Tagged: TWF

Greetings, children of the dark. Two bits of (I hope!) good news for you all for this final day of June. 

First of all, the team has now made its way through allllll the spring short story submissions, and you should’ve heard back by now. If you haven’t, check your spam before you chase us! Thanks to everyone who submitted to the spring window; we had about 6 times as many submissions as we had spaces to fill, so please don’t be disheartened if you didn’t get good news from us. We had to make some difficult decisions. 

Related to that good news (and the flipside for us, kinda!): the summer submissions window opens tomorrow, 1 July. You’ve got two weeks to get your darkly speculative short stories to us for consideration. Please, please make sure you check our submissions guidelines first; we can tell when you don’t, and it doesn’t put us in a good mood. Also note that, as has been the case for at least the last 18 months, we are veering very much towards the speculative side of fiction. That means real-world horror like torture p*rn, serial killers, crime, etc etc, will need to find a different home (and there are plenty out there for this stuff). Instead, send us your supernatural and paranormal tales, your grimdark, your space horror, your dark fantasy/folklore/fairytales, your eco-horror—basically, anything that falls under “speculative”, or stories set in something other than the real world as we know it in our day-to-day. 

Finally, thanks to everyone who responded to our call a few weeks ago for more hands on deck to help steer the good ship Horror Tree. The boss has been chatting to lots of great people, and I myself am excited to say we’re expanding the TWF Towers team—even getting a new admin helper, which will hopefully mean you don’t have to wait so long for responses from us. It’s going to be a game-changer. I’ll introduce you to them all once we’ve had a chance to do a proper kick-off amongst ourselves, but as a little teaser: Horror Tree representation on this side of the pond is about to get a major boost!

For now, though, let’s tuck into this week’s menu of dark speculative fiction. Our centrepiece, from Simon Kewin, contemplates whether that image in the mirror can truly be trusted. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Weird Wilkins’ universal contemplation,
• Jacek Wilkos’ fairytale flip, and
• Jameson Grey’s quiet warning.

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. I’m preparing this week’s edition rather early (much to the delight of the boss, I’m sure) because I’m about to do what no horror writer should ever do: head into the woods, alone, to stay at an off-grid cabin for a few nights. I know, I know. But hear me out: disconnection is exactly what I need right now. I’m so darn burned out I can barely think. So I’m taking myself off to commune with nature and do all manner of hippy/witchy things like talk to the trees and journal in a meadow. I will also, of course, be carrying a massive stack of books with me so I can make the most of the hammock they provide. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather, because these things are never guaranteed in England! And while you’re there, keep them crossed that I come back with a mountain of notes and cryptic clues to help me get back into my own writing, yeah? Then I can stop saying “if only…” and actually start doing.

And when I get back, this week’s column will be sparkly and ready for you to read online. Our menu of dark speculative fiction this week is ushered in by a trip through the apocalypse with Joshua Ginsberg. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Cristina Mirzoi’s universal ruin,
• RM Lubin’s creature rampage, and
• DJ Tyrer’s basement dwellers.

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. We’ve hit the week of the Solstice, which means here in the UK the days are about as long as they’ll ever be. I’m celebrating by doing that very horror thing of heading to a cabin in the woods for a mini-creative recovery/retreat type of thing. I’d love to know what you’re up to: do you celebrate these moments in time? 

For that reason, and because I’m writing this the day before my next Writing the Occult event and so my brain is a bit too wired, I’ll keep it short this week. Just one note: remember that our short story submissions are only open in four windows now. We just couldn’t keep up with the submissions, and because we can only publish one story a week it was the sensible thing to do—noone wants to wait literal years to see their story on a website, right? Anything submitted to us outside of those windows will unfortunately be returned to you unread. 

That said, we have a window coming up… Make sure to check out our submissions guidelines for details of what and when we’re open. We can tell if you haven’t looked at them. And remember, we’re ALWAYS open for drabbles! Insatiably so. Feed the drabbles beast!

For this week’s darkly speculative offerings, our menu kicks off with despatches from a failing neighbourhood, direct from the mind of Benjamin Larned. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Keith B. Walters’s failed sacrifice,
• Gabrielle Bleu’s Ice Age revival, and
• F.M. Scott’s mad science.

