Freelance Writing
I frequently write humor, parenting, and travel content. Check out highlights of my writing clips below.
Humor Writing
The New Yorker
- “The Best Animals to Watch Your Baby, According to Hemingway” (digital, July 2022)
- “How to Pick Out a Good Melon” (digital, July 2021)
- “Alternatives to National Novel Writing Month” (digital, November 2020)
- “What ‘Sweater Weather’ Is” (digital, October 2019)
- “What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting a Tax Refund” (digital, March 2018).
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
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“Collective Nouns for Parenting” (January 2022)
- “2021 Parenting Back-to-School Bingo” (August 2021)
- “Would-You-Rathers for Parents During Quarantine” (June 2020)
- “Living Through a Pandemic or Potty Training a Toddler” (April 2020)
- “Times I’ve Silently Belted ‘Let it Go’ To Cope With Corporate Culture” (November 2019)
- “Famous Opening Lines Rewritten for Back-to-School Time” (September 2019)
- “23 Impossible-To-Find Items That Your Camper Must Bring Tomorrow” (July 2019)
- “Spring Getaways for the Socially Awkward” (April 2019)
- “Before Bingeing on Hallmark Holiday Movies, Please Agree to These Terms” (December 2018)
- “William Carlos Williams Poems for Introverts” (September 2018)
- “Chopped Narrates Me Cooking a Summer Side Dish” (August 2018)
- “Parenting Blizzard Bingo” (January 2018)
- “Some Notes for My Child’s College Roommate” (August 2016)
- “Screen Time: An FAQ” (November 2015)
- “Toddler Discipline Made Easy” (July 2015)
- “Short Essays on Favorite Songs: ‘One Tree Hill’ by U2” (February 2005)
Parents Magazine
- If Hallmark Holiday Movies Were Made for Parents in 2020 (digital, December 2020)
- “Rules of the Sibling Fight Club” (print, June 2018)
- “Is Your Kid Ready for School Picture Day?” (print, October 2017) print pdf
- “8 Things I Won’t Miss About the Toddler Years”(digital, May 2017)
- “Math Word Problems for Today’s Parents” (print, May 2017) print pdf
- “Reasons Your Baby Isn’t Sleeping (Abridged)” (print, April 2017). print pdf
- “6 Ways Holiday Plane Travel is Different Before vs. After Kids” (digital, October 2016)
- “6 Ways Halloween is Different Before vs. After Kids” (digital, September 2016)
Real Simple
- “Little Free Libraries We Wish Existed” (print, February 2020)
- “Thank You For Calling The Book Club Helpline” (print, June 2019) print pdf
- “The Life-Changing Magic of Organizing Your Organizational Supplies” (print, July 2018) print pdf | digital version.
Washington Post
- “Honey, if you keep snoring like that, I’m moving to Fiji.” (Solo-ish blog, June 2017)
Electric Literature
The Rumpus
- “Funny Women #157: Habits of Less Successful Writers” (November 2017)
Marie Claire
- “Lifetime Holiday Movie Rejects: 9 Plots That Would Never Fly” Marie Claire (December 2016)
Brevity
- “Writing Prompts for When You Can’t Write Due to a Global Crisis” (blog, May 2020)
- “Classic Jokes for Writers” (blog, June 2018)
- “The Writer’s Index” (blog, June 2016)
Submittable blog
- “The Writing Routines of Parents Who Attempt to Write” (May 2020)
- “Wizarding Houses for Writers” (December 2018)
- “9 Alternatives to the Standard Form Rejection Letter” (February 2017)
Oh, Reader
- “The 5 Stages of Grief When Your Child Isn’t Into Your Favorite Book” (June 2020)
BuzzFeed
- “17 Productivity Hacks You Probably Shouldn’t Try” (February 2016)
Mom.com
Points in Case
Mommy Nearest
- “13 Clever Comebacks to Rude Comments About Your Baby” (April 2017)
Medium Publications
I’ve written humor for several Medium publications including The Belladonna Comedy, Slackjaw, Frazzled, The Haven, Jane Austen’s Wastebasket, and Emrys Journal Online. Here are some of my most popular pieces on Medium:
- “The Mandalorian’s Instructions to the Babysitter” on Frazzled
- “Welcome To Toddler Restaurant, Where You Can Dine Underneath Or On Top Of The Tables” on Slackjaw
- “20 Markets That Publish Humor Writing” on The Writing Cooperative
