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/
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J.S. Watts
@j-s-watts.bsky.social
· Apr 16
By way of a belated introduction to my writing life, a selection of my published books - Novels: Witchlight; Old Light; Elderlight; A Darker Moon. Poetry: Cats and Other Myths; Songs of Steelyard Sue; Years Ago You Coloured Me; The Submerged Sea; Underword.
2nd in my series of AI spambot reviews and another one for my novel "Witchlight" - "Witchlight has everything readers crave — sharp humour, real emotion, and a dash of unpredictable magic"
November 23, 2025 at 10:53 AM
2nd in my series of AI spambot reviews and another one for my novel "Witchlight" - "Witchlight has everything readers crave — sharp humour, real emotion, and a dash of unpredictable magic"
Apologies for anyone waiting for my story to drop at Literally Stories. Publication date has now been confirmed and it's April 2026. Oh, the anticipation! literallystories2014.com/watts-j-s/
Watts, J.S.
J.S.Watts is a British poet and novelist who weaves the fantastical and the literary with other vibrant strands to create glowing, multi-faceted writing. Originally from London, she read English at…
literallystories2014.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Apologies for anyone waiting for my story to drop at Literally Stories. Publication date has now been confirmed and it's April 2026. Oh, the anticipation! literallystories2014.com/watts-j-s/
I'm getting so many spam emails about my (and others'!) books, I thought I'd start a series of spammer reviews. As their AI bots have scanned existing reviews, it's gotta be a realistic summation, right? The first one is in the comments below, coz I'm running out of words.
November 21, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I'm getting so many spam emails about my (and others'!) books, I thought I'd start a series of spammer reviews. As their AI bots have scanned existing reviews, it's gotta be a realistic summation, right? The first one is in the comments below, coz I'm running out of words.
Reposted by J.S. Watts
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
*
UK politics live –latest updates
The UK’s response to Covid was “too little, too late”, a damning official report on the handling of the pandemic has concluded, saying the introduction of a lockdown even a week earlier than happened could have saved more than 20,000 lives.
The document also has stinging criticism of a “toxic and chaotic” culture inside Boris Johnson’s Downing Street – which it said the then prime minister actively embraced – in which the loudest voices held sway and women were sidelined. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:16 PM
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Worth a read - a fair summary of what's going on out there. Currently one keeps emailing me to say I haven't replied and asking me to say yes or no. I didn't ask for their email in the first place. They don't deserve a response and responding to them just encourages the "Tribbles" to breed.
Here's an excellent article that was just shared with me about the latest scams aimed at writers. Read on, "great author"...
#aspiringwriter #authorlife #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity
annerallen.com/2025/11/update...
#aspiringwriter #authorlife #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity
annerallen.com/2025/11/update...
Update on those flattering AI book marketing scams
Those AI book marketing scams are proliferating like Tribbles. Here are the new variations authors are getting now.
annerallen.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Worth a read - a fair summary of what's going on out there. Currently one keeps emailing me to say I haven't replied and asking me to say yes or no. I didn't ask for their email in the first place. They don't deserve a response and responding to them just encourages the "Tribbles" to breed.
Another victim of the Cloudfare outage. It makes hitting deadlines very difficult when you can't access the platform you need to in order to do the work 😒
November 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Another victim of the Cloudfare outage. It makes hitting deadlines very difficult when you can't access the platform you need to in order to do the work 😒
I actually managed to produce a new photoblog post. Go me! wouldbephotography.blogspot.com/2025/11/summ...
Summer - Autumn - Winter?
A blog about photography and writing, specifically the work of J.S.Watts
wouldbephotography.blogspot.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I actually managed to produce a new photoblog post. Go me! wouldbephotography.blogspot.com/2025/11/summ...
