Blogging & Writing

The 20 Best Things I Wrote This Year (on Sex, Love, Kink, Video Games, & Everything in Between)

Kate Sloan

Need some interesting stuff to read (or listen to) over the holidays? I gotchu, babe… Here are my top 5 favorite blog posts, newsletter essays, songs, and fanfic stories I wrote this year!

 

On this blog:

There’s a lot of messaging out there which seems to suggest that only conventionally attractive people deserve sex (a standard that often ends up being fatphobic, racist, transphobic, and ableist in its execution). It’s no wonder so many of us are nervous about being seen naked… [but] imperfections are part of what make sex feel so exciting, so raw, so human.

While I personally don’t feel any particular pull toward, say, growing out my armpit hair, spouting a constant stream of toilet-humor jokes, or pumping iron at the gym til rivulets of sweat roll down my back, I nonetheless think it’s fucked up that men can do all of these things without anyone blinking an eye, but if a woman does them, she’ll be judged as a failure of femininity by many segments of society. Fuck off with that shit! Let women be people! Let women be gross!

As with my recent trip to Portland, I’d decided to theme my entire Berlin wardrobe around a unified color scheme; this time, it was green, turquoisey-blue, and yellow. In these photos, you can see that I’m holding a yellow reporter’s notebook by Leuchtturm1917, a German brand, which I bought specifically for note-taking on this trip (nerd!), along with a limited-edition teal and yellow Lamy Safari pen…

I follow many Twitch gamer boys who are not insufferable misogynist assholes… and I found it delightful to watch their first playthroughs of Echoes. No one said a damn thing about it being weird to play as a girl. Instead, some of them exclaimed, with smiles gleaming and controllers clacking, “It’s so cool that you get to play as Zelda in this one!” Having played through Echoes myself, I see it as a feminist allegory – and not just because you play as Zelda.

I wanted a “lovecore” [pink and red] Night King. I love these colors, but perhaps even more importantly for this post, I have a lot of clothing in these colors! I started putting together outfits in my head before my new Night King even arrived on my doorstep – and when it did, it was so stunning in-person that I was even more excited to style it up. Ready to see the dildo-inspired ensembles I came up with?

 

For my newsletter (you get access to the entire past archive for just $5/month!):

This is one of the reasons I find sex so enduringly fascinating. Like a quantum particle, it can appear completely different depending on how you observe it, and who’s doing the observing… If you’re having a conversation with a friend, it’s comparatively easy to tell if you’re both enjoying the conversation – not least because sometimes one of you might literally say something like, “I always enjoy talking to you!” Why is sex any different?

These days, the “good men” – the feminist men, the socially-conscious men – will be more hesitant to “make the first move” in any romantic or sexual context… So nowadays, if you’re a woman who dates men, like I do (among others), and if you want the men you date to be “the good ones,” you have to be willing to take more initiative in sex and dating, even when that feels uncomfortable.

…sometimes I just keep adjusting the way I’m sitting, and the way my hair is falling, and the expression on my face, because some voice in the back of my head is telling me, “Your job right now is to look pretty so that maybe you’ll be approached. If you don’t look pretty, who knows what wonderful opportunities you might be passing up?” And ay, there’s the rub, isn’t it? FOMO. I love romance and I love love, so deeply that it actually pains me to consider missing an opportunity that would’ve been great.

For one thing, just because something is “evolved” doesn’t mean it’s good. Creatures less evolved than us would be incapable of climate change, nuclear warfare, or genocide, at the scale that we are capable of those things. Apes don’t hoard AK-47s. Amoebas know nothing of fascism. Our being highly evolved is exactly what has led us to the brink of self-destruction. “Highly evolved” is not a selling point.

…if we want to have the best sex possible – that is to say, the most mutually arousing, pleasurable, satisfying and connective sex possible – we need to actively counteract the forces that contribute to our partners’ sexual anxiety and our own. We need to focus on creating a comfortable environment. I mean this on every level possible.

