Payment: 2 cents per word
Theme: Wondrous, thought-provoking content about the future. Speculative stories about the future, Think Sci-fi, not fantasy or horror
These are guidelines for submitting your work to Phano. We buy rights to short stories and essays at two cents per word. We pay for reviews, interviews and art as work-for-hire.
We are currently open for new submissions! Read on to find out how to submit your work.
Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.
Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.
Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.
Title: Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil
Author: Ananda Lima
Genre: Horror Short Stories, Fantasy Anthologies, Contemporary Horror
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date: 23rd July, 2024
Synopsis: Strange, intimate, haunted, and hungry―Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil is an intoxicating and surreal fiction debut by award-winning author Ananda Lima.
“An astounding new voice.” ―ERIC LaROCCA • “I love it so much.” ―KELLY LINK • “Trippy, eerie, wry, and always profound.” ―JOHN KEENE • “Incredible. Truly wondrous.” ―KEVIN WILSON • “Heart-wrenching and wickedly funny.” ―GWEN KIRBY • “Propulsive, uncanny, and expertly built.” ―JULIA FINE
At a Halloween party in 1999, a writer slept with the devil. She sees him again and again throughout her life and she writes stories for him about things that are both impossible and true.
Lima lures readers into surreal pockets of the United States and Brazil where they’ll find bite-size Americans in vending machines and the ghosts of people who are not dead. Once there, she speaks to modern Brazilian-American immigrant experiences–of ambition, fear, longing, and belonging―and reveals the porousness of storytelling and of the places we call home.
With humor, an exquisite imagination, and a voice praised as “singular and wise and fresh” (Cathy Park Hong), Lima joins the literary lineage of Bulgakov and Lispector and the company of writers today like Ted Chiang, Carmen Maria Machado, and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil includes: “Rapture,” “Ghost Story,” “Tropicália,” “Antropógaga,” “Idle Hands,” “Rent,” “Porcelain,” “Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory,” and “Hasselblad.”
A great next read for fans of Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties and V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Recommended reading by Chicago Review of Books, Electric Literature, The Kenyon Review, and more!
I was lucky enough to chat with Jamal Hodge and Tim Waggoner on their first collaboration “Bestiary of Blood.” Jamal talks about his this being his first book editing experience (with over 30 writers!) and his approach to his collection of modern fables. Tim discusses his short story “A Cold Midnight” and his thoughts on writing.
It was one of this conversations you just wanted to throw a question out there and see where it led. So fun to do, so interesting to just sit back and listen! I hope you enjoy it!
You can watch the full interview here:
(more…)
Greetings, children of the dark. I’ve spent much of this week recovering from the pure joy that was the UK’s Fantasycon last weekend – and from the dreaded con lurgy I picked up while there. As such, I haven’t quite processed the whole thing yet, and am still trying to work out how my humble self managed to have such a dazzling and busy conference. I met some great people and had some great chats and it was awesome to (briefly!) see TWF Towers’ own Vicky Brewster and Sarah Elliott IRL, too. One day soon I’ll get down my highlights on a digital page.
Despite the lurgy, I dragged myself into Covent Garden on Thursday night for a horror panel at Waterstones which, while suffering from a terrible turnout, was great fun. Plus, I got to say hi again to people met at Worldcon (hi, Nadia El-Fassi!) and Fantasycon (hi, Nicholas Pullen!), as well as the great M.R. Carey and V. Castro. Seriously, darkness fans, support your local book store events. It really helps the writers when they’re not facing an empty room!
That said, let’s support the writers for this week’s TWF menu. Our main course is from Matt Krizan, who’s tracking a battle between heaven and hell that requires human purity. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:
One final word: remember here at TWF we are seeking speculative fiction. A lot of our recent drabble submissions (and maybe our shorts, but we haven’t got that far yet!) have centred around real-world horror. And while they’re very good, they just don’t fit our speculative remit – there’s enough real-world horror around us, and we want to escape to space, a magical world, into some folklore or myth, or even to face a fantastical creature or two. We still want it dark, but add a little unreal element to it please. If you must submit a serial killer or revenge murder story, please at least make them vampires or something.
Over to you, Stuart.
Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!
“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg
A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…
These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.
So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”
Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!
Be sure to order a copy today!
_____________________________________________
Hi all!
Currently we’re knee deep into reading for our Halloween special of Trembling With Fear! I’ve got some great feedback on our new layout but have just been slammed with a few things in the real world so haven’t been able to incorporate them quite yet. I’m really hoping to get a push soon and make some real progress on the layout as we’ve been talking about it for far too long at this point.
Also, just a reminder that we’re starting to do more social posting for both BlueSky and Threads. So, if you’re over there and don’t follow us, now is the time! 😉
Now, for the standards:
By Lionel Ray Green
In her sophomore novel The Fatal Mind, emergency physician N.J. Gallegos continues tapping into her background as a doctor, blending horror with heavy medical thriller vibes. The formula worked successfully in her 2023 debut The Broken Heart, and The Fatal Mind leans even more into the medical thriller genre.
Winding Road Stories plans to release The Fatal Mind on October 15, but it’s available for pre-order on Amazon.
Billed as a Black Mirror meets Frankenstein medical horror thriller, the novel chronicles Dr. Aldea Absinthe’s experimental chip-implant procedure that inhibits migraine pain. When Absinthe performs her new procedure on former professional basketball star Shawn Gilbert, he champions the treatment, launching the neurologist to national fame. However, Gilbert’s wife Rachel notices an extreme change in her husband’s personality, prompting her to try and uncover the dark secret behind the doctor’s miracle cure.
The Fatal Mind is a strong follow-up to The Broken Heart, a grim but entertaining story about what happens to desperate wife and mother Casey Philips after she receives a serial killer’s heart via transplant.
Gallegos agreed to an exclusive Q&A interview via email with Lionel Ray Green for The Horror Tree where she discusses the challenges of writing novels, her favorite Black Mirror episode, and the most common cause of migraines.
Got a book to launch, an event to promote, a kickstarter or seeking extra work/support as a result of being hit economically by life in general?
Get in touch and we’ll promote you here. The post is prepared each Thursday for publication on Friday. Contact us via Horror Tree’s contact address or connect via Twitter or Facebook.
Click on the book covers for more information. Remember to scroll down to the bottom of the page – there’s all sorts lurking in the deep.
Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.
Title: Night’s Edge
Author: Liz Kerin
Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Contemporary
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Date: 20th June, 2023
Synopsis: Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin takes a bite out of vampire lore in this blood-soaked novel about the darkest secrets we hide and how monstrous we can be to the ones we love most.
Having a mom like Izzy meant Mia had to grow up fast. No extracurriculars, no inviting friends over, and definitely no dating. The most important rule: Tell no one of Izzy’s hunger – the kind only blood can satisfy.
But Mia is in her twenties now and longs for a life of her own. One where she doesn’t have to worry about anyone discovering their terrible secret, or breathing down her neck. When Mia meets rebellious musician Jade she dares to hope she’s found a way to leave her home – and her mom – behind.
It just might be Mia’s only chance of getting out alive.
I’d like to take this time to give special thanks to our Patreon Sponsors who are at the Level 3 reward level and above!
– Ryan Benson.
– Jane Nightshade.
– Rebecca Rowland.
– James Aitchison.
– Robin Ginther-Venneri.
– Burial Books.
– Craig of Write my paper.
– Celltrackingapps.
