For a lot of writers, writing is a form of self-care unto itself. Ditching the everyday hustle and the mundane idiosyncrasies of reality in favor of swoon-worthy romances, adventure, and intrigue, being able to explore a new place of our own making and become anyone we want with a swipe of the pen—who doesn't love that? But even though writing is an escape, it can still become stressful. A lot of writers sneak their writing into the nooks and crannies of their day, balancing

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

Chances are, if you've seen me on social media or have read posts on this blog, you know I work at an escape room. I've been there for about a year and a half now, and it's been such a wonderful experience. It may not be what I scribbled down on a kindergarten "When I grow up..." project (for the record, my actual answer was zookeeper), but it's a job that feels like it was made for me. In all honesty, it is my dream job. And frankly, I like to think I'm pretty good at it. F

Writing is often viewed as a solitary activity, something we do alone while we're hunched over our computers in the dead of night brooding as we wait for the muses to at last grace us with a dash of inspiration. But it takes a village to publish a novel. A story will go through so many hands before reaching bookshelves and, in my experience at least, some of the least talked about yet super-important are those of critique partners. Feedback from a critique partner, or CP, can

"Don't quit your day job" is a quip typically hurled at folks pursuing an endeavor in the performing arts like music or stand-up comedy who haven't honed their skills just yet. It's a well-meaning insult. The somewhat less blunt way of telling someone they don't have what it takes to make it in the industry. Right up there with the equally common, "What about a real job?" For many artists out there, quitting their day job to pursue their craft isn't so much a pipe dream as i

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