Jarrett Smith

jswordsmith.comJSwordSmith - For Techies And Readers Who Are Looking For A Place To Get New Stories, Updates, And Opinions On Tech, Creative Writing, And Popular Culture, JS_WordSmith Provides Blog Posts, How-tos, Opinions, Novels, Exercises, And More Because I Love To Write And To Educate!The home for all your Apple and Technology news, creative writing help, and creative fiction to read.

1 Dec 2024

Greetings Bluesky peeps. I’m a former teacher turns stay at home dad/ budding author looking to find fellow authors and readers. I love sci-fi, fantasy, fictions, tennis, writing, and dad related content. If you’re interested in any of my work, please check it out at https://jswordsmith.com

17 June

I went back to add some links to old articles and ended up revamping this gem If you know a teacher, you might take a second to read through it. Also, if you're knew to my content, its a great why to start getting to know me. https://jswordsmith.com/why-im-leaving-the-classroom/

jswordsmith.comWriting In The Margins – How I Find Time for Writing As A Stay-at-Home DadSummer is starting, so my roles are about to switch from writer/dad to dad/writer, as my kids come first. However, I don’t want to give up everything I’ve built and lose the momentum I’ve created this year. I will need to continue writing as a stay-at-home dad, somehow. Once my kids wake up, they seem to need me at all times.

28 May

writing as a stay-at-home parent can be difficult. You are always needed somewhere, so you can't focus for long. Here are strats I use to get a little done, writing in the margins of life

jswordsmith.comMercury Johnson and the Black LotusGeorge Lucas created Star Wars as a tribute to Flash Gordon. I created Mercury Johnson as a tribute to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. While I've written about Mercury before, in The Gamble, I hadn't had him actually looking for an ancient Earth Artifact yet, so I wanted to write that story. This things is all adventure. Please enjoy. Mercury Johnson and the Black Lotus by Jarrett S. Smith Some things are better left buried. However, if they stayed buried, Mercury wouldn’t make enough money to buy food, much less make the repairs to his ship.

21 May

Mercury Johnson has a simple job: break into a warehouse, grab the package, and get paid. Nothing goes as planned, as usual. And what is the Black Lotus anywhy? Read the newest Mercury Johnson adventure

jswordsmith.comMacBook Air Storage Full – Here’s How I Fixed ItI got the error message MacBook Air storage full. I should have known better, but I bought this laptop when 256 GB took me pretty far. All my travel devices, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook had 256 GB of storage. While I still have a ton of space on my iPad and iPhone, I ran into issues on my MacBook.

My MacBook Air ran out of storage before an update. I couldn't just run out and buy a new MacBook, so here are the things I did to reclaim storage on my laptop

Last spring my son's post-screen meltdowns got so intense I convinced myself he was developing an addiction at four years old. I bought the NEX Playground—a screen-time device with built-in limits—hoping it would reset his relationship with screens.

But here's what I learned: the meltdown wasn't about the screen, it was about him not knowing how to stop something he loved. That's not addiction, that's being four.

The NEX Playground is a solid tool, but no device teaches emotional regulation. That's still on me.

It didn't curb anything. The tantrums stayed the same.

13 May

The best writing setup isn't the one with every Apple device—it's the one you can actually afford this month while still paying rent.

13 May

I love the Mac ecosystem for writing. Always have. But I've watched too many writers put off starting because they're waiting to 'invest in the right tools first.'

13 May

The Neo dropped prices enough that this conversation finally changed. Now the question isn't whether you can afford to start—it's which single device gets you writing today, and what comes later when you're ready.

12 May

I spent years loving Scrivener's binder—until I realized I was organizing chapters instead of writing them. Then I tried Ulysses. Markdown everywhere, iCloud sync that actually works, and a writing mode that gets out of your way. No compile settings to debug at 11pm.

jswordsmith.comScrivener vs. Ulysses: Which Writing App Is Worth Your Money in 2026? - JSwordSmithScrivener vs. Ulysses — which writing app is worth your money? A writer who's used both breaks down the features, the tradeoffs, and the winner.

