New Year, New You | Featuring "Ballads of the Distant Reaches"
January 2023 Newsletter
They say that when you travel to unknown places, you develop brand new neural pathways in your brain to handle the unfamiliar environment. You literally grow as a person when doing new activities, meeting new people, learning new languages, and reading new books. With each novel challenge comes a different way of solving life’s many problems. We’re built to grow and adapt, physically and mentally. And there’s no better way to go on that journey of discovery with our fiction than to bring others along for the ride. To build something together and share in that growth.
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all the newcomers, and a massive welcome back to the long-time readers. It’s been 18 months since we began this journey together! Weird to think about. Most of you already have an inkling of what it is we strive for here at The Storyletter, but here’s a quick recap:
Promoting independent writers and creators
Helping indies along the road to publication and beyond
Free fiction every Saturday. Either an original release published by The Storyletter, or a cross-post from anywhere around the Substack indieverse
Wednesdays are reserved for community-related activities such as interviews, meet-n-greets, discussion threads, news, and more
We’ve grown more than I could have imagined over the last year. The comments and interactions with each of you has been the metaphorical sunlight fueling my creative photosynthesis (am I taking this theme too far?). If you’d like to help us grow even more, sharing The Storyletter with family, friends, writers, and readers would be greatly appreciated. I’m so happy you’re here to share your stories!
Thanks for hopping aboard the story train. Here’s to a brand new year of growth! ~ WM
What’s Happening in January
Storyletter News
Writing Prompt - Flip a Common Trope
Featured Substack - Ballads of the Distant Reaches
The Indie Promo Space - N/A (email your promotion to see it featured here)
Tips + Tricks - BookFunnel Ideas
Open Calls
Gift of the Month - Storyletter Pillow
Up Next
In Case You Missed It
Storyletter News
The Storyletter Anthology has been placed on hold for the foreseeable future until we get more submissions. I had planned on publishing what we have, but as I was aggregating the stories together into a single document, it didn’t feel right. It was too heavily weighted with my own stories, which didn’t embody the true goal of amplifying others. Instead, I believe that, in due time, a product worthy of being called “The Storyletter Anthology” will be built. There’s a great group of stories already, and we’ll continue to add them from the community until it’s ready.
My own stories will be released in a standalone collection. This serves two main purposes: 1) Publish a book. 2) Complete a test run of the entire the process.
I’ve partnered with Coffee Brand Coffee to fuel your future writing sessions. I really love their story, simple branding, and the fact they are headquartered right here in Utah. Use the code STORIES5 to get 5% off your orders and support The Storyletter in the process. (one step closer to the dream of opening a physical location)
Writing Prompt - Flip a Common Trope
The Storyletter is hosting a writing event. We’re sticking with a broad one for several months to allow time for writers to submit. We’ll test this format and adjust as needed. Can’t wait to read your submissions! Ends February 28th.
completed an entry entitled "Chosen One" and it's pretty great. I'll be sharing it this Saturday via cross-posts, however, you’re more than welcome to check it out ahead of time if you’re interested.Featured Substack - Ballads of the Distant Reaches
As I understand it, each week you receive a short story and/or lore entry from their ever-expanding compendium. The tales vary in length and style, but that’s because they are supposed to. The idea is that there is a fictional contest, of sorts, within the world itself where bards, or balladeers, tell their tales to the court in front of the Emperor who votes on the best tales. However, that’s more of the thematic framing of it all. As readers, we don’t necessarily have to imagine it that way, but merely read the story as if it’s told to us directly from the balladeer themselves.
The writers aren’t solely Benjamin and Robert, as Ballads of the Distant Reaches is open for everyone to submit a story pitch. If the creators like your pitch, they will share their lore guide with you and you may become a balladeer within the world and get published. Here’s the explanation on their process:
Ballads of the Distant Reaches puts a literary spin on collaborative storytelling experiences such as Dungeons & Dragons. Only instead of a “Rule Book,” our writers have access to a Lore Document filled with the history, secrets, terrors, wonders, and cultural practices of the Distant Reaches — everything they need to know to write a story.
