Welcome to our weekly meet-up and open call for the best fiction of the week!
OPEN DECEMBER 20 - 21
Fiction Accepted:
Only fiction shared between December 14th - December 20th on Substack!
This open call will be available: NOW until 9pm EST on Saturday, December 21st.
Self-promotion of your fiction is welcome!
Leave a link of the story in the comments. Please say the GENRE as well (if applicable).
Submit as many as you want, so long as they were written and shared during the window mentioned above.
TEMPLATE FOR RECOMMENDATION
Copy/Paste in the Comments Section. Anyone who does not use the template will be passed over for selection.
Story Title: Writer: [Substack Name] Genre: [See NOTE below] Type: [Choose 1: Comic/Cartoon, Poetry, Micro/Flash Fiction, Short Story, Short Serial, or Serial] URL: [Must be a Substack URL] Note: If you’d like to say a little something about your recommendation/self-promotion for anyone who happens upon this comments section in search of something new to read.
Genre can often be difficult to pin down or explain. And, if given the opportunity, we’d likely choose 3+ genres to try and explain our story but that can easily cause confusion for readers. So, I urge, nay INSIST, you only list ONE genre for your story. Using a “/” or “-” does not count as ONE genre and will be passed over for consideration. Some key exceptions are Sci-Fi, Cli-Fi, Spec-Fic, & Lit-Fic.
List of Popular Genre Fiction: Science-Fiction OR Sci-Fi / Literary Fiction OR Lit-Fic / Speculative Fiction OR Spec-Fic / Climate Fiction OR Cli-FI / Fantasy / Horror / Thriller / Romance / Historical / Mystery / Comedy / Folklore / Dystopian / Young Adult
This list is in no way “complete.” For instance, you may choose “Crime” in place of Mystery or “Suspense” in place of Thriller. There are hundreds of genres to choose from. A good source of research, if your story does not fit into one of the above commonly used fiction genres is this page.
Feel free to include “extra genres” in the Note area where you can say whatever you want about your story.
Look for our email on Monday, December 23rd where the Top In Fiction list will appear in your inbox! You never know what new gems you’ll discover. All we ask in return is that you share Top In Fiction to your email list and Restack the post on Monday in Substack Notes.
Note: A flash fiction stemming from a Fictionistas prompt: "Write a story including a ruffian and an elephant with a focus on the sentence starter 'If I were suddenly rich…'"
Note: This is a short story based on my Friday Funwrite prompt. It was supposed to be a tale of celebration and fun where people are chased by enchanted fruit…the character, Minet, had other ideas and turned this into something on the darker side.
Note: A fun flash piece with a poker playing elephant and a self-aware droid who wants to be anywhere else (based on the Fictionistas’ December prompt).
Note: A stand alone history lesson in the brutal psychology of Abdiel, antagonist from the serial Lost and Found published by the collaborative horrornoir anthology 9 Story Hotel.
Note: this is the 6th chapter of the Second Part of the story. We know another of the players in the civil war that is actually beginning... It is a story of High, Epic, Fantasy.
Note: Chapter 17 of “A River Trembles”! book two of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. Also, if you get to the end of this and want to know how that night ended, chapter 18 is already out.
Note: This is set in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles universe. Emrys finds an unconscious woman on the beach, and romance blooms. (Emrys is a secondary character in “A River Trembles” the second book currently being serialised and he demanded his own story.)
Note: Having driven through Dodge City instead of stopping for the big game, William visits Wichita, a place where he has a friend. Freed from the constraints of professional and hometown expectations, possibility seems to abound. What will this Friday night have in store?
Note: Antoine Delacorte's violent, life-changing incident in Central Park finds him bleeding on the frozen surface of a pond that once held his childhood memories; Antoine is forced to reconcile his past with an uncertain future.
Note: John is one of several stories in a modern-day mythology of people and gods called Synopsys. The stories are sometimes connected and other times stand alone.
Note: This is my first attempt back at horror after a break, the holiday blues and climate change are certainly on my mind. Inspired by a Dark Tiding and the album 'A Los Camepsinos! Christmas'. Hope you enjoy!
Note: I would like to nominate this poem posted by NJ because its words are beautiful, graceful, and painful. Its music has stuck with me through the week.
