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Will Willoughby

@willwilloughby.bsky.social
1.5K followers 2.1K following 493 posts

Writer • Editor • Maine Literary Award winner • Short stories in Epiphany, Pithead Chapel, Pangyrus, etc. • Story collection WHILE I HAVE YOU coming from Littoral Books April 2027 www.willwilloughby.com

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Ryan T. Pozzi @ryantpozzi.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I'm not kidding. At one point, I was so mesmerized by his reading that I forgot I already knew what happened next - you know, because I WROTE IT. Do yourself a favor. #audiobook Aubible: www.audible.com/pd/The-Mess-... LibroFM: libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I now have a page for news: www.willwilloughby.com/news You'll notice I have a launch date for my debut story collection, WHILE I HAVE YOU (Littoral Books). If you're within striking distance of Portland, Maine, on April 8, 2027, stop by Print. I'd love to see you there! #WritingCommunity
Screenshot of News page on willwilloughby.com. The entry for September 1, 2026, reads: The launch of my debut short story collection, While I Have You, will be held on April 8, 2027, at Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you there.
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Charlie handled his trip to the vet with real grace and anxiety. (He’s fine.)
A brown midsize dog lifts his floppy ears as he cowers on a tile floor below an exam table and looks sideways at the camera.
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I'd totally forgotten I'd started a lexicon of business jargon when I was writing "Downstream Benefits." I guess I never got around to finding out what a point solution was. Anyone? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ See www.willwilloughby.com/fiction for links to some of my stories. They're so impactful. #AmWriting
List showing the following terms, definitions, and examples:

bottom up, top down: [no definition]

ecosystem: stuff and things

efficacy: measure of how well something is working—for example, We’re planning to work from the foundations of what’s already there to continuously improve the efficacy of the learner experience.

iterative innovations: improvements made in phases

meat: the main point or idea—for example, Let’s take a deep dive into the meat of the matter.

point solution: [shrugging guy emoticon]

