Hello!

Thanks for stopping by and being interested in my words. I’m Rebecca, a speculative fiction writer from Scotland. ✨ You can find me @RMMcRitchie on Instagram and X.

I love stories, board games and nature – and I had such grand plans about having a Substack to write about all my interests when I started this under the name Hard Claiming Writer in 2023.

Flash forward and you’re here now. My posts fell by the wayside almost instantly because, in honesty, fiction is where my joy comes from and if I have to choose between writing about myself or making up stories, it’s not really much of a choice.

What will News and Niche Narratives be then?

Partially, it’ll be a place for me to write creative non-fiction when I feel like it, rather than sticking to a schedule. I’ll post updates if something exciting happens or I have a thought about creativity that I think is worth writing about.

But most importantly, I’ll use this space to share what I’m calling my niche narratives. These are stories I’ve written for a particular call or competition or to share among friends. When the prompt you’ve been given for these opportunities is incredibly specific, these pieces of writing languish in the archive with nowhere else to go.

I thought sharing these here might be fun - you’ll get a taste of my writing and maybe I’ll give a little of the context behind why I wrote the pieces.

When will I send you something?

Who knows? It’ll be a nice little surprise for both of us. I’m not planning on sticking to a schedule. If you want more regular updates, check out my other social media in the meantime.

What your support will mean

Subscribing will mean a huge deal to me and I can't wait to chat with you in the comments if you decide to stick around.

Due to my erratic publishing plan, I’ve decided to make all my posts free. I’ll leave paid options turned on and if you’d like to support me by throwing a few quid on a paid subscription, that would be lovely but not necessary at all.

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Let’s be friends?

Whether you’re a writer or a reader, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the post comments. One of my favourite parts of writing is how many interesting people I meet through various networks.

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