Story Title: The Beautiful Who Will Be Damned
Writer: Renni Grier
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short Story
URL: https://spiritinmotion.substack.com/p/the-beautiful-who-will-be-damned
Note: A soldier caught in a holy war has his world shaken by a hidden truth. :)
Story Title: Dog, Dog, Dog
Writer: Emma Newman-Holden (emma girl)
Genre: Lit-Fic
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/emmanewmanholden/p/dog-dog-dog?r=jkj3z&utm_medium=ios
Note: Grief and alcoholism and unrequited kisses.
Story Title: Lucy
Genre: Horror
Type: Flash fiction
URL: https://francesbrindle.substack.com/p/lucy
Note: A Christmas ghost story
Story Title: The Phlegm
Writer: Bryan Russell
Genre: Horror
Type: Microfiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/bryanrussell1/p/the-phlegm?r=11vroc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
NOTE: It might be gross. Reader discretion is advised.
Story Title: Supratika
Writer: A.P. Murphy
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://thestrangenesskit.substack.com/p/supratika
Note: A flash fiction stemming from a Fictionistas prompt: "Write a story including a ruffian and an elephant with a focus on the sentence starter 'If I were suddenly rich…'"
Story Title: Familiar Bonds Part 7
Writer: Alexandra Hill
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Type: Short Serial
URL: https://substack.com/@alexandrahill2/p-152029249
Note: The final chapter of my silly story about the Hat Man stealing familiars. It's all out now; free and ready for you to binge over the holidays.
Story Title: Underneath
Writer: Keith Long
Genre: Horror
Type: Short story
Duke: https://open.substack.com/pub/losersflashfiction/p/underneath?r=3517l8&utm_medium=ios
Note: written for and produced in audio by the NoSleep Podcast.
Story Title: If you can, you must.
Writer: Ilan Lampl / Bluezone
Genre: Coming of age
Type: Short Story
URL: https://bluezone.substack.com/p/if-you-can-you-must
Note: A story about a restless teen who escapes his home for a hopeful bus ride to Edinburgh
Story Title : Zzap64
Writer : Daniel O’Donnell / Dans Deliberations
Genre : Speculative Fiction
Type : Short Story
URL : https://open.substack.com/pub/danielodonnell/p/zzap64?r=2bfxud&utm_medium=ios
Note : A short festive tale about the past, regret and family
Story Title: There's Probably Not Going to be a Parade this Year
Writer: Dyce Anferné
Genre: Speculative
Type: Serial
URL: https://dyce.substack.com/p/theres-probably-not-going-to-be-a
Note: Mr. Sniffles will eventually retrieve that cup of hot cocoa, so don't be alarmed.
Story Title: ＃１０４
Writer: Jack Nagy
Genre: Metafiction
Type: Micro/Flash Fiction
URL: https://www.scrapbookbyjack.com/p/104
Note: Best read on a desktop web browser due to formatting. An attempt to use Substack's limited editing tools to their potential.
Story Title: Estella's Regret
Writer: Bluebird Fiction (Matt Gerrity)
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Poetry
URL: https://bluebirdfiction.substack.com/p/estellas-regret?r=3wh4fq
A poem based on Estella's point of view at the conclusion of "Great Expectations."
Story Title: Crash Dummy, A.K.A. I Don't See Your Name On It
Writer: molly
Genre: Drama
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/njfailure/p/crash-dummy-aka-i-dont-see-your-name?r=2ejsjm&utm_medium=ios
Story Title: One Night in the Little Same-Old World
Writer: Alison Lloyd
Genre: Historical
Type: Short Story
URL: https://scrolling.substack.com/i/153097840/short-story
Note: A re-imagining of part of the original Christmas story
Story Title: Riot in His Veins - Part 1
Writer: P. K. Anthony
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/pkanthony/p/a-humble-request?r=37581s&utm_medium=ios
Note: The action-packed opening scene to a story I’ve been very excited to work on.
Story Title: Friday Funwrite: Celebration
Writer: C.P. Night
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short Story
URL: https://cpnight.substack.com/p/friday-funwrite-celebration?r=rltt0
Note: This is a short story based on my Friday Funwrite prompt. It was supposed to be a tale of celebration and fun where people are chased by enchanted fruit…the character, Minet, had other ideas and turned this into something on the darker side.
Story Title: The Ritzee Spacebar
Writer: C.P. Night
Genre: Sci-fi
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://cpnight.substack.com/p/the-ritzee-space-bar?r=rltt0
Note: A fun flash piece with a poker playing elephant and a self-aware droid who wants to be anywhere else (based on the Fictionistas’ December prompt).
