Helen Rye
@helenrye.bsky.social
Writer, editor. UEA Prose MA and fledgling PhD researcher. Won some writing things. Published some writing things. @smokelong.bsky.social senior ed. She/her.
Reposted by Helen Rye
It's FlashGiving! Follow @smokelong.bsky.social if you don't already, then like and share this post to get your name in the hat to win $200 holiday money. Deadline is midnight ET, November 26th! Winner chosen randomly on Nov 27th. Please tag @smokelong.bsky.social so that we know you've posted!
November 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
It's FlashGiving! Follow @smokelong.bsky.social if you don't already, then like and share this post to get your name in the hat to win $200 holiday money. Deadline is midnight ET, November 26th! Winner chosen randomly on Nov 27th. Please tag @smokelong.bsky.social so that we know you've posted!
Reposted by Helen Rye
It's sign-up time to try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January! We'd love to get new particitrousers in by November 24 to do some onboarding since the first December writing task goes live on December 1st. Come write with us. We're not a cult. We promise. www.smokelong.com/product/try-...
Try SmokeLong Fitness - SmokeLong Quarterly
Are you curious about the community workshop of SmokeLong Fitness but don’t know if you can commit to a year without a peek behind the curtain? You can try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January fo...
www.smokelong.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
It's sign-up time to try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January! We'd love to get new particitrousers in by November 24 to do some onboarding since the first December writing task goes live on December 1st. Come write with us. We're not a cult. We promise. www.smokelong.com/product/try-...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Day zero or day one, today is the deadline for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Ends midnight tonight. Send your best 250 words (or fewer). #TheMikey. ❤️
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Day zero or day one, today is the deadline for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Ends midnight tonight. Send your best 250 words (or fewer). #TheMikey. ❤️
Reposted by Helen Rye
Saturday is now the day after tomorrow #TheMikey
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Saturday is now the day after tomorrow #TheMikey
<Prince vocals> This is what it sounds like...when we do number things (also our contest ends this Saturday and is excellent)
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 12, 2025 at 1:07 PM
<Prince vocals> This is what it sounds like...when we do number things (also our contest ends this Saturday and is excellent)
Reposted by Helen Rye
This review! “Happy people really don’t live here. Sorrow floats above them like the cemetery ghosts, unmoored and occasionally angry, everything framed within a madcap murder mystery…Sparks is a clever writer who has, by melding conventions from several genres, created a perfect hybrid”
The bighearted ghost story you didn’t know you needed. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h... @liveright.bsky.social @ambersparks.bsky.social @keithdonohue.bsky.social #booksky
Happy People Don’t Live Here: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:28 PM
This review! “Happy people really don’t live here. Sorrow floats above them like the cemetery ghosts, unmoored and occasionally angry, everything framed within a madcap murder mystery…Sparks is a clever writer who has, by melding conventions from several genres, created a perfect hybrid”
Reposted by Helen Rye
The Saturday after this one is now this Saturday, because that’s how time goes. This means that as of midnight NYC tonight, Tuesday Nov 11, there will be 96 hours to enter the 250-word, $1,000-top-prize SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025. Please let this be right. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 AM
The Saturday after this one is now this Saturday, because that’s how time goes. This means that as of midnight NYC tonight, Tuesday Nov 11, there will be 96 hours to enter the 250-word, $1,000-top-prize SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025. Please let this be right. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Well. We know today is Monday. We know #TheMikey ends midnight NYC, Saturday Nov 15. We know there're 6, 5, or 4 days left, depending who's counting. We know we once confidently ran a contest countdown that ended two days before the deadline and had to style it out. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 10, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Well. We know today is Monday. We know #TheMikey ends midnight NYC, Saturday Nov 15. We know there're 6, 5, or 4 days left, depending who's counting. We know we once confidently ran a contest countdown that ended two days before the deadline and had to style it out. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Now there’s one actual week left, if you count the deadline day as a day and today as a day. $1,000 1st; $500 2nd; $300 3rd; $100 finalists. Winners and finalists published in the December issue of SmokeLong Quarterly. 250 words max. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Now there’s one actual week left, if you count the deadline day as a day and today as a day. $1,000 1st; $500 2nd; $300 3rd; $100 finalists. Winners and finalists published in the December issue of SmokeLong Quarterly. 250 words max. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
One week to go until #TheMikey deadline. Although that’s 8 days, today being Saturday and there being until midnight next Saturday to enter. We know yesterday’s post said 7 days, but that person “doesn’t count the same”, so November 15 is also now further away. Did we say we aren’t numbers people?