 

Songs:

We’ve had an arrangement, all these many years:/ Keep it easy-breezy, and you’ll keep away the tears/ But lately, our arrangement is definitely changing/ I don’t understand; this was not the plan!/ I might be crying “Fire!” when there’s just no smoke/ Why’m I trying to fix us up when we’re not broke?

Solastalgia: I miss you before you leave/ I know the blow is coming, so why not start to grieve?/ That’s why goodbyes make me cry while you’re still near/ Solastalgia: I miss you while you’re still here

Some would say this is the coward’s way/ If I want something, I must make it so/ But I can’t just yet, can’t take a risky bet/ ‘Cause you’re somebody to think about, somewhere for hope to go

Please don’t be too hard on you/ Love yourself the way I do, and/ Care about you like I care about you/ And if you ever think you want to die/ Call me up instead, ’cause I/ can’t live without you, I can’t live without you

Party night, and I’m already shook/ Shoulda stayed at home with whiskey and a book/ ’cause I’m an introvert, an introvert at a party/ And when you wonder where I’ve gone/ Check the kitchen, hallway, terrace, and the john/ ’cause I’m an introvert, an introvert at a party

 

Fanfic:

Roman slinks into his hotel room for the night, kicks his shoes off, and wonders why the fuck he drank all that champagne. The Waystar C-suite was celebrating a win – a Logan-approved media merger that had been Ken’s baby, not Rome’s, so naturally Roman had to toss back a couple flutes of fizzy stuff just to settle the good ol’ daddy issues in his stomach. The way his dad had looked at Ken made Roman want to drink bleach, but the cater-waiters at the party were only serving Cristal.

It would be an understatement to say that Roman has jerked off to the memory of sex with Gerri… It would be more accurate to say that ever since that night, Roman has thought of nothing else when he jerks off. No hentai babes with heaving jugs, no shapely schoolmarms wielding wooden canes, no panting blonde porn stars with bleached buttholes. Just Gerri, and the back of that towncar, and the hotel. He can still remember it with startling clarity, although that might just be because he’s replayed it enough times to clog his shower.

Mark doesn’t know much about the severance procedure on a technical level, but one thing he does know – because it came up in a Milchick PowerPoint about keyboard shortcuts – is that it takes your memories, but not your basic human knowledge, your “implicit memory.” It’s why they can still speak, and breathe, and piss. It’s why Mark can wonder what rain sounds like. It’s also why Mark knows what a “date” is, even though he’s never been on one before and is pretty sure they’re specifically banned. He’s not gonna check the handbook to confirm that, mostly because he’d rather go on a date with Helly.

Henry doesn’t think all-night improv sounds like torture, but he’s a theater kid to the core, beer commercials notwithstanding… [He] remembers those sleepless theater nights, himself – set-building til three, running lines in 24-hour diners, cast parties that lasted from one night’s curtain call to the next day’s matinee. Sleep-deprived actors are a nutty bunch… His Blanche and his Ophelia had both been the sorts of girls who never would’ve given him the time of day, outside their little theater bubble – but when they were exhausted from all the partying and acting and feeling of it all, he’d be the warm body beside them in the wings, goofy-grinned and ripe for a loopy liplock… “How do I get a ticket?” he asks Casey now, because he’s only fucking human.

He hasn’t gotten hard since his dad died, nocturnal stiffies notwithstanding. Yeah, that was a whole therapy session, right there. He was real fuckin’ grateful for HIPAA the day he shared that little gem. It’s not like it was a surprise; his boner had been limping along for years, kept alive only by pharmaceutical intervention (and an occasional phone call with a sadistic blonde shrew, before that got all fucked up). Makes sense that his hard-on kicked the bucket when his dad did. Might’ve been the old man’s dying wish, for all Roman knows. ‘Curse my sicko son with a defective johnson, so he can never be happy.’ God, it’s Freudian as fuck. Makes him want to stab himself to death with the corner of a DSM-5.

