The Inkwell presents:

Enter into 11 worlds created around coats with hidden secrets, all brought to you by the talented writers of The Inkwell, a Discord-based writing collective. From fantasy, to sci-fi, to romance, and everywhere in between, we hope you enjoy this original multi-genre journey.

There are certain things in life we like to be early for: the big game, weddings, ticket sales, the new iPhone drop. The one thing no one wants to be early for is Death. Join us this month for nine stories that explore what happens when you're early for eternity.

All of our actions have a ripple effect, reshaping our lives and everyone we touch. Some outcomes form us, some are bittersweet, and some are so idiotic we struggle to remember that it actually happened. Join us this month for ten stories that explore what happens when you're forced to face the consequences.

This month is all about the anticipation. That moment before everything changes. The hours spent longing to see someone once more, the instant the reason for being somewhere is revealed. Come join us on these journeys of discovery in 10 brand new stories from The Inkwell. What are YOU waiting for?

Before man learned to write, music safeguarded the legacies of generations. Able to elicit emotions of all kinds, it speaks to all souls. For us, it inspired our imaginations to conjure tales both great and small. Join us and discover the 10 worlds formed by the music of our minds in our literary mixtape.

As with our forefathers and theirs before them, the movement of the stars and planets through the skies has always fascinated humanity. And none more so than when those celestial bodies align in some way or another. Sometimes they're simply beautiful expressions of our cosmos. But other times, they're portents of something more sinister, or amazing, than we could ever imagine

Camaraderie, friendship, these elements and many more define humanity's wish to come together for an evening. To share tales around a campfire, attend the latest club or simply spend time in each other's company. Not all invited will make it, but their stories are just as important, more often than not being the catalyst for another night out.

One little favor, that's all: fulfill the request of a fiend willing to bargain with lives and yours will be returned. Sounds simple enough. But such bargains are never quite what they seem and, in the end, even a soul may not be worth the unintended price.

This edition, we chose to seek inspiration from another form of writing, that of the word in meter and in rhyme, that which we know as poetry. Not just any poem, but one that speaks to what makes us, each person—or elder god—who we are.

Whether a cellphone camera waved around by our nearest and dearest or the security system of the local 7/11, we’re always being watched. What those electronic eyes see in these 8 stories may not be what their viewers expect.

Celebrating our circle's first birthday with new stories from seven of our authors. Each of these would have appeared in previous anthologies, but due to life, time and all the other issues we all know too well, they didn't. Until now. So, enjoy these takes on some previous favourites.

But let's be honest, who likes meetings? And when you find yourself facing one somewhere you don't expect, like a public bathroom, or regarding a situation too fantastical to contemplate, like how to banish a hellhound, the waste of time suddenly becomes a nightmare. As much as we hate them, sometimes a meeting can lead to a meet-cute or a comedy of errors that result in beauty.

This month we approached things a little differently, defining a setting for our writers to flex their creative muscles in. And what was that setting? Why, one of death and resurrection, with a sprinkling of godly interference.

Everything starts somewhere, but so often we overlook that turning point in the path, that initial step that'll forever influence our lives to come. Whether it passes by on silent wings, touching us in small ways, or gets right up in our face, a bull in our personal china shop, firsts are the occasions around which our worlds turn. Is it any surprise that the stories born from them are some of the

What pushes a person to that breaking point? What dark secrets or repressed emotions are hidden behind our exteriors? We all know that pressure that builds and builds until we can't take it anymore and have to let it out. Whether lashing out at others, ourselves, or simply breaking down from too much of everything, when those barriers come down, it's a miracle we aren't washed away.

There is an old adage - "Every villain is the hero of their own story". It might sound corny, but that doesn't make it any less true. Sometimes it's because history is written by the victors, other times it's due to a delusion of what is right. And sometimes, just sometimes, villains simply hold a different view to everyone else. No matter the case, antagonists can be just as interesting and layer

This month, we chose to take inspiration from those that started us down this path -- other writers. And though we could have gone with any element of another's work, we decided on that which hits us hardest, leaves us wanting more, or simply provides a satisfying conclusion. Yes, you guessed it, that final line, that closing sentence, the proverbial 'End'.

From harmless pranks to deadly mistakes, the wrong symbols in the right place are rife with possibility. It could be the start of a meet-cute across the wrong order or result in the discovery of a fantastic world just beyond the one we know. It could also end in a trip to the hospital or horrors rising from the deep. But at no time are any of these repercussions expected.

Whether physical, metaphorical, or somewhere in between, these deaths and returns remind us that an ending is simply a beginning in disguise. Sometimes that ending, that change, is sorely needed, and sometimes, it is unexpected, but always, there is no going back. And in the nine stories within, second chances mean everything to the characters.

From the night shift worker to creatures who abhor the sun, the denizens of the dark have fascinated readers since the very beginning. They are our boogeymen and heroes, our mysterious stranger and the monster in the alleyway. But, like the sun-kissed, they have lives and loves and stories worth telling, and we wish to tell them.

Whether nightmare or paradise, absurdity or transformed reality, dreams are precious adventures into fantasy. They've inspired and terrified in equal measure throughout the ages, products of our subconscious, either working through things or just flexing our imagination. Whatever the case, we often wake from them with the seed of a story eager to be told.

Two sides in every fight, two forces staring each other down from across the battlefield. But sometimes, just sometimes, we cannot stand to watch those we despise, or at least dislike, suffer. So, we reach out and say "we've got you", even when it goes against our grain. And within these pages lie a few stories of such turnaround.

Because it's rare for anyone to reach what they need without help, a helpful cabbie is the courier for our selection of eight tales. Whether dropping unsuspecting fares off before they realize where they are or providing much-needed advice, these kind souls know more than they should about what is needed. And don't we all wish we had someone like that in our lives?

We all know how the world gets in a writer's way, or the spark just isn't around when we really need it. So we fail to make deadlines, or an idea comes to us weeks later. Too late, unfortunately. But that's what this anthology is all about. Having a last chance to write a tale based on one of the prompts from the year now gone.

And as the door closed on the year, we drew inspiration from the essence of the idea: is this an ending, or just the beginning? For isn't that what keeps us striving forward? The urge that once one thing completes, we're catapulted towards the beginning of the next? But what if it truly is the end? So often, we don't know where the journey will take us, but that doesn't stop us setting out anyway.