“I don’t know understand why I can’t keep them, so I don’t stop asking. Eventually, while scrubbing dishes, she says, ‘Wild things are meant to be free, Jeannie.’” A beautiful heartbreak from @chelseastickle.bsky.social in @reckonreview.bsky.social

using my novel in progress as a trojan horse to write a bunch of short stories about the same characters

Man, days and days of struggle with tone and voice and the IDEA itself, and then you try just something just a little different and suddenly boom, there's ten pages done FAST. Writing is a such a trip, but perseverance is almost always the key.

deeply annoying that creative breakthroughs don’t come on schedule from direct work but from things like “open-ended conversations with interesting people” and “doing nothing”

Those of us in journalism have to do better. Using accurate language is the least we can do to serve our communities (and serving the people of our communities needs to be at the heart of what we do).

I want to be a person who gets through my TBR shelf this year, but @stephengrahamjones.com, @paultremblay.bsky.social, @silviamg.bsky.social and @katalicedunn.bsky.social all have new releases, so.

Accidentally down to two submissions floating around out there, so time to send out some more and wish them luck.

I forget about this one every year and am re-delighted each time.

Take up gardening so you, too, can experience the soothing pastime of being irritated when animals eat your fruits and vegetables.

In no particular order, limited to one book per author and based mainly on my desire to shove them into other people’s hands and make them read them: - We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson - Beloved, Toni Morrison - Mongrels, Stephen Graham Jones Continued …

"My neighbor planted lilac so I planted jasmine then she planted lavender and I planted rosemary and when she planted roses I went a little sideways and swallowed four apple seeds..." I'm such a sucker for a story of escalation today from Juliet Waller! https://www.havehashad.com/teiqb

I’m reading a new book whose first chapter was published in a now-defunct literary magazine back in 2009. Writing is so hard and so long sometimes. But here’s to those who persevere.

In no particular order, limited to one book per author and based mainly on my desire to shove them into other people’s hands and make them read them: - We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson - Beloved, Toni Morrison - Mongrels, Stephen Graham Jones Continued …

Today’s found poem is the sunflower growing by the construction barrier in the middle of the turnpike.

Periodic reminder that if you don't like writing, you don't have to do it. By which I mean find another hobby, not outsource the writing you claim to be doing.

Realistically! This might turn into “finish a few more flash pieces” and that’s fine, too. Whatever keeps the words flowing. But may as well aim high.

Speaking some creative goals into existence for the second half of 2026: 1. Submit to some print anthologies (if anyone sees some good calls out there, let me know?). 2. Finish novel draft 2. And if I somehow do both of those, 3. Finish the latest chapbook manuscript. What are you working on?

Oh I like this take

I need a subsection of IMDB that just immediately tells me which episode of Law and Order an actor was on when I look somebody up. It would be more efficient.

Clouds.

The Stand ‘Salem’s Lot Joyland It Everything’s Eventual

Resharing now that I can see photos on here again.

Garden update.

two today from Rachel Beachy, the second being this little piece of magic: https://www.havehashad.com/ku8w4

Haunt us! flash-frog.com/submit/

Boosting in case this sounds familiar to anyone?

Using this halfway-ish point of the year as an excuse to reshare my publications so far for 2026. Feel free to do the same! I wanna read ‘em!

Since everyone’s talking about LeBron right now, a rare sports post from me. One of the coolest moments I experienced working downtown in Cleveland was the day he announced he was coming back. I was outside and people just started beeping their horns and cheering, yelling that he was coming home.

“The world is a hunter of the monsters of girls, bent on filing sharp edges and shattering teeth and silencing wants and stifling impulses.” @maudlinhouse.bsky.social maudlinhouse.net/when-we-haun...

You. Have. Less. Than. TWENTY-FOUR hours. Entries close at 3pm BST tomorrow 30th June. That's 3PM BST 30th JUNE. If I could underline and bold 3PM, I would!!! Those of you still scribbling, pruning, polishing, you might want to switch your settings to turbo mode.

No skips in this issue; just some beautiful, hopeful heartbreaks.

Trees.

Not even trying to do a prompt but thinking about all the bands/artists I wish I could have seen and was just a tiny bit too young to. Nirvana. Alice In Chains. Elliott Smith.

I’ll defend social media for all its ills for a variety of reasons — letting me connect with other writers I’d never otherwise meet, helping me find stories/art/music I wouldn’t otherwise find, etc — but I never needed to know about people’s unhinged book complaints. The media literacy crisis, man.

What a great issue — give it a read!

I love how the language plays in this one.

This is so tender and lovely.

“He’s a man, a good poet, but today I’m tired of being told what I am by men and poets. Today, I want my skin scales.” — @allisonfieldbell.bsky.social in @identitytheory.bsky.social www.identitytheory.com/we-are-not-r...

This, especially the ending that I don’t want to spoil, is gorgeous.

Can I go to this? No. Do I want it to succeed? Absolutely. It sounds amazing.

This whole thread is great and spot on. There are a bunch of genres/subgenres that aren’t for me, but why should that mean they aren’t for anyone? (Also, if you’re a writer, we have lessons to learn from all the genres.)

we love to see your RANDOM discoveries! www.havehashad.com/hadposts/ran...

A. Holy cow, thanks, @ramccafferty.bsky.social! B. I played random and, I swear, got another one of my own poems. WEIRD. C. So I hit it again and got this beauty by Bradon Matthews: www.havehashad.com/hadposts/sou...

“So the thing is, there comes a point. There comes a point when yeah you see that everything hurts, but the small pains are just the price of admission. You need a ticket to see the beauty. One hurt, please– I want in.” — @mitchnobis.bsky.social

Gave the random button on @havehashad.com a click today and got this fantastic @mitchnobis.bsky.social poem, which I immediately re-read and you should, too. (You should also read something random and share it if you love it.) www.havehashad.com/hadposts/i-m...

I just got mine in!

How much of flash writing is just stumbling across a cool word or fact and letting your imagination run wild with it for a few brief moments?

Tiny and beautiful!

Oh this one is a beautiful heartbreaker.

the solstice is almost upon us! You know what that means! a new @identitytheory.bsky.social micro issue is coming!!!