 

Did you have a favorite thing that I wrote this year, babes? (Self-indulgent question alert!!) Wishing happy holidays to you and your loved ones! ❤️

Review: reMarkable 2

Kate Sloan

I usually review sex toys, but today I’m gonna review a piece of technology that doesn’t go inside me…!

Last month, for my birthday, my partner gave me a reMarkable Essentials Bundle, which contains the reMarkable 2 paper tablet, a black leather folio-style cover for it, and the Marker Plus stylus. I have adored using these products in the ~month that I’ve had them, so I wanted to review ’em here.

 

What is the reMarkable 2?

The reMarkable is a tablet, meant to be used primarily for writing (although you can read stuff on it, too). With the included stylus/pen, you can write directly on the surface of the tablet, and it looks and feels like you’re actually writing on paper. (You can also get a keyboard case for it, if you prefer to type, but I like writing by hand when I can.)

The reMarkable uses E-Ink (electronic ink) technology, like most e-readers, including my beloved Kindle – which means that it consumes much less power than something like an iPad, and causes significantly less eye strain. Looking at an E-Ink screen is basically like looking at the page of a book (or, in this case, a notebook).

A peek at my computer screen when I was working on my Arosum strap-on review – I had the reMarkable app open and was referring to the notes I’d taken during my testing sessions

What do I use the reMarkable for?

In the past, I’ve considered buying myself a portable typing machine, like the Freewrite Traveler, because I liked the idea of distraction-free writing. Although it’s convenient to write blog posts/articles/newsletters directly on my laptop or phone, I get sidetracked by notifications all too often. Even disconnecting my internet and setting my devices to “do not disturb” doesn’t always work, because temptation is high and my willpower is low.

As intriguing as the Freewrite devices are, the author Meg Elison said that it somehow lost a 4,000-word draft of hers, which is just… deeply not okay. There’s no way you can relax into the flow of creativity if you’re constantly panicked about the possibility of your work disappearing into the ether. So, while the limited-edition lemon-yellow Freewrite is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, I’d be hesitant to buy one.

The reMarkable is based on similar principles but is mostly about longhand writing, not typing. Although I do a lot of typing in my day-to-day life, I love writing by hand, and often find that it helps me think more clearly and remember things better (a finding which is backed up by science).

A sampling of things I’ve used the reMarkable for, since getting it:

  • Drafting essays for my newsletter
  • Drafting fanfic chapters
  • Taking notes for reviews while testing sex toys
  • Making packing lists and shopping lists
  • Brainstorming plot points and character details for a novel
  • Taking notes on books and articles I read
  • Doing morning pages
  • Writing lyrics and chord progressions for songs
  • Taking notes during conversations/meetings/interviews

 

