An Evening with Annie Summerlee and The Book of Blood and Roses: from Litopia's Huddles to publication with Penguin (UK) and HarperCollins (US). Live on Litopia’s Book Club, Sat 7 Feb, 8pm UK time. buff.ly/ISetDfF

Not a workshop. Not a webinar. Litopia’s Huddles are where writers come to think, play, connect, and recharge. Try it for free at our Christmas YuleWrite Huddle — open to non-members. 🎄 20 Dec • Zoom 🔗 buff.ly/zNpGCdK

Writers: curious what makes Litopia’s weekly Huddles so special? Our Christmas YuleWrite Extravaganza is open to everyone — free Basic sign-up, festive games, sharp minds, and good cheer. 🎄 Sat 20 Dec • Zoom 👉 RSVP: buff.ly/zNpGCdK

Something a little different for writers this December… Litopia’s legendary weekly Huddles are usually members-only — but our Christmas Huddle: the YuleWrite Extravaganza is open to everyone. Games, puzzles, brain-twisters, wordplay, and festive mischief... buff.ly/zNpGCdK 🎄 Sat 20 Dec #AmWriting

Once upon a time in Litopia, our writers decided to turn classic fairy tales upside down… and you’re invited to join them. This Saturday’s Huddle is all about flipping POV: no pages required in advance—just a favourite tale, a fresh angle, and a few notes. buff.ly/BlmINhq #AmWriting #FairyTales

The Terrifying Tarap — a lumpy, diesel‑smelling skull of a fruit that tastes like summer in a land with no summer. Want to know how to open it (and why you should)? Read on. #foodie buff.ly/XEiNlWX

Writers know nostalgia is a powerful drug — it can move readers to tears… or quietly manipulate them. From Gone With the Wind to The Great Gatsby to Downton Abbey, this week’s Huddle unpacks why longing for the past feels so good — and so dangerous. #Writing #Storytelling #Nostalgia buff.ly/5WvlgAx

Five-year-olds = the world’s toughest critics. In "The Book They Actually Wanted" on Litopia, a kindy class teaches a writer that conflict beats wish‑fulfilment — and a kid's gentle "Good dog" saves the day. #WritingCommunity buff.ly/niC1tSe

If Genre Were A Custody Battle — Scenes from the Genre Wars. Fantasy vs. sci‑fi in a courtroom brawl over portals, dragons and AI. A hilarious mediation meltdown on Litopia. #WritingCommunity buff.ly/JASgwWT

One contest. One rule. One sentence. Do you have the words? 👉 buff.ly/NIqztpN

A whole novel? Too long. A short story? Still bulky. At Litopia, we’re after One Perfect Sentence. Can you deliver? buff.ly/NIqztpN

Think you can fit greatness into a single line? Litopia dares you: One Perfect Sentence. Free. Anonymous. Reader-voted. 🖋️ buff.ly/NIqztpN

Biggest contest? Nope. Lavish prizes? Nah. At Litopia, we just want One Perfect Sentence. Can you write it? 👉 buff.ly/NIqztpN

New on Litopia’s Author Platform: The Pink Coupé at the Catch-All Station. A German car factory. A pink coupé. A master painter displaced by robots. Sound familiar? Writers now face the same with AI. The question: adapt… or keep stroking pink coupés? buff.ly/fuRgrwu #AI #WritingCommunity #Litopia

Invented creatures need names that intrigue, not confuse. Should we risk “binturong”-level blank stares or play it safe with “bearcat”? Laura Rikono explores the art—and peril—of naming fictional species. Read more: buff.ly/gLqg4zA #writing #worldbuilding #fantasy #sciencefiction

Sick of lazy tropes? James Charles is too. From helpless victims to weepy “lady cops,” these tired clichés ruin tension and insult reality. Writers can—and should—do better. Read more: buff.ly/TEPd0AN #WritingTips #AmWriting #Fiction

When your husband suddenly can’t find the word for “kitchen,” you know the clock is ticking. The Golden Hour for stroke is now… but the ambulance wait is hours. What happens next? buff.ly/9yr1CRo #Stroke #NHS #GoldenHour #AandE

The Colony will be unavailable for about an hour or so while we do important software work and upgrades. Apologies… see you on the other side! buff.ly/cvuVwBh

Absolutely delighted to announce that Litopia’s Trey Montague has won this year’s I Am Writing SCI-FI / FANTASY Competition! Extremely well done Trey! So very proud of you!

While my first novel is tentatively making its way towards agents who already have too much to read, I’ve been wondering which other slush-piles might need feeding, and I’ve discovered the wonderful world of literary magazines. buff.ly/hXK7cwN

What a medieval Italian falcon can teach you about writing compelling novellas, with a little help from 19th-century German literature. buff.ly/vX6hYCM

Confidence, self-belief, self-assurance. We like these words, yes. But imma go full-throttle and reclaim Arrogance as being the Diva word for them all. Think Tigger with brains. There you go. buff.ly/Fpik2ev

If you’re looking for a replacement for #NaNoWriMo, try Litopia’s own LiMoWriMo… now in its second year (and don’t even think of using AI, please!). Colony signup is instant, free and will get you nicely started :)

What's it like to get an offer of representation from a literary agent? What can the author-agent relationship look like? buff.ly/Igqqs5Y

After conquering Shakespeare’s plays, I took on his poetry—and, boy, was I in for a ride. Venus & Adonis turned up the heat (uncomfortably so) and Lucrece? A hard read. Was his poetry truly great, or was I just forcing it? Let’s talk #ShakespeareChallenge buff.ly/40dmYcw

Character arcs and emotional journeys...does your MC change and develop throughout your novel? litopia.com/claire-g/cha...

