What I Published in December 2022

Photo by Kelly Dawson

I’ll tell you a little secret about writing: Sometimes the first draft is the final draft. When schedules are packed and deadlines are looming, the stereotype of a writer having all the time in the world to fill a page is about as far from reality as a billion-dollar bestseller. In December, I wrote to finish, not to finesse — and frankly, the ongoing always-be-publishing viewpoint of the industry makes this approach rather common. 

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy what I worked on, or that what I did is subpar to something else I created back in October. Freelancers have to be able to write well quickly in order to survive. And this month, my focus was more on meeting deadlines than anything else. 

At the end of the year, freelancers must contend with editors and sources who will likely be on vacation for at least two weeks leading into the new year, meaning that the best way to avoid any problems is to pack your deadlines toward the start of December (it’s also good to, you know, take a vacation as well). So, that’s exactly what I did. I wrote between two and three stories a day in the span of 15 days, sipping coffee and clicking on spell check the whole time. 

This plan made it so I had to be satisfied with my initial gut feeling about a story, and go from there. And at this point in my career, I’m confident in that muscle — but it takes a while for any writer to have this skill. What helps? Writing often, of course. 

Here’s what I published in December: 

Arch Digest: This 500-Square-Foot Manhattan Apartment Has a Small Yet Splashy Kitchen

Arch Digest: A Historic Brooklyn Townhouse Was Renovated Twice, But This Version Rightfully Preserves Its Past

Arch Digest: A Dallas Kitchen’s “Fun and Easy” Transformation Pairs Green and Wood Perfectly

Dwell: Budget Breakdown: An Architect Reimagines a Ramshackle Catskills Cabin for $170K

Dwell: Before & After: A Choppy San Francisco Home Finds Its Flow After a Mullet Renovation

Dwell: A Los Angeles Director’s Garage Is Recast as an ADU With a Screening Room

Real Simple: This San Francisco Home’s Laundry Room Comes With a Built-in Bar

Real Simple: 11 Best-Selling Paint Colors of 2022

Real Simple: A Couple’s Tiny Apartment Is Full of Impressive Storage Solutions

Real Simple: How to Fix 4 Common Painting Mistakes

Real Simple: This London Kitchen Features the Most Unexpected Cabinet Colors