🖋️The M.I.D. Newsletter | Issue #5
The M.I.D. Newsletter | Issue #5
From the desk of Makitia Thompson | Minds In Design
Editor’s Note ✍🏽Greetings, seekers of the strange, lovers of the haunted, and brave souls who linger a little too long in the shadows. Welcome to Issue #5 of The M.I.D Newsletter. I’m Makitia Thompson, your constant guide through the worlds that live inside my imagination. The ones you can’t always explain but can’t resist exploring either.
October has rolled in, and with it comes a certain chill in the air, the kind that rustles leaves in uncanny patterns, whispers your name when you’re alone, and promises that not everything is quite as it seems. 🎃 For many, it’s a month of fun costumes and sweet indulgences, but here at Minds In Design, we dive into what lurks beneath the surface. The quiet unease, the haunting stories, the mysteries that cling to time like cobwebs in an old, forgotten house.
This issue carries a few special treats to mark the season: new stories, new poetry, behind-the-scenes content, and yes…a Halloween-themed special that’s sure to send a shiver or two down your spine. But if you think you’re only here for frightful fun, think again. There’s wisdom for writers, insights into Burrington, and glimpses into worlds yet to unfold. Stick with me, the pages ahead are as alive as any ghost waiting in a corner.
Before we plunge in, a small call-to-action: immerse yourself fully. Explore the links, linger on the stories, read the poems aloud if you dare. This newsletter is not a passive scroll; it’s an invitation. An invitation to experience Minds In Design as a living, breathing universe.
About Minds In Design 🌌For those of you just joining our journey, let me introduce you to Minds In Design. This is more than a brand; it’s a sanctuary for imagination. It’s the place where I, Makitia Thompson, bring the worlds that haunt my mind into yours. Whether it’s a whispered short story about a town that remembers too much, a poem that dissects the quiet ache of life, or a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of a fictional universe, this is where creativity is allowed to roam free.
Minds In Design is where fiction and emotion collide, where curiosity is nurtured, and where the unusual isn’t just tolerated. It’s celebrated. If you love stories that linger, poetry that pierces, and worlds that demand attention, this is the space for you. Think of it as a laboratory of the imagination, where every work. No matter how small or experimental, it has a place to exist and breathe.
Happy Halloween Segment 🕯️The wind howls across Burrington, rattling shutters and carrying the faint scent of smoldering leaves. Shadows stretch longer than they should, twisting along the streets, folding over themselves as though the night itself were breathing. In a house long abandoned, a candle flickers against the darkness, casting shapes on the walls that are almost human or perhaps they are human, once. 👁️
This October, Burrington awakens like never before in a special Halloween short story collection for the Where Time Can’t Exist series. This is not your run-of-the-mill trick-or-treat tale. These are stories where the town itself is alive, where the streets remember, and where the echoes of the past refuse to stay buried.
And because one story is never enough for a town as stubborn as Burrington, keep your eyes peeled - one or two more chilling tales may slip into the season before it’s done. If you have a taste for the eerie, the unsettling, or the outright strange, this is your invitation to step into the darkness and explore what lurks beyond the familiar streets.
(Link to the Halloween special coming October 1st)
What’s New in the M.I.D Universe 🚀The universe of Minds In Design is constantly expanding. Here’s what’s newly arrived in our ever-growing collection:
When the Stars Weep (Poetry)
Link
Explore the delicate intersection of loss, love, and resilience. Each poem is a pulse, a fragment of the human soul, a quiet cry that stills the heart.
Through the Cracks: A Record of What Shouldn’t Exist (Behind-the-Scenes)
Link
Dive deep into the history of Burrington, the making of my worlds, and the hidden narratives that never made it to the page.
The Mind's Keepsake: Silent Rivers Volume 3 (Quotation Book)
Link
A carefully curated collection of words, reflections, and fragments that speak directly to the reader’s inner thoughts, perfect for inspiration or contemplation.
The Concept of Feeling (Poetry)
Link
Poems that dissect emotion with surgical precision and raw honesty, guiding readers through introspection and revelation.
