Here's a bit of holiday-themed flash fiction I wrote for a specific call for stories, but it didn't make the cut. Content warning: racial language. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/29/n... #WritingCommunity

“A Stray in a Manger” by Andrew P. Careaga @andrewcareaga.bsky.social is today’s 75-word #story on Paragraph Planet www.paragraphplanet.com

Would love it if you #WritingCommunity friends would check out my 75-word micro in today’s @paragraphplanet.bsky.social! It’s appropriate for Christmas Eve.

A look back at the year in writing. It was a good year. In addition to attaining over 100 rejections, I also had 13 pieces published in 2025 and have six more accepted for publication in 2026. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/24/t... #WritingCommunity

Happy birthday to you, @sooonergirl.bsky.social! 🎶

It's official. I am now a member of the 100-rejection club. #WritingCommunity andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/23/j...

For the #WritingCommunity 👇🏼

Something I wrote about a year after the death of Clash frontman Joe Strummer, who died on this date in 2002. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/22/e...

Caught in the act of reading Notepad poetry #writingcommunity

Re-sharing for the evening crowd. Happy Friday, book lovers!

My favorite books (fiction and nonfiction) of 2025. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/19/f... #WritingCommunity

Grateful to Painted Pebble Literary Magazine for nominating my story “Spindled” for inclusion in the 2026 Best Microfiction anthology! #WritingCommunity paintedpebblelit.com/a-careaga-sp...

Today’s Friday Five: favorite short stories of 2025 andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/12/f... #writingcommunity

Today’s Friday Five: favorite short stories of 2025 andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/12/f... #writingcommunity

Bought some books at my local library's fall book sale last month. It was $12 well spent. A bit more about each book on the blog. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/10/l... #WritingCommunity

Doing the Snoopy happy dance this morning because my essay “Liars” has been selected to appear in Issue 4 of @frazzledlit.bsky.social! Grateful to the readers and editors who found my piece worthy of inclusion!

I have a fun 5 question interview up with @andrewcareaga.bsky.social. We talk structure, voice, influences, and more 😊 You can read it now if you want to andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/05/f...

#writingcommunity ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Today's Friday Five: a chat with @keersteemack.bsky.social (Kirsti MacKenzie) about her debut novel BETTER TO BEG, her litmag @major7mag.bsky.social g, writing, etc. andrewcareaga.com/2025/12/05/f...

In case you missed it… #WritingCommunity

My latest short story was published today by @spillwordspress.bsky.social as part of their “Haunted Holidays” feature. If you like your yuletide with a twist of psychological horror, I hope you enjoy this piece called “To Grandmother’s House.” spillwords.com/to-grandmoth... #WritingCommunity

Today’s Friday Five: some inspiration for writers courtesy of @mgliterary.bsky.social andrewcareaga.com/2025/11/21/f...

Today I’m celebrating the one-year anniversary of “Lower Strata,” a short story of mine that was published in @spillwordspress.bsky.social November 17, 2024. I’d love it if you give it a read—even if (or especially if) you aren’t a fan of Rush Limbaugh. spillwords.com/lower-strata/

The feds almost deported a citizen who is a Native American. www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...

In today’s Friday Five: a look at five opening sentences from Pushcart award winners and why they work. Read “Grand Openings” here: andrewcareaga.com/2025/11/14/f...

Today’s Friday Five has a Halloween 🎃 vibe: Five ghastly, ghoulish gaffes that can haunt your writing andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/31/f... #WritingCommunity

So, there's no more #NaNoWriMo, but that shouldn't stop you from drafting your novel in November, especially with the help of a new Substack called "First Draft November.” #WritingCommunity check it out! andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/28/n...

Call me a luddite, but I'm growing more and more concerned by the way artificial intelligence is encroaching on the creative space. I wrote a quick blog post about some new research that pours gasoline on the glowing embers of my concerns. andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/23/h... #WritingCommunity

Looking for some writing tips? Learn from one of the masters, Ray Bradbury (video). andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/20/v... #WritingCommunity #writingtips #writinghacks

Today’s Friday Five: a Q&A with poet @josehernandezdz.bsky.social! Check it out here: andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/17/f...

"Inspiration is for amateurs" -- or, why consistency is key #WritingCommunity andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/16/i...

The actual, full subject line from this email from The New Yorker is “Inside Trump’s Assault on Higher Education,” but this is how it appeared in my inbox. (Cue the Beavis and Butthead laugh track.)

Kate Kinney's short story "A Fait Accompli" slayed me (in a good way). After reading it, I reached out to her to ask if she would chat with me for a Friday Five. She is the subject of today's post. andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/10/f... #WritingCommunity

Lots of ink spilled lately on this topic, so I thought I'd spill a bit more. #literaryfction #writingcommunity andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/08/w...

For the past several months I've been volunteering as a first reader for a literary magazine. It's been a great experience so far. Here are a few things I've learned. andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/03/f... #WritingCommunity #litmags

On this International Coffee Day, my quest for coffee-inspired stories yields not a latte andrewcareaga.com/2025/10/01/m... #shortstories #fiction #writingcommunity #ICD2025

Today's Friday Five: A Q&A with Melissa Flores Anderson, whose new short story collection, "All and Then None of You," is 🔥. andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/26/f... #WritingCommunity #HispanicHeritageMonth

Some thoughts on verisimilitude (AKA keeping it real) with some examples from great stories. andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/24/a... #WritingCommunity

Today’s Friday Five shines a spotlight on Gary Finnegan @finnegag.bsky.social — winner of the @frazzledlit.bsky.social short story award for 2025! Read more about Gary here: andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/19/f... #WritingCommunity

Yes.

Hey, #writingcommunity. A couple of short stories by me made their way into @theargylelitmag.bsky.social’s recent “Gastronomy” issue. Check out “The Things My Father Used to Eat” and “The Things Our Mother Made Us Eat.” www.theargylelitmag.com/theme-04-gas... www.theargylelitmag.com/theme-04-gas...

Happy #HispanicHeritageMonth, muchachos y muchachas! Here are some good reads for the month! andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/15/c... #WritingCommunity

Thank you @andrewcareaga.bsky.social for this incredible opportunity and for such great questions!

Today’s Friday Five: a Q&A with a wonderful “writer of short things” and recent @frazzledlit.bsky.social third-place winner, @emilyrinkema.bsky.social #WritingCommunity andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/12/f...

Something I wrote last year in remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Twin Towers. Never forget. #911Anniversary #WritingCommunity andrewcareaga.com/2024/09/11/w...

My latest Goodwill find: 50 short stories by some powerhouse writers for $3.99 #shortstories #amreading #booksky #writingcommunity

"Write first, edit later" is popular advice for writers. But does it work for you? My thoughts on toggling between writing and editing while in the zone. I call it "wrediting." Catchy, no? andrewcareaga.com/2025/09/04/o... #WritingCommunity #writinginspiration #writing #amwriting