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J.S. Watts

@j-s-watts.bsky.social

Writer (poet, novelist, short story writer and sometime reviewer) amateur photographer and very amateur musician. Website: https://www.jswatts.co.uk/

945 Followers  |  1,199 Following  |  419 Posts  |  Joined: 25.01.2025  |  1.703

Latest posts by j-s-watts.bsky.social on Bluesky

A flat landscape of fields broken by hedgerows of bushes and trees. On the horizon, higher land is darkly visible. the ski is cloudy with patches of pale blue

A flat landscape of fields broken by hedgerows of bushes and trees. On the horizon, higher land is darkly visible. the ski is cloudy with patches of pale blue

A view from yesterday when there was some blue amongst the grey.

29.10.2025 10:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Better title or better casserole?

28.10.2025 13:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I โค๏ธ Emma Thompson.

28.10.2025 13:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
A photograph of the hardback edition of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust, Volume three - The Rose Field. In shades of pink, yellow and orange, the cover image depicts two riders on camels crossing an empty desert plain edged by a rocky escarpment. Text is in white or yellow. On the D of Dust is a pine marten looking up. On the second O of Book a ginger cat looks down towards the pine marten.

A photograph of the hardback edition of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust, Volume three - The Rose Field. In shades of pink, yellow and orange, the cover image depicts two riders on camels crossing an empty desert plain edged by a rocky escarpment. Text is in white or yellow. On the D of Dust is a pine marten looking up. On the second O of Book a ginger cat looks down towards the pine marten.

This weekend's purchase. No spoilers until I've read it, please. #BookSky

27.10.2025 11:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

the re-set button on my cat didn't work either :-(

27.10.2025 11:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Will somebody please tell my brain that it's an hour earlier than it thinks it is...

26.10.2025 10:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Photograph taken at dusk. At the front a low, pale brick wall runs diagonally left to right. From it a wooden fences veers diagonally right to left culminating in a pale blue-grey metal barn. Above, electricity cables run diagonally left right across a pale blue sky. On the left hand side of the photo a dark metal barn wall runs steeply diagonal towards green trees.

Photograph taken at dusk. At the front a low, pale brick wall runs diagonally left to right. From it a wooden fences veers diagonally right to left culminating in a pale blue-grey metal barn. Above, electricity cables run diagonally left right across a pale blue sky. On the left hand side of the photo a dark metal barn wall runs steeply diagonal towards green trees.

Yesterday's angled dusk on phone camera.

25.10.2025 09:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
โ€˜Itโ€™s insanely sinisterโ€™: horror writers on the scariest stories theyโ€™ve ever read Bloodthirsty ghosts, sadistic supercomputers, creepy childhood games ... Mariana Enrรญquez, Paul Tremblay, Daisy Johnson and others on the tales that kept them up at night

โ€˜Itโ€™s insanely sinisterโ€™: horror writers on the scariest stories theyโ€™ve ever read

25.10.2025 08:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 76    ๐Ÿ” 25    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 8

As we are all on a social media site, its seems apposite to re-post this.

24.10.2025 12:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Want to know J.S. Watts' Top 3 Books of 2025? J.S.'s top 3 reads of 2025 include Is a River Alive? and two other amazing books. Discover what makes these books unmissable!

So yes, I know it's still only October, but, as is the way of things, here are my top 3 reads of 2025 (or, at least, January - October 2025). shepherd.com/bboy/2025/f/... #BookSky

23.10.2025 09:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

A wee piece of advice to book marketing scammers: when writing to me, do make sure the book in question is one of my books, and, if it is, do try to get the title right...

22.10.2025 14:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Red brick, end of building wall visible over a paler, yellow brick wall.  The chimney is sharply delineated red brick. Either side are scalloped red bricks. Two diamond patterned windows are either side of the chimney and there is a plaque in the middle of the chimney, making (possibly) two eyes and a nose. Black leading, visible above the lower wall, makes a potential mouth.