Story Title: The Event
Writer: Nancy Waddell
Genre: Sci Fi Dystopian
Type: Micro Fiction/ Short story
Link: https://substack.com/@writerpublishernancywaddell/note/c-82474896
Note: Remember to look up and be ready for the blue kachina star.
Story Title: Abdiel: The Petty Tyranny of Trauma
Writer: Zani D
Genre: Southern Gothic
Type: Micro fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/ninestoryhotel/p/abdiel-the-petty-tyranny-of-trauma?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=h5x57
Note: A stand alone history lesson in the brutal psychology of Abdiel, antagonist from the serial Lost and Found published by the collaborative horrornoir anthology 9 Story Hotel.
Story Title: Fiona’s Floating Bed
Writer: c.s. mee
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/csmee/p/fionas-floating-bed?r=3v8lws&utm_medium=ios
Note: This is not a story about beds
Story Title: Mickey forced his cock into a pair of black skinny jeans
Writer: c.s. mee
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/csmee/p/mickey-forced-his-cock-into-a-pair?r=3v8lws&utm_medium=ios
Note: We continue to want what we cannot have
Story Title: The Legend of Sinardia.
Genre: Fantasy.
Type: Serialised story.
URL: https://algunashistorias.substack.com/p/chapter-26-the-wise-woman-of-the
Note: this is the 6th chapter of the Second Part of the story. We know another of the players in the civil war that is actually beginning... It is a story of High, Epic, Fantasy.
Story Title: 17: A Challenged Secret
Writer: The Môrdreigiau Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/projectstarfish/p/17-a-challenged-secret?r=1mk6at&utm_medium=ios
Note: Chapter 17 of “A River Trembles”! book two of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. Also, if you get to the end of this and want to know how that night ended, chapter 18 is already out.
Story Title: A Little Bit More
Writer: The Môrdreigiau Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/projectstarfish/p/trr-a-little-bit-more?r=1mk6at&utm_medium=ios
Note: This is set in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles universe. Emrys finds an unconscious woman on the beach, and romance blooms. (Emrys is a secondary character in “A River Trembles” the second book currently being serialised and he demanded his own story.)
Story Title: Stick Saga: Solomon - chapter 1
Writer: Blace Alcock
Genre: Literary Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/blacealcock/p/stick-saga-solomon-chapter-1?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=3vpd6z&utm_medium=ios
Note: On their way to town, a necromancer and his companion stop and rest for the night.
Story Title: simple pleasures
Writer: Will Boucher
Genre: Lit-Fic
Type: Short Story
URL: https://willboucher.substack.com/p/simple-pleasures
Thanks for all you do :)
Story Title: The road ahead
Writer: Rostislava Pankova-Karadjova of Airings
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/rostislava/p/the-road-ahead?r=zcxsb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Note: I could call this story auto-fiction, but there’s no fiction in it.
Story Title: Freshly Laid Eggs Writer: Irshaad Genre: Humor Type: Flash Fiction URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/unfinishedspeedwriting/p/freshly-laid-eggs?r=2qufyf&utm_medium=ios Note: The Adventures of Mr. Zetropole….
Story Title: Why Teach? - chapter 9
Writer: Peter Shull
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Serial
URL: https://substack.com/home/post/p-152383533?source=queue&autoPlay=false
Note: Having driven through Dodge City instead of stopping for the big game, William visits Wichita, a place where he has a friend. Freed from the constraints of professional and hometown expectations, possibility seems to abound. What will this Friday night have in store?
Story Title: Falling Down the Red Ochre Hill
Writer: Nicholas Stavrou
Genre: Folklore
Type: Short Story
URL: https://nicholasstavrou.substack.com/p/falling-down-the-red-ochre-hill
Note: The undercurrents of re-enchantment are raising long forgotten myths from the depths, and challenging us with their ancient wisdom and rebuke
https://shieldbreakersaga.substack.com/p/the-last-of-the-etela-chapter-6
Title: Last of the Etela, Chapter 6
Writer: Tom Schecter
Genre: literary fantasy
Type: serial
Note: We’re at the first set-piece battle of the series!
Story Title: Samir's Ruse
Writer: Thomas Foydel
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://falsechoices.substack.com/p/samirs-ruse
Note: A boy, a very clever boy...
