"Margot was tired. Her dreams had been keeping her awake for weeks. It was fascinating what her brain could conjure up while she slept." => Read "Folie A Deux" by Jennifer Kapler - October Fiction Contest Honourable Mention. #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Fiction #Supernatural #Dreams

"Laila averted her eyes from the baby’s face and made no attempt to adjust her loose embrace." => Read "The Crossing" by Cecilia Maddison - Winner of October's Off Topic Contest. Honourable Mentions: "Folie a Deux" by Jennifer Kapler "Superhero" by N. E. Rule "The Mountain." by Donnalyn Rainey

"As soon as she emphasized that last word, I was scared. Now implied urgency. Now meant danger. Now meant there was something really wrong." => Read "Code" by Kalinda Michele Link - September CNF Contest Honourable Mention

"Panic filled my chest. Don't let it be bad, don't let it be bad, I said to myself as I closed in on the patio." =>Read "We'll be Fine" by Heather Maat - September CNF Honourable Mention.

"Of all the things I fear, making a spectacle of myself ranks very high on that list." =>Read " Kissed by a Fish" by Shirley Hay - September CNF Contest Honourable Mention #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Travel #creativenonfiction

"We tried to make baguettes on the flour-dusted kitchen counter" => Read "How to Make a Legacy" by Andrew Shaughnessy - August Poetry Contest Honourable Mention! #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Poetry

Can't get enough writing time? Come to our retreat! We'll visit Germany's 2nd biggest book fair. Write by the lake + in one of Europe's oldest coffee houses! ✍️😀 offtopicpublishing.com/retreat #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritingRetreat #Leipzig #Europe #History #Germany #Coffee #WritingTime

I DID A THING! I bought plane tickets to Germany. I’ve never been - I’m going by myself but I’ll end up in Leipzig for a writing retreat. Thank you @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social for hosting something so cool.

"With your finger, draw a circle - let it fail. Call that failure a door." =>Read "How to Make a Body Stay" by Kath Healing - August Poetry Contest Honourable Mention. #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Poetry

Calendar 2026 – featuring “CAPtions” Art by Sarah Balsley For a limited time, order our 2026 calendar, featuring original artwork by Sarah Balsley. We are doing a single print run. Once it's sold out, it's sold out for good! From the artist: "Fungi is alien and odd, yet our very breath depends on…

"the weathered wanderer extols the waves breaking..." Read "EMPTY CANVAS" by Mark Hoffe - winner of August's Off Topic Poetry Contest. Honourable Mentions: - "How to Make a Body Stay" by Kath Healing - "How to Make a Legacy"… https://offtopicpublishing.com/2025/08/31/empty-canvas-by-mark-hoffe/

"Personally, I thought He was pushing it, trying too hard with the “Creator of all things” bit. It was a bit much—over the top, I might say." => Read "On the Seventh Day He Rested" by Lisa Pollock - July Fiction Contest Honourable Mention.

"My fingers pinch the crisp envelope corners until it stings, and I drop the emotional trigger like I’ve accidentally caught a wasp." => Read "Once You Open It, You'll Change" by Lisa Zeltzer - July Fiction Contest Honourable Mention

"It shouldn’t have, but that’s what that little envelope did. It drew her in. It drew her out. Out of her own life and into a world of what ifs." => Read " The Envelope" by Laurel Howe - July Off Topic Fiction Contest Honourable Mention

“It was a lovely funeral,” Brit told the husband. Her eyes avoided the drink in the man’s hand—his third or fourth since they’d come back to the house. -> Read "Out in the Open" by Alison McBain - August Fiction Honourable Mention #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Fiction #ShortStory

Add-On! Writing Retreat 2nd Guest in Same Room Join our writing treat in Leipzig, Germany, March 15-21, 2026. This ticket is for a second person in a room you've booked here. The total cost for two people sharing a room is $2100 CAD. Details here: If you would like to pay via a payment plan or…

Writing Retreat – Leipzig – March 15-21, 2026 Join our writing treat in Leipzig, Germany, March 15-21, 2026. This ticket is for one person in a room by yourself. If you'd like to add a second person, please purchase the add-on here: Details here: If you would like to pay via a payment plan or…

Moira had her suspicions about the headache. She wondered whether Margaret had planned all along that Moira would come on her own. Read "Going Out by Deborah Thompson, winner of July's Off Topic Contest

"“I WANT TO KISS YOU,” read the subject line in my inbox." => Read "Two Kinds of Courage" by L McMechan - June CNF Honourable Mention #OffTopicContest #CanLit #Travel #Creativenonfiction

"I always wanted to know everything you thought of. Everything about the way you thought was beautiful, back then." =>Read "Bro Island" by Murgatroyd Monaghan - June CNF Honourable Mention. #OffTopicContest #CanLit… https://offtopicpublishing.com/2025/07/10/bro-island-by-murgatroyd-monaghan/

Always wanted to write your own true (or true-ish) story? This 6-week online class with Dr. Robyn Diner will give you options, techniques and support. Pay-what-you-can spots available. #WritingCommunity #Memoir #Storytelling #Writers #OnlineWorkshop www.eventbrite.ca/e/what-about...

