Lunar Awards

Announcing the Winners! Lunar Awards S11 | Round 5 | Horror

Shaina Read — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:46:14 GMT

The Winner’s Circle

Welcome back to Lunar Awards! I’m your horror ambassador, , author of .

The judge for this round was the indomitable . He read all of your stories, and barely slept after, but in the end, there could only be one winner.

Thank you to all our entrants! Subscribe to the Lunar Awards and make sure to read the stories!

Subscribe now

Drum roll please…

A note from :

Judging a competition is tough because you often get so many good stories, but also because sometimes you aren’t sure what qualifies as a trait to judge by: is this story more horror than that one? What kind horror am I thinking of when I decide that? What is horror, really? I think horror as a genre extends beyond the boundaries of jump scares or frightening atmospheres or dark premises. Horror is about the unknown and the uncontrollable. It could be the environment; the ocean, space, caves, the dark, tight spaces — or the entity; demons, ghosts, serial killers, gods, witches, aliens. Horror stems from these two basic things. But there is usually one or two in a competition that stick out. You think about them after, picturing the characters and the scenes, hearing the dialogue, you feel the lingering tension.

Winner: Out of Silence by

I enjoyed reading everyone’s stories and I’m honored to have been your judge this round. The winning story I chose was Out of Silence by . I picked this one because it stuck with me, I thought about it long after finishing it. The characters were excellently written, the story was honed to a well edited point and came together beautifully, and the fears were on full display throughout. Space is a scary place by itself, add in an alien entity and the loss of control over oneself and you’ve got a good horror recipe. The final product is a high quality story that will stick with you.

Runner Up: Translation Error by

My runner up choice is Translation Error by . It’s a well executed story in a classic cosmic horror style. It sets out to be a sort of modern sequel to Lovecraft’s works and it accomplishes this very well. I enjoyed the mounting tension, the view of a horrifying situation unraveling at a distance.

Well, that’s a wrap friends. I enjoyed being the guest judge this round. Thanks for sending in your stories.

Congratulations to our winners!

Please take the time to read the other entrants! It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there, and I would love for you all to discover more horror writers here!

Age of Aquarius

Ghoul

Author’s Note: This story works best when viewed on web or Kindle, not the Substack App. If you didn’t know, you can download Substack posts to your Kindle! Here’s how.“He’s absolutely the hottest guy I have ever been on a date with.”“He has a perfect face…

2 years ago · 60 likes · 24 comments · EJ Trask

Nicholas Samuel Stember’s Substack

The Shape in the Shadow

This is a short tale of terror that strikes in the place we usually feel the most safe…our bedroom…

a month ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Nicholas Samuel Stember

The FRICTION SECTION: microFRICTION (free) and macroFRICTION

Story #684: Blind Date

Their blind date had gone very well. They ate, they laughed at the same things in the movie, and they danced until 1 AM. To Marsha’s way of looking at it, it had gone too well, because here Wayne was, invited in for coffee no less, which would lead to what she promised herself she wouldn’t do tonight…

a month ago · 8 likes · 4 comments · Gerard DiLeo

Declan’s Substack

The Haunted Bomber (1944)

The year was 1944. It was a pitch-black night whose tranquility was suddenly disrupted as a vast swarm of Avro Lancaster bombers flew in a disciplined formation over the Germanic city below. Suddenly, alarms could be heard and the skies were illuminated by flashing spotlights that would beam a ray of light up at the bomber fleet. Within minutes, the sky…

6 months ago · 2 likes · Declan Cosson

scribblings

The Spring Hare

The wearying cocoon of the long winter over, villagers to a person were emerging like birthed butterflies – skittering with energy, busying themselves at this and that, chatting with neighbors all akin, sharing worshipful joy in spring’s rebirth and the graceful ease it had placed upon them once again…

a month ago · 2 likes · 5 comments · William Routhier

Dracula’s Ghost

The Duck Hunters

The autumn sun is low in the sky when I pull into the grocery store parking lot. It would be easier if he picked you up at the house,” my wife says, but Sully’s pickup is a behemoth, and the long camping trailer adds another twenty feet. The setup is difficult to navigate through the narrow streets of our subdivision, and even if things were otherwise, …

2 years ago · 15 likes · 9 comments · Travis Blake

Through a Glass, Darkly

Out of Silence

Thanks for reading Through a Glass, Darkly! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work…

2 months ago · 10 likes · Jean Marie Bauhaus

Life in the Slow Lane

The Witching Walls

October 1, 2025…

a year ago · 17 likes · 19 comments

Wendy Cockcroft's Writings

The Old Garden Shed

Written for the Lunar Awards S11|Round 5: Horror…

a month ago · 14 likes · 2 comments · Wendy Cockcroft

In A Different Place

Skinner Box

This story is presented to you by the wonderfully witchy Garen Marie along with the TiF Team, as part of their little scarefest known either as Small & Scary, for cute little Substacks like mine with fewer than 200 subscribers, or Big & Beastly for you lucky popular writers with more than 200…

a year ago · 24 likes · 24 comments · Evelyn K. Brunswick

The Pitch #31: The Best Speculative Fiction on Substack

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:06:34 GMT

Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!

Whether you’re a reader searching for new worlds or a writer ready to promote your latest piece, this thread is for you! Here’s how it works:

📝 Are you a writer?

Head to the comments and add:

A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.

Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!

🔖Are you a reader?

Head to the comments:

Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.

Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!

🖖Support the Community

Want to help these stories reach more readers?

Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Share

Your word of mouth holds so much power. The more you share, the more readers will read, the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.