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. I’ve got to say, you have blown me away in the last week! We had such a great response to the call-outs for helpers both with TWF and with Horror Tree as a whole and I am feeling the community love right now. But please know this isn’t a once in a lifetime kinda thing; we’re always looking for more helpers, particularly in terms of people to do interviews, write articles and reviews, and generally make Horror Tree the brilliant resource that everyone knows and loves. If you’ve got ideas or want to get involved, email us at [email protected] and let’s chat. Stuart’s especially keen to grow the YouTube channel, so if you’re harbouring secret desires to be a YouTuber/famous content creator, now’s your chance!

For this week’s darkly speculative offerings, our menu’s centrepiece is a creepy thing found in a dark cave created by regular TWF contributor Catherine Berry. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Corinne Pollard’s hunger issues,
• Sarah-Beth Watkins’s folkloric dabbling, and
• Andy Meek’s misplaced curiosity.

Finally, a final plug for my next event which takes place virtually on Saturday. Writing the Occult: Connection to Land has a bumper lineup, no less than 10 sessions featuring some of the best speculative fiction writers around, and it’s all yours both live and recorded for just £40+booking fee (that’s around US$50). If you’ve ever wondered how to make the landscape a driving force in your narrative, if you’re pondering that ecohorror or climate thriller, if you’re wanting to get spiritual about the environment, this is for you—readers, writers, interested parties, all are welcome. Details, etc, over at writingtheoccult.carrd.co, or grab your ticket here! 

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark of June. JUNE! How is it June already? I know, I know I’m a broken record but really: JUNE. Mid-year. Official beginning of summer. The summer solstice and longest day of the year are just around the northern hemisphere corner and I cannot fathom where the time goes.

Mainly it goes because we are So Darn Busy in TWF Towers, which is why it pains me to let you all know that our wonderful Assistant Editor Shalini—she who talks to you about specials, unholy trinities, and serials—is stepping down from her role to focus on Life Stuff. We will miss her and her endless enthusiasm for your creative works, but it does mean we are now seeking a newbie to move into TWF Towers. Could it be you? In fact, could one of the many roles Stuart is looking to fill at Horror Tree be something you’re keen on? Here’s what we’re seeking for the site in general (bearing in mind these are voluntary roles!)…

Assistant Editor for TWF 
You’ll be working alongside Stuart and I to get this publication out. That means dealing with submissions as they come in, reading and reviewing them, working with writers on their acceptances, sending out contracts, and preparing the posts for publication (using WordPress). Your remit would be specifically for the four themed special editions we do every year (Valentine’s, Summer, Halloween, and Christmas) so you’ll get a bit busier around those times, but you’ll also take care of the more regular Unholy Trinities and serialised stories. You might also need to support me on this weekly version every now and then, or jump in to help us with our never-ending submissions pile. 

Editorial Assistant 
This is a general helper to Stuart for the site as a whole. You’ll help to prepare site posts—that could be the open calls, interviews, articles, or anything else we’re publishing—so will need to be comfortable with WordPress. He could also very much do with a hand on the social media side of things!

Contributing writers 
The more people writing for Horror Tree, the better the tree is. We’re looking for people to take on interviews with authors, article writing (generally about the writing/book world), reviewing books, or anything else you’d like to pitch us. If you’re keen to join the team, you’ll need to provide examples of your work. This does not mean you need to be professionally published in other places; Stuart just likes to see your style!

YouTube Editor 
You’ve probably seen Stuart call this out most weeks in his TWF intro, but we’re very keen to build and grow the Horror Tree YouTube channel. At the moment we have the lovely Belinda doing a weekly recap of open calls, but we want more! Got ideas? Want to explore the world of dark speculative fiction while also experimenting with video creation? This is an opportunity to very much be creative and properly *own* the channel. Maybe even build your own empire around it?

Fancy tackling any of these? Got another idea for the wider Horror Tree world? Get in touch with us at [email protected] or using the site’s contact form here. We’d love to hear from you. 

Now to the matter at hand.

This week’s speculative fiction offerings are led by the glorious main course that is Callum Young’s Boy on the Pier. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Don Money’s lumberjack lament,
• T.M. McLean’s medical mistake, and
• JL Royce’s snakey take.

