Who's up for a little time-travel crime caper? From Pistol Jim Press, purveyors of fine short crime fiction: pistoljimpress.substack.com/p/long-count...

I used a line from Shakespeare as the headline for an essay on my lifelong attempts to learn a second or third language, but I could have gone with Beckett: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." armstrongb.substack.com/p/words-word...

It's not exactly news of global importance, but if anybody wants to join me in thanking that one special teacher, go ahead. armstrongb.substack.com/p/thank-you-...

While writing this piece about travels through Minnesota, I discovered that this March an exhibition of art from 1920s and 30s Germany opens at the Minneapolis Art Institute. (If you wrote that in a novel, critics would say it's too on-the-nose.) armstrongb.substack.com/p/minnesota-...

Any other writers out there using Substack for work they love that seems unpublishable any other way? armstrongb.substack.com/p/le-salon-d...

In a total coincidence, ICE hired thousands of new agents last year and you stopped hearing about the Proud Boys.

On this New Years Day, take a trip back to 1995 in this 30th anniversary appreciation of one of my favourite novels. armstrongb.substack.com/p/a-message-...

On calling it quits at my day job: armstrongb.substack.com/p/four-score...

Four of my short/flash stories inspired by objects in museums were published in a special issue of The MockingOwl Roost magazine. (Just click on the down arrow on the large cover image to scroll through the magazine.) www.mockingowlroost.com/blog/walk-th...

"The physical world is a story the universe tells us." Thoughts on travel, stumbling on stories and making sense of it all. armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-castles...

I had a great experience this fall preparing my story Name Your Oppressor for publication in Inlandia, the literary journal of the Riverside CA-based Inlandia Institute. It's a great place to send your work. inlandiajournal.net/fall-2025-vo...

If you're tired of current events, I've got 1500 words on the fur trade for you, right here: armstrongb.substack.com/p/an-old-sto...

In light of recent news, I can't be the only one thinking about Alex Garland's 2024 film Civil War, Omar El-Akkad's 2017 novel American War and the Talking Heads' Life During Wartime, can I? open.substack.com/pub/armstron...

I was thinking about rejection recently and decided I'd share with you my most-rejected short story (40+). armstrongb.substack.com/p/name-your-...

Connecting all the coloured threads on my basement wall in my latest Substack post about AI, DEI, literary festivals and more. armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-trojan-...

Got a jack, Jack? (Lessons from three great Canadian road trips.) armstrongb.substack.com/p/road-tripp...

Surveys are showing that Canadians aren't doing their usual road trips to the U.S. this year, so in honour (with a u) of Canada Day I've put together my personal Canadian road trip playlist. Happy trails. armstrongb.substack.com/p/get-your-m...

It's summer! Time to get out an explore. Maybe. Depending on what your genes are telling you. armstrongb.substack.com/p/if-explori...

Is Sunday your curl-up-with-a-book day? Thoughts on reading and writing big books, and what fiction is for, after the link. armstrongb.substack.com/p/i-like-big...

It really hinders your effort to trim your novel when you keep reading chapters and pumping your fist and shouting "this fuckin' rules!"

A big announcement and a history-buff nerdfest on my Substack today. armstrongb.substack.com/p/canadians-...

The growth of smuggling in the tariff-happy U.S.A. is going to open up all kinds of career opportunities for raffish, sardonic tough guys with hearts of gold.

From today's Rally for Canada at the Manitoba Legislative Building. We're not huge flag wavers up here, so it takes something pretty unusual to make us to do this.

So I wrote a piece about travel anxiety and kind of forgot to mention the fear I had throughout my trip that just as I got home the world would be plunged into economic disaster. armstrongb.substack.com/p/welcome-to...

Thinking about trade wars, broken alliances, devastated public health programs, Batman and Rush this week. How about you. armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-nerds-a...

Looks as if all the Oscars tonight went to the pre-show favourites. The night's only surprise was that Gray's Anatomy is still on the air.

Two books that set me up for a lifelong literary interest - and a link to an award-winning story. armstrongb.substack.com/p/the-1870s-...

I'm getting ready on my Substack for end-of-the-year thought pieces. armstrongb.substack.com/p/word-of-th...

I'm not saying this is the most depressing online phenomenon, but those writers' pitch events that are all: YA fantasy franchise X Other YA fantasy franchise <Mood board of AI generated images> are pretty goddam bleak.

Any writers out there working on their second half-century? Here's a story of mine that's just come out from Thin Skin, a literary magazine showcasing writers 50 and older. thin-skin.com/shortstory/o...

Inauguration day minus 2 and I'm in a bit of a No Pasaran mood up here. More on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/on-the-zom...

Is there any chance at all he can be talked into moving the inauguration back outside? millercenter.org/president/ha...

Bob's tribute to Bob. On my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/how-does-i...

In case your new year's resolutions included cleaning up your bookcases... open.substack.com/pub/armstron...

Thoughts on an often-underappreciated genre and a year in writing on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/into-the-w...

Thoughts on one of Canada's greatest living novelists, from The Literary Review of Canada. reviewcanada.ca/magazine/202...

Ever go back to a book you loved decades ago? substack.com/home/post/p-...

Today's writing prompt:

Writers: are you a cod or a primate? bobarmstrong.ca/2024/12/03/y...

<Norman Rockwell man stands to speak image> Steely Dan is not "yacht rock." That term should be reserved for music that evokes the feeling of relaxing on or by the sea, not for complex music expressing worldly cynicism.

I'm seeing a lot more anime-style drawings in my feed (optimum number = 0) and I suspect it's because when I first signed up for this account I indicated that one of my interests is art. Would it help if I retracted that? I hate art, okay?

Pour a Saturday morning-sized cup of the good coffee and follow the link to my latest published story, as well as thoughts on the story-making process. substack.com/home/post/p-...

A disgraced ex-politician, exiled to his personal St. Helena, ponders guilt and redemption in my story I Know You, recently published by Erato Magazine. eratomagazine.com/2024/10/14/i...

Might as well kickstart my Bluesky experience with my latest published short story, from Roi Faineant Press. www.roifaineantpress.com/post/vanlife...

New arrival here, expecting fewer bots and psychos than elsewhere. Hope I'm not disappointed.