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Leslie Pietrzyk

@lesliepwriter.bsky.social
1.6K followers 729 following 508 posts

Writer of novels & short stories: ADMIT THIS TO NO ONE (2021), SILVER GIRL (2018), THIS ANGEL ON MY CHEST (2015), etc. Fan of classic cocktails, Carolina BBQ & almost every pie. She/her

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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
Barrelhouse @barrelhouse.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Our conference in DC returns to American University on April 24, 2027! Registration is open now. We're still filling out the program, but we guarantee you a high-energy day full of practical writing advice and meaningful connections with local writers & editors www.barrelhousemag.com/conference
barrelhousemag.com
The Barrelhouse Conference: Conversations and Connections, Practical Advice on Writing — Barrelhouse
Conversations and Connections is a one-day conference organized by Barrelhouse in person at American University in Washington, DC on April 24, 2027.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
My ancient literary life: A baseball story! Writing about larger-than-life characters! Name-dropping Gatsby! When to enter a writing contest & when not. (NOTE: Go, Brewers!) [free to read/subscribe] lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/the-madiso...
lesliepwriter.substack.com
The Madison Review
In which I ponder contests & POV & larger-than-life Gatsbys
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
Renee Kalagayan @rkalagayanpoet.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Leslie’s latest + a fall bouquet! 💐 @lesliepwriter.bsky.social Can’t wait to dive in.
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
South 85 Journal @south85journal.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Excited to announce the Editor's Choice Longlist! You'll find these excellent pieces in our recently released city | country issue: www.south85journal.com/table-of-con... CONGRATULATIONS!!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
My ancient literary life! A love letter to a long-gone journal! The present tense…why & how? Perpetually writing about young girls. Flash fiction & the importance of contractions & verbs. (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/forklift-o...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
forgelitmag.com/2026/03/23/c...
forgelitmag.com
Consider Richard M. Nixon Drinking Navy Grog At Trader Vic’s, Capital Hilton, July-something, 1974, Washington, D.C. - The Forge Literary Magazine
Consider Richard M. Nixon Drinking Navy Grog At Trader Vic’s, Capital Hilton, July-something, 1974, Washington, D.C., a short fiction
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I've never been nominated for Best of the Net before!!!! Thank you, @theforge.bsky.social!! And I'll put a link to the story in the comments if you want to check it out.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Every lit journal is a labor of someone's love...and someone's labor. Much gratitude to the reading team and genre editors of South 85! Here's our new issue!!!!!!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My cute little (very little!) chapbook is officially out today! 5 flash fictions in 22 pocket-size pages. Thank you, @bullcitypress.com! Ordering info: bullcitypress.com/.../youre-a-...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Oh, haha...and "ages ago" is an appropriate phrase for this Substack exploring my olden days life! Thanks for reading (and for making that nice assumption).
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My ancient literary life! My first Pushcart Prize nomination and what it means to be “on your way”! Inspired by a marketing brochure! How soon we forget…word processors! And selling something hard to believe to readers. (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/the-nebras...
lesliepwriter.substack.com
The Nebraska Review
In which I get my first Pushcart Prize nomination and believe I’m “on my way”
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Thank you! This story is, indeed, WILD!! (As is the fact that several people thought of me when the Tylenol killer comes up!)
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Thank you!! You're the second person to send it my way. And this is WILD!!!
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
South 85 Journal @south85journal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Hint: it's our Fall | Winter issue!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
And how did this just suddenly happen? Did we know this was in the works? Relieved not to be flying any time soon.
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
Split Lip Magazine @splitlipthemag.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We're saying congratulations on ACCOMPLISHMENT SUNDAY 🙌 Contributor @lesliepwriter.bsky.social's "Hyenas" won @adroitjournal.bsky.social's 2026 Editor’s Prize in Fiction 🥳 buff.ly/nIrN0FZ
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Oh, thank you so much for sharing my happy news!!!!!! ❤️
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
My ancient literary life: finding a breakthrough at a writing residency! Writing the story that scares you most. How to approach writing about your personal grief? Why, why, why did they shut down The Gettysburg Review?!? (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/the-gettys...
lesliepwriter.substack.com
The Gettysburg Review, 2013
In which a writing residency inspires a Big Project
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This is so awful. I'm sorry this is happening to you.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I get to share some exciting news: "Hyenas" won the fiction contest sponsored by @adroitjournal.bsky.social & will be published next month! It's a challenging story to read and I'm grateful to the editors for reading it so well. Link b/c my screenshot's sketchy: theadroitjournal.org/editors-priz...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Only sensible approach.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
6 books I read this summer that I loved & would recommend. Extra-special to love a book by a friend, Caroline Bock & to be thrilled by the works of 2 writers whose work I avidly follow, @saralippmann.bsky.social & @andrewporter01.bsky.social The other 3 are new-to-me discoveries. Happy reading!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
My ancient literary life…writing about 9/11 for The Sun magazine, abt being on a train riding into the city, abt my aunt working in the WTC. How to write abt a vast horror? How to write effective political art? When to write abt a big historical event? lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/the-sun?r=...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You're the best! xoxox
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Made me cry. To be fair, just the picture of that kid also makes me cry.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I've been using "lore" for ages!!!! Do not tell me this.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Oh, we have one of these too, with the addition of saggy insulation!! Got an old wall phone right next to the furnace. My most fervent hope is that someday it rings.....
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This made the TV listing--with photo!--in the (paper) newspaper here in Winston-Salem, NC! Congrats!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I KNOW!!! On hold with the phone number that probably isn't hooked up to any actual phone/human.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Writers in the Anthropic settlement...anyone else suddenly have a strange "author"'s name on their listing, claiming 100%. WTAF? Why must writers suffer sooooooooooo!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
My ancient literary life! Writing a story to figure out a novel-in-progress! My college dorm room is immortalized! Tales of the AWP Book Fair! Why aren’t there more lit journals focused on the Midwest? (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/midwestern...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Better curious than hungry!
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
South 85 Journal @south85journal.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
We're so proud of our excellent writers!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
My ancient literary life! More Iowa girls. Voice covers many writing sins…how did I miss slipping in cicadas, my favorite writing tic (with silence “stretching” a close second)…is this title pretentious or what?! (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/westview?r...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Looking forward to meeting you in CHICAGO!!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
So excited to be paneling at AWP27 on the always-fraught topic of BLURBS!! Thanks for organizing, @magdabartkowska.bsky.social--who also combed through 10 years of AWP panels to learn that no panel has addressed this topic. See you in Chicago!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I'm so sick of these...and yet I still read/skim most of them, apparently needing to hear that a bot loves my writing more than life itself! #thewritinglife
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
Tara Campbell @taracampbell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Woot! Excited to be teaching for @hugohouse.bsky.social again. Thinking of jumping into speculative fiction but feel like you don't know enough? This class is for YOU! It doesn't take prior knowledge to unleash your little inner weirdo. & it's on a sliding scale fee! hugohouse.org/product/slid...
Screenshot of page linked to in post:

