ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW VOID PROTOCOLS ACTIVE
Calling all fiction writers + here is what to expect on the Night Shift from here on out.
Welcome back, Night Owls.
Immersion Protocol Has Been Initiated. I am going to try and keep this brief because I have A LOT to work on (more on that in a minute), but: From this point forward, the newsletter shifts to the Nocturnal Newsletter—fully in-universe.
This is no longer just another random Substack publication. It’s where our story lives. And if you’re reading this—so do you. Nocturnal News won’t change much—it will be more immersive. That’s all.
Which leads me to—
Now that we’ve settled into the rhythm, it’s time to set expectations. Here’s what you’ll find each week in your Nocturnal News Update.
Mondays – Ask Jeffrey
Submit your questions. Jeffrey responds. Comments and DMs are open. No question is too obscure. No answer is too comfortable.
You can submit your questions HERE. Or to his DMs.
Thursdays – Epoch of Erasure
New chapters from the core storyline. The world fractures further. We’ve passed the point of return.
Fridays – Nocturnal News
A roundup of recent events, hidden updates, and threads you may have missed.
And on the first of each month
A prompt drops. A new story begins. We’ll get to that soon.
The 500-Subscriber Threshold
When we cross it:
The first episode of the Nocturnal Narration podcast will be announced. This will be your audio companion to your favorite series.
Current count: 487. Unbelievable.
You’ll vote on what story gets read. Could be a reimagined classic. Could be a fresh horror no one’s seen.
Here’s how you push us over the edge:
Share the newsletter with someone who belongs here.
Nudge a lurker. Wake the sleeper beside you.
Upgrade to paid or gift a sub—if you're feeling generous.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Collaborative Writing Projects Begin
A lot of you are writers whose work I admire. You know what it’s like to send something into the dark and hope it lands where it needs. I keep telling you that there’s room in the Void. Not just for your subscriptions or your votes—but for your voice.
I mean that.
This kind of storytelling—shared, unpredictable, messy—is what the Void was built for. So…
Once the poll results (below) are in, the floor opens to you.
You Write Your Piece
Length: Under 2500 words
Voice: First-person, second, third—anything except the Narrator’s own
Must include: This month’s chosen theme, genre, and setting
Type: Poetry, short story, lyrical prose, any kind of fiction.
Deadline: Midnight on the 14th of that month.
Let your character speak. Let them fail, or fight, or twist the knife. One to three pieces will be chosen in total, not including mine.
This is where it gets fun.
I’ll craft a response that picks up where you left off, or leads into it. Sometimes I’ll play nice. Sometimes I won’t. I may introduce a threat. I may tear everything down. I might let you have your happy ending.
Then, I’ll stitch up to three submissions into one continuous, canonized narrative. My part becomes connective tissue. Yours become the bones.
First Place: Story canonized into the Ledger, featured post on Nocturnal Narrator Publication.
Second Place: Featured + a personal note from Jeffrey
Third Place: Featured + a thank you note from me
Altogether, we’ll publish one cohesive piece. Share this with your favorite writer, or keep it to yourself like a secret. I won’t tell.
Submission Instructions
Reply to this email
Tag me in a post, comment, or reply with your entry.
I’ll acknowledge every single one. If I don’t respond within the week, message me. Sometimes even the Void misses things.
Cast Your Votes Below
Theme. Genre. Setting.
You choose the ingredients. The Void stirs the pot.
Voting closes at midnight on the first of each month. Once the results lock in, the story begins.
How the Voting Works
Participation has weight. Influence has a price. Here’s how you earn your say:
1 Point – Standard poll vote
2 Points – Vote as a paid subscriber
1 Point per $1 – Buy Me a Coffee
5 Points – Upgrade from free to paid
10 Points – Gift a subscription to someone else
No limits. No shame. Ballot stuffing? Encouraged. Rig the results. This is the Void. Nothing is fair, and that’s the fun.
Thank you all for your continued support—but, more importantly, for making the Void such an amazing place. Without you, I’d be nothing more than a narrator. Lower-case n. Which is significantly less fulfilled, and more unstable. If you could believe it.
Until the next story,
—Your Narrator.
If you’re looking for ways to support Nocturnal Narrator, you can find those here.
Looking for Interactive Fiction FAQs? You can find that below.
If you’d like to return to the crossroads, click HERE.
sci-fi noir, a delicious name for "dystopia". will use from now on.
*vibrates in excitation for prompt*