The Founding Mayor (Where Time Can’t Exist short story)
Link
Meet the figures who shaped Burrington, witness decisions that ripple through history, and uncover layers of a town that refuses to forget.
All works are available in digital format via mindsindesign.com and in print format on Amazon ensuring you have instant access to every corner of the M.I.D universe.
Special Offer: $5 Gift Card 💌Here’s a little treat for my most engaged readers: the next five people who subscribe to the newsletter via mindsindesign.com will receive a $5 gift card for their first purchase. Consider it a gentle nudge to dive into the library of stories, poems, and behind-the-scenes content that awaits you. Think of it as a small, tangible thank-you for being part of this community.
Writers’ Tips 🖋️Navigating the literary landscape can feel like wandering a dark forest without a map. Trends shift rapidly, readers’ tastes evolve, and self-promotion is often as critical as the writing itself. Here’s a tip: curate quotes from your work, whether poetry, short stories, novellas, or novels and use them to engage your audience emotionally.
Post them on social media where text thrives: Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. A single line of compelling prose can spark curiosity and draw readers into your world.
Remember: inspiration often comes from lived experience. Step away when necessary, observe the world, and let your writing marinate. A book left to breathe for a week or a month, often returns richer, deeper, and far more resonant.
Makitia’s Book of the Month 📖When the Stars Weep: Poems for Those Who Break and Mend
Within these pages, wander through the quiet ache of loss, the fire of passion, the tangled corridors of self-doubt, and the luminous moments of joy that make life worth every scar. Each poem is a constellation, a fragment of the human heart, a pulse of truth reaching into the deepest, most tender places of the soul.
For dreamers, heartbreakers, quiet observers, and resilient souls: to break is not to fail. To open yourself to the light that follows is a triumph. Let these poems sit with you, move you, and remind you that even in darkness, there is grace.
Character of the Month 👁️Mayor Silas Glaston; an enigma wrapped in ambition and shadow. In the Where Time Can’t Exist series, Glaston’s decisions shape Burrington in ways the town will never fully understand. Through his eyes, we see the delicate tension between morality and pragmatism, the weight of legacy, and the echoes of choices that stretch far beyond the present.
Explore his world in:
The Founding Mayor Link
Fragments of Glaston Link
Readers will discover not just a man, but a force - one whose influence lingers long after the final page.
From the Blog 💔Featured story from It Ended By Beginning: The Pain of Time.
A free glimpse into one of my 32 short stories, The Pain of Time explores grief, love, and the quiet torment that threads through everyday life. This story embodies the essence of my writing: visceral, raw, and lingering.
Minds In Design Discounts 💸September deals are ongoing:
25% off all orders $10 or more
50% off It Ended By Beginning (32 short stories)
30% off The Founding Mayor
Buy one behind-the-scenes book, get a second 30% off
Buy When the Stars Weep and get The Concept of Feeling for 50% off
Don’t miss the chance to add new dimensions to your collection — or to gift someone a glimpse into Burrington’s shadowed streets.
Upcoming Projects 🔥Obedient; the final chapter in the documentary-style exploration of Gregg Thorton. This installment reveals the voices of his surviving wife, daughters, neighbors, and the families of his victims. Told through interviews, media fragments, and hidden truths, this narrative eschews traditional true crime structure for a more haunting, immersive experience.
The end of Thorton’s reign is near, and with it comes revelations, reckonings, and the haunting weight of what was left behind.
Connect With Me 🌐Stay in touch and never miss an update:
Instagram: @mindsindesign
TikTok: @mindsindesign
Twitter: mindsindesign_
Facebook: Minds In Design
YouTube: Minds In Design
Pinterest: Minds In Design
Online Store: mindsindesign.com
Until Next Time 🌙Thank you for reading, exploring, and lingering. Minds In Design exists to craft stories that haunt, inspire, and linger long after the final word. Our worlds are dark, luminous, strange, and real. Just like the minds who inhabit them. Until next time, keep your imagination awake, your pens sharp, and never underestimate the power of a well-told story.
- Makitia Thompson
#MindsInDesign #TheMidUniverse #Midstories #Makitia #Wheretimecantexist #MakitiaThompson #Untiltimeremembers