TiF Weekly #44 - Another Spooky Edition

Week of October 25 - October 31 | Vol. 2 Iss. 44

EMAIL CUT OFF? CLICK HERE TO OPEN IN BROWSER.

NOTE: TiF Weekly #43 & #44 will feature 100% HORROR stories. This is something new we’re trying out. Yes, that means in February we’ll host Romance, Poetry in April, etc. Let us know what you think and share some ideas you have for future Editions we might consider using.

Any errors seen below such as typos, miss-labeling of genre or category, wrong link, wrong person mentioned, etc. please state the error in the comments and I will update immediately. Mistakes can happen. I am only human.

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Night Terrors - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Sharron Bassano of LEAVES

SHORT STORY

The Hollow Takes - 10/25/25 [Horror]
Jenifer Jorgenson of Snark Floats

Menagerie - 10/31/25 [Horror]
MaKenna Grace of I’m Not Crazy, I Promise…

The Death of Lilly Rainwater - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Walt Shuler of Blackspire

Missing Sister: Hallowtide Files - 10/31/25 [Horror]
GrousyGirl of The Shrouded Grouse

WAKE. LOOK. DREAD. - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Nick Buchheit of Nick After Normal

The Knack Witch’s Child - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Garen Marie of Only Child Originals

Planefoot - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Judith Ashcraft of Judith Ashcraft

Quinceañera of the Damned - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Miguel Martinez of Miguel Martinez

NEW VOICES

The Between - 10/30/25 [Speculative Fiction]
Hallie T of Fabled Lines: Fantasy, Poetry, and Prose [Short Story]

The Demon - 10/30/25 [Horror]
Robert Reilly of Robert Reilly Writes [Short Story]

Strange St. Rita & The Bees - 10/31/25 [Horror]
W. Tyler Allen of St. Anthony’s Tongue: Letters and Musings [Short Story]

The Possession of Lady Agatha - 10/30/25 [Horror]
Elizabeth Hagenlocher of Bramble & Quill [Short Story]

Texas Tea - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Brooke Solomon of Brooke Solomon [Short Story]

Where It Belongs - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Shaun Baland of Shaun’s Substack [Short Story]

Till Death Do Us Meet - 10/31/25 [Horror]
Ariadne Pautina of Ariadne Pautina [Short Story]

The Thing That Remembers - 10/31/25 [Horror]
CradleRot of CradleRot [Short Story]

WALL OF SERIALS (New Section)

As of last month we removed Short Serials and Serials from our Featured weekly emails, and with good reason. Because we now have a more dedicated page over on TiF Press where you can find ACTIVE serials as well as a list of newly written chapters/episodes for you to choose from. So, if you’re ever in the mood for a longer read:

The TiF Library is a comprehensive list of all stories recommended each week!
Over 2,000 stories to search and choose from!
Use it to find even more fiction to read!

Top in Fiction News

IMPORTANT NEWS: MONDAY EMAILS MOVING TO TUESDAYS IN NOVEMBER

As we transition away from the spooky season of October and into the Winter months with plenty of events happening, there will be a slight change in email delivery. Next Monday will be the introduction to sign-up for our Secret Santa Plot-Swap and the following Monday is the sign-up for our TiF Day of Thanks.

BIG NEWS: TOP IN FICTION IS TURNING ON PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS IN 2026!

It. Is. Happening! Top in Fiction is leveling up. Starting in 2026, we’re turning on paid subscriptions to help power everything we’ve got planned for Top in Fiction and TiF Press.

Here’s the important part: nothing on Top in Fiction will ever be behind a paywall. Every weekly issue, monthly recap, and piece of exclusive fiction will always be free to read. Becoming a paid subscriber isn’t about unlocking content — it’s about becoming a patron of the creative writing arts, helping sustain and grow a space that celebrates writers and storytelling in all its forms.

Your support will help us pay writers for exclusive fiction, publish new magazines and anthologies, and cover the costs that keep our sites and projects running strong.

Anything that carries a cost will come through TiF Press, where we’ll be publishing anthologies (yes, plural!) on a regular basis — giving our writers more opportunities to be seen, read, and paid for their work.

For nearly two years Top in Fiction has thrived on the generosity of this community. Paid subscriptions will help make that support steady and sustainable, letting us move faster, dream bigger, and keep pushing fiction and self-publishing forward.

2026 is shaping up to be our biggest, boldest year yet — and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride.

EVENTS UPDATE

All events listed below can also be found on our Calendar of Events page.

• Day of Thanks (on Nov 24): A chance to give thanks to the writers and stories that inspired you in 2025. Sign-up November 17th.

• A TiF Secret Santa Plot-Swap (on Dec 22): Exchange story ideas as gifts, and see how another writer brings yours to life. Sign-up November 10th.

• TiF Summit 2026 (Jan 15 to Jan 18): A 4-day event jam-packed with the Annual Recap, State of the Union, 50 Voices reading their fiction, and more!

---

TiF Press News

The below are all viewable over on our TiF Press Blog. Check it out today!

[Do you have a non-fiction blog that is related to writing fiction or the fiction industry and you’d like to post it on TiF Press? DM TiF Team and let’s chat about it.]

Keith Long’s ReviewStack

I’m sure you have all seen his work, reviewing fiction, on his Substack Notes, but did you know his reviews can also be found over on TiF Press? See them all here! I just love the images he creates to go along with each of them, too.

Bri Heron’s Bits of Book Marketing

Learn something new, tips and trips, for how to make marketing your work that much easier. Each read is short, sweet, and easily digestible. Why not get started here, today!

Erica Drayton’s For Your Consideration

Putting together an Anthology is hard work and the journey can be different every single time. The same can be said for building and sustaining and brand. Working on the present while simultaneously planning for the future. Let me guide you through it all by sharing some behind-the-scenes on how I manage it all on TiF Press specifically. For Your Consideration will be a bi-monthly blog beginning November 2025.

---

HELP WANTED

At Top in Fiction and TiF Press we could always use help and no one knows your particular set of skills better than you! So, if and only if you’re a good fit and have the time, here are some things we need assistance with at present:

DESIGN

I am looking for someone to design the banner for our new Database name. The name is obviously pending as the voting for it has just opened. I’d like an official banner to just consist of a font and maybe some non-obtrusive imagery in the background. I’m not the best at creating these graphics (perhaps you’ve seen my handiwork around) so I’ve learned to lean on those far more skilled than myself in these matters.

ARCHIVIST

As we near the end of the year there is a lot of back-log that needs to be properly catalogued and requires someone with a few minutes/hours a week to devote to helping me organize it all. Also, ability to use Adobe and editing PDFs is a plus.

- Erica Drayton, Editor-in-Chief 😈

---

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere: