Melissa Burkart

I had a giant to-do list today. So of course a migraine hit this morning 🤦‍♀️

My kids were adorable about it, tho. They took turns snuggling me, and 8 y/o made me a bouquet of pipe cleaner and construction paper flowers

…so maybe I’m teaching 3 writing workshops this summer? Currently awaiting confirmation but the contract will tell…

#WriteSky

Now's your chance, my Maine friends, to get involved. And I don't just say that because my wife now has a part-time job with MPA.

I am PSYCHED for this!!!

The right to housing.
Universal Basic Income.

🤣

🫂

🤣

Thanks!!!

my semi-feral writing cat Sometimes writing is a skittish, semi-feral cat you have to entice out of hiding with treats and other bribes. You watch it out of the corner of your eye because staring at it will send it scurryin…

I have spent the last 2 months coaxing my writing habits out of hibernation and enticing my writer-brain to play with me again in something more sustainable than the edge-of-burnout chaos of the last few years. And I realized my writing is like a cat...

melissaburkart.com/2026/02/11/m...

#WriteSky

Today in "things that make me feel like I might make an actual career of this writing thing after all":

My proposals have been accepted! Pending contract signing, I'll be teaching (and getting paid for) two writing workshops at the local summer arts festival

🎉🎉🎉

#WriteSky

This looks amazing! And we're big fans of Bernie Jean, whose story, "Have I Ever Told You About When We Were Eaten?" appears in our most recent issue (which you can read right now right here: magazine.trollbreath.com/have-i-ever-... )

Have you signed up for my newsletter? I'm moving from substack to my own site, which will focus mostly on the #history of #ancientrome! New posts every week, which subscribers will get via email. www.melaniermeadors.com/newsletter-s...

Fed up with your world? Visit ours. Picture of the Clarkesworld robot looking over at the cover of our February issue. That cover features a robot looking out at the sea while standing on the beach with their hands clasped behind their back. The water comes gently towards their feet. Peaceful ocean and sky. A contemplative moment of peace. Cover art by Matt Dixon.

It's time for your periodic reminder that we count on subscriptions to keep the lights on.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.

This morning, I traded some of my mindless scrolling time for #writing! And it feels AMAZING, even if I didn't get as many words as I'd hoped

Rebuilding my writing process can be slow going, but it reminds me how much I love it, which motivates me to do more

#WriteSky

It's a time where words can be hard to find and connection is more important than ever.

I have already inflicted some of the questions in this deck on my friends and let me tell you, this is SO MUCH FUN and exactly what I need these days.

I think I've found a solution to my conundrum with Substack nazi issues that I'm happy with. I'm just putting EVERYTHING on my website and I'll do some footwork to increase my reach. So...if you like ancient history (as well as some forays into other times), give me a shot! www.melaniermeadors.com

they are also still the only solid food I've had today

I should maybe fix that, but maybe I'll just have more cookies, instead

That's my usual plan, but it's not working this time. Until this morning, I haven't been enjoying writing. And sometimes, I just can't write if the whole approach is wrong and I've been struggling to find even a work-for-now approach

Happy Gulf of Mexico day!

That's right, today has been officially recognized around the world by all intelligent human beings as Gulf of Mexico Day! Let everyone know so they can join the celebration.

#GulfOfMexicoDay

So far this morning, I've drafted a blog post and eaten far too many cookies...

Read books written by Black people - this month and every other damn month.

That includes poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

Super simple disclaimer that *all* authors really need to make sure make it to the beginning of their books. I'm at the point where I'm going to set a date that any book written after this date that *doesn't* have this I wont read.

It was!!!

Hello Writing Community! We are delighted to announce our Second Official Bluesky *** #MSWL Day *** February 26, 2026. 🎉🎉🎉

Agents + editors can post what they ✨wish✨ they had in their inboxes; writers can find their next best fit for querying.

Learn more: manuscriptwishlist.com/2025/01/the-...

I have a short story I'm trying to write but I keep adding too much exposition. The worldbuilding should not be this heavy-handed. I don't want this to sound like a novel excerpt, damn it

#WriterProblems #WriteSky

Maybe one of these days I will visit the library and leave without taking out more books than I can possibly read before they’re due…

But today is not that day

#BookSky

4 year old: I can’t carry everything in this world

No, you can’t, kid

#ParentSky

Also, this is absolutely the story I needed 8 years ago as a new parent

Currently reading @melissacaruso.bsky.social ‘s The Last Hour Between Worlds and just found my favorite line:

“But no one had yet invented a liquor that could keep [char] from the flawless execution of a bad idea.”

I am CACKLING 🤣

#BookSky