#flashfiction friends -- don't forget to submit to @lostballoon.bsky.social before we close! lostballoon.submittable.com/submit

We're open for submissions at @lostballoon.bsky.social! We have new submission guidelines -- check them out before submitting. Open for a week! lostballoon.submittable.com/submit

soooo anyone publishing flash chapbooks these days?? i may have one to shop around...

A heads up for those who want to submit to @lostballoon.bsky.social -- we've tweaked our submission guidelines. We're now accepting stories 750 words or less (used to be 1000). We'll be open the first week of April -- get your stories ready!

I really said "please don't call me 'buttcheek' at the Grand Canyon" loud enough for strangers to hear. parenthood is a wild and embarrassing ride

Mentally I am in a room full of my enemies singing a karaoke song that is absolutely blowing their minds and making them rethink all they've done to me

I had story come out with the Sunlight Press today!! Huge thank you to the editors for giving this piece a home. www.thesunlightpress.com/2026/02/10/f...

Thank you so much again to everyone who has donated or shared the GoFundMe! It has been so heart-filling seeing the care and kindness for our family. (1/?)

Clicking through links on my own website and finding many of my published stories are in now defunct journals. I know this happens, but it did make me a little sad.

Some days the world feels heavy and you still need to go to basketball practice and entertain your 3yo and play with dinos and

“Summer bodies are made in winter” I say as I open another sleeve of Thin Mints

"And I wonder why I agreed to this –to giving my son something I knew would die, something I knew would hurt him" Wonderful piece from @madelineanthes.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social - so much truth in this one

Since having kids I’ve been wondering if I’ll ever write again. Today I wrote 1200 words while my son wrote a story next to me at a coffee shop. Hard to explain the relief I feel.

Ok tell me other shows and books that changed your brain chemistry the way Heated Rivalry changed mine

Watching my 7 year old is wild. One minute he’s telling me I’m brave and that it’s ok to make mistakes. The next minute he’s speaking Italian brain rot and his teeth fall out.

I'm usually very hype-averse and suspicious when things become trendy... but I watched Heated Rivalry and holy moly. Sometimes the hype is truly worthy.

Maddie knew who she was from a very early age

My hot take is that every picture book should be 3-5 (or more) pages shorter.

You can find links to all of these wonderful pieces on our awards page. lost-balloon.com/awards/

We are happy to announce our nominees for this year’s Best Microfiction anthology!!!! Vic Nogay: @vicnogaywrites.bsky.social, Carol M. Quinn, Titi Kusumandari, Michael Nickels-Wisdom, and Nicole Desjardins Gowdy!

9th times the charm! Finally got my 💀 today from @havehashad.com after submitting since 2021!!

Had a little story come out with @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social!! gooseberry-pie.com/current/?fbc...

I dunno maybe I have no sense of humor but I hate the videos of kids being legit terrified by a Grinch running into their houses and dragging kids by their feet and stealing their trees. SORRY!!

My face when someone tells me to enjoy every second of motherhood bc it goes by too fast

Love this story out today with @lostballoon.bsky.social: lost-balloon.com/2025/12/17/s...

A residency where someone takes my kids for a month and I sleep for 30 days straight

I love that @lostballoon.bsky.social was # 4 on "Where to publish that piece you wrote crying in your car" on @chillsubs.bsky.social because tbh that's where I'm reading your submissions, too! (and sometimes while crying!!) www.chillsubs.com/lists/crying...

“The current carries the box away quickly and my son sobs, saying he was just getting to know him, why did he love him so much only to lose him, how is this fair?” @madelineanthes.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social gooseberry-pie.com/current/

“My son is distraught when his fish dies…” @madelineanthes.bsky.social gooseberry-pie.com/current/

Had a little story come out with @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social!! gooseberry-pie.com/current/?fbc...

Friends, remember that two things can be true at once. Awards season is exciting and hard. You can be bummed to not be nominated for anything and also be genuinely thrilled for other people. You can be disappointed and overjoyed. It's a weird time. It's ok to feel weird!

This week's story, chosen by guest editor @nicholas-claro.bsky.social, is "Vixen" by @madelineanthes.bsky.social. necessaryfiction.com/stories/vixen/

Other writers: Wow I just got nominated for an award! I'm so honored! Me: I ate a plate of mashed potatoes for lunch.

This piece by @madelineanthes.bsky.social is so, so good.

I have a story out today!! So thrilled it is out with Necessary Fiction :) Huge thank you to @nicholas-claro.bsky.social for accepting this story!

I am so excited to have gotten an acceptance from Sunlight Press! Slowwwlyyyy getting back into publishing after my last baby. Feels like stretching after a long nap.

Only thing worse than watching the Browns lose to the jets was seeing it in person along with all 130 jets fans in the stadium

Saw this on Netflix and not sure it translates as a finger puppet book idk I could be wrong

Heard we were dressing as superheroes this year @msrachelforlittles.bsky.social

Surprised my 7yo with a library trip after school. He found a coveted Beverly Cleary book and we played chess. He can’t stop talking about how fun it was. Never would have thought this baby with reflux who never slept would become my best friend. (If you’re in the newborn trenches, it gets better)

Time to redo my website -- writer friends, what's the best free website builder to make my site look good and easy to navigate?

Creative Nonfiction Editors Wanted! jmwwblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/c...

Everything feels kinda awful today but I got an acceptance from @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social so that helped a lot ❤️❤️

Me: I hope I get good writing news soon!! My email: G-A-R-A-G-E-S-T-O-R-A-G-E-B-Y-W-A-Y-F-A-I-R

We have a wonderful new piece today from Michael Nickels-Wisdom! Check out “Plum Mother.” lost-balloon.com/2025/08/27/p...

I started a writing club at work where we sit together in silence and write over our lunch hour. I got 1200 words down today!

My new mom friend rolled into daycare pickup blasting Panic at the Disco and I swooned

I got an acceptance from @necessaryfiction.com! I haven't been so excited about an upcoming story in a long time.

I cannot believe that after a long day of work my children – who I once prayed for – have the audacity to talk to me

Looks like free submissions have already closed for @lostballoon.bsky.social! They'll open again in October. If you're so inclined, tip jar submissions are open: lostballoon.submittable.com/submit