Read Project Threshold

Hi all. Your friendly editor Stuart here,
Some weeks, writing feels electric. The words snap into place, your characters behave (mostly), and you walk away from the keyboard thinking, Yeah. That worked.

Other weeks? You reread yesterday’s pages and wonder who let a raccoon type your draft.

If you’re in the second camp right now, I want to gently remind you of something I’ve had to relearn more times than I care to admit: the messy draft still counts. The stalled chapter still counts. The half-formed idea scribbled in your Notes app at 11:47 p.m. absolutely counts.

Progress in writing rarely looks glamorous. It looks like small returns to the page. It looks like choosing to open the document again, even when you’re tired. It looks like trusting that the story will meet you halfway if you keep showing up.

And speaking of stories…

This Sunday, our Valentine’s Day special drops. Expect dark affection, twisted devotion, and maybe a love letter or two that should have been left unopened. It’s one of my favorite seasonal editions we put together each year, and I can’t wait for you to see it.

Then on Monday, keep your eyes peeled for another ebook giveaway you won’t want to miss. Details are coming soon, and you’ll want to be ready when it goes live.

For now, be kind to your draft. Be stubborn about your goals. And if the words feel distant, sit with them anyway. They tend to come back when they know you’re serious.

We’re in this together.

And now, I will return you to your regularly scheduled newsletter!

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 Craft. Firstly, Writers in the Storm have guest author Janice Hardy, who runs the popular writing site Fiction University, with an article focused on why tough choices are essential for creating stronger stories. There’s a very cute and interesting personal story that Janice shares about adopting a kitten and developing a cat allergy, which led to the decision of whether she should keep the kitten. It is a great anecdote that demonstrates what Janice is saying about writing.. Next is Jane Friedman’s blog, where novelist Dr. Zena Ryder looks at a big mistake that keeps writers from finishing their novel, and that is asking for feedback too early on in their writing process. Feedback should ideally be constructive, but even such opinions can knock a writer’s resilience and confidence and lead them not to finish their novel. So how can this be avoided? Read to find out. Lastly, Mythcreants identifies six ways to keep characters in a dangerous situation the author has set up. This is perfect for horror writers as a refresher for plot ideas, so if you’re stuck or blocked, this article could help you identify how to prolong the danger. 

Craft:

Writers in the Storm: “Why Tough Choices Create Stronger Stories”

Jane Friedman: “The Big Mistake That Keeps Writers From Finishing a Novel”

Mythcreants: “Six Ways to Keep Characters in the Danger Zone”

From Horror Tree:

An in-depth author interview with Robert W. Bly exploring artificial intelligence through science fiction, horror, film, and literature.

Book Review: The Cellar Below the Cellar by Ivy Grimes 📚🌌

Book Review: Scratch by Jack Keaton 📚🔥

Book Review: Everything Endless by Linda D. Addison and Jamal Hodge

This week’s free fiction is focused on sci-fi from DNA conception to AI space ships. Firstly, “For Love of the Game” is a flash story about baseball and the lengths a sports fan will go to for a sports legacy. There’s an understanding of DNA conception being the normal, but illegal for any sports activities. So if you’re conceived using Tiger Woods DNA, you can’t compete in golf basically. Next is “Thin Skin,” which is a flash story about a woman scientist who plots her revenge on her ex-husband. As the inventor of a new robot, Talia is divorced and loses her rights to her inventions. This is a brilliant read about femininity, revenge, and sexism. Lastly, “Medusa’s Ship, or The Thing About Bodies” is a short story about a man who loves his spaceship, and they develop a relationship as they travel to planets. There’s a wonderful dark ending to this sci-fi romance with the tale of Medusa as the forewarning. Enjoy reading!

“For Love of the Game” by CJ Erick at Metastellar.

“Thin Skin" by M. Luke McDonell at Wyldblood.

“Medusa’s Ship, or The Thing About Bodies” by Natalia Theodoridou at Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

Writing Exercise: Termite Control

Your protagonist wakes up in the middle of the night for the toilet. All is quiet until they decide to grab a glass of water. A strange fluttering noise grows louder from the kitchen window, but there’s nothing outside. Confused, the protagonist lays their ear on the window frame and confirms their suspicion. The noise is inside the wood, and that’s when they realise the frame is falling apart.

In the morning, they call for pest control, who takes samples and identifies termites not long after, but by then, the termite nest is looking nearly empty. Where have all the termites scurried off to?

While the pest controller works, the protagonist tries to focus on their own work, but something keeps hurting. Their entire body pulses with pain, and suddenly the tip of their little finger flops. They prod the jelly-like finger, and discover to their horror, that the finger is missing the bone. 

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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