Dear Reader,
Writing independently can be a tough gig to manage, but we shouldn’t write in a vacuum because, well, that sucks! *facepalm*
All jokes aside, one of the main tenets of The Storyletter is to platform others. In our last newsletter, I mentioned that the Featured section would be moving to Showcases. Showcases will function as a way for me to highlight a book, writer, artist, creator, publisher, or Substack that I enjoy.
This week I’m featuring a Substack called “Necessary Fiction” by Thomas Bubb.
Discovery
I found Necessary Fiction nearly two years ago when I joined Substack. Thomas Bubb was one of the first fiction writers I encountered on the platform. I’m not certain how we crossed paths because this was before a lot of the discovery features had been added, but I’m glad we did.
Thomas, or Tom, was publishing a serial novel called “DUSK” at the time, which I never got around to reading, unfortunately. But Tom rebranded and began posting a story called The Kefi. I immediately connected with the charm and imagination of his middle-grade tale about tiny, wholesome creatures roaming about on the periphery of human perception. We then participated in the first Great Substack Story Challenge together.
Tom has been an ardent supporter of The Storyletter since the beginning, providing lots of motivation and goodwill in his commentary. I’m thankful for his continued support and that’s why I wanted to take a moment to highlight his hard work.
The Style of Necessary Fiction
A majority of Thomas’ fiction falls under science fiction and fantasy. He has some speculative poetry and a smattering of thoughtful, contemporary messages, but overall, from what I’ve noticed, Tom likes to delve into anthropomorphic animal fantasy.
The prime example of this is in The Kefi, where you have tiny, bipedal, humanoid-like beings called Kefi attempting to survive in the big, bad, dangerous world just beneath our feet. Everything is super-sized to the Kefi since they are so small. Cats, insects, and birds become giant threats to our tiny, heartwarming heroes. The first thing that comes to mind is The Smurfs; however, The Smurfs lean heavily into medieval sword-and-sorcery, whereas The Kefi is very much a contemporary, action-adventure tale.
The Kefi serve as the main protagonists (and antagonists), but we’re also introduced to the Tikmo, which are a race of mice that live underground and speak their own language. Not all of the creatures can talk, though. For example, there’s a beetle that befriends one of our heroes, but it doesn’t outright speak necessarily. There’s a hierarchy to the world of The Kefi, and it gets more intricate the deeper you delve into the story.
Humans play a vital role in the revised version of the story. The Kefi call them Hanuks, and they are deathly afraid of them for many reasons, one being instant death on sight called Maras. There’s a mysterious element to Maras, and I don’t want to give it away, but it’s at the center of the political turmoil that boils over between the various tribes of Kefi.
Another great example of Thomas Bubb’s anthropomorphic fantasy style is featured in “The Mouse Who Dreamed of Flight”. As you can likely derive from the title there are mice that have advanced means and aspirations far beyond normal mice. It’s as awesome as it sounds.
Novelization of The Kefi
Thomas Bubb submitted The Kefi for publication last year, back when I was taking submissions for serial fiction. I happily accepted his submission, but was still trying to figure out the best way to compensate writers and make it worthwhile, especially for longform fiction.
After a while I decided that serial fiction wasn’t going to work for what I was attempting to create with The Storyletter. But I really liked Tom’s story, and knew that it felt right to move forward with him on it. So I dove into the editing process.
I provided Tom with structural edits and feedback on his first draft. He took these in stride, and I was impressed at his dedication to crafting the new version of his story. For example, he took the sub-20,000 word manuscript and turned it into 32k words. We’re currently working on a third draft that I think can push upwards of 40-45k. I feel bad because if he’s been posting less as of late, it’s likely because he’s working hard on revising The Kefi.
We are discussing whether he wants to go the traditional route, or if he’d like to indie publish it. I’m supporting him either way. I think he’s got something special, and I want to see him succeed. If you’re interested in Tom’s work, check out a few of my favorites below:
How to Show Support
The best way to stay up-to-date with Thomas’ stories is to subscribe to Necessary Fiction on Substack
If you’re already a subscriber, dropping a like and/or comment on a story you find entertaining would be greatly appreciated and increase morale all around
Also, if you have a Substack newsletter, recommending Necessary Fiction would be incredibly thoughtful
Thank you for being a subscriber to The Storyletter. I’d like to hear from you as well. Share something in the comments that you’ve enjoyed lately. Also, let me know what you think of this new format. Thanks!
This is fantastic!
I like the new format. I'm interested in checking out Necessary Fiction now.