“Keep writing and don’t look back!” If only the writing life was that simple.
This used to be my philosophy with my writing. I would write without stopping, without reviewing, and without checking to see if anyone took notice of any of the writing I have done so far. This was a problem for the people who left reviews of books, comments on blog posts, or comments on social media posts. Days or weeks went by without me noticing them!
But it’s important to stop every so often to check ourselves. Writers who have work published online could have comments posted about their work, or they could have someone sharing it on social media, along with someone’s positive endorsement of our work. It looks bad if we go too long without thanking them for taking the time, and it looks as if we don’t care.
These days, I do take notice of such things, but there are other things I have found it important to take notice of too: old writing.
Recently, I was going through some old blog posts, trying to find a certain post that I needed for my writing. (I never found it, though – I guess I never posted it! Oops!) One thing I noticed during this time was that I had somehow or another revised an old blog post and used it as an article. But at the time I made this post an article, I could have sworn it had never seen print!
Except that it had – as a blog post! Well, at least the new piece was revised.
Reviewing our old writing is a good habit to put into practice every now and then, not just to ensure we aren’t accidentally passing off a reprint as an original article, but to measure our growth. We can compare our old writing to our new writing and see how far we have come as a writer. It allows us to observe just how much we have learned about our craft, how much our ability to write has improved, and even get ideas for new things to write.
Additionally, reviewing our old writing in a manuscript helps us to refresh ourselves for writing more in this manuscript. When I was revising an old manuscript, I figured I’d just revise what is in the old draft without reviewing what is written so far in the new draft. But this could pose some problems. I might end up repeating myself or failing to make this new draft completely new with new material. If the new draft only contains old material, then what’s the point of even revising it? When creating something new for readers, it’s important to keep it new and fresh for readers. Readers don’t come to a revised draft of a book expecting to see the same old stuff they read in the old book. They want the NEW stuff too. So, give readers the new stuff in a revised manuscript and keep the goal of “new stuff” in the forefront. That’s what I must do with this book which I have been revising. (It’s a nonfiction book that is currently out of print.)
When you have a chance, take the time to review your old writing. Think about how different your writing is now, where you have improved with the craft, and how you can create something new out of something old. Writing is a journey, and it helps to occasionally stop in that journey to see how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go.
I recently reviewed the thriller novel The Mitigator by Samuel Colabufo at Reader Views
I recently reviewed the contemporary fiction novel Somewhere Else by Joe Robinson at Reader Views
Check out my interview with author G. Lawrence, which was published in the July 2026 issue of the SPARREW Newsletter.
Read it here.
Twisted Dreams Press is now accepting submissions for a new anthology series! It is seven books with ten stories in each book.
The first anthology will be published in June. The others will follow in the subsequent months. Submissions of stories for all anthologies opens the beginning of April.
Open until each anthology has ten stories. We will announce when an anthology is no longer accepting submissions.
Series Name: A Week of Terrors!
Here are the themes:
Monster Monday: Creature Horror Stories
Terrifying Tuesday: Evil Clowns
Werewolf Wednesday
Thriller Thursday: Zombies
Frightening Friday: Mix of horror subgenres: psychological horror, eco-horror, cyberpunk horror, erotic horror, etc.
Slasher Saturday: Slasher horror
Spooky Sunday: Ghost stories
Payment: One print and digital copy.
Submit your stories today!
Length: 3K-10K words
Reprints welcome! Simultaneous submissions welcome but please let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere.
Email your stories as a Word .doc or .docx file. Google Docs are okay as long as you grant Dawn permission for access.
No PDF submissions, please.
Stories written with AI will NOT be accepted!
When you submit your story, please put the following in the subject line:
Submission: WOT Anthology, (Title), (Day of the week your story is for)
Please include in your email if the story is a reprint as well as your bio.
Please send your stories to Dawn at submissions@twisteddreamspress.com
We look forward to reading your story!
If you missed out on the anthology call for the Friday the 13th Summer Camp Horror anthology, you’re in luck!
This anthology is reopening to submissions!
