Web of Darkness
Some creeping tales to get you through the week
Well Macabre Monday, it’s Wednesday.
This post was in draft, but the week got away from me. I hope you’ll forgive me and enjoy the writing featured in today’s post.
Don’t forget to participate in and share our Summer Drive-In prompt, listen to our author interview series, and check out the announcements for a special shoutout to another member of the Substack horror community recognized for their excellence in writing.
Announcements
Congratulations to K.M. Bennett!
Her debut horror novel, Frostbend, was just awarded the Literary Titan Gold Book Award! If you haven’t had a chance, check out her Substack Having Written With K.M. Bennett.
Summary:
According to town gossip, the mansion on Brittlebark Road is haunted. That’s unsurprising, given the home’s Civil War history. Having some local ghosts might even be a good thing. After all, the dying rural town of Frostbend could use a good tourist trap.
But when Isla returns home to rural Missouri after building a life in Chicago, the presence she encounters is much more personal and powerful than she or her estranged sister, Willa, could ever imagine.
As Isla and Willa’s relationship evolves from mistrust to a sisterly bond, they delve into their shared history, illuminating the darkest corners of their pasts. What they discover in the mansion is sure to change their lives and the future of Frostbend forever, if they manage to survive it.
Welcome to a town where you can’t escape your past. Welcome to a mansion where the dead are just as sentient as the living. Welcome to Frostbend.
Author Interview Series:
We have another episode coming out in two weeks. This time, I interviewed Thomas Clark Schecter, author of The Shieldbreaker Saga. Don’t miss out!
(Psst! If you have missed our previous author interviews, you can find them here on Macabre Monday)
Macabre Monday’s Summer Drive-In Contest:
Macabre Monday is in the midst of a summer-long community event: the Summer Drive-In. Every week through the end of August, we’ll post a new horror prompt. Write something inspired by it (2,500 words or less), post it to the Macabre Monday chat, and it’s in the running. The team will curate favorites along the way, and at the end of summer, the community votes on the best of the best, and the winners get a shot at being featured in a limited-run Macabre Monday anthology.
Submissions are open all summer, so jump in anytime. You don’t have to start this week to participate later.
Excited about our summer event? Spread the word! Share this post.
(To submit, simply link your story in the weekly chat. This allows us to easily facilitate community voting and keep track of things on our side.)
Prompt:
Theater Double Feature: A couple sneaks into a drive-in after hours to watch the last reel of film left in the projector, a movie that seems to be filming them in real time.
Track the prompts via the post below!
Have an announcement to share (releases, calls for submissions, or milestones)?
Let us know in the comments or the chat, and we’ll help spread the word.
Featured Stories
Standout posts from last week.
Leigh Parrish continued her series deep diving into her writing process. This week, she takes us through each step of her process, from determining perspective to fleshing out characters, to pushing through to the end of a short story. Each post is thoughtful, deliberate, and an incredible resource for any fiction writer.
K.M. Bennett posted episode 4 of her story, Little Creeping Things. Follow Celeste, a seemingly normal 14-year old girl who can’t decide if she’s crazy, or if there really is something tormenting her. If you hate spiders, then don’t worry. This story is perfectly safe for you.
Mata Haggis-Burridge gave us his 31st flash fiction story of the year, “The Glass Box Is Not For The Monument’s Protection.” An experimental folk horror story, written in the form of instructions, that once followed, may lead you down a path you can’t return from.
Community Recommendations
Have a story you think deserves more readers?
Reply to this post or respond in the chat we’re always looking for pieces the community loves.
Recent Publications
Have a book or a story in a magazine or anthology published recently?
Post a link in the comments, and we’ll include it in an upcoming issue.
New Voices
New to the Macabre Monday community?
Post a link to your Substack in the comments! We’ll feature your work in an upcoming issue!
The chat is open. Bring your stories, your poems, your freshly published pieces and your works-in-progress. Bring the thing you wrote that you’re not sure anyone will understand. Someone here will. Come say hello.
Oh my goodness gracious!!! Thank you so much for sharing the joyful news about my book, and for sharing about my story. This totally made my day.
Thank you for sharing my story, and I very much second the congrats to K. M.! 🎉💜