There are so many great short stories being published these days that it’s hard to keep track of them all. So many deserve to be read and savored. Maybe you’ve read some of the five below that I’ve selected as my favorites of 2025. If not, I hope you’ll give each of them a read. And if you’ve read any of them, maybe give them another read.
All of these stories were published during the 2025 calendar year in online literary magazines and are publicly accessible at the time of this writing. I present them here unranked and in no particular order.
‘If we listen to each other’s stories—whether told through music, poetry or prose—we may realize that there is so much that connects humanity.’
Those who know me well know I have a deep affection for music. Many other writers share this interest. Natalie Welsh is one of them. She loves music and writing so much that she created a literary magazine that celebrates the fusion of music and storytelling called Syncopation Literary Journal.
Cover of the inaugural issue of Syncopation Literary Journal.
With a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and a Master of Arts in humanities from York University, Natalie brings a rich academic background to her editorial work. She’s also a multi-talented artist. Both writer and musician, she is proficient on piano and guitar, and has had her short fiction published in New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis, Indelible Literary Journal, and Duck Duck Mongoose Magazine. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Natalie launched Syncopation in 2021 as a platform for musicians and writers to explore the rhythmic interplay between sound and narrative. The first issue went live in January 2022. I was thrilled Natalie saw fit to include my essay “Not Fade Away” in volume 4, issue 1 of her journal, and I’m happy that a couple more pieces I wrote will appear in volume 4, issue 2, later this year.
In this Friday Five, on the final Friday of Women’s History Month, I’m happy to introduce readers to Natalie and her labor of love.
‘It’s important to me to keep this going for years.’
Thea Swanson, founder and editor of Club Plum Literary Journal
When I first learned about this cool online journal called Club Plum Literary Journal and read about its mission to offer readers and writers “an ongoing literary conversation, a resonant entry into a beautiful or strange or dark place,” I knew I wanted to be a part of it. And I was thrilled when editor Thea Swanson selected one of my writings to include in the latest issue, which came out earlier this month. Once I learned the piece had been accepted, I invited Thea to take part in a Friday Five, itself an attempt at an ongoing literary conversation. Read on for insights from Thea about the journal she founded (now in its fifth year), her thoughts on writing and creativity, and a special touch she adds to each published piece.
