Melissa Bergum
@writingbubbly.bsky.social
Kidlit writer, geek, deaf AF in one ear, living with chronic migraines, Searchlight Awards 2024 Best Children's Novel Opening Longlistee, SCBWI member, cat wrangler, book dragon
website: melissambergum.wixsite.com/melissabergum
website: melissambergum.wixsite.com/melissabergum
Pinned
Melissa Bergum
@writingbubbly.bsky.social
· Oct 30
Bad Bunny's halftime show was amazing. I loved every minute even though I don't speak Spanish at all. Because guess what, you don't need to speak the language to appreciate it! 1/2
February 9, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Bad Bunny's halftime show was amazing. I loved every minute even though I don't speak Spanish at all. Because guess what, you don't need to speak the language to appreciate it! 1/2
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
As promised, I'm officially open to submissions again - for 1 week or 500 queries, whichever comes first. Because last time when I tried 2 weeks or until 750 queries, I received more than 750 in the first week and had to shut down early. No guarantees it won't happen again.
February 9, 2026 at 2:37 PM
As promised, I'm officially open to submissions again - for 1 week or 500 queries, whichever comes first. Because last time when I tried 2 weeks or until 750 queries, I received more than 750 in the first week and had to shut down early. No guarantees it won't happen again.
Normally on a football day, I'm excited for the pizza we order. Today, I'm excited for Bad Bunny's half-time performance! #TheOnlyHalfTimeThatMatters
February 7, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Normally on a football day, I'm excited for the pizza we order. Today, I'm excited for Bad Bunny's half-time performance! #TheOnlyHalfTimeThatMatters
Excited for the @waywordwriters.bsky.social workshop today! 🤩
February 7, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Excited for the @waywordwriters.bsky.social workshop today! 🤩
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
I haven't been online much due to ongoing health issues & work deadlines - but I want to send my love and solidarity to friends & publishing colleagues in Minnesota, and their communities.
Below is a useful "How to Help" list compiled by sff writer Naomi Kritzer.
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
Below is a useful "How to Help" list compiled by sff writer Naomi Kritzer.
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota
Last edited January 22, 2026 I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, you more or less understand the situation in Minnesota and I don’t have to explain it to you! That sa…
naomikritzer.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:17 PM
I haven't been online much due to ongoing health issues & work deadlines - but I want to send my love and solidarity to friends & publishing colleagues in Minnesota, and their communities.
Below is a useful "How to Help" list compiled by sff writer Naomi Kritzer.
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
Below is a useful "How to Help" list compiled by sff writer Naomi Kritzer.
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
Hey fellow kidlit writers in the MG space, check this out! There’s *free* contest for writers that’s open until January 31st — tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4 — Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary, via @writingdaywksp.bsky.social. Winners get an agent critique of their work! Cool, huh? :D
First Page Contest #4: Middle Grade Fiction -- Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary
FREE CONTEST FOR WRITERS! Welcome to First Page Contest . Contest #4 -- for writers of Middle Grade Fiction (all types) . If you write in this age category, keep reading and submit your work!...
tinyurl.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Hey fellow kidlit writers in the MG space, check this out! There’s *free* contest for writers that’s open until January 31st — tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4 — Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary, via @writingdaywksp.bsky.social. Winners get an agent critique of their work! Cool, huh? :D
Hey #WritingCommunity, any recommendations on good craft books about pacing? That's the writing area I want to focus on improving this year!
January 8, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Hey #WritingCommunity, any recommendations on good craft books about pacing? That's the writing area I want to focus on improving this year!
Dear @teedotally.com,
I can never get KitKats without thinking of you 🤣😅, here's the latest random find.
Happy New Year to you!
May it be filled with KitKats lol
I can never get KitKats without thinking of you 🤣😅, here's the latest random find.
Happy New Year to you!
May it be filled with KitKats lol
December 31, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Dear @teedotally.com,
I can never get KitKats without thinking of you 🤣😅, here's the latest random find.
Happy New Year to you!
May it be filled with KitKats lol
I can never get KitKats without thinking of you 🤣😅, here's the latest random find.
Happy New Year to you!
May it be filled with KitKats lol
Finally got to watch season 2 of #HazbinHotel!! Loved it so much… gotta say though, I’m worried about my fav boi Alastor and what he might be up to. (Thank you for voicing the best boi @amirtalai.bsky.social!!)
December 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Finally got to watch season 2 of #HazbinHotel!! Loved it so much… gotta say though, I’m worried about my fav boi Alastor and what he might be up to. (Thank you for voicing the best boi @amirtalai.bsky.social!!)
The end of last week kicked me in the teeth (emotionally). We had to put our old lady cat down Thursday. Friday I took my daughter and a friend of hers to Urban Air to have some fun, be distracted from the loss of our cat...
(P.S. This is an old pic of my daughter and our old lady cat lol)
1/4
(P.S. This is an old pic of my daughter and our old lady cat lol)
1/4
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
The end of last week kicked me in the teeth (emotionally). We had to put our old lady cat down Thursday. Friday I took my daughter and a friend of hers to Urban Air to have some fun, be distracted from the loss of our cat...