Things I love about the reMarkable

  • Writing on this thing actually feels like writing on paper. There’s a subtle scratchiness to the texture, some tactile feedback that you just don’t get when you’re writing on, say, an iPad screen with a stylus or your fingertip.
  • Likewise, the E-Ink display means that it looks like paper, so I don’t get eye strain the way I would if I was hunched over a draft on my laptop for hours. There’s almost no glare from sunlight/lamps/etc.
  • The distraction-free nature of the reMarkable makes a significant impact on how quickly and easily I’m able to get into flow state when writing on it, which ultimately makes my writing better and more enjoyable. The device has internet access, but only uses it for syncing documents. Hallelujah.
  • There’s a feature which allows you to convert handwritten text into typed text, and then export it in various ways, so that you can paste it into whatever you’re using it for (like, say, a blog post reviewing the reMarkable!). My handwriting isn’t super messy but also isn’t always the most clear, and I still find that the reMarkable does a pretty good job of transcribing it, with the exception of sex-related words (see the “things I don’t love” section below for more on that). I usually only have to do minimal editing and formatting before publishing.
  • The pen/stylus is comfortable to hold, attaches magnetically to the side of the device, and is sensitive to pressure and angle, which makes it just as suitable for drawing or calligraphy as it is for writing. There are several different writing implement options you can select on the device; I usually stick with a simple black ballpoint, but you can use different ink shades, and there’s fineliners, pencils, a paintbrush, a calligraphy pen, etc. There’s also an “eraser” on the back of the pen; you can swipe it over segments of writing to delete them.
  • There’s a fantastic selection of page templates you can use, including blank, lined, dotted, grids, checklists, day/week planner spreads, sheet music, etc., each with several variations to choose from. I tend to use blank pages for creative tasks that require loose, expansive thinking, like brainstorming and songwriting, and then I’ll switch to a lined template for essays and articles. Each page of each document can use its own template, too, which is great for bigger projects where I might want to swap back and forth between brainstorming and writing, all within the same document.
  • You can use the select tool to grab text and move it around on the page. I love this feature because I tend to do a lot of editing and reordering while I’m writing, which makes it difficult for me to draft longhand – unless I can manipulate the text like I can on the reMarkable.
  • The reMarkable has a “layers” functionality, like Photoshop. At first, I wasn’t sure what I would use this for, but I’ve found it helpful when making packing lists or other checklists. The list itself goes on the bottommost layer, and then I create another layer on which I check things off. That way, if I need to re-use the list again later (like when packing for my return trip), I can delete the top layer and the checklist will be blanked out, ready to be used again.
  • The organizational system of the reMarkable is simple but effective. It’s easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to find things. Each document is called a “notebook.” Notebooks can be organized into folders, and you can also assign tags to your notebooks to organize them even more. I have a folder for my blog, a folder for newsletters, a folder for songs, etc. On that note, the overall interface of the reMarkable is really simple and pared-down – it’s got the features you need, and very little else, which (again) helps me stay focused on writing.
  • By default, there’s a catch-all notebook called “Quick Sheets,” which is indeed fantastic for when you just need to take a quick note and don’t want to spend the ~20 seconds it takes to create a new notebook, name it, and pick its template. Just tap the Quick Sheets button at the top of the screen and you’ll be taken to a fresh page in the Quick Sheets document. I find this especially useful for creative tasks, because artistic ideas can be very fleeting and so it’s crucial to have tools that can record them quickly.
  • Much like an iPad, the reMarkable allows for swiping and pinching gestures. You can swipe to turn the page, for example, and pinch to zoom out. The device doesn’t respond as smoothly or predictably to these gestures as an iPad or iPhone does, but I wouldn’t really expect it to; that’s the nature of E-Ink.
  • The device has 8 GB of internal storage, which is a lot, for the type of documents it creates. You also get a free year-long subscription to reMarkable’s Connect service when you buy the tablet, which gives you unlimited cloud storage, so you can keep all your documents, not just the ones that fit on the device.
  • Speaking of Connect, it’s a well-implemented cloud service that (in my experience) syncs effortlessly across devices. I love being able to open the reMarkable app on my phone, iPad, or computer and see all the notes I’ve made; it’s super convenient and means that I don’t have to bring the tablet with me everywhere to refer to what’s on it. That being said, if you don’t want to pay reMarkable the (very reasonable) $2.99/month subscription fee after your first year runs out, you can sync via Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive instead.
  • As someone with chronic pain in my arms and hands (not to mention every other part of my body), I often find that writing on the reMarkable is more comfortable/less painful than writing in a real notebook, largely because the stylus requires less pressure so I don’t have to grip it as firmly or press it against the page as hard.
  • The reMarkable is less conspicuous in public than something like the Freewrite, which can garner a lot of stares and questions from strangers, according to Meg Elison. The reMarkable mostly just looks to a casual observer like you’re writing on paper.
  • The battery life is wonderful, as is common for E-Ink devices. I generally need to charge it every 1-2 weeks, depending on how much I’ve been using it. I’ve never had it die while I was out somewhere using it; the battery indicator gives you plenty of warning. I also love that it charges via USB-C, because that’s the same type of cable I use to charge my computer, Kindle, and Switch, so I’ve always got one nearby.

