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Bailey Merlin


How I Founded the Bi+ Book Gang and Built a Thriving Writing Community
In 2023, I was at a crossroads. I needed to do something. I needed the Bi+ Book Gang.

Bailey Merlin
Jul 31, 20243 min read
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Mental Health in Communal Living: How Writing Helped Me Cope
Are you someone who finds solace and strength in your connections with others?

Bailey Merlin
Jun 28, 20244 min read
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5 Lessons Learned from My First Year as a Debut Novelist
A Lot of People Live in This House is celebrating its first birthday! Now that I’m an expert (ha), here are 5 things I’d do differently.

Bailey Merlin
May 25, 20244 min read
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New Podcast: Bisexual Killjoy
When I started my master's degree journey in 2022, I never imagined that it would lead me to co-found a podcast about bisexuality. Yet, here

Bailey Merlin
Apr 28, 20242 min read
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Can Artists Be Parents and Stay in Love?
If you’d asked me when I was twenty if I wanted kids, I would have told you, “Maybe, not right now.” If you’d asked me when I was...

Bailey Merlin
Mar 31, 20245 min read
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Finding Peace: An ADHD Medication Story
I have ADHD. Because of a PCP switch last summer, I had to go unmedicated for months and have been on the struggle bus because of it....

Bailey Merlin
Feb 27, 20243 min read
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Surviving My First Dry January: Reflections on Sobriety as a Child of an Alcoholic
I’m mourning the loss of my father. To honor his memory, I'm doing Dry January. A month of sobriety shouldn’t be that hard, right? Right?

Bailey Merlin
Jan 26, 20243 min read
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The 2023 Wrap
I’ll say this, 2023 was a banner year.

Bailey Merlin
Dec 23, 20231 min read
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Exploring Communal Living and Its Portrayal in A Lot of People Live in This House
Having lived communally for many years now, I’m always pleasantly surprised when people respond with fascination when I tell them that I...

Bailey Merlin
Nov 18, 20233 min read
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6 communal living models that will change your mind about roommates
The economy is a joke, and American renters are the butt of it. Housing is scarce, affordability is a thing of the past, and anyone who...

Bailey Merlin
Oct 27, 20234 min read
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How To Write About Your Dad's Death
My father dies. My father dies, and part of me has been waiting for this moment for years. My whole life?

Bailey Merlin
Sep 18, 20235 min read
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5 Misconceptions About Communal Living
These 5 misconceptions will change your mind about communal living.

Bailey Merlin
Aug 12, 20237 min read
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Dreams to Realities: Navigating the Highs and Lows of Publishing as an Indie Author
When I set out to write a book about communal living, I was never certain what life would look like on the other side of publication.

Bailey Merlin
Jul 31, 20234 min read
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Beyond Expectations: Mental Health, Marriage, and Harvard Medical School
This post is a warning to manage your expectations. This post is to remind you that you are not superhuman, even if you think you are.

Bailey Merlin
May 18, 20233 min read
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Writing About Your Friends
It’s wild to me that my novel, A Lot of People Live in This House, will be in the world soon and that people will read it. A scarier part...

Bailey Merlin
Apr 5, 20233 min read
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The 2022 Wrap
In the interest of full disclosure, I forgot that I’ve done a yearly wrap for many years. It’s strange to think that some of you have...

Bailey Merlin
Dec 31, 20222 min read
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Honeymoon Bound
This winter has been hard. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this out of control, but it’s as exhausting as I remembered. The dry...

Bailey Merlin
Dec 15, 20222 min read
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On Tarot
Each year, Salem, Massachusetts, puts on “Haunted Happenings” to celebrate Halloween all October. More than 500,000 people visit the...

Bailey Merlin
Nov 17, 20222 min read
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The Worry Buffet
This morning, after my alarm went off at half past six, I went back to sleep. Thirty extra minutes, just for me. When I woke up for real,...

Bailey Merlin
Nov 3, 20222 min read
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Leaning on Strengths
I work 40 hours a week at my desk job, at least 20 hours at school, and at least 20 hours as a tarot reader in Salem this October (I’d...

Bailey Merlin
Oct 6, 20223 min read
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