Some days are just organizing your own writing/submission spread sheets. Maybe this year I'll earn enough to have to file taxes on it.🤞

Sat down to draft for Twisted Tournament but my cat has other plans. @twistinthetale.bsky.social

Today on my daughter's dissent into villainy: *Toy wand in hand, and trying to stop my husband from going anywhere and having him stay on the couch, playfully.* "Bippity-boppity-boo! Make daddy dead!"

"No, I don’t know how The Apogee flies–makes about as much sense as its name–but I don’t suppose there’s much difference between floating on the sea and in the sky." The Furthest Point by @aletheapaul.bsky.social #FirstLineMondays adventitious.net/stories/the-furthest-point-alethea-paul/

Today on my daughter's descent into villainy: She is telling my husband that she must set traps in the woods to capture princesses so she can marry them.

New best record for me at @writingbattle.bsky.social How did everyone else do?

How many rats does it take to make a lit mag? We're not sure, we're still counting all of us. But, you don't have to wait for this: Print issue #1 available for order! Order at: ko-fi.com/ratbaglit/shop #ratbaglit #literarymagazine #ratbag

Woo-hoo! Made it into the final showdown, just barely, over at Writing Battle.

A micro of mine was published on 101 words today. 101words.org/ghosted-town/

Today's story is "To The Potential Submitters of Quantum Spec Literary Magazine:" by Alethea Paul. @aletheapaul.bsky.social #ratbag #ratbaglit #litmag #literarymagazine #micro #micros ratbaglit.substack.com/p/to-the-pot...

Gather 'round and hear the tale of The Apogee! It soars through the skies, but no one's quite sure how... "The Furthest Point" by @aletheapaul.bsky.social is a thrilling flash piece with ✨ Aero-Nautical Fantasy 🎶 A rugged flautist cap'n 🌩️ Rough skies ahead www.adventitious.net/stories/the-...

I like the stormy vibe of this title card I made for @aletheapaul.bsky.social's flash, especially because it's a tonal 180 from the accompanying card. :) Some 500-word stories have a lot of tonal complexity to capture! Thrills, chills, spills, etc.

@weirdauntmadge.bsky.social I'm just staying... if Maren needs a pet.

"Paul's skill is inventiveness" @adventitiouswords.bsky.social describes my writing and why they chose my story (and others) for their first issue. Look for "The Furthest Point" already out on their Patreon.

Is it "impatient" that we dropped the first issue 13 days early on Patreon or just whimsical? www.patreon.com/c/Adventitio...

"Singular Things" by me, is up on Brilliant Flash Fiction. brilliantflashfiction.com/2026/01/31/j...

One of the strangest things about the digital age is how I keep up with friends. I have this one college roommate whom I now solely communicate with via videos of dancing birds and anything centaur related. Occasionally Bowser and Lorne Doones will also be mentioned.

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free

At what point do you give up on hearing back on a submission that promised a response?

On today's installment of my daughter's descent into villainry: "Can we get some... ice crime?"

New installment in mt daughter's descent into villainy: She emerged from a time out in her room and lifted up the cuff of her pants to reveal not one, but two knives. Dont worry, they are toy kitchen knives, but still, I'm slightly concerned. She says she just wants to cut her cookie in half.

Today's story is "Cow Boy" by Alethea Paul @aletheapaul.bsky.social #ratbag #ratbaglit #litmag #literarymagazine #drabble #drabbles ratbaglit.substack.com/p/cow-boy

Thoughts on how old can my Author Headshot be? Like, legally speaking. Or maybe just practically speaking.

I've made my first submission of the year, but it's my 8th - and assumedly last, barring lightspeed rejection - to @welkinprize.bsky.social. I suspect @mattkendrick.bsky.social must be sick of my long list-hopeful entries. Fingers crossed, the Rs are because I've been against great competition.

