#shortstories — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #shortstories, aggregated by home.social.
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The wait is almost over! The date is finally on the horizon.
Our very first children’s picture book officially releases on October 3rd! Creating this story has brought so much joy. Filled with heart, wonder, and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait for you and your little ones to explore it.Whether you are looking for a sweet new read-aloud for bedtime or a story to spark curiosity and imagination during cozy family reading time, this book was created with your home in mind.You can check out all the details, learn more about the story, at The Book […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/15/the-wait-is-almost-over-the-date-is-finally-on-the-horizon/
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The wait is almost over! The date is finally on the horizon.
Our very first children’s picture book officially releases on October 3rd! Creating this story has brought so much joy. Filled with heart, wonder, and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait for you and your little ones to explore it.Whether you are looking for a sweet new read-aloud for bedtime or a story to spark curiosity and imagination during cozy family reading time, this book was created with your home in mind.You can check out all the details, learn more about the story, at The Book […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/15/the-wait-is-almost-over-the-date-is-finally-on-the-horizon/
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The wait is almost over! The date is finally on the horizon.
Our very first children’s picture book officially releases on October 3rd! Creating this story has brought so much joy. Filled with heart, wonder, and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait for you and your little ones to explore it.Whether you are looking for a sweet new read-aloud for bedtime or a story to spark curiosity and imagination during cozy family reading time, this book was created with your home in mind.You can check out all the details, learn more about the story, at The Book […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/15/the-wait-is-almost-over-the-date-is-finally-on-the-horizon/
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The wait is almost over! The date is finally on the horizon.
Our very first children’s picture book officially releases on October 3rd! Creating this story has brought so much joy. Filled with heart, wonder, and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait for you and your little ones to explore it.Whether you are looking for a sweet new read-aloud for bedtime or a story to spark curiosity and imagination during cozy family reading time, this book was created with your home in mind.You can check out all the details, learn more about the story, at The Book […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/15/the-wait-is-almost-over-the-date-is-finally-on-the-horizon/
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The wait is almost over! The date is finally on the horizon.
Our very first children’s picture book officially releases on October 3rd! Creating this story has brought so much joy. Filled with heart, wonder, and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait for you and your little ones to explore it.Whether you are looking for a sweet new read-aloud for bedtime or a story to spark curiosity and imagination during cozy family reading time, this book was created with your home in mind.You can check out all the details, learn more about the story, at The Book […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/15/the-wait-is-almost-over-the-date-is-finally-on-the-horizon/
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Patreon
I thought I’d start a Patreon. I don’t know how it will go, or what I’ll post there but in the first instance I thought I’d post some of my previously published short stories that were only ever published in print and not online.
The first one is a free read. Investigating the Sea-hag menace was previously published by Improbable Press in their anthology Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging – Volume Blue in 2021.
After that, I might serialise a novel if it generates enough interest. I have one that I wrote for the MFA that doesn’t seem to be able to find a home anywhere. I’m guessing it’s a bit too odd for agents and mainstream publishers alike as I’ve had a few ‘thank you for sharing your work but it’s not for us’ responses and a whole lot of no response at all. I was quite pleased with the novel – a crime thriller with an uncanny twist – as I stepped well out of my comfort zone and my usual genres. But since it’s a stand-alone outside my usual genres and I’m working on other projects now, I thought it might be a good experiment.
We’ll see.
#Writing #ShortStories #cryptids #Patreon -
Behind the Scenes: Part 4
There is something truly magical about watching a children's story come to life long before the final colors are added. I am so excited to share another early rough draft sketch from one of our upcoming picture books. Building a book is a step by step journey of collaboration, imagination, and refining every little detail until the magic lands on the page. Seeing these initial pencil lines turn into fully realized characters is always my favorite part of the process. Stay tuned for more […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/14/behind-the-scenes-part-4/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 4
There is something truly magical about watching a children's story come to life long before the final colors are added. I am so excited to share another early rough draft sketch from one of our upcoming picture books. Building a book is a step by step journey of collaboration, imagination, and refining every little detail until the magic lands on the page. Seeing these initial pencil lines turn into fully realized characters is always my favorite part of the process. Stay tuned for more […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/14/behind-the-scenes-part-4/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 4
There is something truly magical about watching a children's story come to life long before the final colors are added. I am so excited to share another early rough draft sketch from one of our upcoming picture books. Building a book is a step by step journey of collaboration, imagination, and refining every little detail until the magic lands on the page. Seeing these initial pencil lines turn into fully realized characters is always my favorite part of the process. Stay tuned for more […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/14/behind-the-scenes-part-4/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 4
There is something truly magical about watching a children's story come to life long before the final colors are added. I am so excited to share another early rough draft sketch from one of our upcoming picture books. Building a book is a step by step journey of collaboration, imagination, and refining every little detail until the magic lands on the page. Seeing these initial pencil lines turn into fully realized characters is always my favorite part of the process. Stay tuned for more […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/14/behind-the-scenes-part-4/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 4
