Hurray for Dr. King~
Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Joy Harjo, Claudia Rankine, Ocean Vuong, Elizabeth Acevedo, Terrance Hayes, Frank O’Hara, Audre Lorde, Allen Ginsburg, all poets who have enhanced the canon of American writing with their writing and their diversity. Have you read any of them? Which…
“Pink Dress” from the Forthcoming ~ In the Cancer Cafeteria~
Happy Saturday everyone. I’m working on bringing out my poetry collection this year, and I thought I’d share one of my poems with you. For the past year I’ve been traveling with my little sister to her cancer appointments. Luckily I do not have cancer,…
Apple Books!
Did you know that many of our books are available on Apple Books? You an open them right on your phone!One new book to check out there is DREAMS OF THE RETURN. See it on Apple Books today, or go to the DREAMS OF THE…
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers: Setting Goals That Actually Stick
Make resolutions that are realistic Every January, writers everywhere crack open a fresh notebook or a blank document filled with hope, ambition, and—if we’re honest—a little pressure. This will be the year you finally finish the novel, submit your work, or build a consistent writing…
Get Published: Submit to Instant Noodles Literary Magazine 2026
by Nadja Maril, a founding member of Old Scratch Press Collective Happy New Year to readers and writers around the world. May your New Year 2026 be happy, safe, and productive. If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is “get more writing done” you’ve come to…
Holiday Foibles: A Gift to Writers
Holidays can famously bring out the best and worst in human behavior, and that is exactly why they are a fertile time for writers. We witness Aunt Marge refuse her annual holiday dinner invitation because of a disagreement she had with your mom in 1986.…
Is Opportunity Knocking?
Have you ever considered a writing retreat? Most of them are (I think) outrageously expensive. How about a free one instead?Consider applying to Yaddo. Yaddo is one of the most respected artist residencies in the world, offering writers something increasingly rare: uninterrupted time and space…
A Poem Through the Ages
My grandfather was a schoolteacher, a school principal, and a child psychologist. He was an advocate for the idea that children should memorize poems. I believe he thought it would improve language skills, help with understanding rhythm in speech, and show children the joy of…
YIKES! Don’t Publish That!
One of the perks of running Old Scratch Press (OSP) and Instant Noodles Lit Mag (IN) is that I (we, OSP) get to belong the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses. They are incredibly helpful, and have so many resources we can use, including the…
Current Words and Old Scratch Press congratulate 2025 Best of the Net and Pushcart Nominees
by Robert Fleming Best of the Net Nominees Visual Art selections by Robert Fleming and Alan Bern Janina Karpinska, VENUS Jordan Veres, LASTLY DELIRIUM AND ON THE NEXT OCCASION Edward Supranowicz, THE WALTX OF LIFE AND DEATH Creative Non-Fiction selections by Nadja Maril Fendy Tulodo,…
The Year’s Not Over Yet!
Looking to get some final submissions in before we say good-bye to 2025? Here are some places that are open for submissions! Click the link to be taken to their submission guidelines. FREE Posit is accepting prose and poetry until December 5. Have a good…
Writing About Food and Announcing the Latest Issue of Instant Noodles Literary Magazine!
If you need more inspiration, to write about food, start reading the latest issue of Instant Noodles Literary Magazine .All the stories and poems are inspired by GRAVY.
Poetry of Resistance and Social Justice: Ten Places to Submit
In moments of upheaval or change, poets often become the ones who name what others feel but are unable to articulate. Poetry has long been one of our most potent tools for reflection, resistance, and social awakening. The following information comes from the blog posts…
Hello, Writers Voice, Are You in There?