If you’re interesting in submitting your writing more consistently in 2026 try www.thewritetrack.co.uk. It helps the process so you’re not worrying about submission rules and checking everything manually. Try for free to see what you think!

2025 Wrap! Shout out to @mikerange.bsky.social @moirariom.bsky.social @weirdauntmadge.bsky.social @mskinrys.bsky.social Congrats on that draft! How many words? @kirstynottage.bsky.social Congrats on thewritetrack.co.uk @sandrazee.bsky.social🥔 Annie💙Twin Katie✒️Call Companion Steve🦤Booby Prize

Excited to have my satire, Anarchists Unite, published at Writer’s Resist! www.writersresist.com/2025/12/24/a...

I have a spread sheet for this year, but having this information automatically done for me at next year end would/will be very helpful for anyone else.

When your kid sees a blue character in a tutu dancing to nutcracker music, so you put on the nutcracker, and she spins around the living room until she insists on a wardrobe change, puts on her Elsa dress and her fancy shoes and --- not dance.

I got a drabble published at Fair Field Scribes. <3 www.fairfieldscribes.com/issue-51.html/

Hey look, it's me!

Today in my daughter's slow descent into villainy: I have introduced my daughter to "the Nightmare before Christmas" and she keeps wanting to watch "Santa go in the hole" - ie the part when Santa is shoved in a pipe and sent to Oogie Boogie.

Happy to share I'm helping judge "The Booby Prize" a new and exciting quarterly global flash fiction contest with a first prize of £500 which supports a great cause; Conservation of the Blue-Footed Booby’s theboobyprize.co.uk/home

This Prize Has Teeth (by yours truly) has been published at @factorfourmagazine.com! factorfourmag.com/this-prize-h...

Sharing to enter @augursociety.bsky.social Microfiction contest. #AugurMicros2025

@weirdauntmadge.bsky.social I feel like you might come up with something crazy for this.

Well, another TT story not on the board, but some lovely consolation trophies: 1x Most Original Take 💫 1x Best Title 📖 1x Best Opening Line 🏆

Twisted Tournament - didn't make it on the leaderboard for round one but had some lovely supportive feedback. Did get some sweet trophies, too. 3x Best Prose 🎨 1x Best Last Line 🎭

Someone recommended me a book lately and I told them that it sounded cool but I hadn't been reading much lately. Then I remembered I'm reading stories in contests, beta reading for friends, reading for other projects. I don't know why my brain told me that this wasn't "reading."

How Pinterest sees me ☆character ☆animal ☆lyrics ☆weather

I apparently haven't changed in 13 years.

@weirdauntmadge.bsky.social Feels like a word we'd like for our stuff.

Short Poem of the Day 📝 The Road Home Winter ugly, coyote, that bed-headed bone bag, slinks onto the road as I brake, gently. Pausing, he stares up, grinning me to a full stop. Roger Pfingston

Nova wanted snuggles... or at least my daughter did. And Onyx wanted to help write.... or my chair, not sure which.

Apparently someone made a list of cozy fantasy stories on sale for $0.99. I'm following A.J. Lancaster elsewhere and the first book in their Stariel series is on the list, and I'm a fan of that one. www.cozyupwithfantasy.com?fbclid=IwY2x...

Recently getting into audio books. I thought I was always an auditory learning, but I swear I retain audio books less than print. (Though in school I was way more into seminars and lectures than textbooks.) Maybe its because I'm multitasking? Is this just me? Anyone recall audio books better?

Sometimes you're just trying to write and your kitten is "helping" either by attacking your clothes, watching from your shoulder, or chasing the typing sound you make on your keyboard.

On this episode of my daughter is growing up to become a villain: Evil Queen dies in Live Action Snow White and my daughter wants her to come back. 🤷🏼‍♀️

They should make keyboard shaped cat beds.

Recently getting into audio books, but worst part is I can't highlight and save my favorite lines. Just finished this one and was able to jot down one that stood out: "...who's face holds a map's worth of lines."