Fiction policy
Where fiction appears on this site, how it is labelled, and what we will not do with it.
Last updated September 2026
Where the fiction is
All of the fiction on this site lives in the Human Drama section. That covers these topics:
- Mother-in-Law Stories
- Marriage Dilemmas
- Relationship Betrayals
- Family Secrets
- Wedding Drama
- Neighbour Drama
- Workplace Drama
- Inheritance Drama
- Friendship Betrayals
- Dating After 40
How it is labelled
Every fictional story carries a visible label at the top of the article reading Original fictional story. The label also appears on cards linking to the story and in the article's metadata, so it travels with the piece.
What we do not do
- We do not present fiction as a real reader submission, letter or confession.
- We do not take a story from a forum, a social platform or another publication and change the names.
- We do not write about real, identifiable private individuals.
- We do not put invented words in the mouths of real people.
- We do not imply that a story happened to a reader, or to anyone in particular.
What the stories are
They are short original fiction, written for this site, about recognisable situations: a seating plan, a will, a fence line, a long silence between sisters. Names, places and events are invented. Any resemblance to a real person or a real family is coincidental.
Why we label it so plainly
Because a good story does not need a false claim attached to it, and because a reader deserves to know what they are reading. A story that is enjoyable as fiction is still enjoyable when it says "fiction" at the top.
Reader-submitted stories
We do not currently accept reader submissions. If that changes, submitted stories will be labelled separately from our own fiction, and nothing will be published without the writer's permission.