Red brick, end of building wall visible over a paler, yellow brick wall. The chimney is sharply delineated red brick. Either side are scalloped red bricks. Two diamond patterned windows are either side of the chimney and there is a plaque in the middle of the chimney, making (possibly) two eyes and a nose. Black leading, visible above the lower wall, makes a potential mouth.

Pic 37 in my brick wall series. Ornate South Cambridgeshire brickwork (or it may be a face) #brickinthewall

22.10.2025 10:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

'It turns out the most important part of creativity is not the having done, but the doing. Thatโ€™s the human part.'

20.10.2025 15:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Excellent news. Good luck!

20.10.2025 12:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
โ€˜Next great leapโ€™: grassroots movement to wild East Anglia goes national Set up by three โ€˜eco-anxiousโ€™ farmers, WildEast has created UK-wide version of pledge to encourage people to restore nature

โ€˜Next great leapโ€™: grassroots movement to wild East Anglia goes national

20.10.2025 12:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 51    ๐Ÿ” 11    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Still an issue for many - be aware.

20.10.2025 12:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
A road runs straightforward towards a pale building. At the edges of the road and down its centre are fallen yellow leaves. The road is lined with low green hedges and yellow-green trees, their black branches beginning to show through the thinning foliage

A road runs straightforward towards a pale building. At the edges of the road and down its centre are fallen yellow leaves. The road is lined with low green hedges and yellow-green trees, their black branches beginning to show through the thinning foliage

Autumnal Cambridge view from yesterday afternoon.

19.10.2025 10:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
David Harewood returns to Othello: โ€˜I donโ€™t just want to open the door but kick it down for the people behind meโ€™ He first played Othello in 1997, when the role was still synonymous with white thespians โ€˜blacking upโ€™. Now, nearly three decades on, he, Chiwetel Ejiofor and other Black actors discuss how best to tackle Shakespeareโ€™s formidable tragedy

David Harewood returns to Othello: โ€˜I donโ€™t just want to open the door but kick it down for the people behind meโ€™

19.10.2025 09:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 113    ๐Ÿ” 16    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

I've just, belatedly, come across PinkSky. Can anyone explain its purpose to me? Is it an automatic Instagram equivalent of Blusky? And why?

18.10.2025 09:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Scams! Photo by NIC LAW on Pexels.com It sometimes feels like the social media world is a shark pool. A while ago I joined Bluesky โ€“ a nice, welcoming, weโ€™re-all-friends-here-not-like-in-the-oโ€ฆ

sarahhealeyeditor.com/articles/sca...

It sometimes feels like the social media world is a shark pool. I joined Bluesky โ€“ a nice, friendly place - and followed some bookish people - nice, friendly people.

But then I had a DM.

I wrote an article about itโ€ฆ
#writerscommunity

17.10.2025 12:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Not my photo, but a worthy addition to my growing collection of brick wall photographs #brickinthewall

16.10.2025 09:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This is another of my starter packs. It's growth has been rather slowed by the fact that many of the publishers and magazines who have published me don't appear to be on BlueSky :๐Ÿ™#BookSky go.bsky.app/FbCTiqm

15.10.2025 14:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I'm a fan

14.10.2025 11:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This has been growing slowly but surely. You might want to check it out. go.bsky.app/G75Kbmc

14.10.2025 11:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

A sequel to the garlic-focused article I shared a while back. #booksky

13.10.2025 12:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I know I'n not the only writer they are targeting, but really book marketeers, three or four emails a day is three or four emails too much. I'm ignoring you for a reason.

12.10.2025 10:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Happy World Bookshop day! #bookSky #writingandbooks

11.10.2025 09:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Eeeew to garlic-mayo scented books, but an entertaining, non-aromatic, article.

10.10.2025 08:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

A one minute, flash-fiction read for the Halloween month.

09.10.2025 13:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I was hoping to announce a new piece of flash fiction by yours truly today, but it doesn't seem to have gone live yet. The complications of different timezones. Feel free to check back tomorrow to see if my writing has crossed the dateline...

08.10.2025 11:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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