What Do You See and What Does It Inspire? I just finished a month of coaching writers through Story Circle Network’s 20 MINUTES A DAY process, which was originated by Len Leatherwood. If you write for 20 (or more) minutes a day, hopefully 6 days at a week, you’ll discover how much you have to
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Winter 2026 Hooked on Books
What Comes Next: A Novel Written by Caitlin Forbes ISBN # 978-1662528118 Lake Union Publishing What if Unthinkable News Arrives in a Note? What if you knew that you and your sister might have inherited a debilitating disease from your deceased mother who disappeared from your life years earlier? What if she sent this news
Read MoreWinter 2026 ~~ Marketing Advice and Tools
Editor’s Note: The tools that engage the right attitude apply as much to marketing as to writing, so I decided to post this here. Clearing your mind matters. Thank you, Sheri McGregor, for sharing your insights with us. Clear Mental Clutter—and Write By Sheri McGregor, M.A., author of Rumination Remedies: A Workbook
Read MoreWinter 2026 ~~ Contests, Markets, and Publishing Ideas
Is your writing out in the world? Ready to try submitting this month? Is your website or blog looking for contributors? Please let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll share it here. A few opportunities listed on the Author’s Guild website. Fiction Contests Cai Emmons Fiction Award Eligibility: All writers Prize: $5,000 +
Read MoreInterviews — Winter 2026
“While such a story can sometimes be grasped in a flash of understanding, creating that flash piece can’t usually be done in a flash.” ~~Pamelyn Casto Take It Apart to Find Out What Made It Work An interview with Pamelyn Casto by B. Lynn Goodwin Note from the Editor: Many of the principles behind both
Read More2025 Flash Prose Winners
The Contest Winners Are Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin Writer Advice had to make some tough choices to select this year’s winners of our Flash Prose Contest. You’ll find we’re sharing all kinds of stories. The winners are listed below along with the dates when their pieces will appear. The first piece is
Read More2026 Flash Memoir Contest
What is Flash Memoir? Everybody has great stories to tell. What’s yours? A flash memoir shows readers how you (the narrator) experienced and reacted to a turning point in your life. Write about something that changed the way you viewed yourself or your world. Show what happened and how it affected you. Invite us into your
Read MoreFall 2025 ~~ Contests, Markets, and Publishing Ideas
Where do you submit your writing? Thank you to AuthorsPublish.com for sharing these opportunities. Plott Hound This is a magazine of speculative fiction and poetry starring animals. Deadline: 15 December 2025 Length: 1,000-5,000 words (prefer 3,000-4,000 words) for fiction, up to 5 poems, 1,000-2,500 words for essay Pay: $0.08/word for stories, $50 for poetry, $100 for
Read MoreFall 2025 ~~ Hooked on Books
When publishers send us books, we read and review, always looking for what will appeal to readers. What genres do you like to read? Are you a book reviewer? Let us know. Please contact us using the box at the bottom of the home page. Thanks! The Blonde Who Came In From The Cold Written
Read MoreFall 2025 ~~ Writing Advice
End of 2025 Writing Prompts Start with an element of a picture below that appeals to you. Add what you need to turn it into a story. Share below if you’re courageous and/or confident or if you want to hear what we love in the writing. OR combine all three photos into one
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