These dog days of summer are in full swing and the OKD newsletter is hot off the presses with the latest. This month, we celebrate our writers who were selected for Wigleaf Top 50 2026 and its longlist, we chat with our social media duo Dani Kuntz and Cassey Abella, fiction reader Ellie Amos discusses why writer’s block occurs and how we can combat it, and a whole slew of new work made its way to the front page.

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OKD and its contributors were fêted in the Wigleaf Top 50 2026 for “On Your 60th Birthday, Resembling Our Mother, Dead at 61” by Patricia Q. Bidar and “Fireflies” by Rina Olsen. Several pieces also made the longlist, including “Love Me Like a Reptile” by Rachel Lastra, “All the Friends I Could Have Made Are Having Fun Without Me” by Mackenzie McGee, and “You Be the Flotsam, I'll Be the Jetsam” by Melissa Rudick. A big congratulations to all of these fabulous writers and their work they shared with us.

Have you ever wondered how OKD achieves its distinct voice and visual je ne sais quoi on social media? Meet our social media team comprised of Dani Kuntz and Cassey Abella.

Dani is social media manager and has an MFA in Creative Writing-Poetry from UNR Lake Tahoe. Outside of Okay Donkey, Dani is Senior Poetry Editor at Sierra Nevada Review and a reader for ONLY POEMS. She adjuncts and conducts ABA therapy in Norfolk, VA, though she was born and raised in Hot Springs, AR. During her free time, she enjoys true crime, PC games, and her cats.

Cassey is our social media associate. She is a Filipino writer and creative pursuing a BA in English and American Studies at the University of Graz. She seeks to explore the multifaceted human experience with her visual and written work. Her writing has been published in Scribbled, The Creekside Magazine, mothertongue magazine, rûm, and elsewhere. Cassey also volunteers as a social media assistant for Tint Journal and as an editor and reviewer for SeaGlass Literary.

Dani Kuntz: Allow me to answer this one in the form of a meme:

1.) Cassey make super fun and cool Y2K collage psychedelic graphics

2.) Dani write same ol' copy but also (as Steve put it) ekphrastic micros (aka detailed alt-text for said crazy graphics)

3.) Dani and misc. staff have fun back-and-forths with contributors, fans, and submitters

4.) PROFIT. (but not really... cuz ny $$ we make goes to operating costs, honorariums for our authors, and small honorariums for staff members like us to keep doing god's work. profit = good vibes)

Cassey Abella: Whenever people encounter a donkey (be it Donkey from Shrek or an actual donkey), I’d like for them to be reminded of Sad Jack and Okay Donkey! Essentially, I envision Sad Jack subconsciously permeating everyone’s minds such that they wonder what his next move is, and what Okay Donkey will publish next. TLDR: WORLD DOMINATION.

DK: Overall, just be cooky and fun. It's great to be a part of a literary magazine that takes the work seriously but not necessarily itself as an "institution." This was immediately apparent to me with OKD because Sad Jack (a donkey) is our mascot, and he proclaims he can read (but he really can't). Elite lit mags with cold, one-way communication are so tired. Or those who stray from that identity but still have performative interactions. OKD's voice on social media mixes input & language from many staff members, even though I write the captions and alt-text. We are all writers, and our involvement in the community extends beyond Okay Donkey. So we bring a lot of passion and earnestness to our communication, which is a dream to be a part of.

CA: Do each text justice with funky, fitting, and detailed graphics! I love honouring our writers and highlighting the essence of their texts. Showcasing our writers in this manner is just one of the many ways in which OKD celebrates their artistry. In the future, I’d also really like to start a “challenge” where our followers do their own thing with our mascot, Sad Jack, like making him a gymnast. I think that many people would find it fun (right???) – at least, I'd hope so.

DK: Posting regularly! I'll speak from a user standpoint here. If I come across an "official" page, like that of a lit mag, that posts like once every couple of months, I might worry that it's no longer running. So not only will I be unlikely to follow the page, but I'm also unlikely to dig deeper to find its website and see if it is accepting submissions. From a social media marketing standpoint, posting more frequently increases your chance of appearing in others' feeds, which extends your reach, grows your follower count, and drives more engagement and submissions.

CA: Celebrating their writers, engaging with their audience, and finding their unique aesthetic. I think it’s also important for a lit mag to build a relationship with its readers and followers. Leaving no room for play can really make one lose their audience. Have fun! Experiment! Live, laugh, love!

DK: I'm not sure what views people have of me overall. I think conceptions vary depending on the person. During much of my adolescence, people would tell me I was mean (or use gendered insults, iykyk), but I think I have enough confidence now to say that I am basically a nice person. I may come across as direct or blunt, but that's just because I value efficient communication. Women are supposed to be nice and warm, right? Otherwise we get called cold or mean. If anything, I'm actually just sensitive, and I know that's something a lot of people have noticed. It's an accurate observation. Definitely use the "sandwich" method when giving me feedback. KTHXBAI

CA: That I have Adobe Photoshop. Um... I have Canva, Dafont, Dani’s copywriting, and a dream.

