Welcome to our weekly meet-up and open call for the best fiction of the week!
OPEN SEPTEMBER 6 - 7
Fiction Accepted:
Only fiction shared between August 31st - September 6th on Substack!
This open call will be available: NOW until 9pm EST on Saturday, September 7th.
Self-promotion of your fiction is welcome!
Leave a link of the story in the comments. Please say the GENRE as well (if applicable).
Submit as many as you want, so long as they were written and shared during the window mentioned above.
NO self-promotion of your work (including in the form of links) in the TiF Monday Issues. Anyone who does so will forfeit their stories from being featured in future issues. All self-promotion should happen in these “Send Us Your Fiction!” weekly emails ONLY!
Look for our email on Monday, September 9th where the Top In Fiction list will appear in your inbox! You never know what new gems you’ll discover. All we ask in return is that you share Top In Fiction to your email list and Restack the post on Monday in Substack Notes.
The start of a new serial! "A River Trembles", continuing the story from "A Grail for Eidothea". A dreigiau môr monarch fights to claim their power and form the first Chosen Court in centuries. The first three chapters are now available. Regency-era romantasy with Arthurian quests (although honestly the next Arthurian quest isn't until book 3. This one demanded to be written in the meantime!)
I am the last surviving member of the Midsummer Night's Cast Party, which became the Midsummer Knights, which became the League of Heroes. Now that my husband has passed, the last of the original heroes of our city are gone. The world can finally know the truth of how Power City's heroes rose and fell. We were high school theatre kids when we stumbled on the power crystals. Overnight, we were gifted with strange and amazing abilities, but not necessarily the wisdom to use them. These are the stories of the heroes and villains who used to be friends.
Hey everyone, looking forward to reading through the stories posted here. I started a new series this week and posted the first chapter today. Thanks again for this opportunity.
I'm sharing chapter fifteen of The Suspect List with a link to chapter one for anyone wanting to get started. (It's around 24,000 words now, not sure where it will end up.)
Genre: Romantic mystery (Is that a genre or did I just make it up?)
Thanks for this Erica, you're the coolest person on Notes these days!
Hello Erica. I don't know what to do with Locksley since it's behind the PAYWALL, so I'll leave it off the list. That leaves my NOVELLA I put out on Sunday STORIES, AFTER EIGHT, my on-going series: THE TRUTH OF WHO WE ARE. https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/the-truth-of-who-we-are-48b?r=254e8w
Hi Ben, I am thinking about how to handle those stories that are behind a paywall now or will enter a paywall later. As of right now I have no rule on recommending it here, at least.
There’s no real reason to put something up that’s behind the paywall. I mean, people put it behind the paywall for a reason. Otherwise @Jimmy Doom would be here with five stories a week, right. I don’t have a problem with it because it’s something I chose to do. It’s all “good in the hood.”
Here is this week’s new flash from Son of Ugly, it’s called Giants Among Us and is a seasonal tribute to wounded warriors with a twist ending. Thx TIF for opportunity.
Hey everyone, hope you guys had a great week. I wanted to submit 3 different stories this week. Hope you all enjoy them, if you haven't had the chance to read them yet. I always look forward to these threads, and even if I can't read everything right away, I at least know where I can go to find some great fiction.
It's a sad thing that is being done in the name of progress
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnbcalvin/p/lovers-leap?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2kb11f
The Two Blood-Spattered Ones, by Daniel W. Davison. Horror/fantasy.
https://danielwdavison.substack.com/p/the-two-blood-spattered-ones
Title: Mirrors of the Snow Queen - Part Three
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Three-Part Short Story Serial
URL: https://ehlau.substack.com/p/mirrors-of-the-snow-queen-part-three
Sorry if I'm breaking a rule because Part Two was featured last week!
Thank you! 🙂
The start of a new serial! "A River Trembles", continuing the story from "A Grail for Eidothea". A dreigiau môr monarch fights to claim their power and form the first Chosen Court in centuries. The first three chapters are now available. Regency-era romantasy with Arthurian quests (although honestly the next Arthurian quest isn't until book 3. This one demanded to be written in the meantime!)
https://open.substack.com/pub/projectstarfish/p/start-here-a-river-trembles?r=1mk6at&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hi, everyone, and thank you for the new opportunity to present my work.
