Project Abracadabra
A Collaborative Call to Fantasy Writers, Inviting You to Create as You Speak with Me
I’m so excited I could spill.
I’m beginning something wonderous and powerful:
Project Abracadabra
This is a creative collaborative project in which I am working closely with Substack writers to explore the power of voice: both written and narrated.
We create as we speak.
This is an open submission, and a call to all Substack writers in the fantasy genre to have their voices heard.
You all know I’m a writer.
But I’m also a narrator and professional voice actor.
In this project, I will be taking submissions from Substack writers who would like your text performed to showcase who you are as a writer, to have your work better circulated, and to have your voice heard.
I will be narrating your texts, on video, and sharing it on Substack and my personal social medias, and I’d like to invite you to get in on this action!
A different author will be featured in each video. And I intend to publish two videos per week!
Submission to this contest is totally free.
Include a brief bio of yourself, and your preferred pronouns, in the submission and tell me a little bit about your narrative style, what kind of stories you write, what the importance of voice means to you—and what makes your voice unique!
Guidelines:
Length: 1–3 paragraphs or 1 complete scene (self-contained)
Word Count: 150–500 ideal (hard cap 750)
Genre: Fantasy (any subgenre)
Style: Start in motion—strong voice, tension, immediacy (no heavy exposition)
POV: Clear and consistent
Dialogue: Encouraged (it plays great in narration)
Content: Dark/edgy is fine—just avoiding explicit sexual content, hate speech, or graphic sexual violence
Format: Plain text, attach in email and submit to ctfinney@gmail.com ; if your excerpt is part of a larger body of work, please make sure to include the title and give me a brief synopsis of it for context on what’s happening so far for narration/reader clarity.
If you have any invented words, names, kingdoms (etc.)—please submit a pronunciation guide so I can speak your work accurately.
Attribution: Name/pen name + Substack link (and socials if you want tagged)
Not all submissions will be selected, but I will choose passages that translate well into narration! I will personally contact selected authors before I perform your piece.
Quick note: By submitting, you’re giving me permission to narrate and share your piece (with full credit) on Substack Notes and my socials.
Please make submissions to ctfinney@gmail.com with subject line: [Your Name] - Project Abracadabra Submission
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and my goal is to post two narrations per week right here on Tales from Sphyra!
I sincerely hope that you will join me in this endeavor and I can’t wait to feature your work.
Feel free to DM me with questions!
See you by the fireside,
—C.T. Finney
C.T., this is a wonderful initiative, generous, collaborative, and exactly the kind of cross-promotion that makes Substack special. The focus on voice (both written and narrated) is especially smart. So much of what makes fantasy work is the texture of the language, the rhythm of the sentences, the particular way a writer names things. Hearing that performed adds a whole new dimension.
I write speculative fiction (the Digital Prophets series, technology, power, and the human cost of the machine). I'll be considering a submission. Thank you for offering this to the community.
This is awesome and I’m excited!