November 8, 2025 at 10:45 AM
One week to go until #TheMikey deadline. Although that’s 8 days, today being Saturday and there being until midnight next Saturday to enter. We know yesterday’s post said 7 days, but that person “doesn’t count the same”, so November 15 is also now further away. Did we say we aren’t numbers people?
Reposted by Helen Rye
We never agree on countdowns. To keep the peace, everyone's method is getting a turn this time. So there are "7 days" left to enter #TheMikey, not counting today or the deadline day*. Ends midnight ET Nov. 15.
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
November 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
We never agree on countdowns. To keep the peace, everyone's method is getting a turn this time. So there are "7 days" left to enter #TheMikey, not counting today or the deadline day*. Ends midnight ET Nov. 15.
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
Reposted by Helen Rye
Join us!!
There's still time to register for the BITTER OVER SWEET release party over Zoom with @lumchanmfa.bsky.social, @deeshaphilyaw.bsky.social, and @avitusbcarle.bsky.social TOMORROW NIGHT at 7pm EST!
Register here: buff.ly/CtKtA0k
Get BITTER OVER SWEET: buff.ly/q27a4lT
@susanschulman.bsky.social
Register here: buff.ly/CtKtA0k
Get BITTER OVER SWEET: buff.ly/q27a4lT
@susanschulman.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Join us!!
Reposted by Helen Rye
The editor who has control of the cursor right now thinks there are 10 days left to enter #TheMikey, because it’s open until midnight on November 15, so November 15 is totally one (1) day, no I won’t give it back
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
The editor who has control of the cursor right now thinks there are 10 days left to enter #TheMikey, because it’s open until midnight on November 15, so November 15 is totally one (1) day, no I won’t give it back
Reposted by Helen Rye
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈If you like what you see, then please know that we are OPEN for SUBMISSIONS (!!), albeit to queer writers of colour ONLY for now.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/ 8/ ☺️☺️
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/ 8/ ☺️☺️
Submit
Submissions open until 30th November 2025 Who Can Submit Any Writer of Colour who identifies as LGBTQ+ is welcome. What to Submit Creative Writing For us, ‘queer writing’ is disruptive and boundary…
fruitjournal.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 8:45 PM
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈If you like what you see, then please know that we are OPEN for SUBMISSIONS (!!), albeit to queer writers of colour ONLY for now.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/ 8/ ☺️☺️
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/ 8/ ☺️☺️
Excellent people to connect with here at this 6-year-old queer literary journal run by my friends Tawseef and Tom ❤️
Hi writing folks! We've just migrated to bluesky and thought we should introduce ourselves. We're an online queer literary journal, we've been going since 2019 and we love writing that is daring and innovative.
We're looking to be connected to the writing community here, so please follow and RT! 🍎🍇
We're looking to be connected to the writing community here, so please follow and RT! 🍎🍇
November 5, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Excellent people to connect with here at this 6-year-old queer literary journal run by my friends Tawseef and Tom ❤️
Reposted by Helen Rye
A reminder that lots of my cartoons are available on T shirts. Preferably from OUR Redbubble store rather than one of the many pirate sites (including those on Redbubble. We're worldofmoose.
www.redbubble.com/people/world...
www.redbubble.com/people/world...
worldofmoose Shop | Redbubble
worldofmoose is an independent artist creating amazing designs for great products such as t-shirts, stickers, posters, and phone cases.
www.redbubble.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:11 AM
A reminder that lots of my cartoons are available on T shirts. Preferably from OUR Redbubble store rather than one of the many pirate sites (including those on Redbubble. We're worldofmoose.
www.redbubble.com/people/world...
www.redbubble.com/people/world...
