Writing is hard on both your brain AND your body.
11.03.2026 15:01
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Writing is hard on both your brain AND your body.
British and American pronunciations differ. The American preferred pronunciation is conk, like conking someone on the head.
You think you know someone, and then you hear how they pronounce the word "conch."
You can only turn a USB around so many times. You would think.
The goal isn’t to be friends with everyone.
The goal is to know how best to build mutual, healthy friendships wisely and intentionally.
This year so far, I've read 21 books and 3 complete unpublished manuscripts.
I read well over a hundred books a year. Some years, I've read upwards of 200. I don't do this because it's some kind of competition. I do it because I genuinely love reading.
Eight months ago, I fell down the stairs at my house and fractured my foot. Today I ran eight miles. It feels good to be doing distance again.
In parts 1-4 of this series, we discussed how to 1) recognize moments of connection that could lead to friendship, 2) extend an intentional offer to spend time together; 3) wait for signs of mutuality, and 4) evaluate red and green flags.
Only then is it time to consider making it official.
Yes, you can ask someone to be your friend. And you should!
Here's how.
You're telling me Dunkin Donuts is selling coffee by the bucket.
The amount of trust that goes into pairs figure skating boggles my mind.
"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest" is one of my favorite romantic lines in all of English literature.
🙏🏽🙏🏽
A reminder: if you're a leader, it's vital that you're involved in something you're not in charge of and not naturally good at. It's a regular, valuable reminder that your gifts and skills don't reign supreme, that you have something to learn from others, and that we all need each other.
The early days of spending time mutually engaging with someone are a good time to keep your eye out for potential red and green flags.
How to Make Friends in 2026, Part 4
OPINION: Branwell Brontë would have been deeply involved in the manosphere.
I can only describe my codependent relationship with Microsoft Word as extremely toxic.
I'm now all in on The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.
While in the process of making new friends, a vital component is remembering to take a step back and wait to see if the other person matches your enthusiasm for connecting.
At a very basic level, this means waiting for signs of mutuality.
"If the only time you see someone is when you initiate, can you truly consider it a mutual friendship?"
How to Make Friends in 2026, Part 3:
Home printers are amazing unless you need them to work.
To say that writers must use AI or "lose the race" is just such a weird framing. Writing is not a race: it is a craft, and other writers are not competitors. They are colleagues.
If you’re thinking that initiating a Friendship DTR sounds awkward, I understand.
But I've found it so helpful.
If the price of coffee keeps going up at this rate, I'm going to have to start foraging in the woods and grinding my own chicory.
More than anything...this approach has helped me identify potential friends; transition from hanging out to confirming a mutual, committed friendship; begin to build strong bonds; and move forward with confidence in creating lasting relationships.
How to Make Friends in 2026, Part 2:
One thing I do miss about living up in that cabin in the mountains was the woodburning fireplace. I put a 10-hour crackling fireplace video on the TV, but it's just not the same. Mostly because the TV version doesn't smell good or emit heat and sometimes plays ads.
Just looked down at today's to-do list and saw that at one point I added a line item called "figure out things."