The Spark #15: The Gathering Starts Now

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 10:09:32 GMT

The Gathering is an opportunity to share the story you wrote for The Spark #15.

Give us a brief teaser (one sentence) and then add the link in this discussion thread. Be sure to stop by throughout the day and engage with your fellow adventurers. The Lunar Awards is a place to discover and to be discovered. We want to connect you with the community. If you’ve already posted your story in the original prompt discussion thread, that’s okay! You can post it in both places, so it gets optimal readership.

Subscribe now

Many of you stretched your creative muscles with this prompt, and amid the busyness of life, you managed to get words written. We gather to share today, but the discussion thread will remain open should you decide to try your hand at the prompts in the future. Come back and add a link to your story. Even if the fire grows cold, we still maintain our burning desire to read good speculative fiction.

The Spark # 15

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:09:36 GMT

Welcome Promptlings to The Spark! It’s time to be weird, fantastical, daring, and deploy your creativity. Imagine monstrous beasts, conniving ghosts, and characters with mysterious motives who may also control weapons of wonder. All of this wondrous speculation originates from your imagination. The task is yours. This is The Spark!

The Rules

The rules are simple. You will be presented with a prompt. It could be a required first line, a task that will challenge your craft, elements required in your story, or a genre specific prompt. You will have two weeks to write a short story under the rules of the prompt. We’ll host a Gathering to celebrate what’s been accomplished and highlight your stories at the end of two weeks. You can share them on this thread, as well as The Pitch at the end of the month. This is an opportunity to find writers you admire, befriend, and learn from.

When sharing your creation, give us the title of your piece, genre in the form an emoji (see below), a brief teaser, and a link to your work. While most of the work will be posted on Substack, you are welcome to share work that fits the prompt that has been shared elsewhere (Wattpad, Simily, Amazon, etc.), but we do ask that the piece be available to readers for free. The Spark is an opportunity to grow in your craft and share your work with other speculative fiction writers.

Genre Emoji Index

👽- Science Fiction

🔮- Fantasy

💀- Horror

🔥- Dystopian

🍫- Magical Realism (Like Water for Chocolate, get it??)

👀- Weird Fiction

(The Gathering discussion thread will take place on Sunday, October 18th, starting at 3am PST, and will run all day.)

The Prompt

This month’s prompt is not only on theme for the spooky season, but is also brought to you by a fellow Substacker, at Fairytales by Caroline. Caroline, “an agented writer, teacher, and fairy tale enthusiast” shares fiction, essays, writing lessons, and more. I find myself going back to Caroline’s essays, enjoying them and learning from them. This prompt is from one of twenty-five prompts she shared for fall.

I’m thrilled to be partnering with her for this month’s Spark prompt.

The Prompt:

Pick a scary story you were told or read as a child. A ghost story that always

terrified you. A tale from that terrifying book In a Dark, Dark Room. A local legend. A story your parents told you. Write a modern day retelling of this story that turns this tale on its head somehow. For more guidance, you can check out my guide to writing a retelling.

Good Luck Promptlings!

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or send me (Reina Cruz) a DM.

Leave a comment

The Pitch #30: The Best Speculative Fiction on Substack

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 10:01:07 GMT

Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!

Whether you’re a reader searching for new worlds or a writer ready to promote your latest piece, this thread is for you! Here’s how it works:

📝 Are you a writer?

Head to the comments and add:

A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.

Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!

🔖Are you a reader?

Head to the comments:

Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.

Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!

🖖Support the Community

Want to help these stories reach more readers?

Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Share

Your word of mouth holds so much power. The more you share, the more readers will read, the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.

Lunar Awards S11 | Round 5 | Horror

Shaina Read — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:29:34 GMT

Photo by Edilson Borges on Unsplash

Welcome to Round 5 of the Lunar Awards: Horror

The Lunar Awards is a yearlong event broken into six rounds focusing on three genres (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction). At the end of the year, we’ll publish the winning stories in a physical book.

My name is , author of Kindling, admin at
, and I’m your Horror Ambassador for the Lunar Awards.

Please read this post in its entirety before submitting a story. Any entries that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted.

Your participation and stories make this event possible. Thanks for giving the Lunar Awards a chance. We wish you the best of luck! And please comment or DM us with any questions.

Your Judge: of

Hello everyone, I’m Keith and I’m very excited to judge this round of horror stories for the Lunar Awards. You may or may not have seen my little hand around here on Substack. I’m a writer of all sorts of things, yet I continue to find myself pulled in the direction of telling horror stories. Fear, grief, pain, loss, unease, unknowns — all of these things are universal and get at one aspect of what it means to be human.

Horror takes us deep into the unlit spaces of our very selves, a flight of backless stairs descending into a void, down, off and away into a nothing which you know intellectually is empty, yet a part of you still sharpens its awareness, scans the impossible dark as if something could be there, hiding.

This is how horror works and why it is so powerful. It’s a collaboration between writer and reader, where the author uses the mind of the reader against them. When done well, horror can leave an impression like nothing else — it unsettles the dust on childhood knowledge, that here in the dark, the rules are different. You should tread lightly, because what you knew intellectually gets superseded by that childhood knowledge. So give me your best horror, make me feel that sharpening awareness, that tensing up, and take away my certainty.

Season 11 | Round 5 Details

Please read the FAQ for complete rules and word limits. If you have questions, ask in the comments.

Horror includes any of its subgenres: Historical, Supernatural, Gothic, Psychological, Slasher, Body, Monster, Cosmic (Lovecraftian), Folk, Survival, Sci-Fi, Campy, Post-Apocalyptic. Your story will be considered as long as it heavily features Horror elements.