DK: Speaking of that, actually, "TheAmazingDani" was the first online username I really stuck with. Indeed, I looked up a list of adjectives in alphabetical order and picked "Amazing" because it was at the top. Also it kind of sounds like I'm a magician, so it was funny. Maybe that username choice was fate, so I could one day answer this very question.

...But really, regarding our social media presence, it'd be difficult to keep our audience engaged and bring in new people if not for Cassey's weird and awesome graphics. Recently I was saying her mind must be a trip, and man, wouldn't we all wanna go?

CA: Truffle sauce gives me the best boost. I also think that reading on Wattpad and managing numerous fan accounts as a teenager shaped who I am today. One of my silliest edits was a video edit of the BTS members as the mermaids in the show H2O: Just Add Water. I think that says a lot about me and whatever is going on inside my brain. On another note, TheAmazingDani and I make a really rad team! Plus, Steve and Heidi always cheer us on, which definitely contributes to the amazing factor.

by Ellie Amos, Lead Fiction Reader

Writer’s block strikes when it’s least expected. You’ll be in the middle of a project, and the lightbulb above your head will suddenly go out. You’ll have all the time in the world to write, you’ll sit down with your cup of coffee and blank page, and then the Muses will go silent.

But there’s good news: Writer’s block can very often be avoided! You no longer have to succumb to its whims and wishes. The problem is not writer’s block itself; it’s why the block is occurring.

The critical part of the brain wants to protect the creative side from getting too out of hand. As part of this protection, the critical side might shut down a perfectly good writing opportunity with excuses such as: “This has been done before;” “That idea is worthless and no one will read it;” “This is too hard;” “I don’t know where to begin.” The critical side of the brain thinks it’s protecting the creative side from taking a risk and getting hurt. In reality, all it’s doing is making your subconscious shut down your creative flow.

Therefore, writer’s block actually stems from a subconscious rejection of writing. There’s a few reasons your subconscious, fueled in these moments by the critical side of your brain, might create writer’s block. For one, you might be feeling less confident in your writing abilities. For another, you might be afraid to be vulnerable on the page. Additionally, you might lack the motivation to begin a writing project.

Let’s examine each of these reasons that writer’s block can occur, and how you can combat each of these reasons.

Subconscious insecurity is a great avenue for writer’s block to step in. Insecurity says, “Your ideas aren’t good enough, and trying is a waste of time.” Well, there’s no way to know if your idea is good enough or not unless you write it down. Even a bad idea can often spark a new, better idea. Bad writing can be edited and changed. Getting anything down onto paper is a lot better than staring at a blank page for three days as you wonder if you’ll ever be talented enough to pull off the kind of writing you want to try. Be your own cheerleader!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve discarded many story ideas because they would require too much vulnerability on the page. You may worry, “What will other people think when they read this? Will they judge me?”  One route for dealing with this fear is to write the vulnerable story, and then store it for several years until you’re ready to face it again. Then you can decide if you want to pursue that project, if you want to take it in another direction, or if you want to start over. Another route is to change the format. Instead of a poem, try a flash fiction piece. Instead of fiction, try poetry or a hybrid genre. Sometimes altering the genre also alters the tone of the piece, taking your vulnerable idea in a new direction that might feel less scary. There’s no reason you have to dive into your personal trauma today and publish it tomorrow.

Sometimes staring at that blank page feels so daunting that any ideas throw themselves right out of the window. How could you possibly write a book, you wonder? How could you pull off a flash fiction piece? How could you turn your emotions into a poem? You feel so overwhelmed that you don’t even want to try. I’ve found the best strategy to regain motivation is to reward yourself if you hit a certain milestone. For example, if you write one page of your story, treat yourself to ice cream, or watch another episode of the show you’re obsessed with, or give yourself an hour of guilt-free romance reading time. But don’t let yourself get that reward until the goal is achieved. Make your goals easy enough that you can achieve them realistically, but difficult enough that you’re proud once you’ve accomplished them. You’ll teach your brain to get excited over the writing process again, and the writer’s block will fall away as you reward yourself for creativity.

Ideas are all around us all the time. That glass of water on your table could become a story; so could your neighbor who’s walking their dog; so could that picture hanging on your wall; so could that random memory of your childhood you thought about last week; so could many other objects and ideas that you interact with day in and day out. The courage to take one of these ideas and transform it into something beautiful means overcoming those whispers from the critical side of your brain. Trust your abilities. Even if those abilities require editing or writing a “bad story,” that process in itself could inspire a new idea you’re proud of.

Writing can be taxing, and giving yourself love and grace along the way will do wonders to fight off that pesky writer’s block we all face.

We love when past contributors keep us updated on their lives! If your work has ever appeared in OKD, reach out and tell us about your new book, project, album, etc. We’ll give you a shoutout on our socials and here in the newsletter.

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