Finally, a quick plug for the next edition of my Writing the Occult events: we’re talking about connection to the land on 15 June. All details, etc, over at writingtheoccult.carrd.co —tickets are on sale now! We meet on 15 June, starting at 1pm UK / 8am ET, and you’ve got one week left to grab an early bird priced ticket at £35+booking fee (that’s about $45, and includes a recording of every session so you can dip in and out at your leisure).

Also—a big hello to all of you at StokerCon. I am not jealous. I am not jealous. I am not jealous… I am, however, part of the online programming! Hear my thoughts on authentic representations of mental health in horror as part of StokerCon Online. 

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. This has been an up and down week at TWF Towers and I’m feeling super drained, so I’m mustering the last of my energy to send this missive before I collapse in a heap for the UK long weekend. The good news? The next edition will be the first of the official summer in this part of the world. The sun has been out more than not, and I’m soaking up all that vitamin D every time I can.

This week’s speculative fiction offerings are a mixed bag, kind of like the London weather has been this week. Our main course from Harris Coverley is a short but deeply gothic offering that ticks all the right boxes for me. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Bernardo Villela’s lupine wonderings,
• Melody E. McIntyre’s desperate humanity, and
• Trevor Steel’s terrible consequences.

Finally, a quick plug for the next edition of my Writing the Occult events: we’re talking about connection to the land on 15 June. There will be land myths, ritual landscapes, and spirits of place; how to use the land to spark fantasy creations or be the driving force in your story; how to connect when it’s hostile as well as beautiful; and we’ll ask how the climate crisis is impacting the writer’s connection to the land. I’m super excited about the line-up that’s assembling; it might even be our biggest one yet! All details, etc, over at writingtheoccult.carrd.co—tickets are on sale now! We meet on 15 June, starting at 1pm UK / 8am ET. (Sorry, Antipodeans, but it is all recorded for ticket holders to watch back at more convenient times)

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. Before we get to the good stuff, let me give a quick update on our progress with submissions: I think I’ve now contacted everyone who submitted prior to the most recent submissions window. There are a handful I had marked as needing to discuss edits, so if you haven’t heard from me yet, that’s probably you. Next up: reading all of those who submitted in the April window. It really does take a long, long time to get through all of your fabulous work! We are mere mortals and volunteer ones at that, but I do thank you for your patience with us. If you’ve found a home for your story since you submitted it to us and you haven’t yet heard, do let us know so we can take it off our reading pile and save us all some time and heartache.

And now to this week’s TWF menu. Jordan McClymont takes us into the Scottish wilderness for a frightful look up at the stars (and what’s down below, too). That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Emily Holman’s thunderous terror,
• Hannah Foster’s creature in need, and
• Ryan Van Ells’s single-minded maniac.

Finally, I announced the next edition of my Writing the Occult events this week: we’re talking about connection to the land for the week of the Solstice. There will be land myths, ritual landscapes, and spirits of place; how to use the land to spark fantasy creations or be the driving force in your story; how to connect when it’s hostile as well as beautiful; and we’ll ask how the climate crisis is impacting the writer’s connection to the land. All details, etc, over at writingtheoccult.carrd.co—tickets are on sale now! We meet on 15 June, starting at 1pm UK / 8am ET. (Sorry, Antipodeans.)

Over to you, Stuart.

Greetings, children of the dark. ‘Tis a dark week in TWF Towers as yours truly deals with a death in the family on the other side of the world, so it’ll be short and sweet this week. Let’s dedicate this edition to the strong women who move mountains for a better life for their family. I’ll miss you much, Granny M. Rest in peace.

Anyways, this week’s TWF menu is really quite devilish, thanks to the Armenian flavours brought by short story writer Robert Nazar Arjoyan. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

• Siân O’Hara’s lovesick lament
• Liam Kerry’s airborne issues, and
• Weird Wilkins’s poetic darkness

Quick reminders:

• We’re technically open for the summer special edition, but Shalini won’t be looking at those subs for a few months yet so maybe hang on to them—early entry does not guarantee a spot!
• We’re not open again to general short stories until July, so any we receive before then will be returned unread.
• I know quite a few are still waiting to hear the result of your subs to the last short story window; I’ll get to you ASAP.
• And we’re always, always looking for drabbles, Unholy Trinities, and serialised serial killer stories! Like, 24/7 needs. Details over on the submissions page.

Over to you, Stuart.