solution (verb): to solve

source of truth: no definition
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Just got my preordered copy of @ryantpozzi.bsky.social‘s The Mess That Made Them. It’s a fantastic read—go get a copy! geni.us/TMtMT #WritingCommunity #BookSky
Cover of The Mess That Made Them, by Ryan T. Pozzi
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
A little while ago, I got a short story accepted at the amazing Cleaver Magazine. (Pub date TBD.) It’s called “The Bedroom Tenant” and involves a reasonable amount of friscalating dusklight. #AmWriting
Sky at dusk above a dark landscape showing the profiles of trees and houses.  A window glows in a house on the right.
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Out of nowhere, I just remembered this old post. My site (www.willwilloughby.com) has evolved since then, and I do indeed have a book to pitch now. WHILE I HAVE YOU, my debut short story collection, is forthcoming from Littoral Books (spring 2027). Consider it pitched, friends. 😜 #AmWriting
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Pithead Chapel @pitheadchapel.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Our August issue is live! JH Lucas Dodge Zelko @sarpsozdinler.bsky.social Jacob Schrodt Jeffrey-Michael Kane @liquid-chicken.bsky.social @zaryfekete.bsky.social Matthew Trumbull Kinga Varga-Dobai Andrew Christoforakis @bethgordonpoet.bsky.social Kaylan McCann pitheadchapel.com/volume-15-is...
pitheadchapel.com
Volume 15, Issue 8
COVER ART BY JH LUCAS   FICTION ACTS OF GUILE, ACTS OF GRACE BY DODGE ZELKO ORPHANS BY SARP SOZDINLER BEARS BY JACOB SCHRODT THE KEEPING BY JEFFREY-MICHAEL KANE   NONFICTION Unknown Calle…
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Ryan T. Pozzi @ryantpozzi.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
This week's edition of Life on the Midlist was about failure as a part of creative life and the specific way it was useful to me. Check it out: #skywriters mailchi.mp/b603254c52ca...
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Jim Parisi @jpariseye.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
I have a new short humor piece up on Robot Butt. Even my mother likes it, despite the swipes at MAGA. www.robotbutt.com/2026/07/20/b...
robotbutt.com
"Best in Show" Extreme Breed Makeover | Robot Butt
“Welcome to ‘Extreme Breed Makeover,’ the competition in which six new breeds designed to take on the challenges of the modern world will be vying for the chance to garner the top prize at the world’s...
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
“None of us working at Fallow Beach Cinema in the summer of 1990 had anywhere else to go—that was part of it—but the real problem was Ariel, the Little Mermaid.” Read “Concession,” my story on life, friendship, and whether Batman is edgy. audienceaskew.com/volume-5-iss... #WritingCommunity
The cover of the summer 2026 issue of Audience Askew shows a montage of classic black-and-white movie scenes issuing from an antique camera.
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Does It Have Pockets @doesithavepockets.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Our "vacation" is done! Time for more submissions: www.doesithavepockets.com/subs #litmags #literarycommunity
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Zary Fekete @zaryfekete.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
@midlvlmag.bsky.social always has incredibly beautiful issues and their latest is no exception:) What a treat to have a short piece here🥰 #writingcommunity
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MIDLVLMAG @midlvlmag.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Meet the Reverse Evaluation team:
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Zary Fekete @zaryfekete.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Whew, I still can't quite believe it but here I am in @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social :) Quite a thrill🥰 My short piece is about experiencing earthquakes in Japan. #writingcommunity
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
It’s July and @theforge.bsky.social is open to submissions! As we gear up to read, I thought I’d share some quick, hopefully helpful tips for submitters. 🧵 - You don’t need to pitch us or summarize your story in the cover letter - we won’t see it anyway! Your work speaks for itself.
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MIDLVLMAG @midlvlmag.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Issue no. 8, Reverse Evaluation drops tomorrow, July 2nd, 2026.
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Pithead Chapel @pitheadchapel.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Our July issue is here! pitheadchapel.com/volume-15-is... Cover art: CHRISTOPHER GARLAND Words: DEIRDRE DANKLIN @grnpointer.bsky.social JAMES KEITH SMITH @kplumhoff.bsky.social GARTH ROBINSON SAMANTHA VARGAS
pitheadchapel.com
Volume 15, Issue 7
COVER ART BY CHRISTOPHER GARLAND   FICTION The Sex Appeal of the Blues by Deirdre Danklin In the Wind by Christopher Lee Chilton Zachary by James Keith Smith Lost and Found by Katherine Plumho…
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MIDLVLMAG @midlvlmag.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Coming soon - issue 8 from MIDLVLMAG #reverseevaluation
