I just learned how to play chess.

Okay, technically I learned when I was around nine years old, but I only remembered that the knight is the horse one and it makes an L-shaped move. So I'm not counting that.

Duolingo recently added chess to their app, and I got hooked. I'll be honest—I get annoyed with the constant ads asking me to upgrade. But I gotta say, the way it teaches chess worked really well for me! And now I play it a few times a week for fun. (This is starting to sound like an ad. I genuinely just wanted to talk about how I learned to play chess.)

This was a gap in my knowledge that I've always wanted to fill, and I'm glad I did at thirty-five years old. I've had to learn a lot on my own as a solo business owner: website design, IT setup, tax preparation, etc. Sometimes those learning curves can be steep and stressful. But it was fun to learn something that had no stakes attached to it. And now I wonder what I should learn next. Maybe I'll start playing the piano again, or finally get proficient in geography.

What's something you've learned recently—for work or for fun? Reply to this email and let me know. I'd love to hear about it!

Recent Favorites

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​This reel was a permission slip I needed today.

I use this nifty website ALL the time. (Shoutout to Tara Whitaker, who shared it as a tip with the Freelance Editors Club one time!)

I nearly did an actual spit take while listening to this episode of The Popcast while I was eating my lunch.

A Book on My Nightstand

I just started A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith, and so far it's a great palate cleanser. It's a low-stakes historical mystery set in London in 1901 about a judge who is found murdered, and his long-time rival, a barrister named Gabriel Ward, learns there are secrets to uncover in his legal world. That blue on the cover is STUNNING too.

What I'm Up To

This month I'm doing a proofread for a client I've previously worked with, so it's been fun to return to the story they created! I'm also launching my manuscript evaluation service in January 2026.

I'm also with many of you in the thick of holiday prep mode: gift shopping, wrapping, planning, kid activities ... the list goes on. Let's all remind ourselves that we can choose what matters in this hectic season!

Thanks for Reading!

If you know someone who'd enjoy this newsletter, please forward it along!

In the meantime, you can connect with me by replying to this email or reaching out on my website or on my Instagram.

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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