If You’re Still Writing With a Wooden Pencil in 2026, Here’s What You’re Noticing that Few Others Are

The author holding his wooden pencil over a closed green notebook.

Recently, I’ve begun writing in a Leuchtturm1917 (review coming soon) in an attempt to fill it completely. It’s still early in the process, and I’ve already switched writing instruments once. My pen died so I moved on to a nearby pencil. After writing out several full pages with this pencil, I’ve discovered I’m not merely … Read more

Things Every Upcoming Freelance Writer Should Know Before Their First Gig

A writer is busy writing on his keyboard with a pen.

There are a lot of different types of freelancing, even within the freelance writing community. My career has largely been focused around web publishing, meaning that I write articles similar to this one, just for much bigger sites. This guide is here to help you understand what I wish I understood from the beginning. With … Read more

This USDA-Inspired Activity Tracking System has Changed the Way I Look at Myself

A notebook in lab journal style showing a record of job applications for a young job seeker.

Do you ever look back at your life and wonder why you were such a lazy bum at that point? Does that point in your life include this week, yesterday, or this morning? You’re not alone, but a simple lab journaling method I started using years ago in my STEM career has absolutely straightened out … Read more

These 5 Things Matter More Than the Paper When Choosing a Notebook

A C.R. Gibson notebook opened on a bed with its spine, cover, ribbon, and clasp showing.

By this point you may have read about my 10-year notebook, a notebook that’s really stood the test of time and one that I just keep going back to. Does it have special paper, thick and absorbent, filled with dots and grids, lined with inspiring quotes, and formatted specifically for highly stylized journaling techniques? No, … Read more

Does Speaking Count as Writing?

A woman thinking with symbols.

There’s this constant debate about the nature of reading a physical book (or even digital book) versus listening to an audiobook. I frankly don’t care how you get your media, there’s no superior way to do so, and we’re all just passing time on our one journey through life anyhow. Yet, this debate bleeds over … Read more