Fate Awaits You at the Bottom of the Hill The fortune cookie decides one's fate, and there is no escaping it

Fate Awaits You at the Bottom of the Hill

The fortune cookie decides one's fate, and there is no escaping it

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted A retired assassin's instincts kick back in when his family's safety is on the line

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

A retired assassin's instincts kick back in when his family's safety is on the line

Triumphal Exit from Jerusalem A donkey is gently motivated to consider a larger world

Triumphal Exit from Jerusalem

A donkey is gently motivated to consider a larger world

Text says "THE FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE May 1, 2026 nycmidnight.com." The background is a stylized design with people writing, a coffee pot, timers, paper with writing on it, computer keys, and a clock, all representing the short time allocated for the challenge.

Join me in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social Flash Fiction Challenge on May 1st! Learn more at nycmidnight.com/ffc

A Second Chance Pursuit If society won't accept your love, maybe you need to seek a new society

New story: A SECOND CHANCE PURSUIT

Written for the #NotQuiteWrite competition in January

Genre: Romance
Word: Draw
Action: Chasing
Kicker: Law

I started my @twistinthetale.bsky.social round 1 story at about an hour and a half to the deadline, and submitted with two minutes to spare.

Is it cozy? Not very.

Is it good? Not very.

Is it done? Very!

A graphic from Not Quite Write, indicating that I've submitted a story to Team Law in the Not Quite Write Prize

My proofreaders are asleep, and so, soon, will I be. So fingers crossed that I kept everybody's names consistent throughout and didnt maek singificant speling erors.

Going It Alone, Together Jake seeks dating advice from a friend, but it turns out it’s better to be yourself… even if there’s food all over your face.

GOING IT ALONE, TOGETHER

Jake seeks dating advice from a friend, but it turns out it’s better to be yourself… even if there’s food all over your face. (499 words)

Written for the @nycmidnight #500wordchallenge

@notquitewrite.com On your FAQ page you have a link to notquitewritepodcast.com/prize/gifts but that is 404-erroring. Do you have another link I can send to my e̶n̶a̶b̶l̶e̶r̶s̶ friends and family?

Results are in
I came in fourth!
This weekend I will
Write some morth.

#RhymingStoryChallenge

Have You Looked in the Couch?

I’m a finalist! Please vote by replying “Have You Looked in the Couch?”

We will find out for once and for all if my local library has looked in their couch.

When I titled this story, it didn’t occur to me how funny it would be to see person after person post “Have You Looked In the Couch?”

YDL Short Horror Story Competition: Week 1 Voting is now open for the first week of the Ypsilanti District Library's Short Horror Story Competition. The theme of week 1 was "Hauntings." My story, "Have You Looked in the Couch?" is a finalist. You can read it (and vote for it) on any or all of the following social media sites! Facebook Instagram Bluesky Week 2's theme will be "Body Horror."

YDL Short Horror Story Competition: Week 1

Voting is now open for the first week of the Ypsilanti District Library's Short Horror Story Competition. The theme of week 1 was "Hauntings." My story, "Have You Looked in the Couch?" is a finalist. You can read it (and vote for it) on any or all of the…

Please vote for my story!

www.writingbattle.com/join-battle I joined the upcoming Fear Flash Fiction Battle with writers from around the world. Get Ready to Battle on Oct 5, 2025! @writingbattle.bsky.social
#flashfiction #writingprompts #writerslife #WritingCommunity #writersofbluesky

Join the Battle and Learn More

September 2025 Updates Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests entered NYC Midnight Rhyming Story, round 1 Results The Dread Tootling Jen deals with the chaos of a snowed-in vacation with her in-laws Holding the Bag A bank robber finds himself without a getaway vehicle and makes do Falling in Glove A stream-of-consciousness reflection on the daughter of the house's missing glove…

September 2025 Updates

Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests entered NYC Midnight Rhyming Story, round 1 Results The Dread Tootling Jen deals with the chaos of a snowed-in vacation with her in-laws Holding the Bag A bank robber finds himself without a getaway…

A static-filled, distorted view of what appears to be a doorway or entrance with glass panels. The image has significant digital corruption and scan line effects. Text overlay reads 'HORROR STORY SHORTS IN' with a large red number '3' (with a small drip effect) and 'DAYS' in glitchy white typography.

The theme for the first week of the 2025 Short Horror Story Contest is... HAUNTINGS. Houses, hospitals, toys, lockets. If you can name it, you can haunt it. 👻

A Tale of Milk and Eggs An academic on her way to a conference struggles with leaving her newborn behind, and makes an unexpected connection with a dragon on the airport runway

A TALE OF MILK AND EGGS (999 words)
An academic on her way to a conference struggles with leaving her newborn behind, and makes an unexpected connection with a dragon on the airport runway
-
Written for the NYC Midnight #flashfictionchallenge round 2

A screenshot from the NYC Midnight website says: Upload Success! Congratulations, you have successfully uploaded your story for the Rhyming Story Challenge 2025!

#RhymingStoryChallenge: A week
To write six hundred words
I waited til I had six hours
To write the last two-thirds.

I could have used a bit more time
But I'd have frittered it away
At last my story's at an end
As so, too, is the day.

Falling in Glove A stream-of-consciousness reflection on the daughter of the house's missing glove

"Yearning" was a fun prompt for round 3 of #TwistedTournament. I wrote FALLING IN GLOVE (100 words).

Holding the Bag A bank robber finds himself without a getaway vehicle and makes do

Holding the Bag

A bank robber finds himself without a getaway vehicle and makes do

The Dread Tootling Jen deals with the chaos of a snowed-in vacation with her in-laws

“Uh-oh, did Bitsy make a wee-wee?”

That is the least of Jen's problems in THE DREAD TOOTLING (499 words), written for round 1 of #TwistedTournament

(Bitsy did, in fact, make a wee-wee.)

Display of some of the top scores in the Twisted Tournament competition. S.A. McNaughton is in 13th place with 9.14 points.

13th! My best finish yet in @twistinthetale.bsky.social #TwistedTournament!
Plus:
1x Best Last Line 🎭
1x Most Heartfelt 💔
4x Funniest 😂
1x Best Title 📖

(I shared anonymously and don't seem to be able to change that setting - it's called The Dread Tootling.)

Looking forward to the @nycmidnight.bsky.social #RhymingStoryChallenge starting tonight. I had so much fun writing my rhyming stories last year!

Summer 2025 Updates Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests Entered in June, July and August NYC Midnight Flash Fiction, round 1 Not Quite Write NYC Midnight Flash Fiction, round 2 NYC Midnight 500, round 1 Twisted Tournament, round 1 Twisted Tournament, round 2 Twisted Tournament, round 3 Results Victoria and the Mess Perfectionist baking show contestant Victoria learns to embrace mess and go with the flow…

Summer 2025 writing progress and plans for September

Not Quite Write-Up Last year I included the Not Quite Write Prize in my holiday post about writing contest entries you can give as gifts, despite having never actually taken part myself. It has a great reputation, and it always looked like a lot of fun. I’ve now participated in three Not Quite Write challenges, so I can confirm from experience that it’s a great time.

Not Quite Write-Up: an introduction to the #NotQuiteWritePrize for anyone considering taking part in a future competition

The Mothman Who Loved Me Sitting around the backyard bonfire, Lucille meets someone new, who helps her see things in a new light

THE MOTHMAN WHO LOVED ME - written for #NotQuiteWritePrize

This was mine!

@nycmidnight.bsky.social Do you have dates for the 2026 screenwriting challenge yet? I want to finally do it next year, so I want to make sure I block the time off and don’t make any other plans.