via Steam Like many writers out there, I'm also a gamer. And like a lot of folks, I got really into Animal Crossing during the pandemic lockdown. Checking on my island was a daily ritual and became my favorite way to unwind once I'd started at a new job after being laid off following a furlough. That said, I'm not what you'd call a cozy gamer. My idea of cozy gaming is putting on my comfiest pajama pants, making some cocoa, curling up under a throw blanket, and listening to

After years of speculation on my part and finally getting more comfortable advocating for myself, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD last year when I was 28. In the months since, I've been learning to manage it through small steps. One of my more frequent fidgeting tendencies has always been picking at and biting my cuticles, sometimes until they bleed and sting when touched, so I've been testing out ways to break that habit. The paraffin hand cream from Bath and Body Works is

via Tome. Art is done in-house by Olivia. I'm what I call an "Internet Introvert." I've written more than once about being in the D.A.R.E. program during the early days of Myspace's existence and how my class's visiting police officer shared countless horror stories that made social media out to be a dangerous, lawless wasteland and how that, combined with personal insecurities, scared me away from using what has become such a valuable tool in the digital landscape. Lately, t

No matter if they prefer instrumentals, tracks with lyrics, or ambient noise, many writers prefer to tune out their surroundings as they write. And if that's you, it's possible that you're often looking for effective and affordable gear. Every so often, I find myself testing out a new set of earbuds. Maybe it's because the cord is worn out, the charging case doesn't hold a charge like it used to, I inevitably lose a single Bluetooth earbud somewhere (I'm gesturing vaguely as

So many writers, myself included, find that it's easier to concentrate when they have music playing. It can be helpful to lessen any distracting noises of your surroundings or further immerse yourself in your story's setting or the scene you're working on. Music can be such a valuable asset for your writing process, so it's important to set yourself up with the right tech. I've tested out many Bluetooth earbuds over the years, but the most reliable I've owned to date are the

By some keystroke of luck, I got my hands on the popular typewriter keyboard from Five Below. I came across this keyboard in a Yahoo article that popped up in my recommendations and the timing couldn't have been better. I was thinking about replacing the Bluetooth keyboard I'd been using for about six years, as the batteries weren't lasting as long and it would sometimes disconnect from my computer or duplicate keystrokes in abundance; it's not exactly easy to write when yo