Short Story #5 We All Fall Down

Short Story #5
open.substack.com/pub/marissaf...

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Great premise

Art by stranded-ziggy.tumblr.com of Helen holding a rose up to her nose

Comps for Helen: Circe, Clytemnestra and The Silence of the Girls

Art by stranded-ziggy.tumblr.com of the remainder of Helen's bust

The first three paragraphs of Helen

When Zeus + Aphrodite compete in a game of, 'Who's your worst patron deity?', Helen must follow and marry a man far from her homeland of Sparta

Her single goal becomes to break free from their divine influence and return to her true husband, and beloved king, Menelaus.

#2025Pit #Q #A #HF

Great premise

A collage or mood board of pictures in sepia tones. The text Eleutheria is displayed over pictures. Corner text reads: Meta data, 133k words, Adult, High Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy. Clockwise pictures: Two chess pieces breaking, several hands weaving strings, a moth on fire, a woman holding a dagger to her chest, a floating book with sparks, a mirror with someone trapped inside, a man looking down on a woman, a castle up on a hill, a pair of hands with a brain and heart dangling on strings, a figure gripping a man as his essence is stolen

⚔️Witches with swords and compulsion magic⚔️

Fate chose wrong. Alys Sathos has no desire to free an enemy realm from their queen’s mind twisting magic. Especially not after the prince captures her when her broom crashes behind enemy lines.
#2025pit #F #A #RF #ownvoice #bipocFMC

Death talks back? Gimme

Death comes, spiraling down from on high like indignant desert birds. But Jimmy Rivers can talk to death. Sometimes, death talks back.

Gideon the 9th (aesthetic) X Story of Your Life (theme) X Sandman Slim (structure)

❤️Grief
🍺Recovery
👻Spooky
🕵️‍♂️HOWdunit?
👪Family

#2025PIT #F #A #ParanormalNoir

This mood board thou

A collage depicting eerie, gothic images.

“May the path Fate pave be just.”

A mute girl, a deaf boy, and a callous executioner will do whatever it takes to protect one another—or they’ll die trying.

ETHEL CAIN’S “PREACHER’S DAUGHTER” X RACHEL GILLIG’s “ONE DARK WINDOW”

A Silence So Divine - Gothic Fiction
#2025Pit #A #SPF #D #R

Love the spooky vibes

CHASING GHOSTS: His brother is dead. His parents have disappeared. Then Anthony Hassan starts hearing a voice. Drawn to the mysterious town of Ash Hollow, he uncovers a dark secret—and ultimately surrenders to the voice within.

The Host x Shutter Island

#2025Pit #A #supernatural #mystery

Gorgeous mood board

Such a fun premise

A tourism style poster showing several bright and cheerful images of sandy beaches and people playing in the water. The bottom image is a smiling girl with big red X's over her eyes. Over the collage are the words "Welcome to Bludeye Beach", and over that text a graffiti style phrase "something is wrong in bludeye beach"

DRESDEN FILES X GRAVITY FALLS

Girl meets boy. Girl meets monsters. Girl has to save the town. Sometimes what you don't know can kill you in Bludeye Beach.

👧Character driven
🫂Found family
💕Slow burn romance
👻Monster menagerie

#2025pit #A #Q #H #F

So glad there’s still time for an affair or two

A moodboard containing three images of people in 1920s clothing, a skull emitting smoke, a library, an Edinburgh row house, and two occult sigils

#2025pit #a #f #h

Scotland, 1925: a thief must steal the English grimoire that started the apocalypse.

If he refuses, he’ll be hanged for past crimes. If he succeeds, he’ll hold the most powerful book in the isles… one that might destroy him.

He still has time for an affair or two.

This sounds so good

Upper left: young man in hoodie walking into the woods Text upper center: all things beautiful died with you Upper right: dirty hands hovering over dirty legs Center middle: skull in the dirt Lower left: sysiphus pushing boulder, broken clock Lower center: hand lying in the dirt Lower right: person standing in the woods

TRIANGLE X TIMECRIMES

Evan died and Rene doesn't know how to go on, now a deal with something in the woods gives him the chance to go back, for a price. Rene is willing to do anything so he and Evan can be happy

...But this story doesn't have a happy ending

#YA #H #Q #ShortStory #2025pit

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#2025Pit #A #D #F #H #GF #S

A witch + a dystopian society + a family curse + ambition = THE TIME OF THE WICKED

Ancient Ones + Whisperers + Man Eaters + Uniques = A Hidden World

THE TIME OF THE WICKED is the 1st book of THE WITCH OF THE SANKUL WOODS series.

Great premise

A visual with a dark blue background and dark grey border. To the left is an image of a empty glassless black chapel window looking from below with the text "The Black Cathedral Chapter XIV" beneath it. To the right is the text "An agent's Guide to Bunika A Gothic Novel by S. B. L. Grant All art and photography original."

A visual with a light blue background and dark grey border. To the left is the text "Introduction BUNIKA is an adult Gothic horror novel set in 18th century Slovakia. It combines the period elements of Kostova’s THE HISTORIAN, the queer narrative of THE GILDA STORIES and the lavish literary style of A DOWRY OF BLOOD." To the right is a photograph of an iron ouroboros on a black door with the text "Ouroboros Door Chapter II" beneath it.

A visual with a dark grey background and dark grey border. To the left is a map which says "Horné Uhorsko (Slovakia) 1712". To the right is the text "Pitch February 1712 After Marika is murdered at a witchcraft trial by a herbalist sect, she awakens as neochotný - “The Unwilling” - a half human/half vampire whose nature is in constant conflict. Fleeing to Modra Castle she becomes smitten with its heiress Ruzena, but is informed that an elusive cult leader named Bunika has orchestrated her turning. Marika must embark on a journey across Slovakia to confront Bunika, to be reborn into humanity and live peacefully with her lover. She must unite her conflicting nature, become stronger than she knows, or remain eternally tormented by psychological strife."

A visual with a mid blue background and dark grey border. To the left is a photograph of a castle tower under a dark grey sky with the words "Hrad Červený Kameň, Slovakia (Basis for Modra Castle) Chapter III" beneath it. To the left are the words "For those who enjoy: Historical Gothic romance (86k words) Remote European settings Traditional vampire folklore Gritty, uncompromising horror Strong LGBT themes Emotional erotica Dilemmas of identity Layered narrative and symbolism Shocking outcomes Moral relevance Re-readability and discovery"

In 18th century Slovakia, a young widow murdered and turned to vampirism by a herbalist sect must confront their elusive leader to reclaim her humanity.

THE HISTORIAN X A DOWRY OF BLOOD

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Agent's guide included 📖

#2025Pit #A #E #H #HR

#gothic #literary #vampire #writesky #folkhorror #LGBT 🏳️‍🌈

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Oh this premise is amazing

Creepy farm vibe mood board with butcher knives mixed in with dark mood pics of farm animals

TENDER IS THE FLESH + THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

As a wild human, Rachel’s flesh is considered a delicacy. Captured & sold at market, her fate now rests on her ability to convince her not quite human buyer that she is worth more alive than on his dinner plate #2025Pit #Q #A #SF #H #SpecFic

Magical take on string theory? Yes pls

ADDIE LARUE x DIVINE RIVALS x DAWSON'S CREEK

When Birdie & Lennon accidentally summon a trickster god, they unknowingly tangle the invisible threads of all three.

🌿multi-POV
🌿magical take on the string theory
🌿petty gods + their politics
🌿villain-turned-softie

#2025pit #a #f #r

Love these vibes