Writer, grandmother, tree-hugger. Born in Hampshire, now in rural Brittany, with pitstops in Leeds, Portugal, Wales, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Liverpool. I write flash fiction and other things.https://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mqvkjfk34k2l@gilloshaughnessy.bsky.social reading at the Bath Flash Fiction Festival. Great event and stellar authors as ever!18 Jul 2026 05:41 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqvkjfk34k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mqnux5lt222h"whispers of the Celt for ‘Devil Water’ in the town’s name shook tree branches and they shivered." Love this by @judydarley.bsky.social . And it's a Dawlish tale for you @philippabowe.bsky.social ! https://gooseberry-pie.com/three-strangers-on-a-coastal/15 Jul 2026 04:26 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqnux5lt222hhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mpxebch3lc2d'Tall, tall windows with mote-filled light and billowing curtains quietly entering like polite guests'❤️❤️❤️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Jul 2026 05:29 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpxebch3lc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mpinv6jpdk2aThis lovely piece by David Henson is in the Wigleaf Top 50! https://thin-skin.com/flash-fiction/the-garden-of-our-dreams/30 Jun 2026 09:11 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpinv6jpdk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mnztjfckdk25Thin Skin magazine is reading poetry! (Flash Fiction and short stories too.) thin-skin.com/submit/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Jun 2026 18:17 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnztjfckdk25https://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mnlopcil4k2c"You will wrap tiny fingers around my thumb, blink up at me with eyes ancient as starlight ..." Just gorgeous. [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Jun 2026 03:13 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnlopcil4k2chttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mnape3zzps2oThe first expansion of the Universal Turing Machine is live! 8 chessboard memoirs including mine, which is called 'Metaphor Soup'. Free to read online, all welcome to join in. universalturingmachine.co.uk https://universalturingmachine.co.uk01 Jun 2026 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnape3zzps2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mlzruc3wls2hMore readers are needed for Thin Skin magazine - showcasing the work of writers over 50. Find out more via the contact page at thin-skin.com https://thin-skin.com/17 May 2026 06:57 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlzruc3wls2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mlyarc5xpc2pThin Skin's open to poetry submissions! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 May 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlyarc5xpc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mlbfgsclzk2sLove this from Tiia-May Redditt. Food and longing, excellently done! As I Slurped Aburasoba https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2026/05/06/as-i-slurped-aburasoba/07 May 2026 14:10 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbfgsclzk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mkh273ekgk2wWOW to this one by Lena Kinder in @havehashad.com ! [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Apr 2026 02:40 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkh273ekgk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mhb5zpbxq22zThank you @mattkendrick.bsky.social and @mizuki-yama.bsky.social ! What an honour to be included, love the comments too ❤️ #Mondettes [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Mar 2026 14:17 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhb5zpbxq22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mgb2h2oq2c26'Train Man' is in New Flash Fiction Review! My first time in this great publication🥳 🥳 Super proud to join the fabulous lineup in Issue 40. newflashfiction.com/issue-40 Image: Unsplash04 Mar 2026 19:48 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgb2h2oq2c26https://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mebhy2hlzc2q❤️❤️❤️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Feb 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mebhy2hlzc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3me3rpx3ihs2dStunning piece by Claudia Monpere🥰 [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Feb 2026 06:38 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3me3rpx3ihs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mdx7prz3is2l'she realises that the firm peach of her ass is gone, vanished, kaput – like a page ripped out of a magazine. She still has something to sit on, but whatever it is, Gary isn’t looking at it'. Love this by @fionamckay.bsky.social https://thin-skin.com/flash-fiction/the-change/03 Feb 2026 11:05 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdx7prz3is2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3md56wbd6vk2sWhat an honour to be on this longlist!❤️🔥 [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Jan 2026 02:42 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3md56wbd6vk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3md3jx4g6ps2jCheck out this beautiful issue of Raw Lit! My CNF contribution, 'The Multiple Whammies of December 2019', is very raw indeed. Thanks @kathyfish.bsky.social for the inspiration. rawlit.weebly.com/issue8.html https://rawlit.weebly.com/issue8.html23 Jan 2026 10:54 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3md3jx4g6ps2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mbvh7ka6bk24Love this! [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Jan 2026 07:24 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbvh7ka6bk24https://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mblhbzqorc2cTotally agree, wonderful piece that made me cry. Thanks @lorifontanes.bsky.social ! [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Jan 2026 07:58 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mblhbzqorc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3mb2x3dqdes2e'this sky, white with winter silence, orange-clawed by the tiger ghost of summer'. Fabulous words from @philippabowe.bsky.social at @necessaryfiction.com [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Dec 2025 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mb2x3dqdes2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3ma4hsg6dqs2jI'm reading this Thursday, with @bsherm36.bsky.social @alisonwassell.bsky.social @jankaneen1.bsky.social @adlibby.bsky.social and more - hope you can join us. Thanks @dublinwriter.bsky.social! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Dec 2025 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma4hsg6dqs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3m5slo5z4zk2zCompletely gorgeous piece by @claudiamonpere.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Nov 2025 06:25 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5slo5z4zk2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/patiencemackarness.bsky.social/post/3m53wji2wh22xIssue 5 of Thin Skin - showcasing work by older writers - out now! [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Nov 2025 06:08 +0000at://did:plc:4wiegbc322ie3eaxbfbgcgrk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m53wji2wh22x