Title: The Final Hour
Genre: Mistery, Magical Realism
Type: Short Fiction
URL: https://sergejklementinovski.substack.com/p/the-final-hour?utm_source=substack&utm_content=feed%3Arecommended%3Acopy_link
Satire. Short fiction.
A lecherous reporter is embedded with a strange cult.
https://fatrabbit.substack.com/p/and-she-was-a-spiritual-princess
https://open.substack.com/pub/mpsiddell/p/homecoming
https://josephwiess.substack.com/p/intimate-conversation-between-bhannan
When Bhannan and goddesses try to fix a problem caused by another goddess.
Fantasy. Part of an ongoing serial.
I am the last surviving member of the Midsummer Night's Cast Party, which became the Midsummer Knights, which became the League of Heroes. Now that my husband has passed, the last of the original heroes of our city are gone. The world can finally know the truth of how Power City's heroes rose and fell. We were high school theatre kids when we stumbled on the power crystals. Overnight, we were gifted with strange and amazing abilities, but not necessarily the wisdom to use them. These are the stories of the heroes and villains who used to be friends.
I offer episode 2 of the League of Heroes: https://open.substack.com/pub/davidjace/p/baseball-bandits
Genre: superhero fiction
Type: Serial Short Story
Thank you.
I would like to recommend the following:
Title: Enemy
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror
Type: Short fiction
URL: https://alexanderipfelkofer.substack.com/p/enemy
----
Title: A return to sand
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Mini-series
URL: https://slake.substack.com/p/a-return-to-sand
Enemy was an excellent read! Good recommendation!
Memorable.
Hey everyone, looking forward to reading through the stories posted here. I started a new series this week and posted the first chapter today. Thanks again for this opportunity.
Child of Light, Chapter 1: Rising Before Dawn
Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy
https://fickleandwhimsy.substack.com/p/child-of-light-ch-1
For those who enjoy the serial chapter of 'Love Your Enemy' I've posted last week, here's the continuation: https://germanicus.substack.com/p/love-your-enemy-a-uec-story-3
Genre: Sci-fi / Military sci-fi / Romance
And in the interest of sharing a story that is not my own, here's a microfiction (or flash fiction) by Scoot called 'The Election': https://gibberish.substack.com/p/crunch-the-election
Genre: Sci-fi / Lovecraftian / Humor
Hi, thank you for the opportunity. Here's one of my stories. It's a little speculative exercise.
Red Dust
https://theredshelf.substack.com/p/red-dust
Hi everyone, here’s a story from my collection. Not quite a disaster after all. It’s due out in the US later this year.
https://open.substack.com/pub/bukus/p/the-visit?r=9brcu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I'm sharing chapter fifteen of The Suspect List with a link to chapter one for anyone wanting to get started. (It's around 24,000 words now, not sure where it will end up.)
Genre: Romantic mystery (Is that a genre or did I just make it up?)
Thanks for this Erica, you're the coolest person on Notes these days!
https://tjpatton.substack.com/p/the-suspect-list-chapter-fifteen?r=39f2ob
Always appreciate the opportunity. For your consideration. This is the third story in a series of four surrounding an upcoming wedding. https://open.substack.com/pub/vincewetzel/p/disconnected?r=26bx7l&utm_medium=ios
Thanks again for supporting up-and-coming authors!
The Dirty Truth
Genre: Suspense
https://michaelserrurauthor.substack.com/p/the-dirty-truth-a-story-in-60-seconds
Doll Face
Genre: Horror/Spooky
https://michaelserrurauthor.substack.com/p/doll-face-a-story-in-60-seconds
I discovered Martin Brodsky last week so I’m delighted to share this story of his.
https://open.substack.com/pub/martinbrodsky/p/i-will-be-a-pretty-thing?r=56lr6&utm_medium=ios
And in the spirit of gently encouraging myself, I’m fond of this story which I’ve submitted to the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award:
https://justwriteright.substack.com/p/mopping-up-bf4
I wrote some fiction: https://stockfiction.substack.com/p/the-fall
And really appreciated this sweet back-to-school story from Justin Deming: https://alongthehudson.substack.com/p/another-first-day-of-school
"The Fall" was a fantastic read. Thank you!