Round 5 Schedule

September 20 - Open call for submissions.
October 1 - Submissions close, judging begins.
October 26 - Winner and runner-up announced.

Prizes

The winner will receive a permanent link on the Past Winners page.
The winner and runner-up will be offered a publication contract to be featured in the Lunar Awards next anthology.
Featured authors in the anthology will receive a copy of the book after publication.

For entry

Submit your story here:

Submit

Or copy/paste this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U70SCqobwX6bhgycCtdgbg_KZAMz0zr4HgUvDuz6-H4/edit?ts=6ab0805d

How do the awards work?

A writer subscribes to the Lunar Awards and is notified via a post when a new round starts.
The writer reads the rules, selects a story that fits the genre or theme, removes any attributable information (e.g., author name, website, Substack links), and submits the story via the round’s form.
A round lasts roughly 37 days (10 days for submissions and 27 days for judging). When it ends, subscribers receive a post identifying the winner and the runner-up.

What are the general award entry rules?

It must be written in English.
It must be a .docx or .pdf file format.
It must be speculative (Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror).
Only one submission per writer per round is allowed.
A submission will only be considered once. Do not resubmit the same short story over multiple rounds, even if it has been edited.
A comment on the round’s post does not have to accompany your form submission during the submission period. But you may add one if you desire.
The previous round winner of any genre is not eligible to participate in the following rounds for that season.

What are the Short Story category award entry rules?

It must be between 1000–10,000 words. Word count limitations are necessary to maintain fairness.
It must be a short story. Micro fiction, flash fiction, novellas, novelettes, novels, or serials will not be accepted.
Choose-your-own-adventure or interactive fiction will not be eligible.
You must own the rights to your story.
It can be published on Substack on any date. It doesn’t have to be published during the submission timeframe for the round.
It must be standalone (no serials or parts), but it can be a part of an anthology or a shared universe.
It must match the current round’s genre.

What is a Short Story?

A great short story makes a promise at the start and makes good on that promise by the end. Don’t leave the reader hanging. You can use an even balance of character, plot, and setting, or you can lean heavily into any of those. Avoid familiar tropes, but don’t be afraid to explore common themes from a fresh perspective. It should be polished to the best of your ability. Editorial control over the entire piece is essential – you know what to leave and what to cut. However, it will not be rejected for a few spelling mistakes.

Images are not allowed.

What is Speculative Fiction?

Speculative is the broad range of genres encompassing Science Fiction and Fantasy, including hard science fiction, fables, sword and sorcery, creature features, space opera, time travel, low fantasy, magic realism, etc. There are too many sub-genres to name them all. Dark speculative is allowed, which may cross over into Horror.

The subject matter is left to the author’s imagination.

Do I have to subscribe to the Lunar Awards to be considered?

Yes. The winner will be announced here before an author is contacted directly. This will also be the central location to announce future seasons, essays, reviews, and interviews.

Is there a reading or award entry fee?

Never!

Are AI submissions allowed?

Absolutely not. If you have to ask how much or how little AI can be used to write the story, you should not submit it for consideration.

What are the judging criteria?

In short, the Lunar Awards look at:

Genre suitability
Mastery of storytelling
Originality
Editorial control

Discrimination Policy:

The Lunar Awards doesn’t discriminate or give preferential treatment. Decisions are made purely on the merits outlined in the judging criteria. Personal bios of any kind should not be included in the comments or submissions. Anyone who wants to know more about you can visit your Substack. Credentials are not necessary. The number of publication subscribers, comments, and likes on a short story doesn’t matter. The goal is to find and award the absolute best speculative fiction on Substack.

Why only a 10-day round for each genre?

It limits the number of entries, and having only one genre per round allows writers to compete against their peers.

Is there an actual award?

The winning submission will be permanently linked on the Past Winners page. The submission and author will also be featured in a spotlight post.

Winning and runner-up writers will be offered a publishing contract to be included in the official Lunar Awards annual anthology.

Submit your story here:

Submit

Or copy/paste this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U70SCqobwX6bhgycCtdgbg_KZAMz0zr4HgUvDuz6-H4/edit?ts=6ab0805d

The Spark #14: The Gathering Starts Now

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:01:15 GMT

The Gathering is an opportunity to share the story you wrote for The Spark #14.

Subscribe now

The Spark # 14

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 10:00:51 GMT

The Rules

Genre Emoji Index

👽- Science Fiction

🔮- Fantasy

💀- Horror

🔥- Dystopian

🍫- Magical Realism (Like Water for Chocolate, get it??)

👀- Weird Fiction

(The Gathering discussion thread will take place on Sunday, September 20th, starting at 3am PST, and will run all day.)

The Prompt

“Everything has boundaries. The same holds true with thought. You shouldn’t fear boundaries, but you should not be afraid of destroying them. That’s what is most important if you want to be free: respect for and exasperation with boundaries.”

― Haruki Murakami

Constraint often leads to innovation and, if, we’re lucky, fantastic writing. Today’s craft focused prompt is all about putting limits on your writing. What can you create around the creative constraints?

The Prompt:

Write a speculative flash fiction piece of exactly 1,000 words. Include a transformation—but do not use the words change, transform, become, or turn.

Good Luck Promptlings!

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or send me (Reina Cruz) a DM.

Leave a comment

Indies Supporting Indies

Reina Cruz — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:02:11 GMT

Indies Supporting Indies is a monthly live chat for indie authors to support each other through the wild world of publishing.

