Unsolicited writing advice, no. 32178: You don't need to set a daily word count. You simply need to make your words count. 300 well-chosen words are better than 3000 banal ones.

'Now, I have everything again, but of another sort – hands full, heart brimming, mind fogged, bones tired.' Read Vivian Lord's 'Everything, everything' in our latest Salon Showcase. mslexia.co.uk/magazine/blo... #amwriting #writingcommunity

'The squawking became screaming. The highchair rocked so hard it’s feet rose off the floor.' 'E is for Edam' by Esther Freeman features in our Salon Showcase. mslexia.co.uk/magazine/blo... #amwriting #writingcommunity

BLOOM your writing at the Debut 40 Residency in scenic Portland! This residency includes a stipend, private accommodation, Lyft credit, a reading/reception at Bishop & Wilde, and plenty of uninterrupted creative time in beautiful Portland! ⁠ Apply: tinhouseonline.submittable.com/submit/34311...

See which lit mags made our top 10 Career Builders list and submit to them here: www.chillsubs.com/lists/career... We'll be posting all the winners over the next few days, so keep an eye out 👀 #writing #writers #writingcommunity

Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen ‘slop’ as the 2025 Word of the Year.

ITV in partnership with The Film and TV Charity, are looking for 20 people to take part in a new pilot in January at ITV bringing freelancers from different aspects of production to, receive an ITV mentor, attend events, training and workshops. To find out more or to apply go to thegreenroom.itv

Last postage warning! 💌 Friday 19 December (12 noon) is the last day to get your orders in for delivery before Christmas (UK). mslexia.co.uk/shop/

Attended a late-night write tonight with the Mslexia Salon. A productive hour of writing with like-minded women. Perfect time of day for me. Thank you, @mslexia.bsky.social

Very exciting to see my face against the first of my four-part column in @mslexia.bsky.social about how to set up your own writers workshop, like how three mates of mine and I have done with @blackheathwriters.bsky.social

@inpressbooks.bsky.social are working with @artscouncilengland.bsky.social to offer up to twelve independent publishers full delegate access to London Book Fair (LBF) 2026!

Good morning! I'm looking for pitches on any aspect of creative writing for Mslexia (@mslexia.bsky.social) Issue 109. Particularly interested in hearing from writers from diverse backgrounds :)! Please email maxine[@]mslexia.co.uk – by the end of the week would be great! ✨

Today is the final day to enter our 2025 Poetry Competitions! ⏰ There's still time to make those final edits (breathe) and send them off! mslexia.co.uk/competitions... We know it takes a lot of courage to send your work out into the world! ❤️ We're rooting for you! #poetry #poets

It’s #Mslexia time! Newest edition arrived in the post this morning. @mslexia.bsky.social thanks also for including my mention of the book that inspired me to become a writer. Love the questions you pose on SM. #WomenWhoWrite #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

Delighted that "The Subtle Art of Short Fiction" is featured in @mslexia.bsky.social 's gift guide! #books📚💙 #craftbook

This year’s Mslexia Christmas Gift Guide, curated by the brilliant Jo Ruffell, features gift ideas from Starcroft Farm Cabins, Tŷ Newydd, @booktrust.org.uk , @cbcreative.bsky.social, @flyonthewallpress.bsky.social and more 🎁

It's time to announce the winners of our 2025 Short Story and Flash Fiction Competitions! 🎉

It's Issue 108 Launch Day!! ✨

Does having a deadline help you finish a piece of writing? #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Guest Lesley Glaister admires Jane Rogers' climate-themed short story collection, FIRE READY: "Marvellously eclectic ... fuelled by anger about climate change but shot through with light & hope." reviewsbywriters.blogspot.com/2025/11/gues... #clifi #shortstories @commapress.bsky.social #greatreads

Submission Slot ✍️ Poet Laureate: For poems up to 14 lines that respond to news items and issues of topical importance. The subject matter is up to you, but we encourage you to think outside the box! Include a link to the topic or news item you have chosen.

This award gives emerging writers a free course, retreat and mentoring. You need to be unpublished but it closes on 30th November so get in quick. Details in link. Please share :)

‘The Japanese term tsundoku – the piling up of books you may never get to read – could have been created just for me. There is something immensely comforting about books; their presence alone is enough to give a sense of peace.’ Susie Dent reveals what's on her bedside table in Issue 107.

