January 2026 Issue 1

In this issue: Short stories and podcast episodes from the first half of January, creature merch, and a resource for fiction-writers.

START THE YEAR OFF FRIGHT 👻

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I thought I should probably start the new year off with stories full of energy and adventure and a can-do attitude. But then the word "Januscary" came to mind, and I went in a different direction. An eerie direction.

But if you're in the mood for something sweet and lighthearted, the podcast episodes have got you covered.

✒️ 🪶 🎙

Greetings! I'm Nila. Every week, I release a new short story and a new podcast episode spanning the genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, mythology, fairy tale, fable, and horror.
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Whether you're in the mood to read or listen, I've got stories to tell you.

Januscary 😱

✒️ For this month's theme, spooky stories to start the year off fright.
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🎙 The podcast episodes are about various creatures in or near the waters.
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Titles and taglines below. Enjoy!

Short Stories

Year 13. This year's theme is WildCards. Cards pulled from games. Maybe characters who are wild cards? I'll figure it out as I go.
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Each link below leads directly to the story post.
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​THE THING THAT HAS ME IS NOT A TREE​
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Maybe people disappear in these woods, and no one ever finds out what happened to them. 👁
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Genre: Horror
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​THE ASTEROID PEOPLE ARE CLOSE​
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Two people who've crash-landed on a remote and barren asteroid realize they are not alone. 🪨
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​Genre: Science Fiction, Horror

Find more stories at the button below.

Podcast Episodes

The Wheel of Fiction turns and decides each story's theme. Thirteen spokes, with eight occupied by the themes of prior seasons. There's a Wild Card, and a "Turn Again" spoke. And three mystery spokes.

The text links below go to the Explore page on Storyfeather, where you can listen to the episode and find more info about the story

Pressing on the Spotify embed image leads to the episode's Spotify page.

​RIVER FISHER AND BLUE DRAGON​

The unlikely encounter between a river fisher bird and a slug of the sea inspire both to strike a bargain to explore the powers and limits of their forms. 🏞
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​Genre: Fable
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River Fisher and Blue Dragon Jan 2 · Storyfeather 32:14   ​

​GAHARALIL​

A turtle of great renown receives a great gift, and with that gift, a terrible burden no other turtle has ever known. 🐢
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​Genre: Fable, Mythology
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Gaharalil Jan 9 · Storyfeather 31:57   ​

​THE LAST MAGNIFICENT SEAHORSE​

A humble seahorse reconstructs his form by studying his fellow fish, and emerges as the most magnificent creature to grace the sea. 🌊
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​Genre: Mythology, Fable
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The Last Magnificent Seahors... Jan 16 · Storyfeather 22:28   ​

Turtle and Seahorse Merch 👕

I've got merch featuring the turtle and seahorse designs. Here are the direct links:

​Smiling Turtle with Purple Flowers merch​

​Bubblegum Pink and Blue Seahorse merch​

(T-shirt at top. If you scroll down, you'll find mugs, hoodies, and more.)

Find more episodes at the button below.

🌳

—From "The Thing That Has Me Is Not a Tree"

Attention Fiction Writers ✒️

I have another newsletter and it's for fictioneers. Every month, I pick a topic or theme to cover about fiction-writing. I send out a short weekly email to introduce the topic, cover a technique, do some troubleshooting, then use one of my stories to demonstrate some aspect of the topic. You can subscribe by pressing the newsletter's title here: Fictioneer's Field Guide.

January's theme is "Fun First, Work Later."

Parting words🪶

Next time, a creature at the carnival and a spooky staircase.
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Happy reading and listening! 📚
—Nila

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