S.A. McNaughton

Will we know our story’s number after they’re judged or is it for your own reference so you can tell the podcast audience which stories you mentioned?

Screenshot from the results page of the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge, round 1 says: Group 85 - Prompts: Action/Adventure / A ferryboat / A tourniquet 1st Place "In Uniform" by S.A. McNaughton SYNOPSIS - Archer, a historical reenactor on Michigan's Mackinac Island, is drawn into a chase on foot and ferry boat after a bomb explodes at the governor's summer residence

I’m really excited to have made it to the next round in the #FlashFictionChallenge2025, much less gotten my first @nycmidnight.bsky.social 1st place finish!!!!!!

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction: Submitted. In the image behind the text, streamers fly out of a gold cup.

I haven't finished anything in nearly two months, so it's a relief to have written this.

500 words is not a lot! I started out with an idea that was too big for the word count and had to simplify a lot. I wasn't shooting for GOOD, but I'm really glad to have it DONE.

The Rhyming Story Challenge — nycmidnight The Rhyming Story Challenge is a creative writing competition that challenges writers worldwide to create rhyming stories based on three assigned prompts in as little as 48 hours.

Join me in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social Rhyming Story Challenge on September 5th! Learn more at nycmidnight.com/rhyme

Sheep of Fools Inspired by a story from Greece, a bunch of gassy Britons pile into a wooden sheep

SHEEP OF FOOLS, a microfiction dark comedy written for Twisted Tournament

The Show Must Go On In the future, the world has become a violent hellscape, but a long-standing trivia game show has survived

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

In the future, the world has become a violent hellscape, but a long-standing trivia game show has survived

- Written for Writing Battle Spring Microfiction

Victoria and the Mess Perfectionist baking show contestant Victoria learns to embrace mess and go with the flow

VICTORIA AND THE MESS

Perfectionist baking show contestant Victoria learns to embrace mess and go with the flow

Written for Not Quite Write

😂

May 2025 Updates Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests Entered Writing Battle Spring Microfiction Twisted Tournament Results None this month! Submissions Submissions: 0 Rejections: 1 Plans and Goals for Next Month May 30 - June 1: NYC Midnight Flash Fiction June 1 - June 7: TL;DR 1,000 Word Herd Challenge June 13 - June 16: Writer's Games Practice Event June 20 - June 23: Writer's Games round 1 June 27 - June 30: Writer's Games round 2

May 2025 Updates

Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests Entered Writing Battle Spring Microfiction Twisted Tournament Results None this month! Submissions Submissions: 0 Rejections: 1 Plans and Goals for Next Month May 30 - June 1: NYC Midnight Flash Fiction…

@notquitewrite.com I'm so honored to be called out in the podcast! One note, though, my story involved the seals being broken down and fed to the baking show judges... if they'd been made of glass (as you stated), rather than meringue, it would have been a very different story! 😆

My story for round 1 of #TwistedTournament is submitted!

A neon sign says 'Toad Shade Zine Volume Three'. Underneath the sign is a deranged theme park mascot in overalls wearing overalls. There is a sign next to the mascot the reads 'You Must Be This Tall To Die!'.

Issue #3 is ready! Check out stories by @sharkiatwrites.bsky.social, @rworauthor.bsky.social, Zee Coonen, Irina Verene, and Kay Northbridge. Art by @jartravian.bsky.social, @beingcam.bsky.social, Melissa Yskamp, and Denny Marshall.

Head to ToadShadeZine.com to get yours!
#payforart #FuckAI #zine

Twisted Tournament — What to Expect Another Twisted Tournament is starting next month! A lot of people in the Writing Battle forums had questions about Twisted Tournament and how it goes, so I thought I’d write down my experien…

The #TwistedTournament from @twistinthetale.bsky.social starts tomorrow. Here’s what to expect: writermcnaughton.wordpress.com/2025/04/23/t...

www.writingbattle.com/join-battle I joined the upcoming Spring Microfiction Battle with writers from around the world. Get Ready to Battle on May 2, 2025! @writingbattle.bsky.social
#flashfiction #writingprompts #writerslife #WritingCommunity #writersofbluesky

Join the Battle and Learn More

April 2025 Updates Contests Entered Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Contests Entered Not Quite Write Results Crossing the Line Transporting a minor across state lines may be illegal, but there are worse things you can do. Cosmic Horror MonthlyShirley Jackson Tribute Submitted: March 2025; Results: April 2025 I submitted this for an anthology of tributes to Shirley Jackson. I was pleased that the rejection came quickly, because I already had an idea for another place to send it.

