Cashmere Ink

In a previous article, "Just Write" Is Terrible Advice , I explored unlocking your writing potential through overcoming the fear of writing something imperfect. Writing is a process each time a new story idea is laid out. The first step is to just get it all out so you can clean it up later, every time. Not a single veteran author is out there skipping drafts. Now I want to explore the power of words when it comes to the popular terms that inspire us to draft. [This site is free of ads, tracking, and paywalls forever. Visiting my cool stuff curations  helps support that mission. Read on!] The Modern Concept of the "Zero Draft" I zero draft a lot. It's stream of consciousness writing that thrives on momentum, random thoughts in brackets, and chaining your inner editor to the wall before you start. I first heard this term in a Medium article by Rachael Arsenault called "What is a Zero Draft, And Why Should You Use One?" (2024), but let's figure out w...

On August 11, 2026, I woke up to an emergency broadcast alarm on my phone declaring a tornado warning for Portage, Indiana and surrounding areas. I sat up and looked outside. It was dark, but it was quiet. There was no wind and nothing that I could see in the distance. No cause for panic - but just minutes later another one came through. This one was the same as the first, except this time it said "IMMINENT THREAT" at the top. Okay...now it was time to panic. But first I had to take a piss. Standing in my bathroom, all seemed calm for the moment. Then the power flickered once. It was dead silent. Still nothing going on outside. The lights went off again for a couple seconds and then came back on - followed by no noise whatsoever. Now my internal alarms were going off. I've had the power go off countless times in my 35 years, but never like that. Something was telling me that these weren't just flickers. They were the shockwaves of the grid failing miles away while som...

Writing is difficult. Writing in a way that makes your readers feel truly connected to the story and evokes emotion is on another level. In the case of writing horror stories, beginners often want to jump straight to gore and strong, descriptive visuals to try and evoke feelings like disgust and discomfort. However, scary stories like that often fall flat and end up being unimpressive. As a horror writer you definitely want to make your readers feel: Disgust Fear Discomfort Paranoia Shock Uncertainty Etc. If it is a bad feeling, you want to nurture it. Not to say that you shouldn't have some hope or good things in your story if you can help it. The best horror stories are well-rounded, but the overall theme and most major events should center around the darkness and terror of your tale. Horror is a fine art that requires tact from the writer. Your readers should not realize that they are becoming scared all at once. Instead, it should be a slow, creeping sense that things are going...

Most Things Are Better Without a Peanut Gallery If you've been on the internet for more than ten minutes, then you know where to go if you want to find the most toxic energy on any page or post. That's right, the comments. I know what it's like to spend more time in the comments section than on an actual video or post. They can be quite amusing, but they can also be quite hateful. This post is not about feelings though. I'm not here to make a statement about hate speech. I've simply noticed that comments aren't necessary and I think that engagement would be much better overall if they didn't exist. I'm sure they are used by algorithms to determine engagement, but there is a better and much simpler way to do so. [This site is free of ads, tracking, and paywalls. I intend to keep it that way forever. Visiting my  curation pages  helps support that mission. Read on!] What Would We Do Without Comments? Uh, enjoy our lives? Spend less time absorbing toxic ign...

Can AI Actually Make Blogging Obsolete? Look around the internet now and it is obvious that artificial technology is taking over many aspects. AI-generated images , AI-generated blog posts , AI-generated videos , and probably even AI bot accounts that comment on content. So what do you do now if you are a blogger, content creator, artist or...a professional commenter? Well most people believe that you will be replaced. Sorry, you had a good run, but technology is here now. Bow to the new superior lifeform. It may be the optimist in me, but I don't believe this is true. I think that with the right attitude we can see an awesome shift when it comes to blogs and writing on the internet. I have bad news for the professional commenters, though: Fuck you. That's useless. There is nothing you can do. [This site is free of ads, tracking, and paywalls. I intend to keep it that way forever. Visiting my  curation pages  helps support that mission. Read on!] Your Art Form Is Probably Sa...

Stumbling Across Winter Burrow I was scrolling through YouTube the other day, looking for a cozy game playthrough to put on and I found the perfect video. Gab Smolders was playing Winter Burrow the day before release. I enjoy her videos and I was in the mood for something a little less serious, so I hit play. The game caught my attention so much that I decided to buy it and give it a try for myself. I found it to be a bit less cozy and more survival than I was prepared for, but I was not disappointed at the price point of $18 on the Switch Lite. In Winter Burrow, you play as a mouse returning from the big city to reclaim your family's old home, The Burrow . Guided by your Aunt Betulina , you learn to forage, craft, and survive. Along the way, you'll assist other forest folk that you meet along the way. The main characters that provide you with quests are: Bufo (Frog) Pollywog (Bufo's "Taddler" Tadpole) Gnawtusk (Squirrel) Willow (Mole) Moss (Fox) [This site is f...