Well, I decided to make a quick decision. I've only done two lunar awards so far and got two honourable mentions, and the next short story I thought of is probably too experimental for the lunar awards, as the narrative is a little disjointed.
In which case, given that as Brian says this is partly a means for mutual discovery on Substack, and I haven't had the opportunity to do a first chapter entry yet, I shall take that option, please.
This first chapter runs to around 2.2k words. Hopefully it's a good enough hook for people to keep reading. Especially as the second instalment has some intriguing parallel world stuff.
Anyway, this is an ongoing serial and so I can't say how long the whole thing is because I haven't finished it yet, but will surely be enough to keep me and readers occupied for years. At the current time of posting we're up to scene 22 which is about 35k words in.
Entry verified! ✅ Your suspicions were correct about the next season. 🤣 I was trying to get everything lined up just right. I'm happy you're participating again. In the future, I do plan to have another season where authors can submit for both categories. It will be a special edition.
This is my first chapter entry to Season Eight. The Concurrencies is tagged as Modern Horror and Speculative Sci Fi. This is the first chapter of 4, in a Novella which will be published in 4 parts.
In the Yorkshire Dales, an old group of friends meet again. What is in their mysteriously heavy luggage? Are they an innocent group of church goers, or is something afoot?
First chapter, started in May: https://whowillsaveher.substack.com/p/0 publishing a few new scenes each week, at Scene 64 out of 207 as of this writing. 88K words in total (a typical novel) the ending is already written. Sci-fi, mystery, psych-thriller, romance with action written in a unique POV and a succinct, fast-paced style.
In the middle of the last century, we took our first tentative steps out beyond the atmosphere and then on to the Moon. There we faltered and have yet to return. Only now, over fifty years later, are we are starting to see this lack of progress begin to turn around. But what happened to those visions of the future from the 1960s? Generations were left orphaned by progress that ground to a halt, the future which was promised and never came to fruition.
“Orphans of Apollo” is an alternative history/science fiction story of those who fought to regain that future.
First chapter. It's for book two in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. I'd actually be really curious if anyone hasn't read book one, as to how it lands for them reading book two as your first entry point. My gut feeling is that the first book simply needs to be read first. https://projectstarfish.substack.com/p/1-aftermath
Thalia, a young psychologist with a troubled past is transported back in time, where she must navigate a kingdom ruled by a cunning lord and a melancholic king, all while confronting her own inner demons.
Well, that answers that question about when the next awards season starts. Not a secret anymore lol. I did have a sneaky feeling it would be when you'd finished publishing your book - all the best with that by the way and I think your own sponsorship idea here is a great one.
Except now I'm torn between a standalone and a first chapter... If only one could do both...
Well, I decided to make a quick decision. I've only done two lunar awards so far and got two honourable mentions, and the next short story I thought of is probably too experimental for the lunar awards, as the narrative is a little disjointed.
In which case, given that as Brian says this is partly a means for mutual discovery on Substack, and I haven't had the opportunity to do a first chapter entry yet, I shall take that option, please.
So, here is the first instalment/chapter of the serialisation which kind of forms the centrepiece to my Substack, featuring the (mis)adventures of the main character Katrina who says she's from a parallel world: https://inadifferentplace.substack.com/p/what-to-do-about-katrina-episode?r=2s9hod
This first chapter runs to around 2.2k words. Hopefully it's a good enough hook for people to keep reading. Especially as the second instalment has some intriguing parallel world stuff.
Anyway, this is an ongoing serial and so I can't say how long the whole thing is because I haven't finished it yet, but will surely be enough to keep me and readers occupied for years. At the current time of posting we're up to scene 22 which is about 35k words in.
I hope you enjoy it.
Entry verified! ✅ Your suspicions were correct about the next season. 🤣 I was trying to get everything lined up just right. I'm happy you're participating again. In the future, I do plan to have another season where authors can submit for both categories. It will be a special edition.
This is my first chapter entry to Season Eight. The Concurrencies is tagged as Modern Horror and Speculative Sci Fi. This is the first chapter of 4, in a Novella which will be published in 4 parts.
In the Yorkshire Dales, an old group of friends meet again. What is in their mysteriously heavy luggage? Are they an innocent group of church goers, or is something afoot?
https://open.substack.com/pub/nickwinney/p/concurrencies-part-i?r=2fhpll&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Nick!
First chapter, started in May: https://whowillsaveher.substack.com/p/0 publishing a few new scenes each week, at Scene 64 out of 207 as of this writing. 88K words in total (a typical novel) the ending is already written. Sci-fi, mystery, psych-thriller, romance with action written in a unique POV and a succinct, fast-paced style.
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Val!
Short story submission: I was able to finish the scifi prompt. Yay!
https://armacleod.substack.com/p/tachyons-and-me-just-dont-do-it
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Andrew!
Last minute entry, first chapter just gone out.
https://open.substack.com/pub/shonistar/p/journey-to-kyron-the-journey-begins?r=9fely&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Shoni!
This is the first chapter of my YA alternative history/science fiction novel which I am serialising on Substack:
https://amturnbull.substack.com/p/orphans-of-apollo-s1-e1
In the middle of the last century, we took our first tentative steps out beyond the atmosphere and then on to the Moon. There we faltered and have yet to return. Only now, over fifty years later, are we are starting to see this lack of progress begin to turn around. But what happened to those visions of the future from the 1960s? Generations were left orphaned by progress that ground to a halt, the future which was promised and never came to fruition.
“Orphans of Apollo” is an alternative history/science fiction story of those who fought to regain that future.
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Alex!
First chapter. It's for book two in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. I'd actually be really curious if anyone hasn't read book one, as to how it lands for them reading book two as your first entry point. My gut feeling is that the first book simply needs to be read first. https://projectstarfish.substack.com/p/1-aftermath
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Leanne!
Congrats on the new book!
Just to clarify: do our submissions need to have robots in them?
Nope! Whatever fantastical or science fictional elements you like.
Short story published today Sep 20. https://myscribblings.substack.com/p/running-with-wendy
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Virginia!
first chapter: https://godwaters.substack.com/p/prologue
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, _dev!
For the short story category, "Evacuations":
https://indianamichael.substack.com/p/evacuations
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Michael!
Hi Brian! I'd like to submit my story, 'Mirror, Mirror' that I published recently on Verse: https://cameronscott.substack.com/p/mirror-mirror
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Cameron!
Thanks for hosting this, Brian! I'd like to submit my fairy tale short story "The Orphan and the Golden Trail".
https://bridgetriley.substack.com/p/the-orphan-and-the-golden-trail?r=9e3cr
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Bridget!
First Chapter
Thalia, a young psychologist with a troubled past is transported back in time, where she must navigate a kingdom ruled by a cunning lord and a melancholic king, all while confronting her own inner demons.
https://open.substack.com/pub/svndavn/p/glass-heart-s1-episode-1?r=44pmqu&utm_medium=ios
Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, svndavn!
Well, that answers that question about when the next awards season starts. Not a secret anymore lol. I did have a sneaky feeling it would be when you'd finished publishing your book - all the best with that by the way and I think your own sponsorship idea here is a great one.
Except now I'm torn between a standalone and a first chapter... If only one could do both...
My first entry to any kind of writing competition. Here's my sci-fi short story 'Binary Dwarf'
https://substack.com/@wordsbyvin/p-149388178
Happy to have you aboard! Entry verified! ✅ Good luck, Vinod!