Publication | Updates | Fascinate Me Fiction

End-of-Year Updates for Fascinate Me Fiction!

There’s no limit to where we go from here.

I’m really having a lot of fun here on Fascinate Me Fiction lately, and I hope you are, too!

It’s so fun to see what fascinating new story is waiting in the submission box! It’s like Christmas every time.

You may have noticed I’ve made a few changes to the pub over the past few days. Here’s a little update to let you know what’s going on here:

New Tabs & Tags

Some sections of the publication are now populated via the topics you tag in your stories. So, don’t tag your story with “updates” or “story prompts” anymore unless you want your story ending up in those sections. But please do tag your story with “10-minute flash fiction” if you write one of those (more on that below).

I’d love to utilize this feature more in the future, but I’ll make sure to keep you apprised of any further changes.

Homepage Layout

I’ve redesigned our homepage to allow for wide visibility. The very top is slotted for the most recent updates for the pub (like the one you’re reading).

Then, I have a space for new stories and specially curated ones.

Lastly, visitors to the page can see which stories are trending, and hopefully pique their curiosity to see what the buzz is all about.

I believe a more organized and accessible approach to our pub will increase activity here, too! I will continue to reassess this design with a view to maximize eyes on everyone’s stories.

Find a Series

Because I started this pub to feature a series, I think it’s only fitting to make a special place for serial fiction. I’ve replaced the tab for my own series, and instead we have a spot to keep all series published on this pub.

The way this will work is once you’ve published at least three installments of a series, I will save them together in a list and link the list on the article in the ‘Find a Series’ tab, as well as tag your name under the title. You may also assemble the list yourself — I always check the author’s profile first. Take a look to see what we have listed so far:

Rest assured, having your stories indexed on this special page won’t replace being featured on the homepage. Each installment will still be treated as a stand-alone submission and continue to show up in the new and curated section. This is just another way for your work to be referenced and discovered.

10-Minute Flash Fiction

So when I realized the first publication I ever submitted to — The Lightning Project — has stepped back some from its activity, I decided to make a section on my own publication just for that special brand of lightning-quick fiction.

10-minute flash fiction is so much fun to write and read. The details are explained in the article above (and please do read before you submit), but in a nutshell: just write for ten minutes, and then submit your story to the pub — after some very light editing, of course! It’s a great exercise and keeps writing light and fun.

Please note: 10-minute flash fiction is not taking over the pub. All fiction is still welcome. This only makes up one little curiosity-piquing piece of our glorious pub, and adds to our overall value! My hope is that readers will click on the tab, and find many bite-sized and easily-accessible stories that will make them hungry for more from an author they like.

Go ahead and give 10-minute flash fiction a try! You might be surprised how many new ideas and bursts of inspiration come from writing like this from time to time.

Look out for special prompts and writing events just for 10-minute flash fiction this year!

Well, that’s all! I hope you’re as excited as I am for 2024, and all that we can accomplish together! I feel like the possibilities are endless for Fascinate Me Fiction. Keep submitting your awesome stories and let’s see what happens! :)

Thank you, Fascinate Me Fiction authors! Please comment if you have any questions or thoughts. Share, too, if you have any big ideas for the future of the pub. See you later!

Kathy J Anderson, Ramiro Nicodemus Alexander-Duchesne, Shyamashree Acharya, Charantej, HI I'M MIKE 🤖 (H.I.M), Jason Lee Hodges

Fascinate Me Fiction is a Medium publication created and edited by Meghan E. Gattignolo. For more from Meghan, follow her on Medium. Meghan also writes for The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, and you can find her on X and Instagram as Meggiebeth_Writes.