Stop over-optimizing your morning, and just go to sleep — I am not a morning person. Never have been. But according to the internet, my inability to pop out of bed at 4 am like a friggin’ Navy Seal is the thing that’s keeping me from becoming my best self. And that’s total crap. Don’t get me wrong — there’s…

How ‘easy listening’ spawned an entire industry of emotional manipulation — Nobody likes change. So it should be no surprise to learn that a lot of people weren’t exactly excited to ride the first elevators after Elisha Graves Otis invented a safety brake in 1852 that made modern elevators possible. Which makes sense. Elevators must have been a tough sell for…

The simple joys of cooking pasta at home —

And that’s just … mean — I like phobias. Or at least, I like the idea of phobias. Fear of ants (Myrmecophobia) or the color yellow (Xanthophobia) is fascinating. But when I learned that ‘Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia’ means fear of long words, I got … sad. Apparently, this fear stems from the trauma of dyslexic kids “being embarrassed…

How Kurt Vonnegut, Roald Dahl, and Agatha Christie paid the bills before they became the writers we know and love — Writing full-time is brutal. If you pursue writing as a profession, you can look forward to “perks” like sporadic paychecks, constant rejection, crippling self-doubt, and the pleasures of managing the day-to-day operations of your own freelance business. And that’s if you’re a good writer.

And why that’s a really good thing — Growing up in America, I always thought a door was … well, a door. You take a standard-size rectangle, hang it in a frame on three hinges, and add a doorknob (preferably not in the middle of the door) that twists to open. Pretty basic stuff, right? Nope. My wife…

Busy work isn’t writing — I love spreadsheets. As a writer, I’m probably not supposed to admit that. But what can I say — I love a good pivot table. I use Google sheets to make to-do lists, organize my working drafts and ideas, and track my personal and professional finances. I’ve got formulas for…

And one is very difficult — Do you want to become a full-time creative professional? Cool. Here’s how to do it: Save/earn enough money to pay your bills for at least 6 months (more if you can) while you work on your art for very little or no money Work really hard for a long time…

And that says a lot about Americans — When Trump teased his “big announcement” most people thought it would be at least a little political. Maybe he’d announce his running mate for 2024 (lol) or that he was starting his own party. He might have a new conspiracy theory. Who knows with that clown? But no one could…