writing as a stay-at-home parent can be difficult. You are always needed somewhere, so you can't focus for long. Here are strats I use to get a little done, writing in the margins of life
https://jswordsmith.com/writing-as-a-stay-at-home-dad/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
Mercury Johnson has a simple job: break into a warehouse, grab the package, and get paid. Nothing goes as planned, as usual. And what is the Black Lotus anywhy?
Read the newest Mercury Johnson adventure
https://jswordsmith.com/black-lotus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
My MacBook Air ran out of storage before an update. I couldn't just run out and buy a new MacBook, so here are the things I did to reclaim storage on my laptop
https://jswordsmith.com/macbook-air-storage-full/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
Last spring my son's post-screen meltdowns got so intense I convinced myself he was developing an addiction at four years old. I bought the NEX Playground—a screen-time device with built-in limits—hoping it would reset his relationship with screens.
It didn't curb anything. The tantrums stayed the same.
But here's what I learned: the meltdown wasn't about the screen, it was about him not knowing how to stop something he loved. That's not addiction, that's being four.
The best writing setup isn't the one with every Apple device—it's the one you can actually afford this month while still paying rent.
I love the Mac ecosystem for writing. Always have. But I've watched too many writers put off starting because they're waiting to 'invest in the right tools first.'
The truth? Scrivener's power is real if you need complex project management. But if you just want to write between interruptions and trust your words will be there on every device—Ulysses wins.
Full breakdown: https://jswordsmith.com/scrivener-vs-ulysses/
I spent years loving Scrivener's binder—until I realized I was organizing chapters instead of writing them.
Then I tried Ulysses. Markdown everywhere, iCloud sync that actually works, and a writing mode that gets out of your way. No compile settings to debug at 11pm.
I've been using both Scrivener and Ulysses for years. One of them stuck. My full breakdown of the features, the tradeoffs, and which app wins is live now on JSwordSmith.
https://jswordsmith.com/scrivener-vs-ulysses/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