What it’s All About

Publishing independently is empowering—but it’s also complex and overwhelming. Once a month, we gather in a Substack chat thread. The goal is to help each other solve real publishing challenges.

Bring your questions. Share your experience. We’ll figure it out together.

What to Expect

We will meet the second Sunday of each month on Substack’s chat feature.
One to three writers will share a challenge they’re facing (e.g., formatting, launch strategy, metadata, sustainability). Challenges will be selected on a first come first serve basis. If no challenges have been shared for the month, I will provide a prompt to keep us chatting and sharing advice and experiences.
The rest of us will listen, reflect, and share solutions that worked for us.
We’ll close with quick wins, shoutouts, and helpful takeaways.

How to Participate

If you have a challenge:

Keep it short (1–2 sentences to start). Leave a comment or DM me, Reina Cruz, ahead of time, or bring your challenge to the chat.
Let us know what you’ve tried and where you’re stuck.
Be open to ideas that come from different paths.

If you’re listening or supporting:

Share insight, not rules. There’s no one way to indie.
Respect each writer’s goals and offer ideas that meet their vision.
Be kind, generous, and encouraging.

A Few Examples of Topics:

“I’m overwhelmed by metadata. Where do I even start?”
“Which POD platform worked best for your illustrated book?”
“How do I know when to stop tweaking my book cover?”
“Any tools that helped you organize your indie business?”

Chat Etiquette

Say hi if you’re just listening! 👋 You’re welcome here.
If you share a tool or link, let us know how you’ve used it.
Don’t hesitate to share your challenges! Even if we don’t make it this month to discuss, we'll continue next month.

Hosted & Facilitated by

I’ll guide the flow, make space for everyone, and share any additional tips and tricks from my own experience. We’re here to learn together.

Have a challenge you would like to bring to Indies Supporting Indies? Let me know!

Leave a comment

Hope you all will join me in the chat on September 13th, 12pm PST!

The Pitch #29: The Best Speculative Fiction on Substack

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:01:15 GMT

Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!

Whether you’re a reader searching for new worlds or a writer ready to promote your latest piece, this thread is for you! Here’s how it works:

📝 Are you a writer?

Head to the comments and add:

A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.

Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!

🔖Are you a reader?

Head to the comments:

Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.

Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!

🖖Support the Community

Want to help these stories reach more readers?

Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Share

Your word of mouth holds so much power. The more you share, the more readers will read, the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.

Announcing the Winners! Lunar Awards S11 Round 4 | Fantasy

Zachary Roush — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:32:30 GMT

The Winner’s Circle

Photo by Andreas Weilguny on Unsplash

My name is Zachary Roush, author of Realms. and I’m your ambassador for the Fantasy rounds of the Lunar Awards.

Our judge for this round was . He has read your stories late into the night. He has deliberated. He has considered the stars and cast lots and read the leaves and has determined the winner and runner-up for this season.

Thank you to all our entrants! Subscribe to the Lunar Awards so you can enter another story next time the doors of fate open.

Subscribe now

Without further ado… your winners!

Winner: Seasons of Ash by

I chose this story because it draws, as Lloyd Alexander put it, “directly from the fountainhead of mythology, and does it consciously and deliberately.” The autonomous construct that serves as our narrator sits comfortably in the realm of fantasy, but its gemcut mind also feels oddly futuristic. The world it describes could be a part of our ancient past or our distant future, and yet the themes it struggles with describe the world as it feels now. It yearns for the destruction of a civilization that would despoil its own beauty, but it also fears and laments that destruction.

This, to me, is the hallmark of high fantasy. By placing us in the mind of a magical being that sits on a shelf in a dragon’s hoard, while simultaneously presenting a world that feels suspiciously like our own, the author makes the argument that these themes are universal, timeless. This is the world we came from. There are dragon bones in our oceans.

It might also be where we’re headed.

Copper Frog Press

Seasons of Ash

My master was a kind dragon…

2 years ago · 4 likes · Copper Frog

Read Seasons of Ash

Runner-up: Perfect Light by

My first impression after reading this piece was that there is a vast and potent imagination at work here. The setting is unique and vividly detailed, with immediately accessible stakes and complex characters. The prose is rich enough to draw you in without slowing you down (an important factor, considering this was the longest entry by far). The scene breaks and pacing demonstrate impeccable narrative control, and I would happily trust this author to tell a story of virtually any length.

In fact, the main reason that I didn’t choose this story as the winner is because I suspect this is only part of the story. I’m judging these blind, so I have no way of knowing, but I wonder if this is actually the first arc of a novel, or a side chapter to explain the background of an important secondary character.

If I find out that this author has written a novel, I’m buying that novel, full stop. But for the purposes of a short story contest, I wanted to give deference to the entry that contained the entire story within its borders.

Writing in Recursive

Perfect Light

I think Mishal is going to kill himself soon. He has intended to do it for several years, now, but the urgency is greater than usual. For weeks, he has formulated nothing new for me to make and offered me none of his notations at all. The graphite on his hands, shining-grey on sword-calluses that have been fading since o…

3 months ago · 24 likes · 24 comments · Clara

Read Perfect Light

Final Words

Thank you also to the many wonderful writers who submitted. It’s always a joy to see so many submissions and so much care going into these fantastic worlds.