It’s one of those catch phrases you hear in literary circles. I really like the voice in this piece. You write with a confident voice. This is written in a voice that reminds me of J. K. Rowling. So, what does it mean, really, to have a…
Motorcycle Betrayal Poems
When I was in school studying writing, I had some just lovely, encouraging professors. One of them was Christopher Buckley. Chris was always telling me other poets I reminded him of. One of those was Charles Simic, and another was Diane Wakowski. Chris was so…
Honoring Native American Heritage Month
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Through Reading Each November, Native American Heritage Month invites us to recognize and honor the histories, traditions, languages, and contributions of Indigenous peoples across the United States. It’s a time not only for celebration but also for reflection—an opportunity to…
Words with Dual Meanings: A Writer’s Playground
by Nadja Maril Words. They fascinate me, the way some words like dust can have two very different meanings. You dust the house, removing small particles of dirt and cobwebs. You dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar making it sweet. The word weather has two opposite meanings as a…
LAST CHANCE!
Last Chance to get published this year!SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 ARE OPEN THROUGH 11.02.25. The Old Scratch Press team asks that all fiction/non-fiction pieces adhere to a word count of 500 words or less. Topics/themes for 2025 GRAVY is our 2025 winter holiday theme. Give us your…
How Spicy are You?
By R. David Fulcher, Old Scratch Press Founding Member I love all things pumpkin, including pumpkin spice. However, I understand even fans of this seasonal gourd have their limits on just how much pumpkin spice is too much pumpkin spice. Readers are the same way. Even fans of scary…
Join Us Today for Voices, Visions, and Poetry: A Live Reading & Book Launch
Join us today for a triple poetry book launch and live reading event taking place over Zoom. This special online event will spotlight: Each author will take the mic to share selections from their work, offering an intimate glimpse into the themes, rhythms, and stories…
When the Veil Thins, Tune In: The Lost Art of Intuition
In a world overflowing with information, it can feel almost impossible to hear the quiet murmur of our own inner voice. From the moment we wake, we are bombarded: endless news updates, social media scrolls, texts, and the constant hum of opinions vying for our…
Welcome Beatriz Fernandez: Newest Member of Old Scratch Press
An online community of writers, Old Scratch Short Form and Poetry Collective, welcomes a new member.
Voices, Visions, and Poetry: A Live Reading & Book Launch
Old Scratch Press invites you to an unforgettable evening of words, imagery, and discovery. On Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 PM PT (5:00 PM ET), we’ll gather virtually to celebrate the launch of three extraordinary new poetry collections—each bringing a unique voice and vision to…
The Importance of Networking
Writing may often feel like a solitary pursuit, but in today’s publishing world, no author truly succeeds alone. Networking—whether with fellow writers, industry professionals, or readers—is one of the most powerful tools an author can use to grow, learn, and thrive. One great resource for…
The Art of Borrowing Characters: A Literary Debate
When is borrowing other writer’s character’s and plots to generate fresh creative work okay?
The Writer’s Brain: Creativity and Neurodivergence
There’s a certain stereotype about writers: distracted, dreamy, maybe a little moody, often lost in their own heads. Then there are those of us whose third-grade teacher writes on her report card, “Ellis is very sensitive. She says she doesn’t feel good when she doesn’t…
Steps Toward Your First Acceptance in a Literary Journal
Steps Toward Your First Acceptance in a Literary Journal To my fellow writers out there, I began submitting prose and eventually poetry to literary magazines in 2014. Since that time, I have been published over a hundred times. How did I do it? I learned…
It’s Not Too Late for Gravy
The holiday/end of year issue of INSTANT NOODLES, the issue where we always ask people to try for humor. Do you have what it takes to make us smile? Submissions for 2025 are open through November 2, 2025. The Old Scratch Press team asks that…
Dreams of the Return
Alan Bern is more than just the author of DREAMS OF THE RETURN—he’s also one of the founding voices of Old Scratch Press, a collective born from a group of terrific writers with a deep love of traditional and hybrid poetry, prose, and art. As…
Compiling My Collection
Clearly the owner of that journal is not doing a good job of compiling her collection because on her journal is a slice of orange she is attempting to dry out, three crystals, and a paintbrush. The book is open and written in with a…
Celebrate Books in September
It’s always a great time to immerse yourself in the literary world, but September seems to be an especially busy month if you want to celebrate books. Get ready to mark your calendar because whether you want to find a new read from an indie…
The Art of Storytelling: New Perspectives on Old Fairy Tales
By Nadja Maril Perhaps it was the illustrations that captivated me when I’d pour through the fairytale books, the dragons and the princesses with long gowns and tresses, but of all the picture books in my room when I was a young child, I liked…
The Abiding Image: A Point of Entry
Why is it that what I remember most about summer as a child was the tang of chlorine up my nose from an indoor pool and the feel of the locker key’s elastic bracelet snug against my wrist? Why is it that what I remember…
Look Over Here!
