Which kind of Mac?

Hi, I thought I posted this already, but it’s not showing up, so trying again. (Clearly not doing well with anything tech this week.) Anyway, I need to replace my laptop, and I know Thomas recommends a new Mac, but I couldn’t find any recommendations for specs. Is 8GB Ram enough? Or is it important to get 16? Pretty sure 256 GB memory isn’t enough for me (it’s what my current laptop has and I can barely fit anything on it.) What about M2 processor, is it good enough? I don’t need the newest version, I’d prefer the least expensive model that has what I’ll need for writing. Any techy people who can offer advice? Thanks!