Voting remains incredibly close. There's currently one story with a bit of a lead but then there are EIGHT stories within TWO votes of each other. So, every vote counts! (Please don't let it end in a tie! I think that would stress me over the edge!)

Thank you to everyone who submitted thus far, it's been a treat to read your words. I now have seven great stories for Issue 6 and room for one or two more. If you want a flavour of things that catch my eye have a look at the editor interview on Duotrope: duotrope.com/interview/ed...

Only 4 days to go. Today I turn 55 & all I want for my birthday is for YOU to enter The Blue Frog comp! So give your family-themed story one final eyes-on and then Feed the Frog!

Nab one of the last few tickets to this popular party 🎉 The previous salon was my first one, and I just loved the variety of readings. I’ll be sharing a brand new story (*gulp* 🫠), so do come along if you fancy it. Would love to see lots of friendly, flashy faces there 😍 @saloneurope.bsky.social

Remember, the Holocaust didn’t start with gas chambers in Auschwitz. It started with politicians dividing the people with “us vs. them”. It started with intolerance and hate speech. It started when people stopped caring, became desensitized, and turned a blind eye. Remember.

Thirty votes received so far and the voting is VERY tight!!! The top SEVEN stories are currently separated by just TWO votes 😬 Basically, your vote could and WILL make a big difference...

Help Minnesota: charity auction for agent conversations, manuscript editing, ask publishers anything - show proof of charity donation, bid, help out, what could be better? I'm participating and hope you can too: www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...

Getting ready to read lots of flashy stories. Send in your work.

Brilliant interview with the brilliant Cole Beauchamp @nomad-sw18.bsky.social today. I particularly love the revelation about the story arc 'rule'! ⬇️

Delighted to have finally wormed my way into dream journal @gonelawn.bsky.social gonelawn.net/journal/issu...

Thanks so much for reading and sharing, Pat

Terrible restaurant could close unless people enthusiastically embrace bad food, complains chef.

Check out RJL'sreading project for #JanuaryinJapan 2026. 31 days of free-to-read short stories or excerpts from novels, encompassing a short history of modern Japanese fiction. I'll post a new short story every day, and you're welcome to read along!

I've been reading submissions for Neither Fish Nor Foul this morning. Want to know what goes through my head as I do so? Interview with me here: duotrope.com/interview/ed...

ICYMI... freeflashfiction.com/fiction/i-ma...

Utterly gorgeous ⬇️⬇️⬇️

'how bruises bloomed their tender midnight between my knees' Gorgeous and powerful and heartbreaking.

most brilliant prompt Ever!!!

Delighted to have finally wormed my way into dream journal @gonelawn.bsky.social gonelawn.net/journal/issu...

So excited to be part of this!

Only $5 to enter, with a chance to bring home the coveted Blue Frog Prize. Imagine how proud of you your family will be (unless, of course, your family themed story hits a little too close to home...). Let's go Blue Sky fam!

Delighted to have my shortlisted piece up today! A lovely way to start my weekend…

Do you write flash fiction? Do you enter flash fiction writing competitions? FFF Competition Thirty-Two 100 to 300 words 1 W £165.00 2 HC £77.00 3 SL £66.00 #flashfiction #writingcompetitions £4.40/ £2.95 p.entry Ends 23/2 Read the rules! All the info... freeflashfiction.com/current-comp...

Yayyyyy!!!! Thrilled to have made the shortlist on one of my favourite competitions! Thanks to @ianrushton.bsky.social for organising the competition and to judge Caroline Mckenzie for choosing my story for the shortlist.

Heyo, I'm trying a new monthly writerly hangout this year — a friendly, curious chat about all the things that spark (and stifle) our creativity... First session's tomorrow, Tues 13 Jan at 11am (recorded if you can't make it live): luma.com/ola4ukki Join The Great Unfuckening!

I didn't make it to the shortlist but I'm grateful to have made the longlist and can't wait to read the stories... Congratulations to all of you whose pieces made the shortlist!🌟💫💐🎉🍾

Thrilled to find my story on here 😁. congratulations to everyone on the list and fingers crossed for the shortlist.

Florida friends, I'll be in Vero Beach on February 7. The adult class needs 12 participants for it to go, so please share widely. And sign up!

Welkin longlist day is one of my favourite days of the year. So wonderful to see everyone's joy and the general embracing of the competition by the whole writing community.

Thrilled to see my story on this longlist! Congratulations to everyone on it and hugs to those who missed out this time.❤️

Oo, I may have to try this.

I am utterly delighted to have a tiny tiny poem in this gorgeous issue! What a way to celebrate the solstice! Thank you @tinywrenlit.bsky.social www.tinywrenlit.com/10/justice

Happy Winter Solstice, a time for renewal.

If you write and enter writing competitions, FFF Comp 31 ends tomorrow at 10 pm (UK time)!

A rom com, a poetic tree and more🎄 The Art & Flash monthly digestif is here - mailchi.mp/adec416514d7... #ekphrastic #writingworkshop

Did you think we had forgotten joy on this day of new moon on the solstice cusp? Of course we have not. Here is a micro ray of it from the deliriously brain of Lance Mazmanian templeinacity.com/micro-fictio...

FYI 👇 Also, if you do need to email for any reason, remember I’m reading anonymously, so please don’t identify your entry.

This is true of most lit mags, books and libraries, tell all your friends, amazing.

So happy that my story made it into @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social among such brilliant pieces and writers. And thank you for the prompt @jhhwriter.bsky.social

Just flagging up that I received a scam email yesterday inviting me to be part of a book club event called SheReaders. The first email was obviously written by AI, and the second email asked me to pay $200 for "admin/creation of promotional material"; no legit event would require an author to pay.

Confound enemies by being mysterious, creative and outrageously well read. Drop ‘have you heard about the yin-yang rats’ in casual conversation. Don’t take bait, toss your own. Lit mags for a better world. templeinacity.com/explore-the-...

You heard her⬇️⬇️⬇️

You heard her…⬇️⬇️⬇️

Ezra Gatlin poem here, you don’t want to miss it. templeinacity.com/poetry-ezra-...

Additional writers in the great issue Gary Fincke Rebecca Tiger Ruth Brandt Tina Barry Brett W Summers 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This Friday at 8 pm I'll be hosting the annual Writers' HQ Festive Flash Face Off! It's all Free - live festive readings and a dash of absolute madness! Come and join us! All the Deets are here 👇👇👇🎄🎄🎄 writershq.co.uk/whq-event/fl...

Absolutely stoked to have my Highly Commended CNF 'The Ewe and the Lamb' included in this stellar Arts Council funded journal!

Dive into Issue 38 Gooseberry Pie with Wonderful work by @lucindakempe.bsky.social @madelineanthes.bsky.social @chriscottom.bsky.social @sagreene1.bsky.social @michellewilson.bsky.social @megancannella.bsky.social @kiklodge.bsky.social Cover photo by Guy Biederman gooseberry-pie.com/issue-38/

Delighted to have finally made my way into @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social along with some brilliant authors and pals. Looking Forward to reading all the stories in issue 38! gooseberry-pie.com/issue-38/

So close to 1K followers we can taste it!!! If we get to 2K by the end of December '25, Poetry Editor @hubbsd.bsky.social will eat a bug. (It will be a gummy worm, but in the right light they can look really convincing.)