Reposted by A.J. O'TooleJoel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 7hThey should have gone all out and done Classic British TV Comedy Animals. £50: Spiny Norman (illustrated here) £20: Victor Meldrew’s telephone dachshund £10: Duke, Boycie’s Great Dane £5: Mrs Slocombe’s Pussy 8728
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleTrash Cat Lit @trashcatlit.bsky.social · 05/10/2026It's Monday again, let's cheer you up with a spotlight from our latest issue 🦝 We loved Olivia O'Toole's darkly funny list, the slow build and increasingly inventive options, and the delicious last few. trashcatlit.com/how-are-you-... 051
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleFibonacci Sequins @brentwaggoner.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Read the first piece of fiction I've had published in 20 years! It's short! Thursday Was the Sharpest Day by Brent Waggoner | New Flash Fiction Review share.google/SknsudCEQTto...share.googleThursday Was the Sharpest Day by Brent Waggoner | Issue #42Monday is for vacuum cleaners, tubes clogged with hair and paperclips. Tuesdays (two-days) people remember that they only had one copy of the will. 11208
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 16/09/2026If a tiny village is seeking independence from the UK then you should hear my pitch (in novel form) to get Freedom for the Black Country. We've already got a separate language and culture. 000
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 15/09/2026And on to the next (and final!) chapter... 1300 words this morning, incredible rate for me. Off for a walk and a recharge. #amwriting #indielit 020
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 09/09/2026That reminds me - need to start working on my Swifty Apocalypse story! 011
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Today's scare stories are warning against drinking tea and flushing the toilet. Shame, those are two of my few remaining guilty pleasures. Life'll kill ya... If you don't beat it to the punch. 110
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleThe Onion @theonion.com · 09/09/2026“I remember googling the word ‘stupid’ for the first time, reading the definition, and thinking, ‘Holy shit—this is me,’ ” — Derrick Henard theonion.comEverything Finally Clicks For Man After Getting Diagnosed As StupidCARY, NC—Describing the experience as “a revelation,” 38-year-old Derrick Henard told reporters Wednesday that everything had finally clicked for him after he was given a diagnosis of stupid. “I remem... 211904245
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleTrash Cat Lit @trashcatlit.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Our Autumn Prompted Story issue is LIVE! 🦝 13 flash fiction written to blind-chosen prompts. Grab a cuppa and snacks, sit back and immerse yourself in the imagination and creativity of our 12 contributors 💜 trashcatlit.com/prompted-sto... @joycebingham.bsky.social @jessebinger.bsky.social 1/2trashcatlit.comPrompted Stories Pop-Up Autumn 2026We selected thirteen flash for the second prompted challenge of the year. These twelve writers showed amazing imagination and creativity with their prompts. Our Guest Readers for this issue were Le… 11711
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Researching a character who kinda might be based on someone I used to know... and accidentally clicked through to their LinkedIn page. Now I need to hope LinkedIn doesn't grass me up with their "you've been noticed!" emails. 000
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Yep. I used to live in the pointy bit at the top of it. 000
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Drafting a chapter today. Very much "don't get it right, get it written". #amwriting #indielit 220
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Today: a revision and tidy-up request for a submission. Red pen out, let's kill some commas and conjunctions. #amwriting 010
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleGossamerWight Literary Magazine @gossamerwight.com · 31/08/2026How Aliens became the rare sequel that was as good as – or better than – the original. 'One of my favourite exchanges in the film was when Private Hudson asks his female colleague, “Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?” She replies, “No. Have you?"' theconversation.com/how-aliens-b...theconversation.comHow Aliens became the rare sequel that was as good as – or better than – the originalForty years on, James Cameron’s transformation of Ridley Scott’s horror classic remains a masterclass in how to make a sequel. 011
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 29/08/2026I've seen it, but nowhere near as many times as the first one. Seagal has a similar approach in his early films... Marked for Death in particular. 100
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 29/08/2026Watched the finale. I can't recommend it. The Irish are always half way down a pint of insipid dark beer, and the Italians are always cooking. 100
