Tagged: Free Fiction

Hello, children of the dark. This week we’re scrambling a bit, because – as you’ll see below – Stuart got some big news and had some big headaches when it comes to this here site. So we’re keeping it short and sweet so we can make sure you get an issue this weekend and not… not get one? 

So here we go. An update from the boss man is below, but let’s dig into this week’s tremblingly good menu.

In our short story, Matias F Travieso-Diaz takes us deep into the Amazon. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Victoria Huntley waits in silence and grief,
• Fiona M. Jones hasn’t yet built resistance, and 
• Kellee Kranendonk deals with my worst nightmare (spiders! argh!).

And a few reminders before I let you go: 

• We love a drabble. Please send them to us! 
• We also love three drabbles, connected by some form of thread. We call these Unholy Trinities, and our specials editor Shalini Bethala would love to see some more in the inbox.
• Ditto serials. Have you got a longer story that could logically be serialised into four parts? Check out our submissions page for details, then send ‘em in to Shalini.
• Finally, we still have submissions open for Shadowed Realms, the new Horror Tree anthology covering the non-pro markets. Details over here.

Oh – and as a final word, my current broken-bone-ness means I’ve personally been running behind on TWF emails and submissions. Shalini has been helping out, but I’ll get onto these things this week. Thank you for your patience. 

Over to you, Stuart.

We’ve had a TON of site problems this last week. It seems to have been ironed out for not but it hopefully has moved up our timetable to moving to the new host. We almost made an emergency move over the week that we weren’t prepared for and would have lost us email for a week. 

I had more to say this week, but, the site problems are pretty much eating up all of my attention, so hopefully it is all temporarily straightened out and this means that the move will happen sooner than later.

If you’d like to extend your support to the site, we’d be thrilled to welcome your contributions through Ko-Fi or Patreon. Your generosity keeps us fueled and fired up to bring you the very best.

Hello, children of the dark. How are the lighter days treating you? Every year, I get confused by how light it is in London Town right about now. It’s usually so dark and murky by the time I’m finishing up work for the day, but now it’s as bright as anything. I find myself accidentally working longer and longer hours, tricked by the sun. I’m sure it’s a capitalist plot to turn us all into worker drones.

This wouldn’t be so bad if I was at least earning the big bucks. Alas, as a freelancer in this market, those days are well and truly over. I am, however, using my time to build up something pretty exciting, if I do say so myself. Something new for the indie genre writing community. And something else for those who write in the occult realms, too. Big things afoot.

But anyway, you’re not here for my incoherent, broken-bone-influenced rambling. Let’s get onto this week’s trembling offerings, quick smart!

In our short story, C.M. Sumrall invites us to dinner for reminiscing – and revenge. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Justin Hamelin deals with a haunted house,
• Ceferino Ruiz deals with grief, and 
• Mike Rader deals with a college prank.

And a few reminders before I let you go: 

• We love a drabble. Please send them to us! 
• We also love three drabbles, connected by some form of thread. We call these Unholy Trinities, and our specials editor Shalini Bethala would love to see some more in the inbox.
• Ditto serials. Have you got a longer story that could logically be serialised into four parts? Check out our submissions page for details, then send ‘em in to Shalini.
• Finally, we still have submissions open for Shadowed Realms, the new Horror Tree anthology covering the non-pro markets. Details over here.

Over to you, Stuart.

Hello, dear readers!

As we sail through the whirlpool of time, my current class is proving to be quite the adventure – an exhilarating ride of learning that’s keeping me on my toes! Also, it is really taking up ALL of my time as it is a lot more work than the other courses that I’ve taken so far. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, we’re orchestrating our server’s grand migration to its new digital residence. Rest assured, we’re on track to have a move date finally decided upon by this time next week!

On another equally exciting front, our yearly anthology, a veritable treasure trove of gripping narratives, is steadily nearing completion. Soon, it’ll be ready to leap off the press and into your eager hands. I think. I hope. 

Now, here’s a gentle nudge for all you brilliant authors out there! Don’t forget to submit your best work to our ‘Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology’. The deadline is creeping up as we approach the end of the month. For newcomers, this anthology aims to showcase the crème de la crème of dark fiction, ranging from 1,000 to 9,000 words, published in semi-pro and token-paying markets in 2022. Yes. This is a REPRINT anthology and is a wonderful opportunity to earn 1 cent per word for your reprinted work. We can’t wait to delve into your dark, compelling tales!