 

Things I don’t love about the reMarkable

  • My most common annoyance with the reMarkable is the way its convert-to-text function handles sex-related words. Much like the autocorrect feature on my iPhone, reMarkable’s text conversion feature gets most words right, but struggles with words like “sex,” “dick,” “fuck,” etc. Just today I imported a newsletter on sex toys and the reMarkable had exclusively transcribed the term as “sec toys,” “see toys,” or “set toys.” This type of verbal filtering would probably be helpful for most users – on the iPhone, I’m sure it’s prevented millions of people from accidentally texting a lewd autocorrected message they didn’t intend – but for people like me, who write sexy stuff, these corrections feel like puritanical censorship, and can make the editing process much more cumbersome.
  • It’s pretty damn expensive, especially if you consider that the iPad isn’t that much pricier but can do a lot more. The Starter Bundle, which comes with just the tablet, the stylus, and a 1-year subscription to the reMarkable’s cloud service, is $449, whereas the fancier Essentials Bundle (which comes with the same stuff + the folio case) is $599. If you want the keyboard case, that’s another $199. You’ll need to replace the stylus’s tip every so often (the company suggests replacing it every 3 to 7 weeks if you use the device every day, which I don’t), but it comes with 9 spare tips; after that, you can order a 25-pack for $39. In addition to all that, reMarkable’s cloud service, Connect, costs $2.99 per month, but you get a free year with your tablet purchase. Needless to say, this all adds up, and I probably never would’ve bought this device for myself unless I had a sudden, unexpected financial windfall, even though I think it’s an excellent invention that justifies its steep price tag.
  • I wish that the device would wake from sleep automatically when you open the folio cover, the way my Kindle does. It’s minorly irritating to have to press the power button every time.
  • It’s a bit odd that the reMarkable offers different ink colors, like blue and red, despite the fact that it doesn’t actually display these colors (it only displays shades of black and grey). You’ll see the colors rendered properly if you view your documents in the reMarkable app on your phone/iPad/computer, but not on the device itself, which is sort of confusing.
  • There’s no backlight. This is mostly a pro, not a con, because this device is supposed to be more paper-like than tablet-like, and the lack o’ backlight dramatically improves the device’s battery life and cuts down on eye strain – but, of course, it means that you can’t easily use this device in low lighting.
  • As an iPad mini user with petite hands, I sometimes wish the reMarkable was smaller, or at least that there was a smaller version available. Currently it’s 9.7″ by 7.4″, which sometimes feels awkwardly large to me when I’m writing on it (especially in bed/on my lap), and doesn’t fit in my small-to-medium-sized purses. But I’m sure most people would love this size, and there are many times when I’m grateful it’s this big because it gives me so much room to write and draw.
  • I wish there was a more secure way of storing the stylus. The magnet on the side of the device is pretty strong, but I’ve had the stylus get knocked off of it a couple times just from me rifling around in my purse, and I’d hate to misplace it, since a replacement would cost $139 (!!). Some kind of pocket or pen loop would be awesome.
  • The “eraser” on the back end of the stylus is a super useful touch, but I often find it’s less precise than I’d prefer. I usually end up erasing some surrounding stuff that I wasn’t intending to erase.
  • The reMarkable is not waterproof – which, I mean, I wouldn’t really expect it to be, but the Kindle is, and it would be nice to someday have a device that allows me to write in the bath without risking ruining a notebook or expensive gadget.

 

Final thoughts

The reMarkable 2 is expensive and excessive, but I am obsessed with it. It makes writing feel more joyful, more absorbing, and more comfortable. It gives me most of the benefits of writing by hand, and most of the benefits of writing digitally, with almost none of the drawbacks usually found in both of those options.

