The swimming back and forth between the nightmare orchard and the events they’re trying to suppress from their pasts is so effective. And that rabbit motif.. 😱 I’m getting childhood flashbacks of Watership Down (the 1978 movie version)
Agree with others here. The fever dream transitions splashing around in the blackwater feel unsettling and the action is dripping with tension. Love the web of stories you’re weaving here. Mwah!
Now this feels like living nightmare. Shifting imagery and soundscapes, invasive memories, old traumas dredged up from the depths of the subconscious all while the Riptide draws ever closer. The disparate strands that comprise this Blackwater web are coming together tighter than ever, and before too long, I think we're going to see them snap.
I love how you managed to blend so many references to other stories with so little effort into this. There's a real sense of interconnection between everyone's disparate stories, and it's a lot of fun to see everything come together like this.
I especially like the flood of voices and quotes from other stories that follows the groaning sound, which is something I'll definitely a feature I want to add in future installments of my own.
This is an absolute mind-fffffog. fog, yes, that's the word. Transitioning seamlessly and without explanation into different settings is CONFUSING but rewarding as a reader when I feel like I've figured it out. Your integration of the other stories is fun and spooky. Another great episode!
Whew! What a whirlwind!
The swimming back and forth between the nightmare orchard and the events they’re trying to suppress from their pasts is so effective. And that rabbit motif.. 😱 I’m getting childhood flashbacks of Watership Down (the 1978 movie version)
Agree with others here. The fever dream transitions splashing around in the blackwater feel unsettling and the action is dripping with tension. Love the web of stories you’re weaving here. Mwah!
Now this feels like living nightmare. Shifting imagery and soundscapes, invasive memories, old traumas dredged up from the depths of the subconscious all while the Riptide draws ever closer. The disparate strands that comprise this Blackwater web are coming together tighter than ever, and before too long, I think we're going to see them snap.
Thank you so much! Always look forward to your comments.
I'm still weaving some other stories in the next episodes (only 2 or three left).
I love how you managed to blend so many references to other stories with so little effort into this. There's a real sense of interconnection between everyone's disparate stories, and it's a lot of fun to see everything come together like this.
I especially like the flood of voices and quotes from other stories that follows the groaning sound, which is something I'll definitely a feature I want to add in future installments of my own.
This is an absolute mind-fffffog. fog, yes, that's the word. Transitioning seamlessly and without explanation into different settings is CONFUSING but rewarding as a reader when I feel like I've figured it out. Your integration of the other stories is fun and spooky. Another great episode!
Thank you! I went back and forth on italizing the dreamscape, but thought the story might benefit from blending them. Glad to hear it landed!
At first I was confused why substack was telling me I was tagged
And then I saw it and just 🤯
Love the way you're incorporating all these stories! The world is so fascinating and intricate, and these editions are just - gosh I don't have words!
Yay! I'm so glad you found them. I was worried the placement of the tags would be confusing. I wanted to quote your work seamlessly.