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Ophelia Keane Braeden

@okbraedenwriter.bsky.social

54 followers 37 following 109 posts

Writer of quirky fiction, off-hand poetry, and the odd fiber arts article. Follow for Recently Written Words, new publications on Vocal Media, and the Sunday Haiku. 🌸 Story Quick Links: linktr.ee/OKBraeden

Posts Replies Media

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I’m doing #FlashbackFriday ! This month, they’re #SpookySeason themed! 🎃 This horror trope satire story is called “How to Become a Werewolf.” 🐺 Like this little reading and want to read the rest? Visit my profile—I have a URL to my linktree. This one’s under the “Spooky Season Stories 🎃” category!

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Wrote a funny little poem! There might be a hint of dystopian undertones. Like sparkling water flavor level undertones. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I think we’re all feeling that vibe deep in our gut, so it might be detectable. 😂 Thanks in advance for reading! vocal.media/poets/the-fl...

The Flat Circle Tarnishes with Each Turn

Every story’s already been told, sure… but do you need to tell the EXACT same story over again?

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Liana Brooks @lianabrooks.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Writers used to be able to live comfortably off the sale of a short story or two a month. Authors like Terry Pratchett made enough money selling silly fantasy books in the 80's that they quit their day jobs. That doesn't happen any more.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#paintbywords Sep 21 prompt. Sally wondered if the moon was oranger tonight. She’d seen this hue before, but it seemed more vibrant. Perhaps it was because she could see it lower on the horizon now the trees had lost their leaves. Good, she thought. Root cellars work best with autumn’s chill.

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Breezie @breeze420.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

"Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up." -Stephen King let's take care of each other💫🧡

Photo of a lake with reflections of mountains and clouds.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Poems, on occasion, are one of those things that just spontaneously occur. Here; have a passing philosophical thought.

Detaching from the outcome by considering The Real.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Oofda, y’all; this one took it out of me! 😓 But worth it? Maybe? I hope? Whether it is or not, it had to be done today for Vocal’s “Last Call” challenge. 🤞 If you’d like to hurt, too, click the link below! Because sometimes we can’t say how we feel. TW: last scene hospitalization, TBI from a fight

Every Ending Until the Last

For all those who lost their words when they needed them most. For Vocal’s “Last Call” Challenge.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Happy Sunday! Finally back with a Sunday Haiku! Thank you for your patience. 😊 This one is for those creatives who need a reminder to follow every whim of their intuition. 💚

Where the Heart Goes

Inspired by Cat Stevens’ “The Wind,” as I was wondering one night what the point of life was.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

#paintbywords 8/31 prompt. Acorns snap at the back of my neck. Bee sting? No, just gravity and a pointy, steely sphere capped in a dragon scale hat. Too tall to reach the branches, but the ground is littered with unfounded dreams of making racahout. Someday I’ll have the time— someday, someday….

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We lost a lovely soul yesterday. I felt the best way to remember her as a creative was to use my creativity. Here’s a little haiku in memory of a big personality. #RIPDollyParton

A Sparkling Woman from Appalachia

“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose.” Okay, Dolly. Then this one’s for you. Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Dr. Cara Berg Powers @clbergpowers.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Things you could do this week to honor the impact Dolly has had: *Donate to the Imagination Library or a local kids reading initiative *Read with a kid you care about *Support and protect LGBTQIA kids *Support a Black owned business *Schedule your vaccine appointments *Show up authentically as you

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

True wealth is not Money. The safest bank is full of Seeds. There’s a reason the word for nutrient dense soil is “rich”. Leaves— of trees, of grass— will always be greener than USD. Our world will never stop Growing while the dollar only depreciates. #investintheEarth #permaculture #soileconomy

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Uncanny Magazine @uncannymagazine.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

PLEASE SHARE! Writers! Uncanny Magazine will be open for short story submissions from August 24 to September 7! WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR AMAZING, HUMAN-WRITTEN STORIES! www.uncannymagazine.com/submissions/

Uncanny Magazine will be open for short story submissions from August 24 to September 7!

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Jen Taub @jentaub.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

“A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it would replace, according to a new preprint study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.” ysph.yale.edu/news-article...

Universal Health Coverage Could Save $1 Trillion and 114,000 Lives Every Year, Yale Study Projects

A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Chris B-Eeeeek!-ler 👻 @cwbuecheler.com · 15/08/2026

Important to understand that the purpose of these laws is to convert unhoused people into slave labor for the prison system. That's not a side effect, or an unintended consequence. It's the main reason these laws exist.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I was just made aware by a post from @catsofyore.bsky.social that it’s International Cat Day! 🥳 Thanks for keeping me UTD! Cats were my main inspiration writing growing up and they still sneak onto the page. I thought to celebrate I’d share a few of my more recent pieces featuring some kitty cats!