If you love writing by hand, but you find it impractical because you always need to type up what you’ve written afterward, or because you like to do the kind of heavy editing that pen and paper don’t allow for, you’d probably love the reMarkable. If you want to spend more time writing and less time checking your social media and getting distracted by your texts, you’d probably love the reMarkable. If you want a device that can take notes anywhere, and sync them everywhere, you’d probably love the reMarkable.

I’ve taken it to the park to draft smutty fanfic scenes in the sunshine. I’ve scribbled sex toy missives on it at the airport. I’ve kept it beside me in bed, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice when I have a sudden idea I need to get down. I love this thing. It has made writing feel fun and easy again, and that’s pretty damn remarkable.

 

This post wasn’t sponsored, I’m just a dork who loves good writing tools.

12 Days of Girly Juice 2022: 11 Favorite Articles

Kate Sloan

I wrote upwards of 150 articles this year, on this blog and elsewhere. And while I would love to be able to say that all of them were equally creatively fulfilling, and that I was equally happy with both the process and the product of all of them, that’s just not the case.

But fortunately, my articles aren’t like children – I don’t have to pretend to like them all the same amount. I’m allowed to have my favorites. And I do! Here are my 11 favorite pieces of prose I produced this year…

 

For this blog

  • “Let’s Talk About Jeans Bondage“: In February, a reader paid me to write a blog post about their favorite fetish, one that combined the thrilling constriction of bondage with the iconic aesthetic of jeans. I’ve never done a piece of writing like this before, one where my entire task was to interview someone about their unique fetish, which I had never heard of before, and then explain it in writing as if to a layperson. Really interesting project and I think the post (and accompanying photos) came out well!
  • “Polyamory & Trauma Are a Tricky Combination, But These Resources Can Help“: I always love compressing a bunch of big lessons I’ve learned into a compact, easily digestible form for my readers/listeners. In this post, I wrote about my struggles with polyamory as a result of being a trauma survivor, and listed many of the tools which have helped me in this regard, from books to workshops to therapity modalities. I hope it helps lots of folks!
  • “How to Squirt“: I’m not sure why I never wrote an in-depth squirting guide before this one, but I was glad to finally put down in writing every single piece of advice I have for hopeful squirters and their partners. It contains a squirting FAQ as well as tips, techniques, and toy recommendations that’ll give you a better shot at learning to squirt.

 

For the now-defunct MEL Magazine (RIP)

  • “The most delicious edible lubes, according to a renowned pastry chef“: When my editor at MEL told me she wanted me to interview a Michelin-starred chef about flavored lubes, I immediately wondered if I’d even be able to find such a person who’d be willing to go on the record about such a tawdry subject. I managed to get an interview with the wonderful Eric See, an acclaimed pastry chef, and he was happy to answer my various weird questions about lubes with flavors like “white chocolate raspberry truffle” and “strawberry pomegranate.” The piece was amusing to work on and also functions as a good introduction to flavored lubes in general.
  • “The best sex games, for when you want to play in more ways than one“: My editor allowed me to take a very liberal approach to defining “sex games” for the purposes of this article, so I wrote about sex-related video games, board games, dice games, discussion-based games and more. I also wrote more generally about the benefits of playing games with sexual partners (or potential/hopeful sexual partners), and how to do so in a way that respects the boundaries of everyone involved.
  • “The ins and outs of Christina Aguilera’s humongous Pride dildo“: I was so excited when I received an email from my MEL editor one Monday morning asking me if I could write an article about a sparkly strap-on that Christina Aguilera had worn at a Pride performance over the weekend. Initially I was just going to write about the cultural implications of an out-as-queer female pop star wearing a strap-on in public and theorize on what kind of dildo and harness she might’ve been wearing, but after some sleuthing, I was actually able to briefly interview (via Instagram DM) someone at the small boutique company that bedazzled the dildo. Being a journalist is so fun sometimes!
  • “The Slubb is a power tool you put on your penis“: The Slubb is one of the loudest, heaviest, strongest and strangest sex toys I’ve ever tried. For this article, I wrote about how two German brothers had the idea to make a sex toy out of a power tool – and, of course, I tested it out myself on my partner, who is a very good sport.
  • “Spit or swallow? My journey through the cum cocktail recipes in Semenology“: One of the many reasons I was so thrilled to work for MEL was that they let me pitch my wackiest ideas for sex stories and then usually let me write those stories. For this one, I read Semenology, Paul Photenhauer’s semen-based cocktail recipe book, and interviewed cocktail bartender Greg Hyatt about the recipes contained therein. And then, naturally, I made a whiskey sour containing semen and drank it, for science.