Cabinet of Curiosities

Meet Your Maker

“We haven’t yet discussed how we will honor our Creator,” said Weamish…

2 years ago · 8 likes · Minna

Mythscape

The Windcaller

The Seventh of May 1821 - Somewhere in the South Pacific…

5 months ago · 7 likes · 3 comments · Maximilian Siddell

Whim & Wander: The Journal

More Than Squirrels in the Attic ⁜ A Short Story

Welcome, Wanderers…

5 months ago · 26 likes · 20 comments · 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐦 & 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 and Corey Evans

Nicholas Samuel Stember’s Substack

Azure Wolf

A short fantasy tale set in the time of Columbus’ second trip to the Caribbean islands…

3 months ago · 8 likes · Nicholas Samuel Stember

The Ink-Stained Desk

Sink Or Swim: A Trillmorian Short Story.

Hello…

2 years ago · 7 likes · Christine Maree Reid

Zaklog the Great

Even Legends Bleed

King Kirkmont was in his council chamber consulting with his top generals when Reynauld, his chief wizard, came to speak with him…

a year ago · 5 likes · Zaklog the Great

Josh Tatter Has Thoughts

Sundown on the Vale of Barrows

It was a desolate place to traverse, but their remorseless pursuers had left them with little choice in where to flee, and so they were driven onward into the Vale of Barrows…

a year ago · 19 likes · 2 comments · Josh Tatter

Declan’s Substack

The Huntsman

“It is true, Bardulf, one day, our dear Frija went into the woods. Then she never came back…

6 months ago · 1 like · Declan Cosson

Dunmore Dispatch

How a Magister Fights

The eve of unexpected battle. Rain, and rain for days…

2 years ago · 43 likes · 17 comments · Ian Dunmore

Dracula’s Ghost

Gray Wolf: The Execution

“We have no mother but the earth, no father but the sword…

a year ago · 6 likes · 3 comments · Travis Blake

Gregory Blair - Scribbling Entertainment

Masquerade Prison

I longed to escape from my unhappy existence. The loneliness, the bills, the drudgery. My ugly apartment. The annoying neighbor that kept playing offensive music so damned loud…

4 months ago · 10 likes · 4 comments · Gregory Blair

Portension

Blessings By The Sea

ALL THREE OF THE WOMEN CAME FROM THE WITCHING SEA, as all such magical creatures do. Nothing upon the land could carry such pain and sorrow as they could—though the man tried. The man, old now, with a white beard and weathered skin, still lived in the small, isolated cottage on the desolate shore, battered by cold wind and grey sea. All three had cursed…

3 months ago · Jay Oatway

Doctor Eclectic

Houston, We Have a 'Possum

Pogo is the classic opossum cartoon character, but he was kind of before my time. His creator died when I was 3, so I had no idea who Walt Kelly was, growin…

a year ago · 3 comments · Randall Hayes

The Loreledger

The Retainer Emeritus

A firm series of knocks disrupted the Boers suppertime—a roasted hare with a side of pickled cabbage and a thick wedge of local Delforn curd. It upset Stefan greatly as this had become one of his favored meals. Marja gave him a stern glare as he rose to answer the call…

3 months ago · 2 likes · Ethan Slusarski

Hatching Stories

Knights of Memory, Carry On

3 months ago · 5 likes · E. H. Lau

THE SHIELDBREAKER SAGA

KOGON, a Shieldbreaker Story

“He was a killer, your father. Quick as anyone I ever saw with a blade…

3 months ago · 27 likes · 8 comments · Thomas Clark Schecter

Wendy Cockcroft's Writings

The Wizard's Gem

Written for the Lunar Awards…

3 months ago · 7 likes · Wendy Cockcroft

The Spark #13: The Gathering Starts Now

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:03:22 GMT

The Gathering is an opportunity to share the story you wrote for The Spark #13.

Subscribe now

The Spark # 13

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:03:50 GMT

The Rules

Genre Emoji Index

👽- Science Fiction

🔮- Fantasy

💀- Horror

🔥- Dystopian

🍫- Magical Realism (Like Water for Chocolate, get it??)

👀- Weird Fiction

(The Gathering discussion thread will take place on Sunday, August 16th, starting at 3am PST, and will run all day.)

The Prompt

“We should always make time for the things we like. If we don’t, we might forget how to be happy.” - T.J. Klune

Let’s have some fun writing this month!

I’d like to come back the original Prompt Quest and bring us back to genre. Most (if not all) of us here are speculative writers. In some ways, I see speculative fiction as a catch all for the strange and supernatural. Science fiction, horror, fantasy. Epic Sci Fi, High Fantasy, Body Horror, Paranormal Thriller, Dystopian, Romantasy… We all could keep going, I’m sure.

Today’s prompt is brought to you by DailyPrompt.com. This website provides genre specific prompts with a quick click of your preferred genre.

I selected fantasy this month. Could be cozy, epic, or urban, but some kind of magic will be involved in your story. Are you up for the challenge?

The Prompt:

Each full moon, the old mirror in the attic reflects not your face, but the life you might have lived if you’d made one different choice. Write about a character looking in the mirror.

Good Luck Promptlings!

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or send me (Reina Cruz) a DM.

Leave a comment

The Pitch #28: The Best Speculative Fiction on Substack

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:00:56 GMT

Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!

Whether you’re a reader searching for new worlds or a writer ready to promote your latest piece, this thread is for you! Here’s how it works:

📝 Are you a writer?

Head to the comments and add:

A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.

Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!

🔖Are you a reader?

Head to the comments:

Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.

Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!

🖖Support the Community

Want to help these stories reach more readers?

Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Share

Your word of mouth holds so much power. The more you share, the more readers will read, the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.

Lunar Awards S11 | Round 4 | Fantasy

Zachary Roush — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:52:10 GMT

Lunar Awards S11 | Round 4 | Fantasy

Photo by Andreas Weilguny on Unsplash

The Lunar Awards is a yearlong event broken into nine rounds focusing on three genres (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction). At the end of the year, we’ll publish the winning stories in a physical book.