12 May

The truth? Scrivener's power is real if you need complex project management. But if you just want to write between interruptions and trust your words will be there on every device—Ulysses wins. Full breakdown: https://jswordsmith.com/scrivener-vs-ulysses/

jswordsmith.comScrivener vs. Ulysses: Which Writing App Is Worth Your Money in 2026?Which writing software is the best for most authors? It’s time to throw down in Scrivener vs. Ulysses. For the longest time, writing software always kicked off a creative spark in me. My output after discovering something new brought new structure ideas and excitement to discover new features. When I found Scrivener, I loved it. It changed the way I wrote.

7 May

I've been using both Scrivener and Ulysses for years. One of them stuck. My full breakdown of the features, the tradeoffs, and which app wins is live now on JSwordSmith.

27 Apr

My son would meltdown every time screen time ended. I bought the NEX Playground hoping it would help—transitions got easier. Not perfect, but better. He'd finish a game and actually say "okay" when I called time. jswordsmith.com/nex-playground-review/

I bought the NEX Playground because my son would lose it every time screen time ended. Not tantrums—full meltdowns. The promise was simple: controlled screen time that wouldn't spiral.

Turns out the problem wasn't the screen. It was the transition. No device fixes that. We had to teach him how to stop, not just build a better cage for the iPad.

jswordsmith.comNEX Playground Review: Can It Curb Screen Addiction in Toddlers? - JSwordSmithAn honest NEX Playground review from a dad of two toddlers — the fun, the frustrations, and whether it actually helps with screen time.

The NEX Playground is solid tech. But it taught me something better: I was solving the wrong problem. https://jswordsmith.com/nex-playground-review/

I bought the NEX Playground because my son would lose it every time screen time ended. Not tantrums—full meltdowns. The promise was simple: controlled screen time that wouldn't spiral.

After three months, here's what actually happened. The device worked exactly as advertised—timers, limits, all of it. But the meltdowns? Still there.

jswordsmith.comNEX Playground Review: Curb Screen Addiction? Can It Curb Screen Addiction in Toddlers?I bought the NEX Playground hoping it would give my son a way to enjoy screen time without the meltdown that came when it was time to stop. After a few months of use, here's the honest truth about whether it delivers.

23 Apr

Bought the NEX Playground hoping it would fix our screen time meltdowns. Spoiler: it didn't. But we still kind of love it. Honest review from a dad of two toddlers on the blog.

When my oldest was four, we fought every couple of hours. He couldn't control his emotions. I couldn't control mine. So I wrote a story about it—because that's what writers do when parenting breaks them open.

Years later, he's better at managing emotions. I'm better too. But that story still matters—it captured a moment when we were both learning how to be human together, one meltdown at a time.

jswordsmith.comThe Sign - JSwordSmithA father. A tantrum. A cul-de-sac full of kids. And a sign that he almost missed — but needed more than he knew.

If you're in the thick of it right now—fighting with a four-year-old or just drowning in the daily grind—you're not alone. Sometimes the writing is how we survive it. Read "The Sign": https://jswordsmith.com/the-sign/

One day during that season, I sat down and wrote "The Sign." Not to fix anything. Not to teach him a lesson. Just to process the weight of loving someone who couldn't stop melting down—and how that mirrored my own breaking points.

The story became a container for what I couldn't say out loud: that raising kids tests you in ways you never imagined. That sometimes you write not because you have answers, but because you need to make sense of the chaos.

Being a stay-at-home parent is the hardest thing I've ever done. Not grad school, not teaching—this. The constant emotional chaos, the fights over nothing, the feeling like you're failing every hour.

jswordsmith.comThe SignBeing a stay-at-home parent is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Raising children can test the best of us in ways we never thought possible. I wrote this story when my oldest was four and couldn't control his emotions very well. It felt like we were fighting every couple of hours. It is mostly a reminder to me, that even when things feel bleak I just need to look for the signs.

16 Apr

A father. A tantrum. A chalk-covered driveway. And a message he almost missed. "The Sign" is a short story about the hardest parts of parenting — and the moments that make it worth it.

