Why I Chose to Build My Own Website as a Writer

And what I plan to do here that I can't do anywhere else

For the past few years, I've been writing all over the internet—on Medium, in my notebooks, across half-finished drafts, and most recently, inside a slightly chaotic spreadsheet innocuously named "Data Analystics Practice."

I've published essays, fiction, habit experiments, and behind-the-scenes updates. But something's been missing.

So I made a change:

Welcome to HelloNicoleR.com, my new digital home.

Why build my own site?

Because it was time to make space for creative freedom.

I wanted:

• A space to experiment–without worrying about algorithms
• A clean, fast, reader-friendly design
• A platform I could fully control
• A home base for my books, stories, and experiments across the web

I've spent the past few weeks learning about Ghost, customizing the site, and reconnecting with that giddy new-blogger energy I had years ago (minus the blinking GIFs and questionable font choices).

What you'll find here

I'll be sharing:

• Writing experiments, including what I'm learning from publishing serial fiction on sites like Royal Road and Wattpad
• Creative habit strategies from my upcoming nonfiction book, The Consistency Project
• Micro-essays and behind-the-scenes notes
• Project updates, book news, and tools I actually use

It's a bit like a digital studio–one part messy desk, one part publishing playground.

Want to come along?

You can subscribe for free if you want to get posts as I publish them.

And if you're coming from Medium, welcome! I'll still be sharing work there too, but this site is where you'll find the full mix of everything I'm building as a writer.

Let's see what happens.

–Nicole