Thank you!
Here’s my story: https://open.substack.com/pub/jonathanfostersthecrow/p/the-tea-man?r=17bi96&utm_medium=ios
Hello Erica. I don't know what to do with Locksley since it's behind the PAYWALL, so I'll leave it off the list. That leaves my NOVELLA I put out on Sunday STORIES, AFTER EIGHT, my on-going series: THE TRUTH OF WHO WE ARE. https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/the-truth-of-who-we-are-48b?r=254e8w
And then my THROWBACK THURSDAY submission of a story I put out in the beginning of 2023: THE BOXER'S LAMENT: (In 5 parts) https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/the-boxers-lament-dd1?r=254e8w
And last, SCI-FI FRIDAY's IN THE SHADOW OF THE MANDALORE: https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/in-the-shadow-of-the-mandalore-a7a?r=254e8w
Thank you so much for this!
Hi Ben, I am thinking about how to handle those stories that are behind a paywall now or will enter a paywall later. As of right now I have no rule on recommending it here, at least.
There’s no real reason to put something up that’s behind the paywall. I mean, people put it behind the paywall for a reason. Otherwise @Jimmy Doom would be here with five stories a week, right. I don’t have a problem with it because it’s something I chose to do. It’s all “good in the hood.”
Emilie still learns a few things in her end-of-day musings. https://open.substack.com/pub/dragonwriterluc/p/whats-a-dragon-chapter-9
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Hello all! My free-to-read contemporary fiction serial Trainwrecks finally launched this week. Here's a link to the first chapter:
https://officialtrainwrecks.substack.com/p/s1-episode-1
There are two chapters and a bonus story up already! Enjoy!
Here is this week’s new flash from Son of Ugly, it’s called Giants Among Us and is a seasonal tribute to wounded warriors with a twist ending. Thx TIF for opportunity.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sonofugly/p/giants-among-us?r=2sz29p&utm_medium=ios
Hi everyone
Just a 100 word short story called Dreams about the path not taken :-
https://open.substack.com/pub/danielodonnell/p/dreams?r=2bfxud&utm_medium=ios
Hope you enjoy 👍🏼
Hi TIF gang, I am sharing a couple of stories. One is mine and one is in the lit mag I publish here on Substack.
Bare Soul by Amanda Saint (me!) https://themindfulwriter.substack.com/p/flash-fiction-friday-452
Sam's Posthumous Poultry Potion by Autumn Bettinger https://westword.substack.com/p/sams-posthumous-poultry-potion
And also a chapter of a novel being serialised here: Fallout by Eleanor Anstruther https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/p/19
Thank you for sharing fiction far and wide! 🙏🏼💙
"Bare Soul" is an excellent piece of short fiction. Thank you!
Thank you! Really appreciate you reading and responding 🙏😊
Hey everyone, hope you guys had a great week. I wanted to submit 3 different stories this week. Hope you all enjoy them, if you haven't had the chance to read them yet. I always look forward to these threads, and even if I can't read everything right away, I at least know where I can go to find some great fiction.
Here are my submissions:
Will Boucher's short fiction titled "White Flag." https://open.substack.com/pub/willboucher/p/white-flag?r=2gkmxh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
And of course I have to submit my own.
"The Bluest Eyes," a short story: https://open.substack.com/pub/petersmetanick/p/the-bluest-eyes?r=2gkmxh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
"Choices," a short story, but is short enough to be called flash fiction: https://open.substack.com/pub/petersmetanick/p/choices?r=2gkmxh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Looking forward to more fiction! Happy Friday :)
Ok, "The Bluest Eyes" is superb! My absolute favourite!
"Choices" was an excellent read! Thank you!