14 Apr

Apple Notes + Siri means I can capture story ideas in the shower without grabbing my phone. Later, when the kids are eating lunch, those notes are already synced to my Mac. That's the whole game—write between interruptions.

13 Apr

I've been writing on Apple devices since college, and honestly? The ecosystem just works. iCloud syncing, Handoff between devices, copy-paste across screens—it's all invisible magic that lets me write between interruptions.

jswordsmith.comBest Apple Apps for Writers: A Workflow Guide to the EcosystemDiscover the best Apple apps for writers and how the Apple ecosystem can support every stage of your writing workflow.

9 Apr

I've been writing on Apple devices since college. New post: a complete walkthrough of how Apple's ecosystem supports every stage of the writing process — from capturing ideas to hitting publish. Includes an honest take on Apple Intelligence and whether it's actually useful for writers yet.

jswordsmith.comHow to Use Playlist Playgrounds in Apple Music (iOS 26.4)Learn how to use Playlist Playgrounds in Apple Music to create AI-generated playlists with a simple text prompt. Here's everything you need to know.

2 Apr

Learn how to use Playlist Playgrounds in Apple Music to create AI-generated playlists with a simple text prompt. Here's everything you need to know.

jswordsmith.comHow to Organize Your Ulysses Library Like a Kanban Board (And Never Lose a Writing Project Again)Learn how to organize your Ulysses library like a Kanban board to track every stage of your writing — from inbox idea to published piece — and never lose a project again.

26 Mar

Learn how to organize your Ulysses library like a Kanban board to track every stage of your writing — from inbox idea to published piece — and never lose a project again.

jswordsmith.comiPad Productivity Put to the Test: I Wrote a Blog Post from PeruMy self-imposed goal was on the line. We’re still early in the year, but I don’t want to miss a weekly post. So, when we started packing for our ten day trip to Peru, I started to panic. Finding time to work on vacation with two kids could be challenging. Finding the time and being in another country felt even more daunting.

20 Mar

I wrote my entire Disneyland post — all 2,000 words — on my iPad on the flight to Peru. Edited it there too. Posted it from my cousin's house in Lima. The iPad gets a bad rap as a productivity device. I'm not sure that's fair anymore. New post on whether the iPad can actually do real work

jswordsmith.comOur Day Trip to Huacachina, Peru: Dune Buggies, Sand Surfing, and Desert AdventureI flew out of my seat as we went over the dune. While I knew this was coming, I hadn’t expected this exactly. This was why we came to Huacachina, Peru, to explore the desert oasis, ride dune buggies, and surf down in the heat. But I hadn’t expected this to feel so much like a roller coaster. One of our cousins worked for a tour guide company, …

18 Mar

I flew out of my seat as we crested the dune. I knew the dune buggies were coming. I did not know it would feel like this. Standing at the top of a sand mountain, looking down at a desert oasis in Peru — it felt like being on Tatooine. Like I was staring down at a starport from another world.

jswordsmith.comA Book’s Longing – A short story about booksI thought about how hard it is to get your creations out into the world. I thought about how a story wants to be told and wrote this little short story about books looking to find their reader. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments. A Book's Longing by Jarrett S. Smith Despite all the other books around him, the book felt lonely.

12 Mar

Wrote a short story about a book that desperately wants to be chosen off a shelf. It’s really about something else entirely. Link in bio

jswordsmith.comTaking Toddlers to Disneyland: The Real StoryI sat in the hotel bed and scanned my Disneyland app, searching to add my ticket to my Apple Watch. But after going through every setting and then a Reddit thread, I found out that Disneyland didn’t offer one. Taking these toddlers to Disneyland wasn’t starting off on a good foot. We had become Disney people after going on a…

5 Mar

We took two toddlers to Disneyland. One screamed in line and refused to get on the ride. One got lost in Toontown for 10 minutes. It rained ALL DAY at California Adventure. Rise of the Resistance broke down. And somehow, it was still magical. Here's what actually happened

jswordsmith.comNew Ulysses Writing App Guide for Writers, Bloggers, & StudentsDiscover my complete guide to the Ulysses writing app—stay organized, focused, and productive whether you’re a writer, blogger, or student.