The wisdom of sharing.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Hey folks! I’m sorry I haven’t been very active. Life has been kicking me around a bit. In fact, I’m injured and unable to work, and work comp has yet to come through. If you’re able, please consider donating to my GoFundMe! And donation or no, a repost would be just as helpful! Thank you so much!

Donate to Help Liv Bridge the Gap While Injured, organized by Olivia Beech

I tried so hard to be okay. I didn’t want to go on medical leave; I didn’t want t… Olivia Beech needs your support for Help Liv Bridge the Gap While Injured

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Y’all, I can’t believe it! Vocal media made my new flash piece a Top Story. 🙀 I haven’t had my writing given this recognition since my first ever Vocal article. I guess they liked this one, too. 🥰 Thank you so much to the team at Vocal!

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A huge thank you to Leslie Writes on Vocal Media for awarding me a win on her unofficial challenge! This was such an incredibly fun, whimsical, and whirlwind prompt to write to. 😊

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Thank you so much to the judges at Vocal Media for the Honorable Mention in the “Not Quite There Yet” Challenge! The challenge prompts always give me great writing exercises, and this was a whole new adventure for me. I so appreciate having this space to create.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Phew—I’ve been off my game! Hopefully this makes up for my lack of output lately! Is it so hot out you want to cry? Here: have a laugh instead. 🤪 A piece of hyperbolic flash fiction for Vocal’s “Too Hot for This” Challenge.

Humanity’s Only Hope

For Vocal’s “Too Hot for This” Challenge.

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 22/07/2026

Does Not Rhyme -through -cough -though -rough -bough Does Rhyme -pony -bologna

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

It’s that time - it’s the Sunday Haiku! I write a lot of haikus about nature. This one’s about one of the less loved creatures in the natural world, though they are still so important. Thanks in advance for reading!

The Evening Web Weaver

This massive friend has been chillin’ in my window for a good long while now. I see her every evening, doing her diligent work.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

#paintbywords 7/13 The road I’m on has turned rocky. I stumble. It twists, darkens; cruel things lurk amidst the foliage. I fear I’ve made a bitter mistake. Does this road lead to doom? It certainly looks it. Yet the path is dotted with signposts etched with angel numbers. This must be the way.

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Rachel Armes-McLaughlin @mother-poet.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

sickle floats on edge of sky - stars for the harvest #DailyHaikuPrompt #float #haiku #poetry #photography #moon

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

It’s that time again - here’s the Sunday Haiku! A flash of imagery, a brief moment in time. A stoic creature against the stillness of the morning. Thank you for reading!

Still and silent, they are the watchers over the water.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Yowza! Just making contest deadlines lately, haha! This one is for Vocal’s “Not Quite There” Challenge. This story went unfinished and revision is holding it back… but I still remember how it ends twelve years after writing. Read the story and self-critique at the link below!

“The Station” I Remember

For Vocal’s “Not Quite There” Challenge.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

#paintbywords prompt for 7/6 “roof” The brick is strong: it protects, it insulates. This massive structure is not mine to tend. The damages the wind inflicts are not my expense, not my responsibility, to bare. And yet— I wish I could hear the raindrops on the roof….

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

New short story on Vocal! I read a fellow Vocal writer’s super entertaining story, and discovered the unofficial challenge they had written it for. I couldn’t help but join in the fun - it was such an inspiring prompt! This one’s 600 word flash fiction. Thanks in advance for reading!

DNR: Do Not Reply

For Leslie Writes’ Unofficial Challenge “What Am I?”

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

It’s the Sunday Haiku! Thanks in advance for reading!

Intuition or Manifestation?

Who is making these synchronicities; the Universe or me?

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Whistlertim🇨🇦 @whistlertimbc.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Behind bars of bone And blood and breath The mind escapes Its cage of flesh It finds a world Of purest light An empty page On which to write #ও☉❢☉✑ #poetry #writing #micropoetry #blueskywriters #writingcommunity

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Raven @ravenbranhard.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

one spark questions all darkness #7SyllableSentence #spark

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

What’s afoot here? Nothing; we’re all asleep this side of the World. Except for me, fell creature who lives— who lurks— in the dread annals of the Internet, haunting the lines and cables and WiFi waves. Don’t mind her, the Web ghost; she’s just an echo— a memory— of a person. #latenightthoughts

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

#paintbywords prompt wk 6/29 Somewhere in the dying light the strawberry moon arose. It fell through leaves, drops of white, to touch my mud-caked toes. I’ve tangled with the summer sun and winter wind’s sharp chill to earn the joy to freely run through moonlit leaves now still.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Finally back with another Sunday Haiku! Sorry I’ve been so intermittent with sharing - I’m laid up with a bad back. Hard to write while side-lying. 😂 Thanks for reading!