Writers and balladeers eager to explore the Distant Reaches go through a few steps before they set out on their journey.
Co-editors Robert Frankel and Benjamin Reeves take into consideration the writer’s interests — narrative, tonal, thematic, and so on — and give the writer a short prompt with some required elements and a theme.
The writer then pitches three short story ideas. The editors work with the writer to select the best of the three pitches, and then the writer starts drafting!
The editors work with writers to ensure the story content fits within the world of the Distant Reaches.
This is such a cool idea. Their Substack has been a huge inspiration for what I’m trying to build with Tales of Havek. The great thing about BotDR, though, is that its a shared world with multiple creators, an open playground where anything is possible. I’m very excited to see what they have in store. I’m a paid subscriber, and I’m slowly trying to catch up on the many stories available. I’ve only just cracked the surface!
Consider subscribing for free to get lore entries, announcements, updates and short stories. Upgrade to a paid subscription to receive all of that, as well as a peek behind-the-scenes and special longform narratives exploring the vast history, myths, and legends of the Distant Reaches. You’re also supporting independent artists, writers, and creators in the process!
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, you can subscribe here:
The Indie Promo - This space could be yours!
*If you’d like to promote something in The Storyletter’s monthly newsletter, send me your pitch in an email to storyletter@protonmail.com
Tips + Tricks - BookFunnel Ideas
Open Calls
The Sentinel Creatives - Medieval Horror short stories | Deadline: April 15
DarkLit Press - Dark and speculative fiction novels and novellas
Future House Publishing - Speculative, family-friendly novels
Ballads of the Distant Reaches - Fantasy short story pitches
3 Worlds/3 Moons - Pitches open on Thursday, Jan. 19 | Paid subs only
Gift of the Month - 5% Off For Limited Time
Up Next on The Storyletter
The main thing I’ve been working on is A Crooked Cane Comes a Knockin’. It’s a psychological, supernatural horror that started out as a writing prompt here on The Storyletter last year for paid subscribers. It quickly became a fun little hit, and I’ve been slowly crafting the narrative pieces everyone contributed during the week-long event so as to tell a compelling, cohesive story.
Once the first draft is finished (soon), I’ll release the first part for everyone to read. It will be included in the upcoming collection as a pseudo-exclusive for readers who buy the book. It’s shaping up to be in novella territory, therefore it’ll be the longest story in the collection.
At the end of the month, we have our 3rd meet-&-greet session on the 25th, along with the latest post in our paid newsletter series (date TBD). The upcoming XPress Access post we’ll be focusing on branding yourself and your writing to suit your objectives. It’s something I’ve been trying to refine myself, so I look forward to discussing it with you all. Make sure to subscribe and consider upgrading to a paid subscription for access to the entire To Build series.
Enjoy the rest of January! Until next time ~ WM
In Case You Missed It
To Build a Reason | XPress Access - December
Storyletter Thoughts: How close are you to your goals?
Audible VS Indie Authors
Cross-post: The Mermaid by J.M. Elliott
Cross-post: The Artist by Shifra Steinberg
Cross-post: The Huntsman and the Fox by Brian Reindel
Cross-post: No Room at the Inn by Mark Baker
Interview with Brian Reindel
Choo-Choo. I’m all aboard!!
I agree that a journey of discovery is a great way to grow as a person and an artist. A new language does wonders for your creative electrons. Something I advocate is to go somewhere where you don’t know the language and simply listen to the cadence, rhythm, and musicality of words that don’t provide actual human communication.
I also advocate for doing this alone. There’s of course times and places for others, but the most important growth needs to come from within, before it can be shared. By doing certain things alone, it’s a chance to remove the distractions and influences that others (friends, family, peers) bring and allow your own personal interpretation of the world to flourish.
Thanks for the article. I’m brand new here and look forward to reading more.