26 Feb

I’ve been using the Ulysses writing app for everything I write—from blog posts to novels. ✍️ Finally put together a complete guide to show how it can streamline your writing workflow, stay focused, and hit your goals. #writingtips #bloggingtips #Ulyssesapp #contentcreation

jswordsmith.comHow to Use Apple Music Up Next Feature to Build an On-the-Go PlaylistLearn how to use Apple Music’s Up Next feature to add songs, build a Queue, and create an on-the-go playlist without making a full playlist.

19 Feb

Just published: How to Actually Use Apple Music's Up Next Queue 🎵 I use this feature constantly. But most people don't realize: • You can reorder your queue (drag and drop!) • Swipe left to quick add songs • "Play Next" vs "Play Last" makes a huge difference • You can add entire albums at on

jswordsmith.com5 Apple Music Features I Wish Apple Would Add (Queue Sync, Profiles, Handoff & More)Apple Music is great, but it’s missing key features like queue syncing, listening history control, profiles, and smarter playlists. Here are 5 updates Apple should add.

12 Feb

Apple Music is great. But it’s missing some obvious features: • a queue that follows you between devices • fixing kids music wrecking your recommendations • real Handoff between iPhone, iPad, and Mac • profiles for different listening moods •AI playlists I wrote about features I want to see soon

9 Feb

I'm really proud of my newest short story, The Line You Don't Cross. It's a story about the elite rich and what they do to maintain their status. Oddly enough, I wrote the first draft of this last summer, and it finally come to fruition now. 🔗👇🏼 #eattherich #writingcommunity #shortstory #reading

jswordsmith.comThe Line You Don’t Cross - JSwordSmithBrayden’s app has skyrocketed, but success comes at a cost. At an exclusive gala, surrounded by wealth, power, and temptation, he must decide how far he’s willing to go—and what he’s willing to sacrif...

9 Feb

Inspired by current events. jswordsmith.com/the-line-you...

jswordsmith.comPodcast with Karen’s World Of ArtI had the privilege of going on Karen's World of Art podcast to discuss my writing process. Check out the YouTube as we talk about writing and life

9 Feb

I had the privilege of going on Karen's World of Art podcast to discuss my writing process. Check out the YouTube as we talk about writing and life

jswordsmith.comThe Line You Don’t CrossBrayden’s app has skyrocketed, but success comes at a cost. At an exclusive gala, surrounded by wealth, power, and temptation, he must decide how far he’s willing to go—and what he’s willing to sacrifice to stay true to himself.

6 Feb

Brayden’s app has skyrocketed, but success comes at a cost. At an exclusive gala, surrounded by wealth, power, and temptation, he must decide how far he’s willing to go—and what he’s willing to sacrifice to stay true to himself.

4 Feb

Yeah. Finished the edits on this draft of my short story and I feel like it’s much tighter. Hoping to brush it up a little more and post it tomorrow.

jswordsmith.comParenting Is Not For The WeakParenting isn’t for the weak—especially when the flu hits your entire household at once. What started as a plan to return to work after the holidays turned into some of the toughest days of p…

4 Feb

When my boys (5 & 2.5) and I caught the flu, I realized just how tough parenting can be. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through mentally. Meds kept symptoms at bay, but all of us, tired and cranky, took a toll #parenting #writingcommunity jswordsmith.com/parenting-is...

3 Feb

I though I was done with this short story last week, but thanks to some suggestions and edits, I'm making it even better and I'm really getting into the edits. Now, I'm not even close to posting it and I don't have anything else in the works for this week. Time to get back to work #writingcommunity

3 Feb

*thought

jswordsmith.comAirPods Pro 3 Review: Real-Life Impressions Of Fit, Sound Quality, Health Features, And MoreAlthough my AirPods Pro 3 arrived a few days late, I’ve put them to the test and have barely removed them. Here are my impressions of the newest AirPods Pro fit, sound, and new features.

3 Feb

After a few months, I'm still loving my #airpodspro3 and use them every day. My only change from my Impressions is the battery life. The buds' battery is great, but I'm having to charge the case more often. Any ?s I can answer for you? Let me know! jswordsmith.com/airpods-pro-...