(as I’m getting settled in)
Friends,
I’ve been sitting with the Obsidian list for a little while now—reading, listening, turning the pages of what this line is meant to hold.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I put my Manuscript Wish List up here:
https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/brandy-vallance/
Obsidian is science fiction, horror, and fantasy that redeems the dark.
We go into the shadowed rooms—the supernatural, the uncanny, the science that slipped its leash, the weird and the wonderful and the worlds gone wrong—because that is where courage is tested and light is proven. A candle in daylight is pleasant. A candle in a dark cellar can be a revelation.
We do not publish darkness for the sake of darkness. Senseless gore and cheap shock won’t be a fit. An Obsidian story may walk through night, but it must not end there. The last word belongs to hope—the kind that has looked something dark in the face and still chosen to stand.
For this line, it’s important that when the reader closes the book, the darkness has not won.
I’m drawn to Deep POV and literary writing. Strong senses. Body language that tells the truth. Sentences I want to stop and write down. If your work has been called poetic, lyrical, or immersive, I want to see it.
Fringe science. Creatures. The thought-provoking and the unexplained. The spirit of The Twilight Zone, The Confessionals, Blurry Creatures. Romance is welcome but not required.
For this line, there are content rules of no profanity and no open-door romance.
Agented submissions are welcome anytime. Unagented submissions open in June. Be sure to check that MSWL link for more info.
I’m still finding the rhythm of this new desk and I’m excited to grow with it. Thanks for being a part of this community where we can all grow together. ♥️
More soon.
The kettle’s on. 🫖☕️
Brandy