Reposted by Helen Rye
🏳️🌈 QUEER WRITERS OF COLOUR! 🏳️🌈
We’re now open for submissions until 30th November.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/
We’re now open for submissions until 30th November.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/
October 30, 2025 at 1:10 PM
🏳️🌈 QUEER WRITERS OF COLOUR! 🏳️🌈
We’re now open for submissions until 30th November.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/
We’re now open for submissions until 30th November.
We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎
See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/
Reposted by Helen Rye
A great way to fight back against AI taking away work from creatives is to buy art by actual humans.
(Reply to this post with your own art/website etc. But only if you’re an organic life-form).
www.worldofmoose.com
(Reply to this post with your own art/website etc. But only if you’re an organic life-form).
www.worldofmoose.com
Website of artist, cartoonist & tweeter Moose Allain
Welcome to the website of artist, cartoonist and prolific tweeter Moose Allain. Please fell free to have a poke about.
www.worldofmoose.com
March 28, 2025 at 7:50 AM
A great way to fight back against AI taking away work from creatives is to buy art by actual humans.
(Reply to this post with your own art/website etc. But only if you’re an organic life-form).
www.worldofmoose.com
(Reply to this post with your own art/website etc. But only if you’re an organic life-form).
www.worldofmoose.com
Not saying I’m overtired but I just forgot I’d taken my contact lenses out and tried to remove my right cornea 👍
October 23, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Not saying I’m overtired but I just forgot I’d taken my contact lenses out and tried to remove my right cornea 👍
Reposted by Helen Rye
Around 25 days now!
Just something like 27 days left to enter! That sounds like tons of days, but life flies by when you're writing flash. Read the guidelines here... www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Around 25 days now!
Reposted by Helen Rye
Thou shalt not support a man who bulldozes the White House to build himself a golden ballroom whilst the government is shut down because he doesn’t want the financial records tying him to Jeffrey Epstein to come out.
October 20, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Thou shalt not support a man who bulldozes the White House to build himself a golden ballroom whilst the government is shut down because he doesn’t want the financial records tying him to Jeffrey Epstein to come out.
Reposted by Helen Rye
Meg Cass's "Creative Writing, Publishing & Community" class are reading the SmokeLong queue this week. If you're a creative writing teacher who'd love to give your students a look behind the curtain of a literary journal, let us know. www.smokelong.com/university-o...
University of Illinois Springfield students read the queue! - SmokeLong Quarterly
This week, the students in Meg Cass’s “Creative Writing, Publishing & Community” class at the University of Illinois Springfield will be reading our submission queue! We asked their students a few que...
www.smokelong.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Meg Cass's "Creative Writing, Publishing & Community" class are reading the SmokeLong queue this week. If you're a creative writing teacher who'd love to give your students a look behind the curtain of a literary journal, let us know. www.smokelong.com/university-o...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Massive congratulations to contributor @jjpena.bsky.social for winning 2nd Prize in The Bridport Prize for Flash Fiction, and to contributor @emilyrinkema.bsky.social, and SmokeLong Fitness Workshop member @adelegallogly.bsky.social, Highly Commended 🎉 bridportprize.org.uk/results/
Results Archive - Bridport Prize
bridportprize.org.uk
October 19, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Massive congratulations to contributor @jjpena.bsky.social for winning 2nd Prize in The Bridport Prize for Flash Fiction, and to contributor @emilyrinkema.bsky.social, and SmokeLong Fitness Workshop member @adelegallogly.bsky.social, Highly Commended 🎉 bridportprize.org.uk/results/