Sitting on a bench sharing a coffee with old friends in a little northern Pennsylvania village, I saw it for myself. How much poetry in public places matters, even there, in remote mountains, where only about a hundred people reside year-round. Dangling from the willing…
What Genre Scares You The Most?
By R. David Fulcher, Old Scratch Press Founding Member While most authors have a preferred genre, many authors have dabbled in others. For example, while I am primarily a speculative fiction writer (horror, fantasy, and science fiction), I have also written historical fiction, drama, romance,…
Like a blot from the blue: Are you reading your work?
Recently Robert Fleming was nice enough to get Old Scratch Press booked on Like a blot from the blue. Robert Fleming, Gabby Gilliam, Anthony Doyle, Alan Bern, Virginia (Ginny) Watts, and I showed up. I gave a little information on Old Scratch Press; Gabby gave…
Final Two Meet and Greets for New Members
Are you a flash fiction, poetry, or short memoir writer with a finished manuscript—or one nearly ready to go? Old Scratch Press, a collaborative collective supported by Current Words Publishing, is now accepting applications for two new members to join us in 2026. We’re a…
Seeking Sanctuary in what you Read
For many of us, reading is a means of escaping the clamor of the real world for a brief time. The theme of the current issue of Instant Noodles is “Sanctuary.” If you’re seeking to give your brain a respite from the news feed, head…
Exploring the Art of Creative Nonfiction
Defining creative nonfiction, particularly when it is short in length, can be challenging.
Poetry in the Scroll: How Social Media is Reimagining the Poem
Poetry has always moved with the times, and it is about time for me to drag myself along with it. From verses passed down orally to broadsides nailed to doors, from hand-sewn chapbooks to poems read over the radio, the form has never been fixed.…
Poets and Punctuation
In his sonnets, Shakespeare would use end-stops rigorously, with most lines ending in commas, semi-colons, and colons. Sometimes he relied on enjambment or exclamations, but as far as possible, he seemed to save his full stops for the very last line. Take Sonnet 18, “Shall…
Submitters Beware
There has been much in the news within literary circles lately about literary journals with questionable practices, mostly focused upon submission fees and how these fees are used. No one should question the idea that it is expensive to run a literary magazine with such…
It’s Awkward
That’s a photo of my local Trader Joe’s, where I was yesterday buying dog treats and ice cream and flowers and frozen gnocchi. I like Trader Joes. I like it because it is small, and what I mean by small is there are limited choices.…
Independent Reading
Are you finding it difficult to get into the holiday spirit this Independence Day? Artists have been exploring the concepts of freedom and independence through their art for ages. While fireworks light up the sky and flags wave proudly on July 4th, it’s also the…
Creative Writing Prompt Inspired by Ann Patchett’s novel Tom Lake
By Nadja Maril, a founding member of the Old Scratch Short Form and Poetry Collective. Summer and reading go hand in hand. You go on vacation and take along a stack of all those books you’ve been meaning to read. Sometimes, for me I have…
Anthony Doyle’s New Release Earns #1 Spot!
Anthony, you hit a number one. Congratulations! Although Anthony’s poetry is written in English, not Spanish, it does seem that his adopted cultures are loving his work. To read any of Anthony’s work is to know he is an extremely talented author, and now Amazon…
Sometimes Being a Witness Is All You Can Do
I live in Los Angeles, and it’s been a little bit unnerving to see what is on the news about us. When I first moved to Los Angeles I lived in Venice Beach, on the Westside, by the Pacific Ocean. Venice Beach is beautiful, and…
Guess What’s on the CLMP Book List for June!