Pic 39 in my brick wall series. Brick wall in autumn #brickinthewall
November 16, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Pic 39 in my brick wall series. Brick wall in autumn #brickinthewall
This is not my cat, though it is my garden and my garden table. He can be found in my garden a lot. Yesterday evening he turned up at my front door and sat there until my cat went out to join him. Normally they just scream at one another. Now I'm not sure what is going on. #Caturday
November 15, 2025 at 10:53 AM
This is not my cat, though it is my garden and my garden table. He can be found in my garden a lot. Yesterday evening he turned up at my front door and sat there until my cat went out to join him. Normally they just scream at one another. Now I'm not sure what is going on. #Caturday
The UK take on the current Trump furore. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
US justice department investigates Epstein's alleged ties to Clinton and banks after Trump request
Democrats are accusing Trump of using the justice department to deflect from his previous relationship with Epstein.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM
The UK take on the current Trump furore. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by J.S. Watts
Reminder that we are now open to submissions for flash fiction over the next month! Submission guidelines are below and it is a paid opportunity:
www.dreamtheory.media/submission-g...
www.dreamtheory.media/submission-g...
Submission Guidelines
Submissions are currently OPEN - November 10th through December 12, 2025 11:59PM EST!
Last updated: November 10, 2025
Flash Fiction
We're looking for submissions 300 to 1,000 words in length, fr...
www.dreamtheory.media
November 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reminder that we are now open to submissions for flash fiction over the next month! Submission guidelines are below and it is a paid opportunity:
www.dreamtheory.media/submission-g...
www.dreamtheory.media/submission-g...
Reposted by J.S. Watts
Re broken governance structures in/around #Cambridge: A local hospice had its grant cut by a local NHS trust. What should be a local issue is not because of over-centralisation & Treasury banning councils from raising revenues from much wider ranges of taxes. So now @pippaheylings.bsky.social …>
November 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Re broken governance structures in/around #Cambridge: A local hospice had its grant cut by a local NHS trust. What should be a local issue is not because of over-centralisation & Treasury banning councils from raising revenues from much wider ranges of taxes. So now @pippaheylings.bsky.social …>
I now have an author's page on Literally Stories. There will be content to follow in due course... literallystories2014.com/watts-j-s/
Watts, J.S.
J.S.Watts is a British poet and novelist who weaves the fantastical and the literary with other vibrant strands to create glowing, multi-faceted writing. Originally from London, she read English at…
literallystories2014.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:01 PM
I now have an author's page on Literally Stories. There will be content to follow in due course... literallystories2014.com/watts-j-s/
As this is one of my starter packs, I guess, with thanks to Paul Connolly, I ought to repost it.
Here's another thread of great starter packs. First up the brilliant @j-s-watts.bsky.social brilliant Poets and Writers starter pack. Please follow and repost if you can #poetsonbluesky #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #booksky
November 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM
As this is one of my starter packs, I guess, with thanks to Paul Connolly, I ought to repost it.
A friend had a very similar experience with Virgin Media when his wife died. I don't think it's a one-off.
My wife died but Virgin Media seems unable to transfer account to my name
My wife died but Virgin Media seems unable to transfer account to my name
Transferring names and moving to a cheaper deal should not require the bereaved to repeatedly explain a death
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:36 AM
A friend had a very similar experience with Virgin Media when his wife died. I don't think it's a one-off.
A view from this weekend just gone.
November 10, 2025 at 2:21 PM
A view from this weekend just gone.
Reposted by J.S. Watts
Flash fiction submissions are now OPEN - November 10th through December 12, 2025 11:59PM EST!
GO GO GO!
GO GO GO!
November 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Flash fiction submissions are now OPEN - November 10th through December 12, 2025 11:59PM EST!
GO GO GO!
GO GO GO!
Saturday 15 November, beginning at 6pm at the Thrive Cafe, Cambridge, I'll be one of the selected open micers and will be reading a couple of my poems from Songs of Steelyard Sue and Underword.
Sadly, the lovely Thrive Cafe will be closing its doors for good the following day, Sunday 16 November.