My name is Zachary Roush, author of Realms. and I’m your ambassador for the Fantasy rounds of the Lunar Awards.

Your participation and stories make this event possible. Thanks for stopping by to give the Lunar Awards a chance. We wish you the best of luck! And please comment or DM us with any questions.

Let’s Escape to Fantastic Worlds

The more I read and write, the more I learn that a story can take almost any shape or form. In this way, all fiction is fantastical. But when we talk about fantasy as a genre, we often think of medieval worlds with magic and dragons, etc. But I’m wondering if we can get weirder, find deeper resonance in these like-earth universes.

What fantasies are we inventing? What truths are they telling? Or are we looking just to escape? We will always return to the real world, so we must bring something back with us.

It’s up to you, writers, to open up the world behind the world and liberate us!

Welcome your Judge:

I can’t recall the first fantasy novel I ever read, but I remember the first one that stuck with me.

I was in sixth grade, and I’d just started middle school in a new school district. Our English teacher took us to the school library on the first day of class to show us how to check out books, which seemed insane to me because I didn’t understand how you could turn eleven without having been to a library. I bounced and fidgeted and probably interrupted her at least twice before she turned us loose. It only took a minute or two to find a slim little paperback with a dragon on the cover.

Looking back, it’s hard to overstate how much A Wizard of Earthsea altered my brain. It settled into me like railroad tracks, established lines of thought were there were none, laid the groundwork for heavier freight. It taught me to find what wisdom I could in the eyes of animals, in the great slow gestures of trees. It’s a hugely influential book, but I probably would’ve never picked it up if it didn’t have the word “wizard” in the title.

This, to me, is fantasy at its best. Yes, it should be entertaining. Yes, it should lure you in with a few (freshly reimagined) tropes. But beneath the familiar aesthetic, there should be something that sticks with you long after you finish.

Entertain me, teach me something, entertain me, teach me something...

Season 11 | Round X Details

Please read the FAQ, which contains complete rules and word limits. If you have questions, ask in the comments.

“Fantasy” includes any of its subgenres: High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Mythic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy, Fairytale Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grimdark Fantasy, among others. Your story will be considered as long as it is tangentially part of Fantasy.

Round 4 Schedule

July 21: Submissions Open
July 31: Submissions close, judging begins
August 22: Winner and runner-up announced

Prizes

The winner will receive a permanent link on the Past Winners page and a high-resolution badge to display on their Substack.
The winner and runner-up will be offered a publication contract to be featured in the Lunar Awards next anthology.
Featured authors in the anthology will receive a copy of the book after publication.

For entry:

Submit your story to the Google form:

Submit Here

Or copy/paste this link: https://forms.gle/Rm7MY758AzmA4EVZA

Submission details are as follows:

How do the awards work?

A writer subscribes to the Lunar Awards and is notified via a post when a new round starts.
The writer reads the rules, selects a story that fits the genre or theme, removes any attributable information (e.g., author name, website, Substack links), and submits the story via the round’s form.
A round lasts roughly 37 days (10 days for submissions and 27 days for judging). When it ends, subscribers receive a post identifying the winner and the runner-up.

What are the general award entry rules?

It must be written in English.
It must be a .docx or .pdf file format.
It must be speculative (Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror).
Only one submission per writer per round is allowed.
A submission will only be considered once. Do not resubmit the same short story over multiple rounds, even if it has been edited.
A comment on the round’s post does not have to accompany your form submission during the submission period. But you may add one if you desire.
The previous round winner of any genre is not eligible to participate in the following rounds for that season.

What are the Short Story category award entry rules?

It must be between 1000–10,000 words. Word count limitations are necessary to maintain fairness.
It must be a short story. Micro fiction, flash fiction, novellas, novelettes, novels, or serials will not be accepted.
Choose-your-own-adventure or interactive fiction will not be eligible.
You must own the rights to your story.
It can be published on Substack on any date. It doesn’t have to be published during the submission timeframe for the round.
It must be standalone (no serials or parts), but it can be a part of an anthology or a shared universe.
It must match the current round’s genre.

What is a Short Story?

Images are not allowed.

What is Speculative Fiction?

The subject matter is left to the author’s imagination.

Do I have to subscribe to the Lunar Awards to be considered?

Yes. The winner will be announced here before an author is contacted directly. This will also be the central location to announce future seasons, essays, reviews, and interviews.

Is there a reading or award entry fee?

Never!

Are AI submissions allowed?

Absolutely not. If you have to ask how much or how little AI can be used to write the story, you should not submit it for consideration.

What are the judging criteria?

In short, the Lunar Awards look at:

Genre suitability
Mastery of storytelling
Originality
Editorial control

Discrimination Policy:

Why only a 10-day round for each genre?

This is very important. It limits the number of entries, and having only one genre per round allows writers to compete against their peers.

Is there an actual award?

The winning submission will be permanently linked on the Past Winners page. The submission and author will also be featured in a spotlight post. First place will receive a custom, high-resolution image badge for the award season category, which can be displayed proudly on Substack or used in merchandising at their discretion.

Winning and runner-up writers will be offered a publishing contract to be included in the official Lunar Awards annual anthology.

Submit your story to the Google form:

Submit Here

Or copy/paste this link: https://forms.gle/Rm7MY758AzmA4EVZA

The Spark #12: The Gathering Starts Now

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:02:28 GMT

The Gathering is an opportunity to share the story you wrote for The Spark #12.