If you’d like to extend your support to the site, we’d be thrilled to welcome your contributions through Ko-Fi or Patreon. Your generosity keeps us fueled and fired up to bring you the very best.

I hope that you all had an enjoyable weekend, and an enjoyable read of dark fiction savor during your downtime!

Hello, children of the dark. This week’s edition is coming to you from a rather dated hotel somewhere in the west of England. Despite the broken ankle et al, I’ve been on a bit of a road trip this week with the other half. It was not a good idea to go on holiday right now, but it was also the best idea in the world. There’s something about the English seaside when a storm comes rolling in…

We’re out and about this week of all weeks because we had wanted to be at that marvellous festival of pop superstardom that is Eurovision, but thankfully we decided against trying our luck with tickets. Instead, we got as far away as we could, down in my husband’s ancestral homelands. ‘Tis wild and woolly in Cornwall at this time of year, and I love it. Partly because it reminds me of my own home, with the beachy vibes of South Australia, but also because it’s so steeped in myth and folklore. Everywhere you turn, there could be a ghost or a pisky (what they call pixies in these parts), just waiting to change your life. 

There’s also the marvellous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in the tiny coastal village of Boscastle, which we visited today, the day I’m writing this. It was my second trip to the museum and I love this collection. It’s highly recommended if you happen to be in this part of the world – though it takes a lot of travelling to get here, if you don’t live very locally!

While you’re on your way, or contemplating your route, take a look at our trembling offerings for this week. In our short story, Paul R. Panossian stares into the watery darkness. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• R.A. Goli is playing in the wrong place at the wrong time,
• Victoria Huntley finds more than she should among shadows, and
• Alan Moskowitz deals with an unwelcome garden visitor.

And a few reminders before I let you go: 

• We love a drabble. Please send them to us! 
• We also love three drabbles, connected by some form of thread. We call these Unholy Trinities, and our specials editor Shalini Bethala would love to see some more in the inbox.
• Ditto serials. Have you got a longer story that could logically be serialised into four parts? Check out our submissions page for details, then send ‘em in to Shalini.
• Finally, we still have submissions open for Shadowed Realms, the new Horror Tree anthology covering the non-pro markets. Details over here.

Over to you, Stuart.

Whew. What a week. We’re still progressing through everything; nothing is quite in place yet. However, progress is being made! 

Make sure to submit to our Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology! Time is coming to a close. For those unfamiliar with the anthology, in it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.

Hello, children of the dark. It’s going to be short this week, because I am mourning my balance. Not that I ever had any. Clumsy me managed to fall down the *entire staircase* at home last week, just as you were reading your weekly dose of darkness from TWF. Seven hours in A&E (E.R. for our American friends) later, it turns out I have a broken ankle, as well as a broken foot bone and a severely bruised knee (and ego). I’ve been stuck on the couch 24/7 ever since. 

Everyone says to me: “Hey! What a great opportunity for creative reflection and getting some writing done!” Truth is, this just adds pressure, making me think of all the things I’m not doing that I “should” be. Truth is, my focus right now is on healing, at least to a point where my ankle isn’t the size of Jupiter and throbbing madly. 

But I’m always here for you, children of the dark. Let’s get on with this week’s offerings.

In our short story, Donna JW Munro sees dead people. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Steven Holding goes on a helluva trip,
• Hannah Foster investigates a supernatural serial killer, and
• David Turnbull does some puppy training.

Over to you, Stuart.

Progress is slowly being made on the next set of ‘Trembling With Fear’ print books, and the website move to the new host is in the works. We were going to try and launch the new layout in conjunction with the new host but I don’t believe that is going to happen. More info on that soon! 

Last week, we added a link to our Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology under ‘Trembling With Fear’ in our menu above. For those unfamiliar with the anthology, in it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.