- “Daily Itinerary of an Insta Influencer Who Will Unfollow You” on The Belladonna
And here is a link to all my Medium publication pieces
Travel Writing
Fodors
- “11 Unique Playgrounds Around the World” (digital, November 2018)
- “How to Visit Denver with Kids” (digital, September 2016)
AFAR
- “The Best Places to Visit for Dinosaur Lovers of Any Age” (digital, May 2019)
- “How to See Colorado Through an Author’s Eyes” (digital, July 2016)
SheKnows
- “The Mom’s Guide to Denver” (September 2019)
Livability
- “7 Authors Recommend the Perfect Places to Read Their Books” (October 2019)
- “Living the Dream: I’m a BackCountry Guide in Colorado” (July 2019)
- “5 Family-Friendly (and Surprisingly Affordable) Colorado Resort Towns” (September 2018)
5280, The Denver Magazine
- “Summer Dreaming: 5 Camping Spots to Reserve Now” (digital, December 2016)
- 5 Boulder Restaurants with Unique Kids’ Menus (digital, January 2016)
Mommy Nearest
- “9 Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Denver” (September 2019)
- “5 Kid-Friendly Hikes for Denver Area Families” (June 2017)
- “20 Free Things for Families to Do in Denver” (June 2017)
Paste Magazine
- “Greetings From Boulder, Colorado” (March 2016)
- “Checklist: Denver, Colorado” (November 2015)
Essays and Articles
Washington Post
- “With a flexible work schedule, working out how much child care coverage to get” (On Parenting blog, October 2017)
- “Here’s what we wish you would do when you’re on a plane with our screaming kids” (On Parenting blog, September 2015)
Real Simple
- “How I Finally Learned to Let Go of Overplanning on Vacation” (digital, June 2017)
Today’s Parent
- “For Me, Parenting Will Never Be As Simple As Trusting My Instincts” (April 2022)
- “Why I Gave Up Trying to Create the Perfect Halloween Costume” (digital, October 2018)
Pregnant Chicken
- “5 Tips for Navigating New Parenthood as an Introvert” (September 2021)
Introvert Dear
Mom.com
- I’ve written several essays and humor pieces for Mom.com. You can find them here.
Mommy Nearest
- I’ve written travel and humor pieces for Mommy Nearest. You can find them here.
Hearst Digital
- “How We Updated Our Old Home on a Budget” Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Country Living (March 2016)
- “I Really Regret Buying an Old House” House Beautiful and Country Living (October 2016)
Salon
- “I was an Amazon Drudge” (November 2015)
5280, The Denver Magazine
- “Postcard from Suburbia” (print, December 2015) print pdf| digital version
Christian Science Monitor
- “This Christmas Letter Gets Rave Reviews” (print, December 2005)
Author Interviews
Bustle
- Author profile of Jessica Pan for her book Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come (June 2019)
The Millions
- “Caitlin Kunkel Wants to Turn You On—Equitably” (March 2019)
Bust
Electric Literature
- “Indigenous Writers Deserve More Credit for Being Hilarious” (December 2019)
The Rumpus
- “THE RUMPUS MINI-INTERVIEW PROJECT #147: SAADIA FARUQI” (August 2018)
(On Parenting blog, September 2015)
Anthologies
- “10 Simple Rules for Girls to Follow” You Do You (2018)
- “Resisting the Slow Cooker” Lose the Cape: Never Will I Ever (and then I had kids) (2016)
- “Shirts Off for Bill and Ted” Italy from a Backpack (2006)
Fiction
- “Screen Test” Copper Nickel (2005)
Babies Don't Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?)
The Introvert's Guide to Surviving Parenthood
A baby can be a good excuse to skip a party, but . . . goodbye alone time, hello awkward new social obligations.
My humorous advice book for introverted parents is now available. A combination of personal stories, satirical quizzes and charts, and some actual advice, this book will help introverted parents navigate the period from pregnancy through preschool. Publishers Weekly said, “This will be an invaluable resource for introverts about to become parents, though anyone with kids will appreciate Vick’s perspective on the absurdity of parenthood.”