There is something truly magical about watching a children's story come to life long before the final colors are added. I am so excited to share another early rough draft sketch from one of our upcoming picture books. Building a book is a step by step journey of collaboration, imagination, and refining every little detail until the magic lands on the page. Seeing these initial pencil lines turn into fully realized characters is always my favorite part of the process. Stay tuned for more […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/14/behind-the-scenes-part-4/
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#Jadaliyya | We Are Still Here: Voices of #PalestinianStudents From #Gaza
featuring student contributors to the book #WeAreStillHere, edited by Jacob Norris and Zahid Pranjol
co-moderated by Anisa Haddadi and Zahid Praniol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMHSufeGz0
#Palestine #GazaGenocide #colonialViolence #PalestinianYouth #oPt #books #poetry #essays #shortStories #anthologies @bookstodon
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#Jadaliyya | We Are Still Here: Voices of #PalestinianStudents From #Gaza
featuring student contributors to the book #WeAreStillHere, edited by Jacob Norris and Zahid Pranjol
co-moderated by Anisa Haddadi and Zahid Praniol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMHSufeGz0
#Palestine #GazaGenocide #colonialViolence #PalestinianYouth #oPt #books #poetry #essays #shortStories #anthologies @bookstodon
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#Jadaliyya | We Are Still Here: Voices of #PalestinianStudents From #Gaza
featuring student contributors to the book #WeAreStillHere, edited by Jacob Norris and Zahid Pranjol
co-moderated by Anisa Haddadi and Zahid Praniol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMHSufeGz0
#Palestine #GazaGenocide #colonialViolence #PalestinianYouth #oPt #books #poetry #essays #shortStories #anthologies @bookstodon
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Magic, Music, and Secrets
Maybe the title of this fantasy collection, one of four collections available in the Seavy County Kickstarter, describes Seavy County the best. Seavy County is an imaginary part of the Oregon Coast. It’s full of magic and horror and crime and romance and yes, music. The Kickstarter ends at 7 p.m. Pacific Time tonight, so […]…
https://kriswrites.com/2026/09/14/magic-music-and-secrets/#Fantasy #NewReleases #SeavyCounty #Kickstarter #shortstories
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortstories #shortfiction #writing #writingcommunity #booklaunch #Edinburgh
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Ever penned a story so bizarre your document shivered? Nice! Dark Descent seeks microhorror—500 words tops, no fees, just a shot at chilling some spines.
👉 Submit here: https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/darkdescentsubmissions
#HorrorWriters #Microfiction #DarkDescent #darkesttales #writingcommunity#horrorcommunity #horror #shortstories #twistedtales
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The Writing Slump That Led to ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the World’
The Writing Slump
A few months ago. I challenged myself to write at least one piece of flash fiction every month after realising I hadn’t written any this year. The words seemed to have dried up, or was it that other stuff was grabbing my attention? Yeah, probably the latter.
Then I started looking at prompts, images, or photos in writing challenge posts. Sometimes the ideas and words flowed, but I also struggled.
Finding Inspiration in Prompts
Two of my most recent pieces of flash fiction came from prompts Esther Chilton posted on her blog.
‘The Man That Knew Too Soon‘ was written in response to the prompt word ‘Cross,’ while ‘The Shape Of His Loneliness‘ came about from Esther’s prompt word ‘Figure.’ I was pleased with how both stories turned out, and so, it seems, were many readers.
A Story Forty Years in the Making
This month’s flash fiction piece didn’t require a published prompt word or photo. The story came from an image that’s been locked in my head for over forty years. It’s of a smartly dressed, curly-haired woman in her late 20s, with a black shoulder bag hanging over her left shoulder, shopping in a large department store on Oxford Street in London’s West End.
I worked at the store, and although I knew the woman, I didn’t know her that well. But the image I saw of her that day immediately gave me an idea for a story that took me over 40 years to write.
Last year, I finally let my fingers bring the image of that woman from my mind onto my computer screen, and I wrote the story, ‘If You Happen to See the Most Beautiful Woman In The World.’ But you won’t find the story here.
Where to Find the Story
If you’re curious who the woman is and what her story is, you’ll find it on the blog of Marsha Ingrao, the very talented host of Story Chat Digest.
The story is a 5-7-minute read, so it won’t take long.
I’d love to hear your feedback about the story, which you can leave in the comments section of the post on Marsha’s blog. Click the image below to go straight to the story and meet the woman who inspired it over 40 years ago.
Image credit – Marsha IngraoAlternatively, click the following link.
If You Happen To See The Most Beautiful Woman In The World
However (there’s always an ‘however’ with me and my stories, isn’t there?), this woman isn’t all she seems.
Story Chat Digest
If you want to know who she is, ask me some questions about her in the post’s comments section on Marsha’s blog, and I may let you in on a secret with a twist.
My thanks to Marsha for accepting my story for this year’s Story Chat Digest, a place where everyone is welcome to submit a story and join other authors over coffee or another beverage to discuss all the wonderful stories.
If you’re interested in submitting a story, contact Marsha.
The latest Story Chat Digest book is now available for purchase. Click here for details.
Writing is a funny thing. Sometimes the words refuse to come, and other times a forty-year-old image quietly waiting in the back of your mind turns into a story you’re proud to share.
I hope you enjoy reading ‘If You Happen to See the Most Beautiful Woman in the World’ as much as I enjoyed finally writing it. If you do pop over to Marsha’s blog, don’t forget to say hello in the comments. I’d love to know what you think.
Copyright @ 2026 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
Mashra Ingrao created the featured image and other images in this post. AI corrected spelling and grammar mistakes and helped with the post layout.
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Please feel free to share this post.
#CreativeWriting #FlashFiction #Inspiration #MarshaIngrao #OxfordStreet #ShortStories #StoryChat #WritersLife #WritingChallenge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts -
Huge congratulations to @fictionable contributor Lucy Caldwell and all the other #writers on the #BBCNSSA shortlist:
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@nesce
I'd love to know how things go on with Sonya and Lillith.
