What I Published in November 2022

Photo by Kelly Dawson

Earlier this month, a friend asked how long it takes me to write a story. “It depends,” I said, which is probably the worst way to answer a question when someone wants something definitive. But it does! Sometimes, particularly after drinking coffee, I can write an entire essay in a couple of hours. Other times, maybe because the subject matter is tough or I’m just not able to find a rhythm, one paragraph can take up an afternoon. 

Writing is hard, even for people who do it for a living. Composing a text or a tweet is one thing, crafting thoughts into a cohesive story is another. Fellow writers and I often send each other messages along the lines of, “Am I saying this right?” or “Is there a better way to put this?” even as we’re dealing with nothing but words all day, every day. In fact, I recently Slacked an editor I work with asking if a sentence was grammatically correct, simply because I had been tweaking and spell-checking and publishing since lunch. Letters have a funny way of blurring together into alphabet soup if you’re not careful.

In the freelance world, this adage is true (if not always possible, thanks to budgets): Get paid for your experience, not for the work. But I have to say that even when you’ve done a task a million times, there will be moments when it just doesn’t come together. On those days, step away from a blank page. Go for a walk. Take a nap. Watch a movie. Call a friend. I don’t necessarily believe in writer’s block, but I do believe in breaks. 

Here’s what I published in November:

Real Simple: A Living Room Feels More Spacious Thanks to a Clever Use of Built-Ins

Real Simple: This Reno of a Historic Georgia Kitchen Blends the Old and the Blue

Real Simple: A Blush-Toned Closet Became a Designer’s Arena for Risks

Real Simple: This Family Kitchen Embraces a Timeless Color Palette

Arch Digest: A Choppy Property With a Haunted Bedroom Is Transformed Into a Cliffside California Haven