Please join OSP in congratulating Anthony on his wonderful collection of poetry and art! Dive into the mythic in Jonah’s Map of the Whale and Other Poems, a daring and dazzling collection from Anthony Doyle (author of Hibernaculum). In the submerged world of Flounder— part everyman, part…
Celebrating Pride Month Through Reading
June is Pride Month! It’s a time to recognize and celebrate people in the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is about love, acceptance, and being proud of who you are. One great way to celebrate is by reading books that share LGBTQ+ voices and stories. Books…
The Ugly Duckling: Lessons in Creative Rejection
The worthiness of a piece of writing is often subjective. Finding a home for your work as a writer is part of the challenge. of the profession.
The Five Building Blocks of a Great Mystery
By Ellis Elliott You know when it happens. The story has been built up in just the right way. You are fully invested with the characters and the plot. You keep reading “just one more chapter”. That’s when you know you’ve found a good mystery…
Join Us: Deadline to Apply 8/31/2025
Hi All~ We’re looking to add members to Old Scratch Press!Here’s the deets:Old Scratch Press (OSP), a poetry and short-form collective sponsored by Current Words Publishing, is seeking two new members to join us starting at the end of 2025. Your book would be slated…
Johnny on the Railway…
Anthony Doyle My grandmother was widowed young, and her sister and brother never married. The three lived together in the same flat in inner-city Dublin. My gran and great-aunt Fran worked at a chocolate factory for a time. They also cleaned offices and, I think,…
Chuffed!
On May 1, I was awarded a Second Place in the Delaware Press Association Communications Awards for my book, The Song of North Mountain. This was my veryfirstever book released solely under my name, and the award presentation was exactly one year after the book hit…
Let’s Get Titular
Above you see Don Paterson’s take on the titular poem, with a poem where the title is the whole poem. A titular poem is a poem where the title is part of the poem, a line in it. In my own poetry I have really liked using…
The best books are free books
What is Free Comic Book Day? Every year on the first Saturday of May, comic shops across the country come alive with excitement, color, and creativity—because it’s Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)! Whether you’re a lifelong comic enthusiast, a casual reader, or someone looking to…
Exploring the intersection between fiction and religion
By R. David Fulcher Founding Member of the Old Scratch Press Poetry and Short Form Collective Authors have often used religion as an inspiration for their work. Consider such literary gems as Umberto Eco’s In the Name of the Rose which revolves around a murder…
How to Get the Most Out of Critique Groups
I have participated in quite a few of writing critique groups for many years now, and I can say that the feedback I have received from fellow writers has been critical to my success in publishing my work. It is true that if you remain…
Where Oh Where Can Your Work Be Found?
Oh my goodness, I love The Kinks! And I bring them up today because when I was thinking about writing this blog post, I was also thinking about all the other blog posts I had to write today, which has turned out to be at…
Celebrate National Poetry Month: Read a Poem a Day!
April is National Poetry Month, which makes it a great time to enjoy the beauty and power of words! Whether you love poetry or are just starting to explore it, reading a poem each day is a wonderful way to celebrate the art of the…
The Joy of Writing and Reading: A Personal Reflection
By Old Scratch Collective member Nadja Maril I love words and sentences, writing them. I also love reading something really good. So, part of my day circles around writing and revising. Another part is reserved for reading. If your desire is that each piece of…
Unlocking Your Writing Through Movement
In high school I watched the clock in last period, because I knew as soon as the bell rang I was heading straight to dance class, and all the teen angst and hormonal folderal of the day would be disappear once I got there. I’ve…
The Joy of Sharing Poetry in Adult Reading Groups
There are so many groups centered around the craft of writing, and book groups can be found at every local library, but what about those who enjoy poetry? Groups centered around poetry can help us tune out the digital noise of this fast-paced world and…
Exploring Creative Nonfiction: Truth Through Memory
By Nadja Maril, a Founding Member of the Old Scratch Short Form and Poetry Collective How we portray ourselves and others, is something memoirists grapple with. We call it “Creative Nonfiction” when a writer presents truth in a creative format that can take the form…
Why Prose Writers Should Make Reading Poetry a Daily Habit
Many writers, including myself, write both prose and poetry. For me, it just depends on the subject matter as to which form I choose. Many writers begin with one form of writing and evolve to another. There are some writers who begin in one genre…
Lost Words, Found Poetry
Sometimes words are hard to find. Like now, for me, when the words and feelings are so big they look like a giant ball of yarn; overwhelming and untangle-able. That is when I find my words elsewhere. It might be “black-out poetry”, like the one…
National Grammar Day Poetry Contest
Don’t miss your chance to submit to the National Grammar Day Poetry Contest: SUBMISSION PROCESS (copied from ACES) Poem requirements Who can enter Everyone is invited to participate. You do not need to be a member of ACES or work as an editor. The winning entry…
Have you been folkloring?