Updates for April from S.A. McNaughton

Hear me out. No more interviews of the weird pronatalist couple.

Interview the neighborhood dads. The guy who mows the lawn of an elderly neighbor. The people who live self-sacrificial lives that make other people’s lives better. Normalize that.

A crisis in masculinity? Highlight this man.

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction - SUBMITTED - notquitewriteprize.com. A flash fiction competition with a twist.

Done with my @notquitewrite.com story!

Photograph of a shooting range target with several bullet holes close to the main target zone. In the foreground but out of focus, blurred hands grip a gun. Not Quite Write Prize for Flash fiction: 2 days to go! Join us 25-27 April 2025 for a flash competition with a twist. Not quite write prize dot com. Write is spelled with a w.

In less than 24 hours, #NotQuiteWritePrize entrants around the world will receive their April prompts.

With AU$4,000 and print publication on the line, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss!

Join the writing fun now at notquitewriteprize.com

Twisted Tournament — What to Expect Another Twisted Tournament is starting next month! A lot of people in the Writing Battle forums had questions about Twisted Tournament and how it goes, so I thought I'd write down my experiences. Twisted Tournament started as an offshoot of Twist in the Tale, but it seems to be the more active of the two now. They were both created by Nick, who has been an active participant in other short fiction contests and decided to start his own.

The next Twisted Tournament is coming... here's what to expect and how to join in!

500-word Fiction Challenge — nycmidnight The 500-word Fiction Challenge is an international creative writing competition that challenges participants to create short stories based on genre, action, and object assignments in 48 hours.

Join me in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social 500-word Fiction Challenge on August 15th! Learn more at nycmidnight.com/500 #writing

The Flash Fiction Challenge — nycmidnight The Flash Fiction Challenge is an annual creative writing competition that challenges writers around the world to create short stories based on genre, location, and object assignments in 48 hours.

Join me in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social #FlashFictionChallenge on May 30th! Learn more at nycmidnight.com/ffc

Crossing the Line Transporting a minor across state lines may be illegal, but there are worse things you can do

"Crossing the Line" - Horror/Historical Fiction short story

Twisted Teams - A Writing Competition with a Twist Join Twisted Teams - A Writing Competition Balancing Individual Creativity with Team Collaboration

Join me for the @twistinthetale.bsky.social Twisted Teams tournament! Help your team improve their stories so the whole team wins! twistinthetale.com/referral/659...

You Say Toe-May-Toe In a world where The Company keeps everyone complacent, Emi receives a secret legacy from her rebellious grandfather, then passes it along herself.

"You Say Toe-May-Toe" - Honorable Mention in NYC Midnight's Short Story Challenge 2025

We need new leaders in Washington. I’m running for Senate to be one. Let’s go.

37 - Sci-Fi / A legacy / A gourmand Honorable Mention 2 "You Say Toe-May-Toe" by S.A. McNaughton SYNOPSIS - In a world where The Company keeps everyone complacent, Emi receives a secret legacy from her rebellious grandfather, then passes it along herself.

Honorable mention in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social #ShortStoryChallenge2025

March 2025 Updates Stories Written Contest Results Submissions Plans and Goals for Next Month Stories Written "Crossing the Line," for Cosmic Horror Monthly's Shirley Jackson tribute call Contest Results The Messenger Malachi doesn't want to be The Messenger. Can he refuse? Not Quite Write Submitted: January 2025; Results: March 2025 This was my first Not Quite Write competition. I had a lot of fun and their podcast has been really helpful and educational, so I'm looking forward to participating again at the end of April.

March 2025: Stories written, contest results, submissions, and goals for next month

Close Encounters of the First Grade Extraterrestrial contact happens for the first time during Show and Tell in Mrs. Carter's first grade classroom

Close Encounters of the First Grade - made it to the round of 16 in the #WritingBattle final showdown

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1. When did you get started writing?

The earliest story I remember writing was around age 7, when I wrote a story about a cat who really loved Christmas. I spent most of the story describing her outfit, which was all various shades of aqua and turquoise. I don't remember if there was a plot.