Subscribe now

The Spark # 12

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 10:02:29 GMT

The Rules

Genre Emoji Index

👽- Science Fiction

🔮- Fantasy

💀- Horror

🔥- Dystopian

🍫- Magical Realism (Like Water for Chocolate, get it??)

👀- Weird Fiction

(The Gathering discussion thread will take place on Sunday, July 19th, starting at 3am PST, and will run all day.)

The Prompt

“Imagination is the single most useful tool mankind possesses...” — Ursula K. Le Guin

Spice Rack

Hairbrush

Thermos

You have three objects. These objects need to be key elements in your story this month. Your story should not be able to work without these objects. Take some time. How are you going to incorporate these objects. Is your first answer the “right answer”? Did you need to go through several iterations of “answers” before finding the right combination?

For today’s Spark prompt, bring us your most speculative stories using the objects listed above.

Good Luck Promptlings!

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or send me (Reina Cruz) a DM.

Leave a comment

The Pitch #27: The Best Speculative Fiction on Substack

Reina Cruz — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:08:01 GMT

Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!

Whether you’re a reader searching for new worlds or a writer ready to promote your latest piece, this thread is for you! Here’s how it works:

📝 Are you a writer?

Head to the comments and add:

A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.

Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!

🔖Are you a reader?

Head to the comments:

Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.

Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!

🖖Support the Community

Want to help these stories reach more readers?

Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Share

Your word of mouth holds so much power. The more you share, the more readers will read, the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.

Announcing Winners for LA S11 | Round 3 | Science Fiction

Brian Reindel — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:01:18 GMT

Announcing the Winner and Runners-Up for Round 3 of the Lunar Awards: Science Fiction

Image by upklyak on Freepik

I’m your Lunar Awards science fiction ambassador, , and I have the pleasure of announcing our winning science fiction writers for Season 11, Round 3! Our judge was of Gibberish. We’re thankful that he took the time to read all of your stories, giving careful consideration to each one. And now, a word from Scoot:

🥇 WINNER: SOLITARY BY IRIS SHAW

When I was reading these stories, I was hoping to find the hidden gems of Substack fiction–stories with depth, stories that felt lived in, stories that surprised me. The science fiction genre is both wide and deep, and I know there is no better place to look for these things than Substack.
“Solitary” by Iris Shaw delivered for me. It was an unconventional story from the start, and yet grounded and real feeling. We are put into the shoes of the protagonist and in almost 2,000 words made to experience the yawning gap of 20 years’ isolation, and then some. The story builds slowly, a puzzle expertly delivered piece by piece, answering some questions and refusing to answer yet others. I found myself seeing, feeling, hearing, and tasting this story, this setting. It was crisp, it was structured, and best of all: the ending caught me by surprise. This was a standout performance by Iris and a real pleasure to read.

Long Oddities

Solitary

a year ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Iris Shaw

🥈 RUNNER UP: JUST NOT MY TASTE BY OWEN BADENOCH

This story by Owen Badenoch was one of the first I read for this competition, and he set the bar extremely high, proving that Substack is host to an incredible caliber of writer. “Just Not My Taste” took me back to my youth reading Ray Bradbury stories or watching the Twilight Zone. The premise is simple, and introduced with such nonchalance that I found myself doing a literary double take. We follow our protagonist as he slowly comes to doubt his manufactured and up-cycled world. The horrifying reality is so subtle I almost didn’t realize it when it happened. This competition was incredibly close, and Owen is clearly a science fiction writer to watch.

Owen T Badenoch : Gravity of Darkness, and other writings

Just Not My Taste

Greetings! A bit of an experiment with this story. It was likely seeded by reading so many stories by Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl, but was in fact sparked while reading Substack’s own indie-author Ian Patterson’s novel, Transference (Book 1 of the Narrator Cycle…

5 months ago · 11 likes · 10 comments · Owen T Badenoch

🥉 HONORABLE MENTIONS: SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT BY JB EZAR, THE NOSE BY JOE OFFUT

These honorable mentions fought the good fight and narrowly missed top placement themselves. Each of them is an example of taking the science fiction genre in new and creative directions. They had ideas that surprised me, stories that made me think. And there are few things I enjoy than being given a new twist on something I thought I already knew and understood. These stories are worth your time to read, and these authors are worth keeping your eye on.

Fitter of Pieces

Shine a Little Light

When I barge in to take you, a length of rope coiled around my arm and a plasma knife in my pocket, you look up from the vegetable beds with such trust, my heart breaks. You feel safe in your backyard. Six years have passed since anyone in the colony last reminded you of your purpose. No one calls you Charger anymore. You’re Argy now, or simply…

5 months ago · J.B. Ezar

WJ Offutt

The Nose

I entered this story in Lunar Awards S11 Round 3 contest. Wish me luck…

5 months ago · 2 likes · WJ Offutt

Closing Remarks

Judging this season of the Lunar Awards has been a real honor. Science fiction on Substack is as wide and deep as the genre itself. Anyone can find their next favorite author with a little digging. What you all shared with the Lunar Awards this round, and what I had the privilege to read, was incredible and could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats.
You did not make it easy on me, and regrettably choices had to be made. But it is clear to me that science fiction on Substack is not just alive but thriving, and capable of incredible things. Keep writing, keep imagining, and let’s see what you can do next time the Lunar Awards sci-fi season comes around.

Thank you to all the writers who submitted!

Below are all the science writers who submitted to this season and round of the Lunar Awards. Let’s show all these authors some love!