Sadly, the lovely Thrive Cafe will be closing its doors for good the following day, Sunday 16 November.
November 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Saturday 15 November, beginning at 6pm at the Thrive Cafe, Cambridge, I'll be one of the selected open micers and will be reading a couple of my poems from Songs of Steelyard Sue and Underword.
Sadly, the lovely Thrive Cafe will be closing its doors for good the following day, Sunday 16 November.
Sadly, the lovely Thrive Cafe will be closing its doors for good the following day, Sunday 16 November.
A digested Booker line-up
‘I had a year to write it from scratch’: the 2025 Booker finalists on the stories behind their novels
‘I had a year to write it from scratch’: the 2025 Booker finalists on the stories behind their novels
A newspaper report about a missing girl, the memory of a midwinter emergency … Susan Choi, Andrew Miller, David Szalay and others on what inspired their shortlisted books
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
A digested Booker line-up
Reposted by J.S. Watts
👏👏👏 @banxtoons.bsky.social hitting the nail squarely on the head again. Every politician should be made to look at this drawing every single day. 👇
November 7, 2025 at 10:50 PM
👏👏👏 @banxtoons.bsky.social hitting the nail squarely on the head again. Every politician should be made to look at this drawing every single day. 👇
Reposted by J.S. Watts
he Poets' Version of Beckett: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail worse. No matter. Try again. Fail far worse still. Try again. Fail beyond your imagination's ability to comprehend the scale of possible failures open to you . . .' (contd p.94)
November 7, 2025 at 7:06 AM
he Poets' Version of Beckett: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail worse. No matter. Try again. Fail far worse still. Try again. Fail beyond your imagination's ability to comprehend the scale of possible failures open to you . . .' (contd p.94)
Helpful advice 109 - when focusing on a tricky piece of ironing held in place with your left hand whilst reaching backwards for the very hot iron with your right, make sure the iron handle and not the hot plate is turned to face you. Just saying...
November 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Helpful advice 109 - when focusing on a tricky piece of ironing held in place with your left hand whilst reaching backwards for the very hot iron with your right, make sure the iron handle and not the hot plate is turned to face you. Just saying...
Reposted by J.S. Watts
This is one of @writeforwellbeing.bsky.social's brilliant poetry starter packs. Please follow and repost if you can #poetsonbluesky #poetrycommunity
November 5, 2025 at 8:36 AM
This is one of @writeforwellbeing.bsky.social's brilliant poetry starter packs. Please follow and repost if you can #poetsonbluesky #poetrycommunity
Reposted by J.S. Watts
Hi! I'm so excited to read your work :)
For more guidelines check out inksweatandtears.co.uk/submissions/ or follow the link in our bio to the submissions page:
share.google/AeU3wkv9bjiK...
-SA
#prose #poetry #onlinezine #creativewriting #inksweatandtears #poetrydaily #poetrylovers #poetrygram
For more guidelines check out inksweatandtears.co.uk/submissions/ or follow the link in our bio to the submissions page:
share.google/AeU3wkv9bjiK...
-SA
#prose #poetry #onlinezine #creativewriting #inksweatandtears #poetrydaily #poetrylovers #poetrygram
November 3, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Hi! I'm so excited to read your work :)
For more guidelines check out inksweatandtears.co.uk/submissions/ or follow the link in our bio to the submissions page:
share.google/AeU3wkv9bjiK...
-SA
#prose #poetry #onlinezine #creativewriting #inksweatandtears #poetrydaily #poetrylovers #poetrygram
For more guidelines check out inksweatandtears.co.uk/submissions/ or follow the link in our bio to the submissions page:
share.google/AeU3wkv9bjiK...
-SA
#prose #poetry #onlinezine #creativewriting #inksweatandtears #poetrydaily #poetrylovers #poetrygram
Pic 38 in my brick wall series. Dutch brick from an angle #brickinthewall
November 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Pic 38 in my brick wall series. Dutch brick from an angle #brickinthewall