Two FIc Tuesday Has Returned!

Welcome!

So, as you might have noticed, I vanished for the month of November. October was rough, and November wound up being nothing but recovery time for me. I'm in much better shape though, so we're back to sharing some stories.

Since I did miss all of November, and we're also in the tail end of the year, I'm going to dig through all the post I've made this year and pull out some standouts I've read since starting to shout about stories. You'll get one throwback with each newsletter, so look forward to that.

This week I have a couple of really powerful pieces for you. I loved both of these with my whole heart, not just for the stories themselves, but also how how they left me when I finished them. These stayed in my head after I finished both, and I to maybe share a few heavier things for the dark part of the year.

Recs

To Kill a Language - Rukman Ragas - Apex
This is so gorgeous and horrifying all at once. It's beautiful, and it hurts, and I feel odd saying I loved it, but I did. It makes me feel on edge and uncomfortable, but in a way of wanting to share it with others too, to show them and make them somehow understand all the things we shouldn't be doing. This was wonderful.

Across the River, My Heart, My Memory - Ann LaBlanc - Fireside Fiction
Oh fuck, I loved this so much. I love the anger and the rebellion, the finding of community, and the attempts to reach out for it again. The way this story holds hope all through it, despite everything it takes us through. I just loved all of it so much. This kind of sharpened hope is what I love for.

And for our throwback story:

Your Body as a Haunted House, or When the Ghost Moves In – Lynne Sargent

This is what I said about it

This is very different to the previous story but oh, how much I loved this one. Again, I’m a big fan of second person, and anything to do with forms of haunting. I felt seen in a way I hadn’t been prepared for, and it took me a few minutes to process it. Yes, it kind of hurt, but in the way certain, very good stories can and I’m glad it made its way into my life.

Updates:

I got an acceptance! My story "Linger Just A Linte" will be in 100-Foot Crow later this month! I loved making this weird little tale, and I'm so excited it found a home.

I've also gotten a couple of holds as well, which also feel nice, even if they may not end in acceptances proper.

And that's all for this week! Hopefully I'm back in the swing of things and we can see out the rest of this year with some wonderful fiction.

Be well, take care, and I hope you read something lovely this week.

• Vale

PS: If you want to find me elsewhere, I'm on Bluesky at @howsweetthewords and I have a Ko-fi and Patreon where I post prompts, more personal/writing updates, micro-fiction, and miscellany. Tiers start at $1, but there is the occasional free post as well.