A TiF Day of Thanks on Thanksgiving Day

The best kind of disruption this holiday season...

For those in the States who may be celebrating this year; Happy Thanksgiving! But for all of us, let’s enjoy giving a little bit of thanks to the many writers who’ve touched us in some way by their generosity of storytelling this year.

NOTES OF THANKS

(in no particular order)

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To

Sean Thomas McDonnell

of Automatic Writer

“Thanks for giving me a lot more confidence as a writer, and going out of your way to encourage me early on. Not only is your horror something to strive toward, your character and interaction with the fiction community is too.”

From

Keith Long

of Loser’s Fiction

---

To

Tom Schecter

of The Shieldbreaker

“Tom, you’re a badass advocate for this community, you’ve produced some of the best writing on my bookshelf, and you’re a great friend! Thanks for everything you do, are, and for listening to me babble when I have crazy ideas. 😂💗”

From

Emily S Hurricane

of The Eye of the Storm

There are so many writers who’ve influenced me on the daily that I would be remisce not to want to mention here, on the occasion of thanks giving. Such as the prolific world of Ferris Island by

S.E. Reid

, or the heartbreak of Departures by

Ben Wakeman

, and when it comes to a great mystery, I must mention the Psychic Detective, Judith Temple, written by our very own

Bridget Riley

. - From

Erica Drayton

of The Happy Place

To

Alex Shifman

of Alex’s Substack

Alex, I have a whole crowd of writers I’m grateful for, but you are the one who genuinely kept me on Substack when I was ready to vanish (again). You quietly explained Substack to me – without ever actually explaining Substack to me.

While I was still wandering around like a confused Sim, you just quietly modelled exactly how this ecosystem works. You showed up for other writers. You read widely. You left actual thoughtful comments instead of “great post!” drive-bys. You boosted people you genuinely believed in, with zero performative anything. You treated this place like a creative village, not a broadcast tower.

And the best part?

You did all of this while also being a bloody good writer yourself.

You weren’t just cheering from the sidelines — you were in the arena, putting out work with heart, craft, and that unmistakable Alex-voice that had two FicStack curators fighting over you.

Watching you was the first time I realised:

Oh. This is how Substack is meant to feel.

A bunch of passionate weirdos building each other up instead of shouting into the void.

Because of your presence — steady, funny, encouraging in the most unpretentious way — I stopped feeling like I was trespassing. You made the whole thing feel smaller, friendlier, and actually worth sticking around for.

So, thank you.

For being the blueprint.

For showing up.

For making this strange little corner of the internet feel like a community I wanted to stay in.

Ngā mihi nui,

From

Wendy Russell

of Sass&Sage

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To

Bradley Ramsey

of The Writer’s Journey

“To Bradley, I cannot truly explain how thankful I am for you as an individual, a writer and author, a community builder, and a Substack user. You have been one of many sources of constant inspiration to me on substack, with my writing, building my confidence, and pushing me to be a better writer and person. For that I will forever be thankful to you.”

From

Connor Mancuso

of Ink and Entropy

---

To

Dylan Bosworth

of Drek Death and Doom

“Your zeal for high quality story telling is infectious and inspiring. You’ve got high standards for your own writing and those you champion, which makes it that much more meaningful.”

From

Keith Long

of Loser’s Fiction

Top in Fiction wouldn’t exist without the teachings and lessons I learned from the community builders and organizers who came before it! I’m thinking of Fictionistas started by the OGs

Jackie Dana

and

Geoffrey Golden

but now headed up by the amazing

Meg Oolders

and company. And I can’t possibly leave out the purveyors of horror, the Macabre Monday crew and all their great works. And lastly, the renaissance man himself,

Winston Malone

who, while managing his own publishing company through XPress Book Box, here on Substack he co-owns The Library (a directory of books published independently), The Lunar Awards (once managed by Brian Reindel), and now owns his own brick & mortar indie bookstore in NM, Enchanted Books!

For Disposal by

Andy Futuro

Disposal was the first story I read of Andy’s, or at least the first I remember. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t stop reading it, and I’ve thought about it continually since. It’s the perfect blend of satire, horror, and fragmented storytelling that just builds to a conclusion that sums up our lives, society, and the absurd nature of our current reality. It’s brilliant.