Hello, children of the dark. We’re back with this rare fifth instalment of Trembling With Fear in a single month. Gotta love it when the calendar does those weird things. Tomorrow it shall be May – May! Already! (I’m becoming a broken record, I know) – and for those in the Celtic world, tomorrow (1 May) is in fact Beltane, the Gaelic May Day Festival. It’s also the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, and a time of celebration for many pagans. This is the time for folk horror stories, too, when the land is blooming and getting ready to reveal its fruits. What story seeds does that conjure for you?

And as we’re speaking of conjuring from seeds, my cold, dead heart has been full of joy this last week or so. I know it’s unseemingly to toot our own trumpets, especially in public, but I’ve enjoyed seeing so many people who’ve attended my drabble workshops around the place then go on to submit to us here at TWF towers. I hadn’t realised how many were out there, actually taking my ramblings as a jumping off point, and bearing such dark and delicious fruit. We have one such drabble this week, actually, and there were quite a few in the backlog of submissions we had after the gremlin had a field day in our back office systems. It really does make me happy to know that you’re all out there, creating, drawing life from the world and beyond, and letting that flow through your fingers to make all sorts of menace for these pages. Keep it up, children of the dark. I always want more.

(And, hey, in the spirit of trumpet-tooting, hit me up on the socials if you want to know more about forthcoming workshops and suchlike.)

For now, though, let’s stroll through this week’s menu, which features a real variety of tales for your delectation. Our short story sees Ceferino Ruiz gets to know his neighbour better – or does he? This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Mike Rader has a fungus problem,
• K.L. Bexon channels a hopeless vampire, and
• Kellee Kranendonk undergoes the surgical experience no one wants.

Over to you, Stuart.

Finishing my current MBA class, working on sorting out getting into a course this summer, a ton of meetings, and a Take Your Kid to Work Day has had me slammed. Sorry, nothing fun to say this week!

We’ve added a link to our Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology under ‘Trembling With Fear’ in our menu above. For those unfamiliar with the anthology, in it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.

Hello, children of the dark. How are these days treating you? How’s your creative impulse? 

I ask for a reason: did you know there’s more than these weekly editions under the TWF banner? They did take a small sabbatical in the second half of last year (for reasons of me not understanding my remit properly; sorry!), but they are back in a big way and we’re looking for more.

I am, of course, talking about the Unholy Trinity and the Serial sections of our humble publication. Permit me to give you a brief lowdown (and you can also find details here on our submissions page).

The Unholy Trinity is three drabbles that work as stand-alone stories, but can also be tied together to tell something larger. This tie could be theme, it could be plot, it could be character – but the three stories must work both alone and together. 

Then we have the Serials, which are longer stories that can be broken up and published over the course of several weeks. For the Serials, your tales can go up to 15,000 words – but they must be able to logically break into 4-10 instalments of 1000-1500 words in length. And if serialising was good enough for Dickens’ work… 

Anyways, those two sections are led by the wonderful Shalini Bethala, who would love to see the Horror Tree inbox flooded with new works to keep her Brooklyn nights busy. What have you got? How’s that creative impulse now?

In the meantime, we’re still working our way through those previously-trapped drabbles, so bear with us and enjoy this week’s offerings as you wait.

In this week’s menu, Greta T Bates is here to break your heart. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Christopher Blinn goes to battle,
• Stéphane G Perahim is keeping an eye on her fitness, and
• Ron Capshaw has a hunting warning for us all.

Over to you, Stuart.

This is the last full week of my current MBA class so hopefully, next week I’ll be able to get a few things done if my brain doesn’t take a break on me.

And while we had progress last week on the new layout, there is nothing to report this week. *twitches*

Moving on. We’re catching up on TWF and the anthology and getting ever closer to this year’s release. No ETA quite yet.

Just as a reminder, we’re taking submissions to a new Horror Tree anthology titled Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology. In it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.

Hello children of the dark. We’ve had a real-world horror story unfolding in our home this week… yes, we’ve got mice. Somewhere. In the walls, maybe. Though there is evidence of them elsewhere. Tiny bite marks. Tiny specks of poo.

So we spent our long weekend (we get a four-day weekend for Easter on this side of the pond) clearing *stuff*. The other half thankfully did all the mucky jobs; it brought him face-to-face with some of our tiny furry friends, who have been ethically caught and released in the local woodland. Maybe we’ve got them all; we’re not sure. I might’ve just heard a squeak behind me. 