 

For my paid weekly newsletter, Sub Missives

  • “What happens when hot, horny singles do chastity play, on an island, in front of a camera crew?“: A significant portion of my media consumption during the pandemic has focused on cheesy Netflix dating reality shows like Love is Blind, Are You the One? and Too Hot to Handle, the latter of which inspired this essay on chastity, humiliation, demisexuality, and how all three can be blended together into one show.
  • “I just turned 30; here are 30 things I’ve learned about dating“: I thought turning 30 would be scarier than it actually turned out to be. I thought I’d just feel old (and let’s be real, sometimes I do, especially when I scroll through TikTok), but more than that, I just feel wiser, braver, and stronger. In this piece I distilled 30 of my most important dating-related lessons into a pithy list. I wish I could show this piece to a younger version of me, but I think many of these things can only be learned “the hard way.”
  • “5 vintage sexual fantasies for nostalgic moments“: Sometimes I like imagining the secret sex lives of stars from decades gone by, like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Elvis. This piece contains 5 erotically-charged vignettes set in the 1950s, some of which feature celebrities from that era and some of which focus on regular people (or at least, my movie-sanitized notion of what regular people were like in the ’50s). It was fun to write and even more fun to imagine while writing!

 

What were your favorite things you created this year?

All the Hardware & Software I Use for Blogging, Journalism, Podcasting & Music

Kate Sloan

I get questions sometimes about the equipment I use to do the various things I do, so I thought I’d compile it all in one big master post! (Last updated: 10/08/2024)

 

General hardware

  • My computer is a 2022 M2 MacBook Air. I added more storage space and RAM than the base model offers, so it can keep up with the most taxing tasks I do (usually video or audio editing).
  • When I’m at my desk, my MacBook is hooked up to my 24-inch ViewSonic monitor, which I got because it’s one of the only ones that can connect to a MacBook and charge it at the same time, through just one cable.
  • When at my desk, I switch back and forth between a few mechanical keyboards that I customized myself. My daily driver is a blue Epomaker Galaxy80 with Holy Panda switches on the alphanumeric keys, Akko Cream Blue switches on the modifier keys, and blue and pink pastel keycaps from Drop; I also added a custom volume knob to it. When I’m podcasting, or doing other activities that require quiet, I switch to a KeebMonkey KBM68Pro that has Akko Fairy silent switches on the alphas and Akko Penguin silent switches on the modifiers, with turquoise gradient keycaps.
  • I use an Apple Magic Trackpad (a gift from my Apple-nerdy spouse). Have never really been able to go back to using a mouse after getting used to a trackpad.
  • My spouse also got me a reMarkable 2 a while ago, which I love to use for writing while traveling, writing at coffee shops and bars, songwriting, note-taking, and various other writerly purposes.
  • I use my iPad mini 5 for leisure activities mostly (Netflix, Instapaper, etc.) but it’s also what I work on when my chronic pain is flaring up too badly for me to sit at a desk, or when I want to work in a location where bringing a laptop would be inconvenient. I often use it with a walnut iPad stand from Yohann, which is very design-y and beautiful.
  • My phone is an iPhone 13 Pro, a hand-me-down from my generous spouse. It has a great camera; I take most of my photos and videos on it.
  • For Zoom calls and such, I have a Logitech C920S webcam affixed to my monitor.
  • When I read, either for pleasure or for research, I’m usually doing it on my Kindle Paperwhite. I love that it’s waterproof, because I read in the bath a fair bit, and I also love its highlighting and note-taking features.
  • I have a HomePod mini next to my bed which I use to control music and lighting with my voice, among other things. it’s especially convenient on days when chronic pain and fatigue are making it difficult for me to do things myself.