It’s a story that cracked open my brain and forced me to look at my writing in a new light. It inspired me to push myself and the stories I want to tell. So, thank you, Andy, for writing and sharing your work. Never stop.

You’ve had many, many good stories that I’ve enjoyed and been enthralled by, but Disposal keeps living in my brain rent-free.

Disposal

From

Nick Buchheit

of NICK AFTER NORMAL

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To

Erica Drayton

of The Happy Place

“Erica, I couldn’t let this chance go by without telling you how much I love 100 word stories and all you do for the fiction writers on Substack. I’m such a fan of TiF and have loved finding new writers here all because of how well you’ve organized their work and made it so much easier to find them.

100 word stories are sometimes all I can read on certain days, and they’re just the right amount of disappearing from this world for a brief moment, experiencing and discovering something horrid, humorous or hopeful — and I love that it’s akin to spinning a roulette wheel every time! You’re such a gifted writer and I’m so fortunate I found you here, we all are!”

From

Reda Rountree (she/her)

of Only Murders in the Inbox

---

To

Miguel S. | The Fiction Dealer

“I first discovered Miguel S. in October, 2024, through a recommendation by Katrine Elaine (thank you, Kathrine!), back when he was hosting daily micro-fiction prompts. Miguel got me started in one of my lifelong ambitions, writing and sharing stories, something I’d daydreamed about since childhood, but was always too afraid to actually attempt. I may never become very good at it, but I’ve discovered that it is something that I love doing. He has attracted many subscribers, who support and encourage each other in their literary journeys. I have met most of my Substack friends through the Fiction Dealer. Miguel has proven that, despite claims to the contrary, communities of writers do indeed flourish on Substack. Real life complications and big writing projects (like his recently published book!) have reduced his prompt postings to once in a blue moon, but whenever he does post a prompt, his loyal Microdosing Cartel comes through with dozens of wonderful little stories. The sheer diversity of tales that can bloom out of a single word never ceases to amaze me! Thank you, Miguel, for teaching me the joy and fun of writing!”

From

Jeannine Lawall

of Life in the Slow Lane

Thank you to the writers! Quite literally, without your work and words, Top in Fiction wouldn’t exist. This has been and always will be the place where fiction lives. But you do the heavy lifting. You are the brave souls who venture out into the great unknown without fear and share your work on a regular basis. I am simply the curator, seeking you out with reckless abandon. I’ve learned so much from all of you and can’t wait to learn more about you through the stories you tell. As long as you are there telling stories, I’ll be here championing your hard work. - From The TiF Team

SEVEN SHORT NOTES OF THANKS:

All From

Bridget Riley

of Naptime Novelist

To

Liz Zimmers

of The Palace of Night

“Your writing is so skilled and beautiful, and you’re such a generous reader of so many Substack writers! Thank you for all you do!”

To

Scoot

of Gibberish

“You’re a cornerstone of Substack for so many people! Thank you for your stories, your hilarious restacks, and for making Notes a fun place to be!”

To

S. L. Linton

of The Forgotten Library

“I’ve loved every story of yours that I have read, and they stick in my head long after they’re finished. Thank you for the love that you pour into your stories!”

To

The Casual Writer

“You brighten up and bring humor to every conversation you’re a part of, whether on Notes or in the hilarious comments sections of people’s stories. Thank you for being such a generous part of fiction on Substack!”

To

S.E. Reid

of Talebones

“Thank you, Sally, for your wonderful stories, for your levelheadedness when things get crazy on Notes, and for lifting up fiction on Substack!”

To

Michael S. Atkinson

of Michael’s Musings

“Your wholesome stories make my day, and on top of it you are such a gracious reader!”

To

E.B. Howard

of The Story Scrapbook

“Your wild ride stories and the time and attention you give to other people’s fiction are such a gift to the fiction corner of Substack! Thank you!”

If you’ve made it to the bottom, I want to thank you, dear reader. You, who’ve been here either from the very beginning when we had zero subscribers, or now, as we near a milestone of 2,000. Thank you for the memories. The comments. The sharing. The Restacks. Thank you for believing in our cause and our mission and riding the waves as I bring you new ideas and possibilities. This mission would’ve gone nowhere without your desire to discover new writers, OG faves, and to keep on reading their work! - The TiF Team

Do you want to thank someone today? Leave them a thank you in the comments. Don’t forget to “@” mention them so they know.