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Michael Czyzniejewski @mczyzniejewski.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Congrats to @emilyrinkema.bsky.social for winning the 2025 @mooncitypress.bsky.social Moon City Short Fiction Award! Her book, Dead Mother Card, will appear from MCP in 2027. She will receive the $1000 prize. Can't wait to work with her on this fabulous collection. Thanks to everyone who entered!
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Ryan T. Pozzi @ryantpozzi.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I know I'm hard to shop for, so let me help! I turned 47 today and there's only one thing on my list. Pre-order The Mess That Made Them wherever books are sold. #booksky Don't have a favorite local place? Try Bookshop.org. bookshop.org/shop/ryantpo...
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Alex Z @alexzoubine.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I hope you enjoy my first foray into memoir writing #wtitingCommunity #art #memoir #Africa #travel #booksky
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Will Musgrove @willmusgrove.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
100% guarantee 💙💙💙 (though I may be biased) You can pre-order my book here: malarkeybooks.com/store/afterl...
malarkeybooks.com
After Last Call by Will Musgrove — Malarkey
April 2027 Preorders will be signed by the author. After Last Call is about those who linger long past closing time, who bum around the bar’s parking lot to trade stories about a time when t...
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Keith Woodruff @keithwoodruff.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Honored to have work in the June issue of @pitheadchapel.bsky.social ... this one's for you little dude😉
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Pithead Chapel @pitheadchapel.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Have you seen our June issue? pitheadchapel.com/volume-15-is... Cover Art JANELLE PAULINO Fiction @keithwoodruff.bsky.social @suttonstrother.bsky.social TRAVIS FLATT ANTHONY BROWN Nonfiction LAUREN GIARD REBECCA WATKINS JESSE LACY Prose Poetry BEN STARR @ezhang77.bsky.social JOY YIN
pitheadchapel.com
Volume 15, Issue 6
COVER ART BY JANELLE PAULINO   FICTION GRIEF WORK, LLC BY KEITH WOODRUFF BELLY BY SUTTON STROTHER THE CENTAUR DANCES THE GIDDY-UP BUCK BY TRAVIS FLATT PET LOVER BY ANTHONY BROWN   NONFICT…
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
My debut short story collection just got a title: WHILE I HAVE YOU. Includes “Downstream Benefits” (Pangyrus), “Mr. Palm Beach” (Pithead Chapel), “Splice” (Epiphany), and “Zephyr” (BULL). Links to these and other stories at www.willwilloughby.com. #WritingCommunity
willwilloughby.com
Will Willoughby | Writer of Literary Fiction
Will Willoughby, Maine Literary Award winner and Pushcart nominee, writes darkly comic, often surreal short fiction.
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Ryan T. Pozzi @ryantpozzi.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
My newsletter, Life on the Midlist, is where I do several ridiculous things in public. I write about publishing, ambition, rejection, creative stamina, and what it's like to launch a book without saying things like, "Hey guy! Welcome back to my channel..." Subscribe: www.ryantpozzi.com/midlist
ryantpozzi.com
Life on the Midlist — Ryan T. Pozzi
A weekly behind-the-scenes dispatch from Ryan T. Pozzi on trade publishing, creative work, career-building, and what it actually looks like to try to make a writing life work.
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Zary Fekete @zaryfekete.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
A true story. My thanks to @neonandsmoke.bsky.social for publishing it!! 🥰 #writingcommunity
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Alex Z @alexzoubine.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Wow! Biome is featured on Duotrope! 😁 this labor of love has taken off in a wonderful way Best way you can support Biome? Listen to some of our stories! rss.com/podcasts/bio...
rss.com
Biome | Podcast on RSS.com
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The Bulb Region @bulbregion.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Word on the street is that we'll reopen for submissions in about a month! 🚨 July 6 through 10, open for five days. Fiction, nonfiction, hybrid, and everything in between. Save the date. Spread the word.
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Ewen Glass @ewenglass.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
So happy to have this one up at B O D Y. It’d be swell if you took a look www.bodyliterature.com/2026/06/16/e...
bodyliterature.com
B O D Y | A new poem by Ewen Glass
EWEN GLASS is a screenwriter and poet from Northern Ireland. His poetry has appeared in Okay Donkey, HAD, Poetry Scotland and One Art Poetry.
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MIDLVLMAG @midlvlmag.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
For a literary time, call +1 206-579-1956
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Will Musgrove @willmusgrove.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
COVER REVEAL: I'm super excited to share the cover of my story collection After Last Call, coming out next April from @malarkeybooks.bsky.social. And thanks to @mrwojorising.bsky.social for the amazing work he did designing the cover 💙 Pre-order link: malarkeybooks.com/store/afterl...
Book cover, features a hops plant that appears to have mugs of beer as buds. Text reads:

After Last Call
Stories
Will Musgrove
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Michael Czyzniejewski @mczyzniejewski.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
New story, "Sleepover," in the new @southeastreview.bsky.social! Thanks to Neal Hammons and the whole staff for putting me alongside these terrific writers in this terrific-looking issue!
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Jim Parisi @jpariseye.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
I’ve got a new short story today in Discretionary Love. Pro tip: read it while listening to the song. www.discretionarylove.com/fade-into-you/
discretionarylove.com
Fade Into You, Discretionary Love
Her toes, nails painted lilac to match her fingernails, pressed into the windshield, above the inspection sticker.
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Michael Czyzniejewski @mczyzniejewski.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Ten days left to enter the 2026 @mooncitypress.bsky.social Moon City Short Fiction Award competition! mooncitypress.submittable.com/submit/33881...
mooncitypress.submittable.com
Moon City Press - The 2026 Moon City Short Fiction Award
• The Moon City Short Fiction Award is for an original collection of short fiction, written originally in English by a single or collaborative author. • Individual pieces in the collection may be publ...
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Ryan T. Pozzi @ryantpozzi.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
When your friends in the writing world around the country have good news to share... You love to see it! I can't wait for this collection. Will is *checks script for what he was instructed to say* a true mentor to me, destined to be...uh... *checks notes again* ...right, to be a literary legend. 🙂
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Excited to report I just signed a contract with Littoral Books to publish a short story collection! Scheduled for spring 2027 release. 🎉 If you’d like to know more, sign up for my newsletter, where I reflect on the writing process and give updates on my work, at www.willwilloughby.com. #AmWriting
Littoral Books logo, a line drawing of an open book with the letter ell written on the pages.
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Paige Kaptuch @paigekaptuch.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I just wrote my first note on Substack substack.com/profile/3189...
substack.com
Paige Kaptuch (@paigekaptuch)
Thank you to Short Story Shoutout for reading and posting!
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
ICYMI #AmWriting
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I was wearing my winter coat last week.
View from inside a backyard recreational shed. A brown midsize dog lies on a soft blanket by the open doors. Outside is a recently mown lawn.
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Barrelhouse @barrelhouse.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
barrelhouse.submittable.com/submit
barrelhouse.submittable.com
Barrelhouse Submission Manager
Thanks for submitting your work to Barrelhouse!  Before you proceed, a note about open and closed categories. If you don't see the category that fits your work, we're not open for that thing. We keep ...
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Michael Czyzniejewski @mczyzniejewski.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
@mooncitypress.bsky.social congratulates these 11 authors, finalists in our 2025 Short Fiction Award: @tcboudreau.bsky.social Bergita Bugarija @dinahcox.bsky.social Sarah Faulkner Carrie Grinstead Aatif Rashid @emilyrinkema.bsky.social Anna Schachner Maura Stanton Zachary Vickers Francine Witte
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Barrelhouse @barrelhouse.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Reminder
We open for subs June 1. All genres. $50, no sub fees. Barrelhousemag.com

There's a whole UFO/alien thing going on too
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Oh, hey—that’s one of mine. Thanks, PIC! #AmWriting
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Great work, team—just got a green status for a short piece. (More on that later.) For those of you who were chanting GRAY, please see me.
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Attention, humans! Submit to Barrelhouse. Not “submit” as in “bow down before.” More like “send your human-generated work to.” But, hey—I suppose it’s up to you.
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Will Willoughby @willwilloughby.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Hey #WritingCommunity! This is a great conference in a beautiful place. I went a few years ago and got a lot out of it.
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Suzy Eynon @suzyeynon.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Ok it's publication day for TERRESTRIAL! Grateful to Alan @malarkeybooks.bsky.social and to anyone who's read or reviewed or posted about or looked at my book. Asterism has copies: asterismbooks.com/product/terr...
Photo of the author holding the book Terrestrial
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Kim Magowan @kimmagowan.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
@lukerolfes.bsky.social interviewed me about my new story collection, THE LAST DAY, in @laurelreview.bsky.social : laurelreview.org/kim-magowan
laurelreview.org
Laurel Review - Kim Magowan
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