But it also meant I had to – god forbid – clear out my piles of books. I don’t like getting rid of stuff at the best of times, but my books are precious. I’ve tried to do e-readers but I just need the paper in my hands for the full experience, y’know? At least our local charity store has been gifted a stack of mid-2000s Lonely Planet guides and all of those books I got when I was trying to be literary but realised I would always be a spooky girl at heart.

It’ll probably do me good. If nothing else, there’s more space for new stories now! (Sorry, mum.)

In the meantime, we’ve still got all those trapped drabbles to review, so bear with us and enjoy this week’s offerings as you wait.

In this week’s menu, Austin Mooney waxes lyrical with a very gross bit of body horror. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• C.D. Kester has some family troubles,
• Lauren Carter shows great devotion, and
• Mike Rader takes faith to new heights.

Finally, if you had a dark speculative story published in a semi-pro or token paying market in 2022 then submit it to Horror Tree‘s new indie dark fiction anthology! Because why should the “best of” anthology fun be confined to the pros? Get the details here.

Over to you, Stuart.

Some exciting news on the new website front. We’re making progress once more! As of the time of writing this post, I was able to give the new layout a quick demo that works fantastic speed-wise on my desktop, laptop, and mobile. Now, we’re going through our first round of actual edits and after that I’m going to be getting some feedback from some of our team. Fingers crossed this means that we’ll have a real update for you soon! 

Just as a reminder, we’re taking submissions to a new Horror Tree anthology titled Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology. In it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.

So, dear children of the dark, I have a confession to make. Regular readers will know of my tendency towards begging for drabbles. Yes, begging. I tried to cloak it in all manner of things, but let’s call a spade a spade. Truth is, we were running super short on drabbles; we had a few emails trickling in but it had been months since we had a regular run.

Turns out there was a reason. It’s our bad.

Thank you to the drabbler who poked me to ask if I’d received the submission, because that resulted in an investigation that revealed the darkest of worst nightmares for a digital publication: the well-oiled machine had come unstuck, and anything submitted via the website was not getting through to us in the system. Since, like, the end of January. (I *knew* it must’ve been quiet for a reason!)

All hail hero Stuart, who spent his Saturday poking around in the backrooms of Horror Tree HQ and managed to find the issue: a plug-in that had turned itself off. Rather than cry “sabotage!”, he got to work removing the clogs and all the emails came flooding in. And, embarrassingly, while I had been sitting here begging you all to submit drabbles, there were actually more than 70 waiting for us in the digital ether. 

So, our most humble apologies. Occasionally we get a tech gremlin in the process that sends submissions from the website, through the various turns, until it reaches my email. But never have we had a wholesale clog that stopped the machine entirely. On behalf of the TWF team, I thank submitters for their patience, as ever. You’re all the best. 

Let’s never speak of this again, yes?

Over to this week’s menu, Sam Lesek has something short for you this week but it truly packs a punch. This is followed by three delicious quick bites:

• Joshua Gage takes to the haunted high seas,
• M.S. Martinez makes a discovery on a desolate beach, and
• Robert Allen Lupton brings a fairy tale.

As a final word: did you see the amazing new anthology that Stuart and Holley Cornetto are putting together? If you had an awesome dark story published in a semi-pro or token paying market in 2022 then submit it to Horror Tree‘s new indie dark fiction anthology! Because why should the “best of” anthology fun be confined to the pros? Get the details here.

Over to you, boss.

So. Yes. As we’ve been getting a TON of e-mails sent in directly, it hadn’t been clear that our contact form e-mails hadn’t come through. We’re going to be busy combing through these (though are still open to drabbles in the meantime! I just can’t promise a fast turn around.) 

Just as a reminder, we’re taking submissions to a new Horror Tree anthology titled Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology. In it, we’re looking for the best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022! This reprint anthology will be paying 1 cent per word, and we’re very excited to start taking a look at your work!

We hit over 100 followers on Medium! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE who gave us a follow! I won’t be begging you on this for awhile. 🙂 

For those looking to support the site, we’re always open Ko-Fi donations and always have our Patreon going.

As always, I hope you had a great weekend.