Welcome back to The Open Tab: Winter 2026 Edition, where I’ve gathered the online pieces that have lingered in my browser — essays, interviews, and reflections that sparked something I wanted to keep. These are the words I couldn’t quite close, the ideas that keep reshaping the work inside The Writer’s Atelier, as well as the random articles/spaces I’m enjoying lately online.
There’s a little something for everyone in my open tabs. I hope you enjoy this season’s issue!
Writing Inspiration
Other Substack articles that caught my eye this season
Emma Gannon (The Hyphen) updated her guide to spending less time online for 2026 and seeing I do some of these things already only motivates me to try more of her tips. My favorite?
“Go outside — breathe. Call a friend. Handwrite a letter. Touch some grass.”
kate lindsay (Embedded) wrote about “fixing” attention spans and leaning into boredom. Hint: put your phone down a bit more and do something else when you’re “bored”.
“There’s no theory to learn or science to practice. You don’t have to do anything to fix your attention span. You just have to be bored.”
Ariane Elizabeth Scholl (-esque) shared the analog hobbies she’s into upon hearing “going analog” is somehow now fashionable (again). Maybe I’ll F around and try to get into embroidery? I already journal by hand…
We want to dampen the noise and control what we are fed 24/7 by the algorithm. We no longer what to be consumed, but want to choose what we consume.
Do you sense a theme with these? What are you doing to avoid the hellscape that is the internet these days?
Writing — Craft notes, inspiration, and other articles I’ve read around the web that I’ve bookmarked along the way.
😓 Tiffany Yates Martin reflects on writing during the tough times. (Writer’s Digest)
💭 Lexi Lilly on utilizing “perhapsing” when writing. (Craft)
📺 Watch: George Saunders talking about revisions (and more) on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (YouTube)
👩🏼💻 Fiona McAuslan asks a question a lot of us writers have: Do writing retreats actually work? (The Guardian)
Non-writing related content — or, things I vibed with online
📚 NPR’s “Books We Love” for 2025 has a ton of top-tier recommendations, if you’re looking to fill your bookshelf. (NPR)
📖 NYT Book Critics reflect on their year in reading. (New York Times)
✨ James Webb has photographed “the earliest supernova to date” and wow, do I feel small…
🌋 Looks like we can’t put the blame on rats entirely for the Black Plague — had a volcano not erupted, the disease may have never been unearthed.
🖋️ Bad news for my fellow tattooed kings and queens. ☹️
🪴 Looking for something new to spark happiness and improve health? Good Housekeeping has six hobby suggestions you could try this year.
🪦 Ever thought about faking your own death? Here’s the psychology behind it.
When I’m creating, I’m usually listening to something. It might be in Apple Music, but it might also be open in a tab somewhere. Here are some of the things I’ve been jamming to this season while working on pieces and more.
Albums on heavy rotation:
“Aperture”, Harry Styles (yeah, this is a single, but I can’t stop listening to it!)
My personal “Favorites Mix” (updated weekly)
LoFi / Jazzy Vibes:
What about you? What essays, articles, or posts have lingered in your tabs this week? What are you listening to? Share a link or two in the comments — I love discovering what’s been sparking other writers’ thoughts or what you found enjoyable on the internet.
Until next season…
The Open Tab will be coming at you seasonally. That may change in the future, but we’ll see how things go for now.