Will Willoughby

@willwilloughby

Writer/Editor • Maine Literary Award winner • Short stories in Epiphany, Pithead Chapel, Pangyrus, etc. • Debut collection, WHILE I HAVE YOU, forthcoming from Littoral Books Portfolio: www.willwilloughby.com Escape room: www.riddlehaven.com

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Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· 14d

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.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· 14d

My Charlie says hi to your Charlie!

A midsize brown hound stands with all four legs on a picnic table. He is clearly the king of the picnic table, but he's also looking right at the camera like a doofus. The fisheye lens makes him look especially derpy, and his tongue is poking out.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Jul 18

“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.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Jun 5

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

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Jun 2

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.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· May 12

I had a publisher request a hard copy of my short story collection. Gotta say, it was pretty satisfying to hold the manuscript like that. So 20th century. 😁

Hard copy of manuscript titled Unless There’s Anything Else. Also printed out is a brief, professionally written cover letter.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· May 6

Just sent out my newsletter, which includes reflections on things like rejection, mental slowness, and other writing topics. It’s fun! If you’re interested, sign up on my site: www.willwilloughby.com #AmWriting

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· May 5

Writing shed season has begun. #AmWriting

A backyard wood-paneled recreational shed in twilight with a hanging lantern and cozy interior

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· May 3

W/o downloading anything new, where are you mentally?

Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The caption reads, I CANNOT EVEN.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Apr 23

Made it to my 20,089th sunrise. For those keeping score, that’s almost exactly 55 years. 😁 (Happy birthday to me, I guess.)

Orange sun on a dark horizon with a few wispy clouds above

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Apr 14

People, I said GREEN, not GRAY. Come on! Let's try again: "Turn greeeeeen!" 😜

Status of Submittable submissions showing, from the top, Received, In-Progress (blue), and Declined (gray).

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Apr 13

If we all say it together, maybe it'll come true: "Turrrrn greeeeeen!" #AmWriting

A list of status icons for various submissions in Submittable. Five of the eight icons show an in-progress status (blue). Three are showing as received.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Apr 11

Spent the morning updating my site to include a fuller portfolio of my stories and a section for the reflections I've been sending out through my (very occasional) newsletter. That little guy is supposed to be me thinking deep thoughts, I guess? www.willwilloughby.com #AmWriting

Top menu at WillWilloughby.com. At the top, it reads Will Willoughby, Editor | Writer. The top menu reads, from left to right, Home, About, Portfolio, Reflections, and Contact. A line drawing shows a bald man with glasses looking thoughtfully at a laptop screen.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Mar 28

#NoKings protest in Dover, NH

A protester in a Donald Trump mask with sign reading DEPORT ME

Protesters in a small New England town with a sunlit sky above them

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Mar 6

Yes, and it also looks like a poem by Aaron Lelito, apparently. 😄

Screenshot of Bluesky feed showing a post from Rachel Abbey McCafferty just above a post from JMWW Journal for a poem by Aaron Lelito. Both posts show a dark-gray sky and and leafless branches.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Mar 1

Charlie’s keeping busy today

A brown dog sleeping on a couch. We see him resting his head on the arm of the couch, with his right paw curled up over the edge and his left paw crossing under his head to poke out under a big floppy ear. His other ear is folded over against the couch cushion. To the right is the corner of a window.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Feb 25

This is for anyone surrounded by snow today, as I am. Enjoy the leafiness.

Front yard on a sunny summer day showing a full catalpa tree, a deep green lawn, and a clear sky.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Nov 12

New author photo? At least I wouldn’t need “Maine-based” in my bio anymore. #AmWriting

On the left is half the face of a stern bald man wearing black-rimmed glasses, with a stuffed moose on the right glaring at the camera

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Nov 6

I’ll work on a clever caption for this photo. In the meantime, enjoy. I’ll keep you updated.

Old mill building at dusk with castle-like tower on the right, strings of holiday lights at the bottom, leafless trees on the left, and a bright moon above.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Oct 31

Wanna see something really scary? (scary for #writers, anyway)

Screenshot of Submittable page showing Declined status on four submissions.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Oct 24

Turns out “Downstream Benefits” is listed as a distinguished story in this year’s Best American Short Stories. So honored and grateful.

Cover of Best American Short Stories for 2025, edited by Celeste Ng.

Close-up of distinguished stories list. This listing is highlighted: Willoughby, Will, “Downstream Benefits” (Pangyrus, August 13).

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Oct 18

Now’s a good time to say you’ve had enough. Because it’s definitely enough. #NoKings rally in Dover, New Hampshire

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Oct 15

Good morning from Maine

Spectacular sunrise over a lake, with a branch visible on the left, black rocks along the bottom, deep orange clouds along the horizon, and dark blue sky at the top.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Sep 26

Good morning

Flaky pink clouds lit up at sunrise with deep blue sky above, and a thin, dark line of trees along the bottom

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Sep 19

This photo includes two planets and a natural satellite: the Moon, Venus, and Earth (foreground). One nearby star (the Sun) is just out of frame in the lower right. It’s not bad for a phone camera, if you ask me.

Predawn sky showing a crescent moon extremely close to a bright point of light (Venus) over a horizon of dark trees. The sky is mostly deep blue but is deep orange in the lower right.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Sep 13

ISS flying through Cassiopeia

Dark sky with stars, a small smudge of light, and a w-shaped constellation

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Sep 12

Happy Friday or whatever, I guess

A brown dog lying on a brown bed is resting his head on the edge of the mattress with his paw draped over the edge. He’s giving disinterested, lazy side-eye at the camera.

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Aug 28

I wouldn’t blame you for thinking this rainbow is fake, but it’s real.

Vivid rainbow in storm clouds over a residential neighborhood

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Aug 25

Rain in Maine (finally)

Will Willoughby@willwilloughby· Aug 24

Some kitchen counters get cluttered with stacks of junk mail. Sometimes it’s 3D-printed skulls. #EscapeRooms #Riddlehaven