Had a productive week: 3 short stories written. True to form: received another rejection today. #writinglife #writingcommunity

Story rejection yesterday, new submission today. Tis the life. #writingcommunity

First minutes home from a family vacation and my daughter manages to drop the bag containing my laptop…. Don’t worry, the laptop broke its fall.

Shameless plug for this kiddo. Help her get a spot in this magazine and the STEM opportunities & scholarship that come with it! It's free to vote! #womeninSTEM #futureranger #futurescientist #scoutsofamerica

#felt. #writingcommunity #fantasywriters

Took a whole hour to rewrite a single scene. I do not enjoy editing. #amwriting #writingcommunity

If you’re wondering why you seek out LGBTQ artists, shows, authors, and more. It’s so you replace that feeling of sadness with hope. You are not alone. We are with you.

#hbp107 #vss365 Immobile, the fear diffused to every part of his body. He was stuck, unable to move and powerless to free himself. The system, it acted like a net of rules, regulations, and laws that trapped him there, offering no escape. This was not the future he had wished. This was America.

In Germany over 200,000 protestors in Munich gathered against the Musk backed far-right / neo-Nazi AfD ahead of the German election. Thousands chanted "Save Democracy" and "Oppose Nazis" #3E

#hbp106 #vss365 The skin on my arm goose-pimpled, each hair rising to escape the scene around me. It nagged at me. The friends & family laughing around the table, glasses clinking, delicious aromas wafting. A creak, barely audible below the room's din. My eyes dilated & shouting, I lunged forward.

Annual reminder that there is still time to order a cute handmade valentine from Paperbyjaney.com and support a courageous young woman.

Have they never seen Jurassic Park?

#hbp96 hope #vss365 Euphoric sound waves & crowd vibes washed over me, drowning my sadness with every hammer beat of the bass. Steadily, my heart lightened & my spirits lifted. I could do this. We could survive this. If we could harvest the collective power, we could fix the world with love & music.

This week has felt like a full year. What are you all drinking and writing this weekend? #writing #writingcommunity

It’s that time of year again. If you are looking for a Valentine’s Day card, consider Paper by Janey paperbyjaney.com

It just hits better when it’s a signed copy. Thank you, @puffrolsen.bsky.social! #writingcommunity

The frozen snow crunches underfoot. Brisk air fills my lungs & stings my nostrils. I'm grateful for the silence in the woods. Nothing stirs. Before me, a wonder of white, brown, & sparse wintergreen. The cold settled. I walked numbly. Soon, only my breath and dreams will remain. #vss365 #hbp87

#hbp86 #vss365 "What's that?" "Oh, don't worry none." We moved quietly through the night, afraid to bring forest brigands upon us. Then it echoed around us. I jumped. "That's just the merry band of outlaws. They sing nightly in caves for an added effect." "Well, those harmonies are just criminal."

#hbp85 Into the Woods #vss365 We sat huddled willing the heater to give more warmth. Layers upon layers, we wore, hoping the insulation would help. We had done everything the landlord had asked: corn-yellow hair, cow as white as milk, bloodred cape, & a golden slipper. What else did the witch want?

I think it’s more important than ever in the US to know that you belong. If you need a gauntie, mom, big sis, or friend. This is a safe space.

Stolen from a friend, thanks @puffrolsen.bsky.social

My children are lucky they survived their shenanigans tonight.

#hbp84 A NY movie-style car accident #vss365 #writing #writingcommunity #flashfiction

It’s starting again!

#hbp83 True story #vss365 Laughter and chatter floated to the top of the stairwell, whispers of wishes and desires from the teenagers far below. Drinks and music had been left behind for the quiet of the roof overlooking the city. "The view here is beautiful," she said. A sweet kiss, her answer.

This is aging well.

#hbp82 #vss365 Up the stairs with the food I’ve found, I go. One jump at a time & climbing the edges of the base molding. The effort is great, but so is the reward. For at the top of the tower is my hidden nest; warm, cozy, & filled with treasures. The little squeaks greet me. My heart is full.

#hbp81 #vss365 Sprinkles of kindness.

#hbp80 #vss365 The air was thick & my brow slick. Who would move first? Clem was only a few feet away but could be lost to a wrong move. The notched crossbow quivered as trigger was pressed. I had hoped to distract, flipping the table & lunging. My side seared. His tears, love, sadness, my reward.

#hbp79 #vss365 “Here are your drinks ladies. Tea and a hot chocolate.” The waitress eyed the peculiar customers. It was midnight & a full moon, they weren’t the oddest ducks in this pond. Suddenly, the cocoa steamed & a small chili floated idly. Sierra eyed Marisol. “Couldn’t resist could you?”

#hbp78 Too soon or too real? #vss365 “There Mr. Prime Minister, was that so hard?” Shaky hands dropped the pen now that the deed was done but couldn’t stop the fear induced movement. The click indicated the gun was no longer cocked and danger averted. “Welcome to the United States of America.”

#hbp77 #vss365 "There's more to life than this!" She yelled. But, they held no faith in her words. It was not the stones that hurt, but their anger. With every hit, the wings they wouldn't see lost more substance, disappearing entirely as human blood seeped out. Mortal, now. Immortal as a memory.

#hbp76 We don't always survive repentance and salvation. #vss365

#hbp75 If not my words, then whose? #vss365 I lifted my head from the desk, drool dried pages stuck to my cheek. Recognizable words and drink driven angst covered the lefthand page. But the right? Strange sentiments & imagery. Who had written while I drunkenly slept atop the journal, if not me?

Shakshuka for brunch is 👩‍🍳 💋 🔥

#hbp74 "There's magic in here." #vss365 #writing #writingcommunity

we have but one home our magical Mother Earth hear her cries for help #BraveWrite #vss365 #haiku #senryu #PoetsOfBlueSky #micropoetry #poetry #poem #poet #PoetryCommunity #ClimateChange #vespers Morning-noon-or eventide Put prayers into action #SaveTheEarth in 2025🕊️ 👇 youtu.be/VgJIp-uDIwA?si…

#hbp73 #vss365 My feet plod along steadily to the music. He said, that I’d find myself at the end of the train tracks. 2 years, I’ve danced & traversed these tracks, through lands unlike any I could have dreamed. I just wish I could remember who I was when I first met the devil at the crossroads.

Hey #writingcommunity and #sff fans, where have you enjoyed submitting stories for consideration?

Teleworking today was a waste of a good snow day. I’m mentally exhausted.

#hbp72 Pro tip: garbage disposals are not meant to handle "everything." #vss365

I waited to repost this, because I know people hate to wait for installments, but I think @agathalovesrio.bsky.social ‘s story is far enough now. If you want a fun, Agatha All the Way inspired lgbt slow burn romance, check this out. (Start from chapter 1 though). #writingcommunity

#hbp71 The perfect color for a poppy. #vss365

White gluhwein cooking. There’s no calories on snow days, right?

It WoN’t SnOw ThAt MuCh! Snow day! Still snowing.

Snow day! More time to play with the kids and get some reading and writing in!

#hbp70 So much for respecting your elders. #vss365

The Russian disinformation network “Matryoshka” has launched a new campaign on Bluesky. Eliot Higgins, founder of the investigative journalism group Bellingcat, has been one of the first researchers to detect its activity. So far, four Russian-made fake videos have been identified on the platform.

Wait, if I am getting solid sleep, is this exhaustion just from being in my 40s? #youthiswastedontheyoung