Whether you're planning on entering our 2026 Poetry Pamphlet Competition or just looking to take the next step with your craft, check out these words of wisdom from our judge, Imtiaz Dharker... #amwriting #writingcommunity

Explore writing about our relationships with women with Jennifer Lee Tsai on 17 November, 5-7pm via Zoom. We will take inspiration from a range of poets including Isabelle Baafi, Katrina Naomi, Dzifa Benson, Degna Stone, and more! Visit the Salon to register. #amwriting

No agent? No problem. The 5th Edition of our Indie Press Guide is available to pre-order! With over 750 editors to choose from, there's never been a better time to take control of your writing! mslexia.co.uk/shop/indie-p... #amwriting #amediting #writingcommunity #writers

Look out for a week of events from @societyofauthors.bsky.social about #authorcare! bsky.app/profile/soci... #writerslife #writing #WritingCommunity #booksky

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 18181999: "Write what you know" is limiting advice, which leads to limited writing. Instead, know what you're writing about. That means due diligence: good research, wide reading, specialist help and advice if you need it. Stay curious. Try new ideas. No limits.

Congrats to our previous Poetry Pamphlet Competition winner, @alisonbinney.bsky.social who was Highly Commended in this year's @forwardprizes.bsky.social! Her collection, The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning, is available from @serenbooks.bsky.social. #poetry #poetrycommunity #amwritingpoetry

Ellora Sutton, our brilliant poetry reviewer and previous winner of our Poetry Competition, is publishing her debut full-length collection Little Bitch with @vervepoetrypress.bsky.social! "I’m going to be shouting about this one from the rooftops,” says poet Rachel Long. We can't wait to read it!

Look at this great fund. £200 for really small charities to spend on boring things. Easy, quick to apply. Link below. Please share :)

Do you feel comfortable calling yourself a writer? We'll be publishing a handful of our favourite comments in Issue 108 of Mslexia! ✍️ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

What's Liz Berry's advice for entrants to our 2025 Poetry Competition? ✨ We caught up with her to find out! #amwriting #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #poets #poetry

Was there one book in particular that made you want to become a writer? We'll be publishing a handful of our favourite comments in Issue 108 of Mslexia ✍️ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #Writers #AmReading

What advice would you offer to your younger self? We'll be publishing a handful of our favourite comments in Issue 108 of Mslexia ✍️ mslexia.co.uk #amwriting #writingcommunity #writers

‘Maybe I'll get back to my novel and embark on Chapter 15. Or maybe I won't. The point is, there's no hurry. As long as I keep at it, I'll get there in the end.' Debbie T on the time it takes to write a book, and the things that get in the way, in our latest Elevenses. mailchi.mp/876f2929fbf3...

Poets under 30, you've only got a few days left to enter this year's @societyofauthors.bsky.social Eric Gregory Awards! Deadline: 31 October. For all the info 👇 #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #poetry #poets #amwriting

What are your favourite podcasts about writing? #amwriting #writingcommunity #amreading

Extended Deadline! ⏰ We've extended the deadline for three Issue 108 submission slots until 11:59pm on 28 October! What are we looking for... #amwriting #writingcommunity #writers

What would help you meet your writing goals? ✍️ Whether you’re making space for a regular writing practice or pushing to finish your manuscript, our Diary & Planner 2026 is built to help you succeed. mslexia.co.uk/shop/diary-p... #amwriting #mslexia #writingcommunity

'It turns out the most important part of creativity is not the having done, but the doing. That’s the human part.'

Unsolicited writing advice: no. 8075: There is no such thing as serious writing. There are only writers who take their work seriously, and those who don’t. Tragedy is no more “serious” than comedy. Children’s writing is no less “serious” than writing for adults. Good writing is wherever you find it.

Don't miss our upcoming workshop 'OuLiPo: The Freedom of Constraints' with Sue Burge on 27 October, 5-7pm. She'll be turning the Salon into an OuLiPo workshop fit for the 21st century. Bring old poems that need a good shake-up, a dictionary (if you have one), an open mind, and see what happens!

'Black British literature has always been rich, but too often it hasn’t been given the platform or investment it deserves.' www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Will you be joining us tomorrow for our Skychat on #womenwriters and #writing mindset? It's at 6pm. Hopefully see you there.

UK start-up Books By People has launched a new certification – the Organic Literature Certification – with a group of independent publishing houses to “counter AI-generated books” 👇 #BookSky

'Him wunt no bloody buggering angel. Angel’s chunt going to be under the ground like that.' Read 'Dennis' by Rosanna Ogle in our Salon Showcase. mslexia.co.uk/magazine/blo... #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

'How can we mend but in days? / They wake us, time and time with each loll / of the sun over the horizon, nudging us / towards the shedding of grudges, saying today, / today might hurt less.' Read 'Duloxetine 30mg od' by Penny Shutt in our Salon Showcase. mslexia.co.uk/magazine/blo...

Something Gothic this way comes… Submissions are OPEN for The Havisham Steps: Modern Gothic Poetry. We want poems of neon dread, fractured love, haunted minds. Closing date: October 31st #PoetrySubmissions #SubmissionWindow #TheHavishamSteps #ModernGothicPoetry