The FRICTION SECTION: microFRICTION (free) and macroFRICTION

Story #189: Sufficiently Advanced vs Sufficiently Advised

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic…

a year ago · 2 likes · Gerard DiLeo

Made From What's Not Real

Whistle Stop

From THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, September 15, 2032…

5 months ago · 76 likes · 6 comments · David Perlmutter

Nicholas Samuel Stember’s Substack

Paradox

A short sci-fi tale of the perils of precognition and temporal loops…

5 months ago · 8 likes · Nicholas Samuel Stember

The Why & the Why Not

The Juicer.

Is that…roast chicken? Yes. Roast chicken. But why the fuck is it so dark? Where’s the light…

a year ago · 22 likes · 33 comments · Nick Winney

from our ashes

To Rise

The blitz drone seemed to be staring at him from the shadows. Polj whispered an offering to the martyrs as he flicked a corroded switch on the control widget he gripped…

6 months ago · 5 likes · 5 comments · terence

Realms

Long Haulers

Realms is an original sci-fi and fantasy publication and podcast. ALL subscribers get audio in addition to the text! Subscribe to get the next story in your inbox as soon as it’s out…

Listen now

5 months ago · Zachary Roush

Words with the future

Twins

I walk down the steps to the front door. Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen... I open the door and go out and it is hot. The world is hot and getting hotter. I have my super dark shades on to cope. Because tonight is the night. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. I always remember it that way because that is how it feels all the time…

2 years ago · 1 like · Peter J Jones

Fitter of Pieces

Shine a Little Light

5 months ago · J.B. Ezar

Tales of Calamity and Triumph

The Secret to Everlasting Happiness

“You are sure about this, right Doctor…

3 years ago · 15 likes · 12 comments · D.S. Brandt, Author Goblin

Gregory Blair - Scribbling Entertainment

Celestial Bodies

Chief Officer Kane freezes, mid-sentence. Odd look in his eyes. Mouth stuck open…

9 months ago · 18 likes · 9 comments · Gregory Blair

Write More with Simon K Jones

Short story: A Hierarchy of Vengeance

Hi everyone. This is the first fiction I’ve written since completing Tales from the Triverse’s serial run. It’s the first fiction I’ve written in almost five years that has nothing to do with Tales from the Triverse…

6 months ago · 46 likes · 52 comments · Simon K Jones

Weird Emails

Celestial Creatures

The Captain roused me late in the third watch, when the ship’s breathing was an unconscious roll underneath the decks and all but the mechanics were down in their bunks asleep. Her voice came in apologetic over the nerve, the electro-muscular signals buzzing underneath: “Sorry to wake you, Doctor, but there’s something… you’d oblige me…

5 months ago · 12 likes · 8 comments · Sarah

https://inkingoutloud.substack.com/p/the-positronic-soul

In A Different Place

Fermi's Last Theorem

It’s Lunar Awards Sci-Fi Round time, so I am entering. Of course I am. It would be odd if I didn’t. I’m not providing a link there, by the way, because they’d get a notification and the judging is supposed to be blind. When the result come out, I’ll do an edit and provide a link, though…

5 months ago · 9 likes · 8 comments · Evelyn K. Brunswick

Declan’s Substack

Daughter of Xephal

The first human child born in the Alpha Centauri, Clara Weaver, had experienced a cruel and unusual life to this point. Her parents had been scientists that were part of one of the earliest adventures by humanity into the Alpha Centauri. Led by none other than her great aunt, they had arrived at the small planet of Xephal. A fringe planet in the Alpha C…

a year ago · Declan Cosson

Michael’s Musings

A Small Problem

5 months ago · 4 likes · Michael S. Atkinson

LEAVES

Surrender

They’ve all gone now, and Hamish is alone. His footsteps echo on the plank flooring as he goes to the window that faces the river. He watches for any movement, any hint of life out there. He sees nothing but brown water bubbling across stones, the thin forest of pines, the broad expanse of the moorland in the…

5 months ago · Sharron Bassano

adiffspaceco

The crow dies, but the swarm survives

A blurb…

5 months ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · V.A.N

Wendy Cockcroft's Writings

The Mayflower Gambit

Written for The Lunar Awards Season 11 Round 3…

5 months ago · 8 likes · 6 comments · Wendy Cockcroft

ReidItWrite

'Girl Thursday Man Friday' – a short, but perfectly formed, salutary story

Hi there…

5 months ago · 7 likes · 13 comments

Tales From The Sprawl

I Think, Therefore We Are

You hate it…

5 months ago · 1 like · Paddy Turner

The Faraday Room

Short Story: Churn Rate

Like many of my stories, this one began with a glimpse into the future and a plausible “what if?” It follows a distinctly modern relationship as it grows, twists and distorts. A happy ending might be too much to ask for these two, but you can at least expect a…

a year ago · 68 likes · 79 comments · The Faraday Room

The Spark #11: The Gathering Starts Now

Reina Cruz — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:16:25 GMT

The Gathering is an opportunity to share the story you wrote for The Spark #11.

Subscribe now

I had a, now obvious, delusional goal of getting my own story written of a time that I did not write. I wasn’t able to get the writing done. Not only was I in my third trimester, my son decided to come a month early! Myself and our new baby boy are healthy and back home now, and our new family life has begun😊 I’ve only managed to share this news because my husband has shoved me out the door for some coffee and me time to keep away postpartum stir crazy weepiness.

While my own word drought is playing out in real time, many of you stretched your creative muscles with this prompt, and amid the busyness of life, you managed to get words written. We gather to share today, but the discussion thread will remain open should you decide to try your hand at the prompts in the future. Come back and add a link to your story. Even if the fire grows cold, we still maintain our burning desire to read good speculative fiction.