How can questions drive plot? Here’s a summary of what I’ve learned. litopia.com/claire-g/the...

Beta readers, the unsung heroes of the writing world, and why they need celebrating. litopia.com/jake-e/be-my...

Self-esteem is not something you must strive for: it is something you're born with but have gradually masked. Learning how the mind works can help with that unmasking process, so you can begin to unlock your true sense of self-worth. litopia.com/vagabond-hea...

Sad memories of a tragic little girl I met briefly many years ago. litopia.com/michael-jame...

When you think of art and music in all its blueness, do you think of Joni Mitchell? Consider not her 1971 classic album, but 1994's Turbulent Indigo... litopia.com/rachel-mccar...

We humans are almost blind when it comes to the spectrum of light. There is a very narrow band that our eyes can register so when a newborn's eyes follow something unseen and the cat hisses and spits at an invisible enemy-what is it they see? litopia.com/pamela-jo/wh...

A hapless man's quest for love through British accents. litopia.com/michael-jame...

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the May blossom's out, trees are sprouting leaves and lambs are frolicking in the fields, which inspires our magnificent May challenge: write One Perfect Sentence including the word"spring" colony.litopia.com/threads/one-...

Litopia Book Club this Saturday – “Wind, Sand & Stars” by the author of “The Little Prince”, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. All welcome. colony.litopia.com/threads/satu...

Research: Google, books, experts and jumping out of helicopters...how far do you go as an author when it comes to ensuring authenticity? litopia.com/claire-g/res...

Treasured memories of an April day in 2023. litopia.com/michael-jame...

What do bestsellers have in common? Which plot structure is the most popular in western culture? And what exactly ARE the four cornerstones of plot? litopia.com/claire-g/plo...

Writers and markdown… should you be using it? Explored in this week’s Litopia Writers’ Huddle… always free for Full Members colony.litopia.com/threads/hudd...

When science fiction meets satire: a flash fiction piece presented as a summary of a scientific study where we "solve" ocean pollution by...convincing people to eat plastic. #FlashFiction #FutureAbstracts litopia.com/laura-rikono...

Recalling the news that broke on January 11th, 2016, Sarah muses on the death of an icon and the loss of family. Short fiction based on real events. litopia.com/rachel-mccar...

Litopia’s monthly micro-writing contest lifts off – One Perfect Sentence is live now! Entering is free and anonymous colony.litopia.com/threads/one-... #writingcontest

Last year I made a short film. As a screenwriter with a drawer full of unproduced scripts I was eager to write something I can produce/direct myself-- to experience the whole process from paper to film. litopia.com/sarit/why-mo...

🌱🔥 Spring Equinox = a cosmic reset! Aries season is here, launching a bold new astrological year. The Ram brings fire, courage & the call to adventure. Writers, take note: every great story begins with I am. #AriesSeason #ZodiacForWriters #SpringVibes litopia.com/katie-ellen-...

Much has been written about #elonmusk, but I offer another angle. Because not all of his actions can be dismissed as savvy political or business maneuvering . There are bigger factors at play. litopia.com/sarit/elon-m...

28 weeks, 1250g, and the complete works of Shakespeare—done! The Sonnets hit me hardest: raw emotion, love, and grief that left me in tears. Some of these lines will stay with me forever. Want to know which ones? Read on! 📜❤️ #Shakespeare #Sonnets buff.ly/49Yd5Cp

The end of the Shakespeare challenge: A magical island, forgiveness, and a mysterious Henry VIII who was more about the frocks than the drama. I’m wrapping up the last of his plays—did they live up to the hype? Find out #ShakespeareChallenge #Literature buff.ly/3Pg8B0p

Shakespeare wrote masterpieces… and then he wrote these. Incest, shipwrecks, a bear attack, and a Disney-princess-in-Wales subplot?? These plays are wild, unhinged, and often just plain bad. Read on for the full breakdown #BardGoneBonkers buff.ly/4ftU104

One moment, Hugh was playing in the graveyard. The next, he was gone. Hours later, they found him in a crypt—alive, but with an unsettling message: "The man told me if I wasn’t found, I’d go to heaven." A Christmas Eve mystery you won’t forget buff.ly/406rr0z

Shakespeare went epic with these plays: Cleopatra outshined everyone, Coriolanus punched his way into exile, and Timon threw the worst pity party ever. Drama, betrayal & bad life choices—my take on Ant & Cleo, Coriolanus, and Timon #Shakespeare buff.ly/49QbYEP