Story Title: The Ship-watcher
Writer: James Kenwood
Genre: Sci-Fi
Type: Short Story
URL: https://jameskenwood.substack.com/p/the-ship-watcher
Note: On a distant world, an entity remembers the days of the past - and hopes for the future.
Story Title: Inescapable
Writer: James Kenwood
Genre: Sci-Fi
Type: Micro/Flash Fiction
URL: https://jameskenwood.substack.com/p/inescapable
Note: Watching the darkness encroaching, and knowing you have nowhere left to run or hide...
Story title: Amidst a Devil's Beauty
Writer: Bruce Dobbins/Tidal Locked Hermitage
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://substack.com/@brucedobbins/note/p-153153270?r=351uu8
Story Title: Your Friends Are All Dead
Writer: Michael Arturo
Genre: Crime
Type: Short Story
URL: https://michaelarturo.substack.com/p/your-friends-are-all-dead
Note: Antoine Delacorte's violent, life-changing incident in Central Park finds him bleeding on the frozen surface of a pond that once held his childhood memories; Antoine is forced to reconcile his past with an uncertain future.
Story Title: The Deep, Dark Sea
Writer: Victor Jimenez
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://serialassemblerofwords.substack.com/p/genre-writer
Note: An encounter leads to deadly consequences on the open sea
Story Title: Girl in the Window
Writer: Sharron Bassano
Genre: Romance
Type: Short Serial ( two part flash fiction)
URL:
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/copy-the-girl-in-the-coffee-shop
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/girl-in-the-window-2
Note: Five minutes of the kind of romance we dream about...
Story Title: A response to the refutation of a mechanistic worldview
Writer: Ian Patterson
Genre: Sci-Fi
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153358730?source=queue
Note: I've been playing around with new voices and tones recently. Fans of theoretical physics and/or philosophy might like this one!
Story Title: The Grave Robber
Writer: Paper Elephant Publishing with Chris Patrick
Genre: Horror
Type: Micro Fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/paperelephantpublishing/p/the-grave-robber?r=1gq5r9&utm_medium=ios
Story Title: John
Writer: Cobol
Genre: Litfic
Type: Short story
URL: https://synopsys.substack.com/p/john
Note: John is one of several stories in a modern-day mythology of people and gods called Synopsys. The stories are sometimes connected and other times stand alone.
Story Title: The simple art of spending my afternoons
Writer: The Indian Story
Genre: Literary
Type: Short story
URL: https://theindianstory.substack.com/p/the-simple-art-of-spending-my-afternoons
Note: All the lies I have been told since birth.
Story Title: Bern the Pedovore
Writer: Elie Lichtschein
Genre: Horror
Type: Short story
URL: https://darkquarters.substack.com/p/bern-the-pedovore
Note: A YouTuber who catches child predators becomes the prey in a monstrous turn of events.
Story Title: Images of cathedrals under pouring rain
Writer: Oscar Ruto
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL:https://substack.com/home/post/p-153011004
Note: Do you remember where your folks kept all the bad things?
Story Title: Plaid Christmas
Writer: Scott MacLeod/Son of Ugly
Genre: Noir
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonofugly/p/plaid-christmas?r=2sz29p&utm_medium=ios
Note: Secret Santa in the Scottish mob.
Story Title: Ashenoel
Writer: J. J. A. Smith
Genre: Horror
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://ergodicengine.substack.com/p/ashenoel
Note: This is my first attempt back at horror after a break, the holiday blues and climate change are certainly on my mind. Inspired by a Dark Tiding and the album 'A Los Camepsinos! Christmas'. Hope you enjoy!
Story Title: Binary Ballet
Writer: NJ
Genre: Poetry
URL: https://consumetheblog.substack.com/p/binary-ballet
Note: I would like to nominate this poem posted by NJ because its words are beautiful, graceful, and painful. Its music has stuck with me through the week.
Story Title: At the Grave of a Good Friend
Writer: Miles Madron
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://milesmadron.substack.com/p/at-the-grave-of-a-good-friend
Note: One man’s struggle with grief.
Story Title: What's a Dragon - Chapter 24 (The Essay)
Writer: Dragon Writer Luc
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/dragonwriterluc/p/whats-a-dragon-chapter-24
Note: Remember that assignment right at the end of the prologue?