After a lot of planning, procrastinating, plotting and procrastinating, I'm finally sitting down to actually write some short stories...

I’m going to be honest, I’ve been looking at a few short story submission opportunities an none of my ideas are fitting the criteria very well

Me last week: "Ah, it's nice to be working on short story submissions again." Me this week: "Ah it's nice to be getting rejections again." I'm fine, and actually it makes a change to get an email or two😀

It's a good thing I check my documents at work before submitting anywhere. Today I spotted this slightly grim typo: "There was several requests for a football provision for blind/dead individuals" I think we'd be unlikely to to do anything to improve wellbeing for corpses...

Somehow, I am an extra bundle of anxiety, neuroses and ‘all up in my head’ craziness this week🤦‍♂️

Proof my writing fingers are also a little green🌱

It’s been twenty-five years since Frank Post was convicted of one of his many murders. Now he’s woken somewhere that isn’t his cell. With six strangers, he has to face a set of torturous trials. Can Post find the freedom he has craved? And who is the mysterious Controller watching the horror unfold?

I know it’s going to take some time to get my beta reader feedback, so I’ve managed to snag a couple of small roles with a local theatre group, for an Agatha Christie show😬

I managed to wrangle two hard copies of my novel out of the printer and they are zooming off to my faithful beta readers. Here’s a little sneak peek to what they are getting😬

So pleased to have my story “Lost in the Forest” featured in the latest edition of Stygian Lepus magazine. It’s one of my more subtle horror tales, that I’m really quite proud of🌲🌳🪾👻🔫🩸 www.stygianlepus.com/edition-33/

I always think marketing is the hardest part of being self-published... ...then I spend a painful afternoon trying to coax my printer into behaving long enough to produce a couple of hardcopies for beta readers!🤬

Did I mention there’s free stories on my website? andrewharrowellwrites.wordpress.com

I sort of really love the fact that I submitted my short story set on a spaceship, on the night Artemis II launches. An omen or just a sheer coincidence...

Confession time. In February I was checking my sales report so much, it was over the top. I committed to not checking until today. I did well. Then I hit a block with a short story and gave in. No surprises, no sales. Because that's bad karma. I do feel better for checking but I let myself down

If it's your pay day, and you fancy supporting an indie author, why not check out motivatedsavages.com/indie-author... There's so many amazing books, by wonderful writers!

Anyone know any good places to submit short stories at the mo?

My twisted tale of torturous trials and weird watchers is available (along with many other indie books) at motivatedsavages.com/indie-author...

I’ve always wanted to write a story set after the zombie apocalypse. A tale that looks not at what is needed to survive but what is required to rebuild. This anthology gave me the perfect opportunity to explore that scenario, and I’m grateful to have been included with some amazing authors

Two bonus nights of writing and I've produced a whole short story, totalling over 3,000 words. It probably won't get accepted when I submit it, but it's one of my new favourites😄

I don't usually write on a Friday or Saturday night...but this week my wife's out both evenings so I'm hitting the keyboard hard to try and get ahead on a short story submission

"Who Watches the Horror?" and over 500 other indie books are waiting to be discovered by you at motivatedsavages.com/indie-author... (especially if you're feeling in the mood to add to your TBR pile)

When you've chastised yourself all winter for leaving sunglasses in the car...and then the sky is clear and the sun bright, and you turn up on the school run in your sunnies, looking like you're so organised!

"I should have done zombies in space!" has been my mantra while I've worked on my psychological horror anthology story. Zombies are my happy place. Psychological horror is a whole new way of writing. It's been hard. But it's done and I'm pleased I pushed myself and stepped out of my comfort zone

I love a good anti-hero, but trying to explain to my 5 yo why we root for Roald Dalh's Fantastic Mr Fox, when he steals from the farmers, is proving hard...

The way 2026 is going, I’m actually surprised we haven’t had three Friday 13ths so far😂🤦‍♂️

I’m fairly positive. I want to see the good. But when I stopped to fill up my car today (because I was low on fuel), and I see people (note, using as a plural) filling up multiple Jerry cans, I realise we haven’t learnt from the last fuel crisis, or the pandemic… I’m left feeling very empty

Have you checked out the Indie Author Bookstore? There's over 500 titles, including my 'Who Watches the Horror' novel. It's well worth a browse! motivatedsavages.com/indie-author...