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Yeah - I didn't dare ask what she was running away from, I'll just make it up! 010
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 22/08/2026In a pub on a remote Scottish Island, catch the accent of the barmaid. 'Black Country?' *looks over both shoulders* 'I can neither confirm or deny...' Later: 'Ar, ah'm frum Walsall.' 'Dudley. Bin up 'ere long?' '22 years.' 110
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Back in the bar that inspired this story. It's a great place. (Drinking a Glen Scotia Victoriana) @literarygarage.bsky.social 020
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Yep. "Who wants to play at army? No girls allowed." 080
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 14/08/20263500 words, positive responses from my test readers, and it's going in. Now I need to go for a walk, burn off the submission adrenalin. 120
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Went in on Wednesday night after the eclipse. Great food. Hand drier as below. It's a bit cosy if there's more than one of you in there. 010
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 14/08/2026If the Prime Minister is heading to Stourbridge today, I recommend the Royal Exchange, the Unicorn or the King William if he fancies a pint pulling photo opportunity. 000
Reposted by A.J. O'TooleSean Thomason @seanthomason.bsky.social · 11/08/2026So embarrassing when people think the point of reading a novel is to know the plot, so a summary is just as good. The plot isn’t important, you rube. You absolute simpleton. The point of reading a novel is to find out what the characters are eating and start thinking about what you want for dinner. 734049832
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Been working really hard, solid progress, and I'm down to 4308 words. 210
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Black Country features in book on where tourists rarely go - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukBlack Country features in book on where tourists rarely goAuthor Chris Moss says it was "brilliant" to explore the West Midlands and its heritage. 000
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Inside Llewyn Davis is on BBC2 tonight. The cat deserved an Oscar. 100
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 09/08/2026This was our shower radio for a few years. 0180
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Second draft done. 4300 words. I'll do another draft, and then try to work out how to trim down to the 3500 limit required. Going to be a tough one. 100
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 08/08/2026"Dudley, a town in a part of England’s West Midlands known as the Black Country—the spiritual heartland of pork scratchings—was the obvious place for me to start my investigations. A major cog in the Industrial Revolution, Dudley helped pull England into the modern age." 021
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 08/08/2026Lot of the local character features from my novel are in this piece. Black Country pubs, the Living Museum, scratchings, cobs, the Beacon, the Titanic, Marsh and Baxters. Bostin' www.pelliclemag.com/home/2026/4/...pelliclemag.comWorld Crust — Pork Scratchings and Making Meat of the Scraps — PellicleThe pork scratching’s journey from humble Sunday roast side to mass-market snack belies its enduring popularity as a curious cornerstone of the British pub experience. The pork scratching as we know i... 132
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Reward bottle for 'Least Said' published on New Flash Fiction Review @nffr.bsky.social newflashfiction.com/least-said-b... 110
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 05/08/2026First draft finished. Re-reading now and checking I have all the structure before I polish and punch up and polish. #amwriting 350
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 04/08/2026I forgot to follow up that this one did get published: trashcatlit.com/the-seven-of...trashcatlit.comThe Seven of CupsA.J. O’Toole Scheduling a Summer Fete is clearly a far better predictor of rain than the weather report I’d checked before leaving my umbrella at home. Escaping the dark clouds and approachin… 010
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Cooking up a short story, the triangle of characters are talking to each other in my head, I'm trying to get all the beats in place without it turning into a novel. This is great. It's also torture. There's never enough time. 110
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 30/07/2026What are five things in your upcoming release? Black Country pubs TV star Girl you fancied at school A scam for The Money Folklore of a woman found dead in a spooky tree 000
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 26/07/2026Love an airport where you can check in and then wander off... 010
A.J. O'Toole @scribblerotoole.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Having a single Grouse, just in case I'm never here again. Slainté. 100