Rolling Fields of Velvet

Those with cats know well the look of a kitty snoozing on its side.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Looks fun; I’ll give it a whirl. They exist to tidy the mess— On standby for the death they never bring. Ill omen— False. Black wings for carrying away the remains of someone else’s sins. “Hangman’s coming” their beaks clack. The crows didn’t teach themselves these words. #paintbywords wk6/22

Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Simon Spanton @simonguy.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

If you like a book TELL THE WORLD.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I’m finally back with the Sunday haiku! This one’s just a moment in time, a simple, everyday pleasure.

An easy way to come to consciousness.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

New poem on Vocal! Been a minute since I did anything other than haikus. This one’s free verse. Created for Vocal’s “Don’t Turn Around” challenge, though I took the prompt on a more metaphorical bent. It’s not always about writing to win, it’s about writing. At least it encouraged creativity. TIA!

The Rejection and the Redirection

That which is always behind you, resolute, is the past. For Vocal's "Don't Turn Around" Challenge.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

So very pleased to share that my short horror story “Big Sky Country” just got placed as Runner Up for Vocal’s “Stay a While” Challenge! Huge thank you to the judges. I’m honored to be included with these incredible writers! If you haven’t read it, go check it out!

Big Sky Country

For Vocal's "Stay a While" Challenge. TW: Mention of Suicide, Murder.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

It’s the Sunday Haiku! This week, an appreciation for fiction. The worlds we create when we tell stories can be bright or dark, joyous or melancholic; but they always provide a change—a refresh—from our realities. Thanks in advance for reading!

We all need a little escape, a little adventure, once in a while.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Published this a while ago for a Vocal challenge, but didn’t share because I thought y’all’d be worried about me. 😂 I’m ok, I promise! But it’s kinda relatable, and competition results are tomorrow, so if you’re mad at our economy and at 🅰️👁️‍🗨️ for taking all the creative jobs, go give it a read! TIA!

The Machine Ate My Soul

For Vocal’s “After It’s Gone” Challenge.

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Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

It’s that time again; the Sunday Haiku! The past few days have been beautiful weather, so of course I had to write something Springy. 😊 Thanks in advance for reading!

Spring Snowfall Under the Sun

When the flower petals cascade down to the ground.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Happy Flashback Friday! With “Big Sky Country” coming out yesterday, I thought this would be a great time to reshare my “other” horror/fantasy style short story, “How to Become a Werewolf”. This one’s got a good bit more satire. 😉 Thanks in advance for reading!

How to Become a Werewolf

Inspired by: Instructions Included

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Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

New Short Story up on Vocal! “Big Sky Country” was written for Vocal’s “Stay a While” Challenge, where a group goes to a remote place and slowly realizes they are not alone. Writers were encouraged to lean into suspense and dread. Thank you in advance for reading! TW: mention of suicide, murder.

Big Sky Country

For Vocal's "Stay a While" Challenge. TW: Mention of Suicide, Murder.

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Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Woops! Guess I took a hiatus, but I’m back in time for this Sunday’s Haiku! And in honor of Mother’s Day, this one is for, of course, my mom.

Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who always reads everything I write.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Look! What’s that on the horizon? Could it be… a SHORT STORY?! Yes, the muse struck at last—behold! Prose! All thanks to Vocal’s “The Unhappy Ending” Challenge and a wild hare. As the title may have hinted, this story is sad. So sad it’s good? 🤔 So if you need a cry, have at! And TIA for reading!🥰

On the Bitter Edge of a Snowfall

For Vocal's "The Unhappy Ending" Challenge.

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Reposted by Ophelia Keane Braeden

Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

A very special Happy Earth Day to everyone posting AI generated "happy earth day" graphics. Amazing job. You definitely get it.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

It’s time for the Sunday Haiku! My best fluffy friend is getting up there in age. This is about how he’s learned to tell me how he’s feeling, and I’ve learned to listen.

“Stoic” we called him. As he gets older, we’ve informed him that he needs to tell us when he starts to get sore.

Ophelia Keane Braeden @okbraedenwriter.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Happy Flashback Friday! I’m sharing an old personal essay this week, all about my experience swing dancing back in my college days. It’s the kind of community only music and dance can create.

Dancing the Shim Sham

How the Shim Sham Keeps Me Moving Even During Quarantine

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