It has been a day! So, I picked up jam doughnuts for the family as a little treat. And what was inside the packet? Custard doughnuts!!!! I absolutely HATE cold custard😡

After scraping my antholoy story over the weekend, I have rocketed through my rewrite. I'm 4,000 words in, and loving how the story is unfolding. I'm not saying it's perfect - there is definitely the need to edit - but I'm so much happier

I hate doing it, but I've just scrapped all 3,000 words of my space anthology story. It just wasn't flowing or getting the right level of psychological horror I desperately wanted in the story. So, deep breath, blank page, and here we go again...

Read "Consequences" one of 42 stories found in Interesting Times: a Hopepunk anthology 💙📚 Mybook.to/InterestingTimes

Morning, rascals. It's Friday and the paperbacks for reward fulfillment are out dancing toward me right meow. Let's dance! 💃

My World Book Day post, saying there was too many good books so I wasn’t going to promote mine got more interactions than the one the day before promoting my book?!? I guess the lesson is I should start telling everyone not to buy my book…

It’s World Book Day, and there are so many good choices out there! So I’m not going to bother trying to tempt you with my limited efforts. I just hope if you’re buying a book today, you might be making an indie author happy🤞

It's been a while since I promoted my novel! When murderer Frank Post wakes in a room that is not his cell, he and six strangers find themselves caught in twisted trials. Can Post survive? Will he finally find the freedom he has longed for? And who is the mysterious Controller, watching the group?

I just made my space horror story quintessentially British: "Something devestating just happened, what do we do?" "Let's regroup with a cup of tea!"

I wrote this story a long time ago, but the first draft finished in despair… I much prefer it full of hope, and am very grateful to be included in such an amazing anthology!

I’m really pleased to have found a lovely place supporting indie authors, and delighted ‘Who watches the horror?’ now lives there! If you’re looking for your next read, it’s well worth checking out motivatedsavages.com/indie-author...

The urge to check my sales report is REALLY strong today!!! But I said I wouldn’t and I need to see it through. So I am resisting...

Loving that 'Who watches the horror?', my twisted tale of tortorous trials and out-of-time obeservers is living on the Horror shelf in this amazing growing indie bookstore. If you’re looking for your next read, it’s worth a browse: motivatedsavages.com/horror-books/

After a double dose of rejection, it’s really nice to get my head down for some short story plotting today😀

I always have low expectations when querying indie publishers, so rejections don’t normally bother me. But getting two rejections within less than 24 hours did sting more than I expected! It is what it is though, and on I go [woth just a little more doubt and worry😬]

I’m very proud to have two stories included in this anthology shining light in the darkness! Well done to the fantastic editors and all the amazing authors involved

It’s been a whole week since I’ve checked my sales report…and actually I’m doing ok

Treating myself to season 2 of Fallout, and while I enjoy the stories of Lucy and Maximus, I absolutely adore the Ghoul. And I want so much more! I need to know the whole tale of the 200 years between him being Cooper Howard and the thing he is today…

I said I’d take a few days off writing, and what did I do? Scour the internet, and end up querying my novel with an indie publisher plus submitting a previously written short story to a call. So, my actual break, to recharge my writing batteries, starts now!

I have a very bad habit, and I need to give it up. Everyday, regardless of whether I’ve tried to promote my book or not, I’m checking my sales report. I can’t keep doing it. I must stop! So, from now on, buy my book or don’t, I’m not going to check the report until the end of March!

So, I think, I might sort of survived Friday 13th...

My third round of edits for "Who is the horror for?" are done! I'm going to take a little bit of time off, then there's a space horror short story that needs my attention, before I go again😀

I am loving that 'Who Watches the Horror?' now lives on the shelves of this growing indie bookstore. If you’re looking for your next read (or might like to check out my tale of twisted trials), it’s worth a browse. motivatedsavages.com/horror-books/