Look forward to the 2025 @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social #Writing #Conference! Great line-up of 🇨🇦 authors 🤓

PETERBOROUGH READER SPOTLIGHT: Murgatroyd Monaghan We're stoked that Murgatroyd is going to be travelling to Peterborough for this event! And we might get to hear more about her e-book, white spaces where we learn to breathe, forthcoming from @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social! 👀

I'm teaching a workshop - The Power of Writing Prompts & Constraints - as part of Off Topic Publishing's 2025 online Conference, the weekend of August 9th and 10th. Check out the entire schedule at the link and join me! @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social offtopicpublishing.com/conference/

I'm looking forward to teaching a writing workshop at the virtual Off Topic Publishing conference in August about one of my favourite topics: The Power of Writing Prompts and Constraints. @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social offtopicpublishing.com/conference

Off Topic Publishing is currently running their July competition, closing 10 July. Get creating because this month it's Short Fiction up to 1500 words! All the details are here → https://offtopicpublishing.com/contest/ #WritingCommunity #WritingContest #TCS @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social

“When Grief Made Me the Villain” – by Jessica Roberts My love of horses ran like a thunderous herd in my blood, linking together three generations.

“But Still the Scent of Vanilla” – by Michele Rule In my dream I walk / through fields of arrowroot balsawood

“The Cottage Window” – by Pam F. Martin raspberry purple finches / flit their bannered bodies

‪For anyone just joining us, here's a roundup of our values, community and plans✨ Although we value meeting in person, we also host quarterly online open mics so anyone can take part, wherever they are💛 #writingcommunity #europe

POSTPONED (That means you can still sign up! Yay!): Writing Supernatural Detectives, with Bryce Raffle Dive into the delicate balance of blending mystery/thrillers with supernatural elements. Learn to weave grounded logic and the paranormal. www.eventbrite.ca/e/writing-su... #WritingWorkshops

@marionlougheed.bsky.social and @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social here's the goodread page for the Home Anthology: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

Ready to flex your writing muscles? Join Off Topic Publishing's monthly writing contest! - Runs 1st-10th each month - Guidelines drop on day one Never miss the action → https://offtopicpublishing.com/contest/ #WritingCommunity #WritingContest #TCS @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social‬

“Estuary” – by Tanya MacIntosh I unravel my wilting hands and read 

“No Sermon This Sunday” – by Kerri Merriam-Buckton His words spoken from the front of the church, perched above the rest of us, were from the very book that assures, “your word is truth.”

“Whoops” – by Pam McHugh Two days before my husband’s scheduled vasectomy, I peed on a pregnancy test.

“Sparrows” – by Tanya MacIntosh The sky stretched distinct pink and mango and layers of blue. A sparrow fluttered to the top of the mirror, dropped to the bottom and rested on the frame.

Have you submitted to our Trans and Genderqueer Voices Anthology? Details here: offtopicpublishing.com/opencalls #WritingCommunity #CallForSubmissions #OpenCall #WritersOfBsky #LGBTQIA #Queer #Writing

Join me Aug 9 & 10 @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social annual summer writing conference. Workshops with @finnwritesstuff.bsky.social @csuther.bsky.social @abuckleyauthor.bsky.social #writingcommunity

Read "What Are Friends For?" by Alison McBain, April's Off Topic Contest Winner! #offtopiccontest #scifi #timetravel #shortstory #fiction

Look forward to the @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social #writers #conference this year 📝

@offtopicpublishing.bsky.social recently did a beautiful job with Finnian Burnett's novella in flash, The Price of Cookies.

We're getting ready to announce a big new contest! Stay tuned! To get the latest, visit our website and sign up for mailing list. #WritingCommunity #Memoir #Fiction #CNF #WritingContest

Write a short story that contains the line, “After all, everyone knew what he said was the truth.” The story can be any genre and can be about anything as long as it contains this line. All fiction genres! Every entry gets feedback. #WritingContest #WritingCommunity offtopicpublishing.com/contest

Through guided poetry exercises, this workshop provides a safe and creative space to explore and process emotions with nurse/writer Renee Cronley. * Breaking Down Big Emotions * Free Association Writing * Mind Mapping LOW INCOME - click through to ticket options www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-emotio...

"Do you still dream of the river? I've been thinking lately of drowning, to immerse my body in so much water and dare it to permeate my soul." Exhaustion is 50% OFF on @smashwords.bsky.social until Mar 8! Check out all our other ebooks too! www.smashwords.com/ebookweek

Write about a time someone gave you advice. Did you ignore it or listen? Did that advice come to help you later on? Or was there consequences? The Off Topic Contest runs until March 10! Every entry receives feedback #CreativeNonfiction #WritingCommunity #Writers www.offtopicpublishing.com/contest

Just finished reading the Home chapbook by @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social edited by @marionlougheed.bsky.social and I want to say I was impressed by Erin Wilson's The Mind flying through Snow and Melissa Perri Smith's Made With Love. Lots of interesting work in there!

"We became fast friends, which was a step in the right direction, but “friends” was not what I was looking for." Read "The Hottie and the Cringe" (March CNF Contest Winner) by Narges Jalali-Kushki offtopicpublishing.com/2024/03/28/t... #CNF #OffTopicContest #CreativeNonfiction

This month's contest is CNF! Write about gossip. Maybe you were the subject of false gossip, or you were the one spreading rumours. Is the notion of gossip gendered? Is it age-related? Be creative as long as the piece centers around gossip. Full guidelines in link! www.offtopicpublishing.com/contest