Read Project Threshold

Hey friends,

Quick confession. Our contact form has apparently been living its own ghost story since the end of January. If you reached out and heard nothing but crickets, it was not you. It was a haunted form quietly swallowing messages.

We found the issue. We fixed it. We now have a flood of emails pouring in and we are working through them as fast as humanly possible. If you emailed us a while back and still have not heard from us by March 6th, please send a nudge. I do not want anyone thinking we ignored them.

The silver lining is that I learned a lot while chasing this down. If we ever switch the newsletter to come directly from @horrortree.com instead of our current provider, I now know exactly what needs to happen on the backend. I also uncovered four separate ways to speed up the site. Three are already in place. The fourth is waiting on a support ticket with our host. The backend is not lightning fast yet, but timeouts have dropped and the media library loads noticeably quicker. Small wins. I will take them.

Now for the fun part.

I have a few bonus open calls to share with you this week!

These are open until filled, so please do not sit on your stories.

First up is Darker Stars from Shacklebound Books.

They are looking for science fiction horror drabbles. Exactly 100 words. Not 99. Not 101. Each story must stand on its own and blend sci-fi and horror.

Here is the twist. Instead of submitting one drabble, they want five separate 100 word stories in a single submission email. You can attach them in one document or separate files, but they all go together. The goal is to build this into a paying drabble anthology.

Payment is one cent per word for your five drabbles, plus a copy of the finished ebook. There is no exclusivity. Once published, you are free to send your stories elsewhere. Reprints are welcome. No multiple submissions for this call. Put your five drabbles into one email with the subject line “Submission: Darker Stars” and send them as .doc or .docx files to [email protected]. Use Times New Roman 12 point and standard Shunn manuscript format.

Next up are four open calls from A Midnight Kind Of Place. These all pay £30 for original and £10 for reprints. Note, the best title wins an extra £5 and becomes the anthology title for each of these anthologies.

Best of Scottish Horror is for Scottish writers only. If you live in Scotland or were born there and moved away, they want your best horror. They will verify eligibility. Subject line should read SCOTS and note whether it is original or reprint, followed by your title and name.

Rats needs stories where rats are a key part of the tale. Any theme is fine as long as rats matter. Subject line should read RATS and note original or reprint, followed by title and author name.

Wasps is similar. Wasps must play a key role. Same subject line structure, WASPS with original or reprint, title, and name.

Spiders wants stories where at least one spider is central to the story. Same submission format. SPIDERS in the subject line.

If you have questions for them, you can reach out at [email protected].

We do not list open until filled calls on the website. They are a nightmare to track, and most of you have told us you would rather have a firm deadline than spend two weeks polishing a story only to discover the door quietly shut. That said, this newsletter is where I can slip these in when I find them, so keep an eye out. I will share them when I can.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Read something strange. Write something unsettling. Or just relax and refill the creative well.

You have got this.

Read InhuMANities today!

“Dark, visceral, poetic and devastatingly honest, Robertsons writing lives at the intersection of unabashed hunger, desire, beauty and repulsion. These tales strike at the heart of the queer, gothic soul. They are beautifully painful and darkly necessary. A must read for all those who love unflinching art.”
-Suzan Palumbo Author of Countess and Skin Thief.

This week I’m sharing articles from Business and Craft. Firstly, Author Media has interviewed writer Joanna Penn to answer that question I’ve heard and been asked consistently, ‘How do you become a writer?’ This article looks at it from a business and practical standpoint. Later on in the article, there is a mention of AI, and while I do not endorse the use of AI for creative purposes, there are however, other key points this interview makes which should be considered for anyone who wishes to write professionally. In craft, Mythcreants explores how to write about dark events, which might be a walk in the park for most horror writers, but there’s a great guide on how to invoke multiple reactions, like sadness, which we may desire from our readers. Let’s admit it is far easier for horror writers to frighten someone with tension and dread than to reduce them to tears. Am I right? Lastly, Helping Writers Become Authors reveals whether you should tie up loose ends in your story or not. With a couple of film examples, you can see how loose ends can either be a hindrance or a useful tool for your plot. 

Business:

Author Media: “How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn”

Craft:

Mythcreants: “How to Make Your Dark Event Pay Off”

Helping Writers Become Authors: “Should You Tie Up Loose Ends in Your Story—or Leave Them Open?”

From Horror Tree:

What Is Cozy Horror?

The Best Weird Fiction of the Year Vol 1 Book Review

Book Review: System Preference by Ugo Bienvenu

Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved, and Insane Book Review

This week’s free fiction is united under the theme of abnormality, from a catfish knight to a neighbourhood monster. Firstly, “The Holy Grail” is a strange short story about the narrator discovering a secret conversation between their recently deceased mother and someone called Percy. This story explores grief in the most unusual way, and it will leave you with more questions than answers. Next, “Bones and Bones and Bones and” is a narrative poem about body transformation and trans representation. The body imagery is powerful and will stick in your mind with its strangeness. It is indeed a poem of our times. Next, “Light and Sleek and Strong” is a strange flash story about a woman who wakes up after surgery to discover the world is ending. This is a puzzling and compelling story where the world is saved in a very abnormal way. Lastly, “The Monster Next Door” is a horror story about twins Devan and Dylan, who are woken up in the middle of the night by something moving into their neighbour’s house. This is an enjoyable horror with thrills and structured dread. Enjoy reading!

“The Holy Grail” by Jordan Silversmith at Sans Press.

“Bones and Bones and Bones and" by IM Shulman at Strange Horizons.

“Light and Sleek and Strong” by Ephiny Gale at Wyldblood.

“The Monster Next Door” by Paul Lonardo at The Stygian Lepus (Edition 32, pages 93-104).

Writing Exercise: Stormy Weather

The town is prepared for a storm that the weatherman has declared to be the biggest in over ten years. Doors and windows are barred. Safety is assured.

But a homeless woman can only find shelter under a bridge. She shields herself with cardboard and a second-hand coat from the charity box. 

When the storm arrives, it is quiet without rain. Through the trees, the woman spots lightning in the distance. At least she thinks it is lightning. It lights up the sky in red flashes and then it streaks across the clouds, causing them to glow.

Then in a blink, the clouds are lit up all at once. They sizzle and then burn. The sky is on fire, and what she’d thought was lightning descended at a faster speed to crash land.

What happens next is up to you…Let your imagination run wild!

If you post any writing content during the week and think it would be a good fit for us to feature, do reach out and let us know at [email protected]

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