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POETRY
Dinner Party by Evelyn K. Brunswick of In A Different Place [Free Verse]
We were drenched in the white wine and the lurch to the left (Any Line)
Digging by Maximilian Siddell of The Threshold [Free Verse]
Below there is a head, and in that head a mind, and in that mind is contained all things that was and were and had once been. (Any Line)
Don't Be Me by Thurman Hart of Pieces of Silence [Literary Fiction]
He didn’t say anything. (First Line)
MICRO/FLASH FICTION
Lucy's Regal Blue Dress by Connie Kinsey of West Virginia Fur and Root [Literary Fiction]
The gleaming dress would celebrate her betrothal or mark the end of a relationship stealing her youth. (Any Line)
Mile Marker Zero by Scott MacLeod of Son of Ugly [Mystery]
Jeff left South Beach just after morning rush. (First Line)
Leaves by Sharron Bassano of LEAVES [Literary Fiction]
"She can see the entire landscape of her troubled childhood." (Any Line)
SHORT STORY
The Mourning Thing by E.B-Lacey | Australian Author of E.B-Lacey | Australian Author [Horror]
"You know babe, contrary to popular belief, merely staring at a problem doesn’t solve it." (Any Line)
It Wouldn't Take Much by Stephanie Sweeney of From the Interstices [Literary Fiction]
The cockatoo does not survive this story. (First Line)
SERIAL
The Crick [Ripples in the Cove: A Judith Temple Mystery, Ep. I] by Bridget Riley of Naptime Novelist [Mystery]
She couldn’t say that she minded watching Tim capably handle machinery while wearing a swimsuit, even if the view was obstructed by a life jacket. (Any Line)
Ascendancy, Book I by Lesley Sue of Lesley Sue [Mystery]
You killed your father, you killed him and you know why. (Any Line)
Hey ya’ll,
Summer is officially here and I don’t know about you but I’m feeling this urge to write something hot and sticky! Who’s with me?
I bring to you a very Summer-themed 🥁🥁🥁
HEATWAVE
SOME THINGS THRIVE IN THE SUMMER HEAT
The guidelines? Let’s keep this very simple.
Short short story. Under 1,500 words. Any genre.
How the heatwave affects your story is totally up to you.
Write it now and be prepared to share it along with others on Friday, July 31st!
Just six weeks to break a sweat or try to beat the heat.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS
TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The link to express interest and gain access to The (new and improved) Scheduler can be found here.
Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!
SUBSCRIBER UPDATES
Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.
Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.
- Erica Drayton, Editor-in-Chief 😈
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