In the run up to our August Prompted Stories Challenge, we're sharing previous bangers that showed creativity and imagination with prompts 🦝 First, @jupiterjonz.bsky.social with Kodak Moment, a breathless single sentence stunner 📸 Read and listen: trashcatlit.com/kodak-moment/

Our final spotlight from our plant-loving summer issue is from Clara Cooke 🦝 We loved how three different relationships are connected through the magnolia, creating layered story and emotionally resonant stories. Read here: trashcatlit.com/the-small-th...

Today's spotlight is dendrophilic flash by Anne Howkins @anneh23.bsky.social 🦝 We loved the 2nd person POV pulling you in, the beautiful rendering of father/daughter relationship. Ed, JP said: "Gorgeous & horribly possible, quiet horror grounded in close reality." trashcatlit.com/forgetting-t...

Today we're spotlighting Ian Johnson @youcanandyouwill.bsky.social and his layered micro 🦝 We loved how landscape was used as a character - both nostalgic and raw - in a tiny piece packed with emotion. Reader Leigh said: "hints of things unspoken" Read and listen: trashcatlit.com/the-tragedy-...

Today's spotlight is a flash by Lucienne Cummings @lucimcummings.bsky.social🦝 We loved the two voices in this piece, how the MC compares herself to the fruit, and her fabulous transition. Reader Kathy: "I love the circularity, the movement to joyful description" trashcatlit.com/the-apple-tr...

We're back spotlighting pieces in the summer issue - today, @jeanniemarschall.bsky.social with her immersive prose-poem 🦝 We loved the unashamed adoration of plantlife here, of trees and time and connection. It encapsulates celebration of Plantae. Read here: trashcatlit.com/a-thousand-a...

Here's the four calls we still have before the end of the year 🦝 Our Prompted Stories challenge coming soon... trashcatlit.com/call-for-pro... Our first Halloween Horror call... trashcatlit.com/call-for-bio... 1/2

It's Friday and sweltering in the bin, here's a cool spotlight from Zoe Davis @meanerharker.bsky.social and a delicious side of Q&A 🦝 We loved how this relatable conversation and homespun setting was made palpably emotional with vivid turns of phrase. trashcatlit.com/roots-grippi... 1/2

For this midweek spotlight, we have @angelajoynes.bsky.social with her micro Bloodroot 🦝 We loved how tight and purposeful this story was, how white space did so much and dark plants sang. Reader Leigh said: "Dark, precise, pared-down" Read and listen here: trashcatlit.com/bloodroot/

Today we are spotlighting @chrisdotydunn.com with People Always Look for Each Other 🦝 We loved the quiet, building menace in this speculative short, the imaginative "traps". Reader Leigh said "strong imagery and a beauty of a mic drop from the narrator" trashcatlit.com/people-alway...

Back to spotlighting our summer issue - today it's @carlottadale.bsky.social with The Tree of Endless Night 🦝 We loved how grounded we were in the LA setting, the potted neighbourhood history adding authenticity, and the MCs journey through unusual conversation. trashcatlit.com/the-tree-of-...

Taking a break today from spotlighting the summer issue to bring you this...🦝 In December, we'll be looking for your post-apocalyptic stories inspired by Taylor Swift songs. Yes, we're serious, and we're excited! Tell us, How Did It End? trashcatlit.com/call-for-pos...

Today we're spotlighting @claudiamonpere.bsky.social's The Rooting 🦝 We loved the voice in this speculative flash, the immersion in a new world. Reader @kathyprokhovnik.bsky.social: "like a horror story reimagined as something more tender" Read and listen here: trashcatlit.com/the-rooting/ 1/2

Today's summer spotlight is from @nastasyaparker.bsky.social and her storyful triptych. We loved the settings, the raw coming of age story, and love for lesser plantlife. Leigh: "Moving and deeply satisfying as it wraps itself around a full life" Read and listen: trashcatlit.com/the-flora-of...