By R. David Fulcher, Old Scratch Press Founding Member Recently I had the honor of joining the Folkloring podcast. This podcast addresses how we can integrate folklore into our everyday lives, including our writing. Preparing for this podcast prompted me to reflect upon the influence…
Never Miss A Chance to Read Your Work!
I want to invite you all to come out and support PERISCOPE CITY: WHERE THE LONELY GO TO LIVE ALONE with our Valentine’s evening “Love Stinks!” reading and open mic. Join Zoom MeetingMeeting ID: 886 1135 6295Passcode: 090540 Ben’s book is, “A captivating series of…
Writing and Reading for the Resistance: The Power of Words in a Time of Struggle
Words have power. In times of injustice, oppression, and uncertainty, words become more than just ink on a page—they become weapons, shields, and bridges. They can challenge unfair systems, inspire people to take action, and bring communities together. Writing and reading for the resistance means…
Creative Valentine’s Day Collage Poems
By Nadja Maril, a Founding Member of the Old Scratch Short Form and Poetry Collective February is Valentine’s Day month. Instead of trying to send everyone Christmas and New Year’s cards, I like to surprise friends with Valentine’s Day cards. My handmade cards feature words…
SECRETS of a WRITING VOICE
by ROBERT FLEMING, Founding member of OLD SCRATCH PRESS – a poetry/short-form collective | estd. 2023 So confused. Isn’t a voice linked to speaking, singing, and screaming? What does a voice have to do with writing? What the fu** Robert? A “writing voice” refers to the…
Introverts Guide to Writing in Community
As we often hear, and know is true, writing is a solitary endeavor. Since I find long stretches of alone-time nourishing, I love that about it. But that doesn’t mean I want to go full-on-hermit. I need human interaction, even if it’s just Tina at…
Exploring Floetry: The Fusion of Fiction and Poetry.
By R. David Fulcher, Founding Member of the Old Scratch Press Poetry and Short Form Collective Floetry (my definition) a written form of expression combining fiction and poetry. It is uncommon, but not unheard of, for writers to embrace both fiction and poetry. As one…
Exploring the Role of the U.S. Poet Laureate
The U.S. Poet Laureate uses their role to encourage people throught the nation to read, write and develop an appreciatio for the art of poetry.
The Blessings of Ritual and Routine
Just before the pandemic (the 2020s I feel the need to say for when we all are history), we were in search of a better situation for our daughter, and we moved her to a private school. She went from a class of 30 to…
Why You Should Embrace Rejection
For many writers, rejection is a painful word. It’s the moment when your carefully crafted story, poem, or article is turned down by someone who didn’t see its potential—or worse, didn’t even bother to respond. But what if rejection didn’t mean failure? What if it…
Calls for Submissions: Instant Noodles Literary Review 2025
Nadja Maril, author of RECIPES FROM MY GARDEN, is one of the founders of Old Scratch Press The Editors of Instant Noodles Literary Review, published three times a year, have announced the themes for 2025: Current, Sanctuary and Gravy. Edited by members of the Old…
Secrets to a Publisher Relationship
by Robert Fleming You’ve published three works. You have the acceptance rate of +-3%. Fed up with the time and submission costs of rejections? Resubmit to a magazine editor who published your work before. This may lead to a relationship with a magazine publisher/editor. Why…
The Runaway Christmas Train
When I was a little boy, my father would assemble a huge train table in our living room next to the Christmas tree. The table was easily ten feet wide by ten feet long, and three feet high. In addition to the tiny figures of…
Romance vs Reality in the Writing Life: 9 Tips to Help Tackle Reality
I have a trove of old New Yorker cartoons I’ve saved in a folder since forever. The premise of this one (from the fabulous cartoonist Roz Chast) is the romanticized version of Thoreau’s life vs. the reality. My argument was always “of course he can…
Making Moments Count
One of the things I like best about poetry is its ability to capture the beauty of a single moment, even if it’s not something that would normally be seen as beautiful. At its heart, poetry is emotional storytelling. A moment becomes significant when it…
The Sounds of Home: A Writer’s Connection to the Beach
By Nadja Maril, a Founding member of Old Scratch Writing Collective The dog is digging a hole in the sand. After chasing and fetching her ball numerous times, she has decided to bury it. It’s a game of make it disappear and find it again,…
Holiday Noods!
