I gotta say, the part of my Catholic upbringing that really stuck with me was the whole supporting and giving back to the community component. Just, since we’re all talking about Catholicism.

I love a good end-of-the-world story and this one is gorgeous and heartbreaking. open.substack.com/pub/ashortst...

A small complaint: why do gift bags not come with tags anymore? I don’t also want to get a card. Give me an attached tag.

In case you need a tiny spot of hope in the dark to start your weekend.

I had a little girlhood as werewolf story in @maudlinhouse.bsky.social, if anyone’s up for a read. maudlinhouse.net/when-we-haun...

A reminder to look up.

It feels like it’s *that time again. *time to disrupt my to-read list and read something by Shirley Jackson

Also spite and an inability to not write.

I am sure this overwhelm I am feeling is of my own making and not at all related to trying to take care of day-to-day life in the midst of everything. I probably just need a new to-do list system.

A tiny thing that pleases me about the online lit community is spotting a story out in the wild with a Taco Bell reference not in @tacobellquarterly.org. Just little fast food wildflowers scattered across the internet.

On making space for writing (and day-to-day life, honestly) in the midst of everything. “There is always a small gesture you can make to be helpful. … And when you are done with that, when you have taken that step, your mind will feel a little more expansive because you will feel less hopeless.”

How wild that I can follow an astronaut on social media as they post from literal outer space.

Have a rainbow.

We are so, so small. #Artemis

ICYMI this great issue!

Why is this random plant giving me True Detective season 1 vibes?

So I think I just wrote the end of my novel-in-progress? (Uh, the issue now is getting it from the halfway point to that final beat, but it’s cool to have an endpoint to write toward!)

Would anyone else like to feel ancient today?

When you first have a kid, you should be automatically enrolled into some sort of berry and tape subscription service.

For fans of The Pitt and ER, if you need another intense, well-done medical drama, might I interest you in The Knick for the old-timey version?

I did not expect to feel actual awe just now.

Gatekeeping is bad, sure, but would so many people be openly embracing AI if the idea of being a poser or a sell-out was still a thing? Like, let’s bring back a little bit of imposter syndrome here.

I've seen people trying to defend it today by saying "No, no, I just use it to brainstorm, bounce ideas, I do the actual writing" and with all the kindness in the world I need to tell you: if there is a stage of writing you are not good at, you need to get good, not use the plagiarism machine.

I keep thinking about that last repost from @courtneymilan.com and it’s such a good example of the positive side of social media, the part that lets us listen and learn from each other.

Gentle reminder on this day: saying things like "we are all immigrants (except natives)" actually erases important amounts of American history. There are a lot of people who are not native whose ancestors never immigrated to the US.

If you were into @identitytheory.bsky.social’s March Equinox micro issue, send us something to read! We are always open for micro subs and are reading for the June Solstice issue now. And if you haven’t read our latest yet, what are you waiting for??

the process is part of the work. it’s not supposed to be easy. the effort creates good work. i can’t believe this needs to be explained to people who call themselves journalists.

Reminder! Tomorrow is the most annoying day on the internet.

Hyacinths

It’s the last day of March and it actually feels like spring in Ohio, so it’s a great day to read the March Equinox issue of @identitytheory.bsky.social micros!

I don’t have much writing advice, but I do have this: take screenshots of your published work! Screenshots! Not just links!

Do people still do #FlowerReport? Flower-posting time is back.

“We began to know mornings again. We began to know nights. We began to know …” @ramccafferty.bsky.social in @identitytheory.bsky.social www.identitytheory.com/the-recreati...

Sunset and water and trees.

In case you missed this Friday, some light threaded through the dark.

No offense to the lit fic I need to read for book club, but I’ve been on a strong string of horror lately and my copy of The End of the World As We Know It is staring at me.

I love a weird story, where the big bad is something I’d never thought of before. But I also love stories that take established monsters and spin them into something new and unexpected and @sgj.bsky.social is the best at that.

There are two kinds of writers: writers who know exactly what they want to write about, and then write; and writers who discover that birds have sub-atomic magnet particles in their eyes to correspond with the earth’s magnetic compass so now they need to change their whole book to fit that fact in

This is gorgeous, and so perfectly captures what spring feels like today for me

got about ten spots left!

March Equinox issue of Micro @identitytheory.bsky.social just dropped! Please read these 11 weird and wonderful shorties: www.identitytheory.com/section/micro/

Delighted to welcome spring with this resilient little micro in @identitytheory.bsky.social. www.identitytheory.com/the-recreati...

To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to do something nice that would hopefully spread a bit of joy in the next few months. So, today is the official launch of... 🥁🥁🥁 THE WELKIN GENRE PRIZE!!! Details in the thread below! www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-press...

From our spring micro issue launched today: "The recreation of time" by @ramccafferty.bsky.social

Not to stress you folks out, but it's been 37 minutes and we are halfway full! Crazy!

Should I … put together a chapbook manuscript?

my very reliable method for writing a new short story for my collection is to try working on my novel first

Told @lamaryanne.bsky.social earlier that I had the kind of headache that A. made me feel slightly untethered to reality and B. specifically required a Diet Coke. Is this a ~relatable experience~?

It’s Women in Horror month and I’m a woman in horror so, a thread (and send me your stories, too!): bsky.app/profile/ramc...

Ok, after the meteor and the sinkhole and the weather, it feels like Cleveland’s vying for its own We Didn’t Start the Fire.