The rift is open.
Tell us what you’ve seen.
The rift is open.
Tell us what you’ve seen.
Choose your lot. Write your story.
Weird Tales from Waves End Retreat is a Weird Lit anthology set in a fictional version of North Carolina’s coastal trailer parks — places of rust and wonder, memory and malfunction.
Each story takes place in a different trailer lot, at a different point in the park’s uncanny history. Genres and timelines shift. Radios whisper. People vanish. The stories are connected by place — and by something strange just beneath the surface.
We’re inviting writers to help build this world. Think campfire legends passed down wrong, time loops in storm shelters, unexplainable beachcomber relics, speculative memoirs, or hauntings that don’t behave. Stories can be tender, terrifying, funny, or surreal — just make them vivid and unexpected.
What We’re Looking For
We want your weird.
Waves End Retreat is fictional, but rooted in the real history of trailer parks and mobile home estates that emerged post-WWII. It draws on the low-budget magic of beach communities from the 1950s to the present day and maybe even far off into the future, if we get so lucky.
- Short stories or hybrid pieces (fiction or speculative nonfiction)
- Stories that center the strange — this can be eerie, absurd, metaphysical, or uncanny, but it should feel like it belongs in a world where things don’t quite work the way they should
- Unusual voices, surprising moods, and unforgettable moments
- A strong sense of place
- Genres: folk horror, cosmic Americana, slipstream, supernatural sleuths, Down East dystopias, paranormal romance, multiversal coming-of-age, quiet hauntings, Atlantic Beach bizarro, trailer park surrealism, and anything beautifully strange or strangely beautiful
- Pieces that can stand alone but also suggest a larger world — you’re contributing to a shared fictional landscape
What We’re Not Looking For
We’re just not into it.
- Gore for gore’s sake
- Trauma or abuse without narrative purpose
- Erotica (I mean, we’re into it, but not for this anthology)
- Straight realism (though speculative memoir is encouraged!)
- Copyrighted characters or settings from other franchises
Questions? Reach out to [email protected].
How We’ll Play
Rules
- Each story must be anchored to a single trailer lot in Waves End Retreat, a fictional barrier island trailer park, but the action can spill out across the island of Waves End.
- We’ll assign lot numbers to selected stories, but feel free to start with your favorite number as a placeholder.
- Your story can be set at any point from the 1950s to the 2040s.
- If two stories claim the same lot or era, we’ll coordinate.
- Each writer may only submit one story.
📍 Real-world history, regional flavor, and trailer lore encouraged — as long as it serves the story.
Story Specs
- Ideal length: 2,000–5,000 words
- Max length: 6,000 words (unless pre-approved)
- Accepted formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf
- Font: 12pt, serif (like Times New Roman), double-spaced
- File name: LastName_Title
- Don’t forget to prepare a short author bio (50–100 words) to submit with your story.
We’ll open for submissions on July 1, and the window will remain open until August 1.
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