Learn more about that on the Twisted Dreams Press blog here.
Twisted Dreams Press is thrilled to announce a brand-new call for submissions for THREE anthologies. These anthologies will be published in 2027. Learn more about them here.
Twisted Dreams Press is accepting submissions for three anthologies slated for publication in 2027! Read about them here.
Dreamweaver Press, a division of Twisted Dreams Press, is also accepting submissions for anthologies! Get the details here. And check out the new guidelines for payment!
The Fairy Tale Magazine
“Think gingerbread homes. Think rapunzel/rampion. Strawberries in Snow. Think of a flower you eat to become pregnant. Of the goblins mesmerizing songs, “Come buy! Come buy!” Tell us what feast might appease La Llarona. What might a raja eat in his court? Give us stories of the Magic Pot (Japanese) or poisoned food (Indian). Tells us about nuts that can heal, soup that can win the heart of a prince that’s cooked by a girl wearing all kinds of fur. Tells us the tales from the Caribbean—like Tiger’s Breakfast or Rapunzel’s sugar cane. But don’t stop there! We want fairytales from around the globe.
Speak to us of hunger. Desire. Power (or lack of power). Give us your best food in fairy tale style. We want your retellings. Your re-imagined “Blog” by Gretel from the heart of an edible home where you’ve been entrapped by its resident baddie. Write us a recipe perfect for a fairy tale. Tell us of those who have food and those who don’t. Surprise us.
No horror! No erotica! No AI!”
Original work only. They are accepting short stories and poetry. Writers submitting must be 18 years or older. Content must be rated PG.
Length:
Fiction: 900-2K words
Poetry: 500 words
Payment: “We pay $25 USD per piece (whether prose or poetry).”
Deadline: August 21, 2026
PRAx
“Scientists working in the Arctic and Antarctic are documenting some of the most rapid environmental changes on Earth. Through ice cores, ocean measurements, satellite imagery and ecological observation, they help us understand how polar regions are changing and why those changes matter.
Poets work differently.
Through image, rhythm, metaphor, story and attention, poetry offers another way of engaging with a changing world. Poetry can linger with uncertainty, wonder, grief, beauty, contradiction and imagination. It can ask questions that data alone cannot answer.
PRAx, Spring Creek Project and Terrain.org invite poets to create original poems in response to a selection of polar science papers from Oregon State University researchers. Participants are encouraged to read one or more of the featured papers and allow the research to spark creative inquiry.
What We Are Looking For
We welcome work that is curious, imaginative, surprising and attentive. Poems may engage with the science directly or indirectly. They may be personal, lyrical, narrative, experimental, contemplative or playful.
We are not seeking poems that explain science or summarize findings. Rather, we are interested in the conversations that emerge when scientific inquiry and poetic practice meet. You do not need to understand every detail of a paper to participate. A single image, question, observation, graph or idea may be enough to inspire a poem. We encourage you to follow what captures your imagination.
Poems must be in conversation with one or more of the featured scientific papers listed below.”
Original work only. Simultaneous submissions accepted. Work submitted through Submittable. “No AI-generated or edited work will be accepted.”
Length: 1-3 poems
Payment:
“Selected poems will be published in a series in Terrain.org and poets will receive $100 from Spring Creek Project for each selected piece.
Selected poets may also be invited to participate in a public reading at PRAx on October 29, 2026. The event will feature readings and conversation between poets and researchers. PRAx will provide lodging on the night of the event, a travel stipend of up to $1,000 and dinner with polar researchers following the event. Participation in the event is optional and not required for eligibility.”
Deadline: August 26, 2026
NOT/ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY
“Our next charity anthology will be about living with disabilities/chronic illnesses. Follow our socials and Kickstarter for more information!
Requirements:
· up to 5000 words
· prompted by the title: Not/Feeling Better
· any genre, but this book will be distributed to schools and community copies so please be mindful of the audience
· nothing created with the aid of generative ai
· poetry*, short fiction, and memoir are all welcome
· anonymous file: don’t leave your name anywhere in the file you send to us because we read and select anonymously!”
