Brain officially in airplane mode until January 2.

Twas the night before the night before the night before Christmas.

It's my last Monday in the office for the year. If you see me eating homemade peanut butter cups for breakfast at my desk, mind your business.

Imagine the gene pool that would produce both Peter Gallagher and Bill Pullman in the same family.

Writer behavior is having drafted the acknowledgements section for a book you haven't finished yet.

Carrying my favorite scented candle from room to room with me like a character in a Gothic novel.

Everyday it becomes clearer and clearer that not enough people read speculative fiction. #PatriotGames

Happy birthday to all my December birthday babies whose celebrations get lost in the shuffle.

That's my emotional support pile of scribbled-on Post-It notes.

Someone anonymously sent me a stack of Russian novels and I'm wondering if it was a gift or some kind of passive-aggressive, psychological power play.

Devotional pairing: Wake Up Dead Man and Romans 13.

I did not expect to be moved by an installment in the Knives Out franchise but here we are.

This is 47. Thankful.

Teenager (leaving the house): OH it's COLD Me: put on a coat Teenager: No 😍✌🏽

I don't know who wrote that Alzheimer's ad for the Lilly company, but it is devastating.

Writing is a skill-based discipline that rewards long-term commitment to the craft.

Writers in movies: I love writing, every day brings fresh inspiration. Writers IRL: I am so sick of this book I could vomit on the pages.

Witty banter only works if the other person is also witty and understands that it's banter.

Once again, my Spotify wrapped is the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen.

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day you took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber and deposited it between the scantlings. You then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye—not even mine—could have detected anything wrong.

Watching Fleetwood Mac's 1997 live performance of "Silver Springs" just to feel something.

Me: Here it is. My magnum opus. The manuscript into which I have poured my heart, mind, and soul. There is nothing left to add or detract. It is done & I am now mentally & physically bereft. A husk, only capable of the energy required to press send. Editor: this is a good start!

Happy #smallbusinesssaturday2025! I have a lot of handcrafted items available including rustic nativities, hats galore, market bags, scarves, ornaments, trees, & more! Fourth Wall= my tees and other apparel. Check out my Linktreee for links, leave a comment, send me a message. I do custom orders.

Frying leftover ham with eggs for a late breakfast as is the post-Thanksgiving tradition.

Holding space for all the mashed potatoes I'm about to eat.

Happy mashed potatoes eve!

For real, though.

How does Josh Johnson stay so current? That's what I would like to know.

Born to binge 1995 Pride and Prejudice, forced to make a living.

I woke up really worried about a project. I wasn't sure I knew how to finish it & I didn't know that I would be able to do it. I got myself all worked up and then I opened the draft and realized it was already finished. The reason I couldn't think of how to finish it is that it was already done. 🫠

“You’ll be visited by three spirits” The three spirits:

How much cheese are we eating this week, folks?

I just came through one of the more frustrating weekends I've experienced in a while. The good news? Friends showed up.

Cashier: (brightly) Did you find everything okay? Me: I won't really know for sure until I get home, but I can tell you right now that based on historical data, the answer is probably no.

Mum was trying to work out whether it was now or sleet, and said 'I'm just looking at whatever it is falling from the sky' and that's now the opening line for my new sci-fi horror novel.

All breathless optimism about the power of AI should be tempered by the knowledge that when someone texted to let me know that their cancer had spread to their bones, my auto-reply feature suggested that I respond with "Great! 👍🏽"

4 days in a row of early morning sunshine and coffee while wrapped in a blanket on the deck. I think it's helping.

When a writer tells you they desperately want to finish a draft of their current project, and you ask why they are rearranging all the shirts in their closet first by color and then by sleeve length instead of writing, it's clear you don't understand our culture.

Whoever is styling Junho's late-90s look in Typhoon Family knows exactly what they're doing.

The nativity trio featuring Baby Jesus, Mary, & Joseph is available in 4 skin tones, which you can mix & match. I have a few ready to go in each style. They make wonderful, unique gifts. $35 + $8 shipped.

Me: I bet in the future we will have flying cars The future: best I can do is AI chatbot Satan

Heavy is the head that writes the book.

Storing up vitamin D for winter like a squirrel stores nuts.

Nothing like AI offering to summarize a 1-sentence email for me.

"Thursday night, I finished my chores in the near-dark, sliding my mop over the kitchen floor in the dim glow of the pilot light...Once again, I’d pushed back the inevitable slide toward chaos—at least for another week."

New from me today

"I definitely know what words mean." #WriterAffirmations

The gift of hot coffee on a cold morning.

Today for the first time in weeks, I checked everything off my checklist. I found that the key to making this happen was writing a smaller checklist.