Taking Submissions: Writer’s Retreat: Tales of Writing and Madness

Scott McGregor and Harriet Everend are teaming up to compile a new anthology, Writer’s Retreat: Tales of Writing and Madness under January Embers Press.

Beneath the polished pages of every story lies a world shrouded in shadows—a world where the act of creation transforms into psychological madness fraught with terror. “Writers Retreat: Tales of Writing and Madness” is an anthology seeking to peel back the layers of the literary process to reveal the psychological horrors writers face daily. From the dreaded writer’s block to the malevolent spirits of rejection, this collection delves into the darkest corners of the creative mind, where the lines between reality and imagination blur.

Think stories surrounding the psychological monster of writer’s block; fans who stalk their favourite authors to dangerous heights; newbie authors who make deals with cosmic overlords to get their work published; best-selling authors who secretly plagiarize material through witchcraft; editors who receive death threats from ghosts who were previously rejected. This anthology seeks to present the different facets of torment faced by those who dare shape their ideas into words with the wielding of a pen. The mundane nuisances of the writing world—plagiarism, pressure from fans, and incessant self-doubt—are what woven into narratives of chilling intensity, elevated by the infusion of supernatural elements and the exploration of the twisted depths of human nature.

Genre: Writing-themed Horror

Length:

Short Stories – 5000 Words Max

Poetry – 2 Pages Maximum

Format: .DOC, .DOCX, PFD

Can submit multiple entries, but only one of your pieces will be selected to allow as many names as possible.

Please email final draft submissions with title to [email protected]