 

Podcasting & music equipment

 

Analog hardware

 

Software

  • This blog runs on WordPress.
  • I do most of my other writing in Google Docs.
  • I keep track of my income and business expenses in Google Sheets.
  • The Notes app that comes built-in on Apple devices is my best friend, and I use it for the bulk of my digital note-taking and for keeping track of my life overall. It’s where I make my daily to-do list as well.
  • I used Scrivener to write both of my books. It’s the best software for longform projects that I’m aware of.
  • For podcasting, I record in Audacity and edit in Adobe Audition. No particular reason for these choices except that I know them well/have been using them for a long time (they taught us Audition in journalism school and I used Audacity for my first podcast, when I was 12!).
  • Depending on who I’m talking to, I usually do online video or audio calls with either Zoom or FaceTime.
  • When interviewing people on Zoom or similar, either for a podcast or for an article, I record audio with Piezo.
  • When interviewing someone over the phone (very rare these days), I use TapeACall Pro. It’s a bit convoluted and unreliable, though, so I’d like to find a better solution someday.
  • For making rough demo recordings while writing songs, I use Voice Record Pro. This is also how I capture any random melodic ideas that come to me while I’m out and about.
  • During the songwriting process, I often use the Rhymezone app, not only for rhymes but also as a dictionary and thesaurus.
  • I use Descript for automated interview transcriptions. It is a weirdly complicated and difficult-to-understand app but I know how to do the basic things I need to do in it, so it’s fine.
  • I save and read articles in Instapaper. I save and read book highlights in Readwise.
  • The Dildorks is hosted on Simplecast.
  • I record and produce music in GarageBand and then edit videos in iMovie.
  • I listen to tunes on Apple Music all day long.

Where I’ve Been Lately…

Kate Sloan
Photo by my spouse

Hello, friends! If you read this blog regularly, maybe you’ve noticed I haven’t been posting at my usual clip lately. I thought I’d update you on why that is, and what I’ve been up to.

The main thing is that I recently got a new gig reporting on sex for MEL Magazine, one of my all-time favorite publications. I’ve been reading and loving their stuff for at least 6-7 years, so it’s delightful that I get to write for them now! Here’s a highlight reel of some of my favorite pieces I’ve written for them over the past few months (you can peruse my full archives by clicking here):

I’ve also been cohosting The Dildorks podcast as per usual; here are some of my favorite recent episodes we’ve done:

In addition to that, I’m still writing my weekly newsletter containing intimate essays and thoughts on sex and love, Sub Missives, for premium subscribers (it’s 5 bucks a month or 50 bucks a year). Some recent faves:

I’m also still doing my “A Song A Week” challenge, writing and recording one new song every week for the duration of 2022. Here are some of my favorites lately:

  • Dear Professor (a kinky sad love song)
  • The One (a romantic song about my spouse)
  • Difficult Woman (inspired by the hardships faced by Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland)
  • Doll (a song from the perspective of a sex doll hidden in a closet)
  • Bodily Autonomy (an unapologetically pro-abortion rights song)

Finally, I’ve still been doing promotion for my two books, 101 Kinky Things Even You Can Do and 200 Words to Help You Talk About Sexuality & Gender, both of which you can get at local bookstores or online.

I’ll still be posting on this blog once in a while – I’m definitely not shutting it down or anything! But with all these projects on my plate, the blog is no longer my top priority, so I thought I’d let you know what else I’m up to so you can check out my other work if you’re so inclined.

Love always, and thank you for the support! 💖 -Kate