Happy Holidays for sure when you check out the new issue of INSTANT NOODLES curated by Old Scratch Press. It’s a fun one ’cause we’re in the nood!
Secrets to Publishing Your First Creative Work
Learn how to submit and possibly get your first piece of creative work published.
Gratitude and Grit
Gratitude and Grit A couple of years ago, I had one session of Bewilderness Writing focused on poems related to “grit and gratitude,” remembering that not all gratitude is the same. Sometimes, it comes long after an event we would never deem worthy of our…
Exploring the Art of Haiku Poetry
By Virginia Watts Many people are familiar with the haiku, an unrhymed form of poetry that dates to 17th Century Japan. It consists of three lines and observes a strict five, seven, five syllable count. Traditionally this form of poetry was about nature, often seasonal…
Exploring the Intersection of Sports and Poetry
October is a sports lover’s dream. Most of the major leagues are in full swing, from the NBA, NFL to the NHL. There are college football games every weekend, and even the crisp Fall air makes it feel like football weather. So what does this…
Post-Election Poems & American History
The United States has just had an almost 50-50 split on the concept of what our country is, of what our country should be, but, more than that, of who our country should be. It caused me to take my coffee time this morning to…
5 Reasons Every Book Lover Should Attend a Book Festival
For book lovers, there’s nothing quite like the magic of a book festival. These vibrant events bring readers, authors, and publishers together in a celebration of storytelling, creativity, and community. If you’ve never been to one, here are five great reasons to mark your calendar…
The Legacy of Edna St. Vincent Millay
By Nadja Maril As a writer and a poet, I do a lot of reading. Sometimes I read a poem that resonates with me so strongly, I read it several times. Sometimes I commit a poem or favorite passage to memory to make it easier…
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Digital Monsters
By Robert Fleming For Halloween what are digital graphic artists doing? Yours truly, is making digital images of monsters. Oops! Oh NO, I came out as a digital graphics artist. I will show you how, to make monsters. My inspiration for monsters is the novel…
In the Season of the Witch: Discovering the Appalachian Granny Witch
When I first read my great-great-grandfather’s Civil War memoir*, I wasn’t expecting to find stories that would inspire my own writing. But tucked among the tales of battle, violence, and survival was a mention of a woman named “Granny Grills”—a healer who gave him charms…
Poems and cockroaches…call the exterminator!
by Anthony Doyle Poor poetry. Such a bad rep. As Ben Lerner says in The Hatred of Poetry, writing a poem is a heroic gesture doomed to failure, because it attempts to do something nigh-impossible: be totally unique whilst speaking to universal experience—and doing all…
The Healing Power of Poetry
By Virginia Watts Poetry is an old art form dating back to ancient Greece. Why has it been with mankind so long? For one thing, writing and reading poetry is good for us. It allows us to manage our emotions which in today’s complicated and…
Five Books for Teens or Tweens to Read Before Halloween
With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a good book that brings just the right mix of spooky thrills, chills, and adventure. Whether you’re a teen or tween looking for something eerie or simply a fan of supernatural…
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