(P.S. This is an old pic of my daughter and our old lady cat lol)
1/4
(P.S. This is an old pic of my daughter and our old lady cat lol)
1/4
Finally, finally watched Haunting of Hill House, I know, it's been out for a while--I'm sorry! But it was amazing. Thank you @mikeflanaganfilm.com for creating it. So many feels while watching it, and not just the oh shit ones while getting scared 😆. 1/2
November 1, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Finally, finally watched Haunting of Hill House, I know, it's been out for a while--I'm sorry! But it was amazing. Thank you @mikeflanaganfilm.com for creating it. So many feels while watching it, and not just the oh shit ones while getting scared 😆. 1/2
I feel like this often happens on the eve of November, going full chaos mode for Not #NaNoWriMo 😂
elmo from sesame street is surrounded by flames and the word chaos is above him
Alt: elmo from sesame street is surrounded by flames and the word chaos is below him
media.tenor.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I feel like this often happens on the eve of November, going full chaos mode for Not #NaNoWriMo 😂
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
GHOSTBUSTERS x SUNSHINE CLEANING
👻 Alice sees ghosts
🏠 Rani cleans houses
Together they start a business cleaning haunted houses & banishing spirits. But spectral scrubbing soon turns into a serial killer investigation, and the ghosts from Alice’s past won’t give her the day off #PitDark #PN #NA
👻 Alice sees ghosts
🏠 Rani cleans houses
Together they start a business cleaning haunted houses & banishing spirits. But spectral scrubbing soon turns into a serial killer investigation, and the ghosts from Alice’s past won’t give her the day off #PitDark #PN #NA
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
One sister sees monsters, the other doesn’t. One sister goes missing, the other’s responsible.
A prank gone wrong
Severed sisters
Nightmare world
Stolen children
A secret art book
Desperate searching
Guilt & Forgiveness
STRANGER THINGS x PETER PAN’S LOST BOYS (only darker)
#PitDark #MG #DF #Q
A prank gone wrong
Severed sisters
Nightmare world
Stolen children
A secret art book
Desperate searching
Guilt & Forgiveness
STRANGER THINGS x PETER PAN’S LOST BOYS (only darker)
#PitDark #MG #DF #Q
October 30, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
Facing your fears is a lot harder when they’re living nightmares, just ask 13yo Eve. But her 11yo sis, Samara, don't believe her. After a prank goes wrong and Eve's missing, Samara will stop at nothing to find her. Only Eve's not in the real world. She's in one of nightmares.
#PitDark #MG #DF #Q
#PitDark #MG #DF #Q
October 30, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Every so often that scene in The Wire where Bunk and McNulty pretty much only say f*ck pops into my head and it cracks me up. Today was one of those days.
That scene lives rent free in my head.
That scene lives rent free in my head.
October 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Every so often that scene in The Wire where Bunk and McNulty pretty much only say f*ck pops into my head and it cracks me up. Today was one of those days.
That scene lives rent free in my head.
That scene lives rent free in my head.
I've got my excel sheet ready for my #NotNaNoWriMo as November draws near. I'm still aiming to get those 1667 words written every day of November. It'll be split between projects but shhhhh. It's still writing! Anyone else doing their own version of #NaNoWriMo? #AmWriting
October 27, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I've got my excel sheet ready for my #NotNaNoWriMo as November draws near. I'm still aiming to get those 1667 words written every day of November. It'll be split between projects but shhhhh. It's still writing! Anyone else doing their own version of #NaNoWriMo? #AmWriting
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
BLACK MIRROR × SEVERANCE × THE GOOD PLACE
Having a happy death is a luxury service for the rich and Wren is the rising top salesman—until a cynical coworker and a depressed billionaire force him to rethink it all in a world where even your last smile has a price tag.
#SFPit #A #Dys #WIP
Having a happy death is a luxury service for the rich and Wren is the rising top salesman—until a cynical coworker and a depressed billionaire force him to rethink it all in a world where even your last smile has a price tag.
#SFPit #A #Dys #WIP
October 21, 2025 at 4:59 AM
I've reached the point with my old lady cat where anything she might eat, I'm giving her. Arby's roast beef? Sure, why not! She tried it for the first time yesterday and was actually eating. There are days she's barely eating at all 😭.
October 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I've reached the point with my old lady cat where anything she might eat, I'm giving her. Arby's roast beef? Sure, why not! She tried it for the first time yesterday and was actually eating. There are days she's barely eating at all 😭.
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
Using ChatGPT
What's something that isn't considered embarrassing but you think it should be?
August 23, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Using ChatGPT
Reposted by Melissa Bergum
I'm working on a YA right now (a romcom + MMORPG) and goodness, it's freeing to be able to swear 🤣 that's one thing MG world doesn't let me do lol
October 10, 2025 at 3:56 PM
I'm working on a YA right now (a romcom + MMORPG) and goodness, it's freeing to be able to swear 🤣 that's one thing MG world doesn't let me do lol
Guess what fellow writerly types!! I just entered #RevPit #10Queries, and you can too! Enter now for a chance to win free feedback on your query and 1st 5 pages!
October 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Guess what fellow writerly types!! I just entered #RevPit #10Queries, and you can too! Enter now for a chance to win free feedback on your query and 1st 5 pages!