Original work only. “We will not consider any work which is produced in part or in full by generative AI software.”
Length: 5000 words max, multiple poems allowed
Payment:
“All authors whose pieces are selected for publication will receive £10; however, there is an opportunity to waive this so it can be donated to that particular anthology’s charity.
All authors whose pieces are selected will also receive a complementary copy of the completed anthology.”
Deadline: August 29, 2026
The Un-Opened Door: A Short Story Anthology
Owl Hollow Press
“Some doors are locked to keep danger out. Others are locked to secrets inside.
In literature, we see it often: Narnia’s wardrobe, Alice’s rabbit hole, Coraline’s door to the Other World. These are just a few examples, but any mundane entry could be a story waiting to be told.
An abandoned fallout shelter. A hatch buried beneath Antarctic ice. A forgotten room behind a fireplace. A cave sealed by an ancient civilization. A rusted submarine airlock. A child’s bedroom closet that suddenly appears where no closet existed before.
In this anthology, we will explore stories where someone ignores the warnings and opens something that should have remained shut.
What waits on the other side isn’t always a monster—but it always comes with a price. From mysterious happenings and supernatural suspense to psychological thrillers and dark fantasy, The Unopened Door explores humanity’s oldest temptation: the irresistible need to know what’s hidden behind the next threshold.”
All genres welcome. Original stories only. No AI-generated stories. “We ask for 12 months of exclusive print, ebook, and audio rights, and perpetual non-exclusive rights thereafter.”
Length: 7K words max
Payment: $50 plus a contributor copy
Deadline: August 31, 2026
The Icarus Writing Collective
“The Icarus Writing Collective is dedicated to telling stories that retell, adapt, or transcend literary classics and mythology. Whether it’s a queer Frankenstein or a modern Mahabharata, we encourage writers to come together to bring the then to our now.
Science and magic. Transmutation and transformation.
The search for knowledge and the limitless bounds of humanity.
Elixirs, potions, curses. Alchemical, elemental, fantastical.
Or, listen to the issue’s curated playlist.”
Original work only. Simultaneous submissions accepted. They are accepting flash fiction, short fiction and art. Writers are welcome to submit one piece for each category. “Work generated by A.I. or LLMs is not tolerated or accepted.”
Length:
Flash fiction: 3 stories, 1K words max for each
Short Fiction: 1 story only, 1K-5K words
Art: Up to 3 pieces
Payment: “We are able to award writers a $5 honorarium, paid through Venmo or PayPal.”
Deadline: September 10, 2026
Since I’m promoting my children’s books this month, this week, I promoted my children’s book, A Million Doughnuts.
Here is the book’s blurb:
“Rusty loves doughnuts, but it seems like his parents won’t ever let him have a doughnut! One day he wishes for a million doughnuts, and when that wish comes true, Rusty learns that maybe there is too much of a good thing.”
And here is the excerpt!
Excerpt from
A Million Doughnuts
Copyright © 2012 by Dawn Colclasure
Rusty looked up at his mother. “Can I have a doughnut, Mom? Please?”
Mother looked at Rusty and shook her head. “Doughnuts are not good for you,” she answered.
“But I love doughnuts!” Rusty whined. “And you never let me eat them!”
“Maybe some other time,” Mother said. She turned back around to look at the baker. Rusty frowned as he listened to his mother order four bran muffins to take home for breakfast. He scowled. Bran muffins? Yuck! Doughnuts were better than bran muffins!
When Rusty and his mother got home, they sat at the table to eat breakfast with Father and Pearl. Pearl was Rusty’s big sister.
Mother placed a bran muffin on Rusty’s plate. Rusty didn’t want to eat any bran muffins.
“I want to eat doughnuts,” Rusty said.
“Please eat your bran muffin,” Mother said.
“Bran muffins are healthy!” Father said. And of course Father would say that. Father was all about eating foods
that are healthy. “They give you fiber!” he added.
Rusty sighed. He didn’t know what fiber was, except that it didn’t taste very good.
Thanks for reading! See you next weekend.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.