Our first spotlight from the summer issue is Emily Hall @emhall47.bsky.social🦝 We loved this dark, fungal tale. Reader @leighloveday.bsky.social said it has an "arresting opening paragraphs and some wonderfully uncomfortable lines throughout" Read and listen here: trashcatlit.com/waxcap/

We're thrilled to share our nominations for Best of the Net. Congratulations and best of luck to @bmerklee.bsky.social and @nastasyaparker.bsky.social 🦝🦝 Read and listen to their stories: trashcatlit.com/empty-nest/ by Bill Merklee trashcatlit.com/the-flora-of... by Nastasya Parker

It's HEEEEEERE - our sixth seasonal issue for Summer 🦝 Twelve marvellous short fictions bringing plantife to the bin 🌳 Grab a cuppa tea or a frothy whatchamacallit and get stuck into these treasures. trashcatlit.com/general-issu...

Exciting news, reader peoples - we are launching our newest issue TOMORROW. Eleven flash and shorts celebrating plantlife coming to your screens 🦝🌳 Look out for the announcement and link to the issue. #flashfiction #shortstories #writing

It's the last teasers for our upcoming summer issue, which goes live Weds 1st July 🦝 Lucienne Cummings @lucimcummings.bsky.social blends folklore with relatable modern struggles in her transformative flash Clara Cooke shows the power of magnolia-steeped water in rediscovering special memories

Did you know we have a Trash Cat Bookfinder. A stack of hold-in-your-hand reads by/featuring Trash Family. If you love their stories on TCL, here's how you get more 🦝 trashcatlit.com/trash-family... 1/2

Our penultimate double teaser for the summer issue - launching 1st July 🦝 @chrisdotydunn.com uses an unreliable narrator to show what can happen if you mess with nature @angelajoynes.bsky.social searing micro sees the torment of a girl channelled into special plants, so she can heal

We have three more days of teasers for our summer issue, coming 1st July 🦝 Ian Johnson @youcanandyouwill.bsky.social packs his micro with vivid landscape, nostalgia and regret Carlotta Dale @carlottadale.bsky.social blends LA realism with fantasy as her MC becomes curious about a neighbour's tree

2/2 Anne Howkins @anneh23.bsky.social explores dendrology and nature's vengeance alongside her heartfelt family tale

Our amazing summer issue launches in a week - here're two more tantalising titbits 🦝 Emily Hall @emhall47.bsky.social gets way down with the forest fungi in her emotionally resonant story of family and loss 1/2

More teases from our summer issue - coming July 1st 🦝 In these two stories, it's all about roots. Zoe Davis @meanerharker.bsky.social digs deep into the conversation we struggle to have with our loved ones @claudiamonpere.bsky.social's speculative flash explores humans' response to transformation

We're teasing our upcoming plant-lovin' issue🦝 @jeanniemarschall.bsky.social truly celebrates plantlife in her vivid exploration of connection and knowledge 💜 @nastasyaparker.bsky.social gives us real, rich STORY with her graveyard settings and an MC discovering who they are 💜 COMING 1st JULY

3/3 Our third spotlight of the day, and the last from this amazing anthology 🦝 In Passed Down Like Folk Songs, Dreama Weaver @myquirkywriting.swifties.social blends folklore, nostlalgia and music to help free her MC of her feeling of emptiness and impermanence trashcatlit.com/read-what-co...

2/3 Spotlight two of the day from What Comes to Light 🦝 In Thin Place, Justine Sweeney @justine1902.bsky.social's MC finds relief from her inner turmoil in an almost-mystical rugged place. Taut with emotion, we nominated this for Best Small Fictions. trashcatlit.com/read-what-co...

Our final triple spotlight from What Comes to Light. If you haven't read this anthology yet - now it's free online - go, now 🦝 In Lapwing, Emma Phillips @words-outwest.bsky.social gives a blistering micro packed with emotion and the most delicate of treasures trashcatlit.com/read-what-co... 1/3

Hey, horror writer-folks, here's a sub call for you! 🦝 For speculative, biohazardous horror flash. 100 to 1000 words. Any horror subgenre. Check out our webpage for ideas & inspo, we just added some images and movies/ books. Opens 27th September 🦠 trashcatlit.com/call-for-bio...