The Victoriana Collection.
It’s not a writing box.
It’s a world in fragments.
And the story is yours to tell.

Why I Made This

I built this for writers like me - the ones who find inspiration not just in simple written prompts, but in experiences. In atmospheres. In tiny details that feel too alive to ignore.

I wanted something that didn’t feel like a disposable workbook. I wanted something you could run your fingers over. Something that felt real, eerie, forgotten. Like it had been tucked away in the attic of an old London townhouse… waiting.

So I created Victoriana: a collection of documents, objects, and ephemera that look and feel as if they’ve survived from the late 1800s. Not a story you’re told - but a mystery you piece together.

Because sometimes the best way to beat writer’s block isn’t with another list of prompts.
It’s with a box that makes you want to write again.

What’s Inside?

This box is full of aged, beautiful, unsettling pieces - designed to make your imagination itch.

◆ A missing persons report to two
◆ A woman’s antique portrait, among other photos
◆ A séance invitation, mysterious and symbolic
◆ An asylum report, names redacted
◆ A child’s drawings — simple, haunting
◆ Torn diary pages, an odd recipe, train tickets, business cards, and more
◆ Physical items tied to Victorian spiritual beliefs: a key, a symbol, a token of something left unsaid

The hope was that it wouldn’t just look old, but also feel old. Smudged ink. Torn edges. Stained secrets.

But there is no single story here — only threads. You follow whichever ones speak to you.

Real Locations. Real Intrigue.

I included places like 50 Berkeley Square because some writers (like me) love to research. To anchor their stories in real geography. But I also left space (redacted names, obscured streets) so you can fill in the blanks.

Because Victorian London was a city of contrasts. Rich and poor. Gilded and grimy. Fact and fear.

You decide what parts of that world your story explores.

The Aesthetic: Gothic, Gritty, Beautifully Bleak

I’ve always been drawn to darkness — not just horror, but that quiet, mysterious undercurrent that makes your skin prickle. Gothic, moody, dark academia. That’s where I live creatively.

But what surprised me during testing?
Not everyone saw this as a horror box.
Some saw it as a love story. A psychological mystery. A poem.
And that’s the magic. This isn’t prescriptive — it’s open. You decide what the mood becomes.

A Box for Every Kind of Writer

I built this box thinking of what I would want as a writer. But what’s beautiful is that it resonates with so many people:

◆ The novelist between drafts
◆ The person who’s always scribbling in the back of their notebook
◆ The teacher looking for something deeper to spark creativity
◆ The blocked writer who needs something real to pull them back in

This box doesn’t demand anything from you.
It just whispers: What story do I tell you?

Why Victoriana Is Different

There are plenty of writing prompts out there.
But this isn’t a set of prompts. It’s a writing experience.

You won’t find checklists or instructions. You’ll find secrets. Half-told stories. Things that feel like they belonged to someone else - until you pick up your pen and take over.

Ink & Insights is built on this philosophy:
✦ That creativity lives in texture, detail, and experience
✦ That writing prompts should feel personal, not generic
✦ That stories are already inside us - we just need a spark

The Victoriana Collection is that spark.

While the physical box is a tactile experience designed to feel like you're holding the past in your hands, there’s also a digital version available - perfect for writers who prefer to print and pin, or to work on the go.

The digital version includes high-resolution printables of all the documents - redacted reports, letters, photographs, séance invitations - everything you need to get inspired and start writing. No postage, no waiting. Just immediate access to a world waiting to be explored.

The Bigger Vision

Victoriana is just the beginning.

Launching alongside it is The Kindling Collection - a box built around folklore, rural isolation, and eerie midsummer rituals. That collection is darker, more modern, and steeped in strange tradition.

And we’ve already got three more collections in development, including a YA box built with the help of someone who reads, writes, and lives in that genre (Think emotional depth, small-town secrets, and healing through writing).

These aren’t just products. They’re the foundation of a new kind of creative writing experience.
One that’s immersive. Tactile. Atmospheric.
One that’s designed to help people write more and write better, through inspiration that feels real.

Eventually, Ink & Insights will grow into a full community.
A place for writers who want prompts that don’t feel like homework.
A space for creativity to be fun again. Strange again. Sacred again.

If you're ready to go deeper, to create stories that come from ink-stained paper, candlelight, and gut instinct…

Then this is your beginning.

The Victoriana Collection is launching with a limited drop alongside The Kindling Collection this June.

◆ If you want to be the first to get your hands on it, then join our waiting list!