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

For writers, there's no better place to be than in the zone. When the words are flowing, your characters are behaving, and everything is coming together. We love sitting down to write at 7:00 PM and not knowing how much time is flying by until we look up and realize it's somehow 1:00 in the morning. But for some writers, it can be hard to get into that state of mind. We live in a world of distractions. There are things that need our attention outside of our writing that somet

Reading a book is said to be like holding an entire world in your ha nds—and crafting these worlds is one of the most important skills for any writer to hone. Some writers draw inspiration from a familiar place when building their settings, like their hometown or where they currently live or a favorite vacation spot, weaving in sentimental and sensory details into an homage that invites readers to explore and get lost in it. But what if you want to set your story in a place y