SLIDING SCALE: A Little Weird Goes A Long Way: Finding Ideas for Speculative Fiction
with Tara Campbell
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
LocationIn Person
AudienceIntermediate, Advanced
Capacity1 Session
Start Date: September 26, 2026
End Date: September 26, 2026
Day of Week: Saturday
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PT
Capacity: 15 seats
Price:

Choose price
SLIDING SCALE: A Little Weird Goes A Long Way: Finding Ideas for Speculative Fiction quantity
This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House. 

“I love sharing these tips that I've used to break out of writers' block and unleash a little weird in my writing. One of the exercises led to over a dozen published stories and my Philip K. Dick Finalist novel City of Dancing Gargoyles. Every time I teach this course, I'm blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity of the students, and we all come away excited about the story seeds that sprout during the class.” —Tara Campbell, instructor

Writing compelling speculative fiction doesn’t always require the creation of a whole new world—a little weird can go a long way.

In this three-hour creative writing workshop, we'll explore three playful techniques for transforming ordinary ideas into extraordinary stories. We'll craft narratives from common expressions, glean horror from unfinished business, and use deliberate paradoxes to create new ways of seeing the world. Along the way, we'll read sample stories and write to prompts in all three areas.

You’ll leave with three story starts, techniques for future story generation, and a new perspective on a world that is already stranger than fiction.

Whether you're new to speculative fiction or an experienced author looking for a burst of inspiration—or a break from that stalled WIP!—this class welcomes writers of all levels and genres.
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
Kathy Fish @kathyfish.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Register by Monday (8/24) and get three 90 minute workshops for $125! “Kathy Fish worked her magic today! The magician waved her wand, and in 90 minutes, we had three new flash pieces, rough, unsteady on their newborn feet, but moving. Thank you!” ~Nina Schuyler
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Reposted by Leslie Pietrzyk
South 85 Journal @south85journal.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Congratulations to these excellent writers, whose work we've just nominated for Best of the Net!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
My ancient literary life! The benefits of sending your work to local journals. Don’t be lazy like me…shift that POV just to see what happens! Two DC-area writer icons. (free to read/subscribe) lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/the-northe...
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
My ancient literary life: An early “breakthrough story” that I knew was good, despite no grad school teacher telling me so…despite 35 rejections! Also, it was inevitable: I find a way to work in Jimothy! Also-also, another last line that I love. lesliepwriter.substack.com/p/cottonwood...
lesliepwriter.substack.com
Cottonwood
In which I write what I consider a "breakthrough story"
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
💙
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Oh yes....I can imagine blood pouring out of some wound, screaming, "Agent! Agent! Agent!"
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The best kind of list to discover oneself on...a list put together by another WRITER! Thank you, @kdiannerule.bsky.social! Even if it's not mine, one of these excellent stories is sure to catch your eye, so take a moment to let words carry you away.
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Thank you so, so much for including my story on your list!! What a lovely surprise! xoxox
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
How delightful to see my story included on this excellent list! Thank you so much!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
What happy, happy news!!
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Leslie Pietrzyk @lesliepwriter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I have a mini-chapbook of flash fiction out in Sept, part of the (adorable!) INCH series @ @bullcitypress.com! YOU'RE A GIRL is abt <young women balanced on the precarious ledge where childhood edges into adulthood.> Preorder OR subscribe to the series (4x year). bullcitypress.com/product/your...
bullcitypress.com
You’re a Girl by Leslie Pietrzyk (Inch #69)
by Leslie Pietrzyk Inch #69, Fall 2026 23 pages, saddle-stapled ISSN: 1932-6149 release date: September 30, 2026*
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