Welcome to Anndale (Again) — The Future Re-starts Here

Hello again!

If you’ve found your way here from TikTok or Twitch, you’ll already be familiar with Tales of Anndale. You’ve seen it grow from a rustic little village with a road through the middle into something much larger, lane by lane, field by field, and house by house over many many live streams.

If you’re completely new here, then hello. Pull up a chair. I’ll explain.

Anndale began in late 2024, when I started streaming a peaceful building game called Tiny Glade. As I placed each building and shaped the landscape, stories and characters began forming in my head. The village took on a life of its own. The community that grew around the streams became part of that life too. And eventually, the world needed to be written down.

This Substack is where that writing will live.

My First Story

Brambles and Blackbirds is the first written tale from Anndale, and you can read it right here at no cost. It’s the origin story of the village itself — how it came to be called Anndale, the storm that changed everything, and the people who were there when it happened.

It’s about 7,700 words, so settle in with a cup of something warm.

I’ll be honest with you, this is my first piece of creative writing since school. I was terrible at it then, and… for those used to reading and writing, you may notice some a lack of ability. But some stories gnaw at you until you give them a go. This was one of them. I hope you enjoy it.

What You’ll Find Here

Going forward, Substack is where the front door of the Tales of Anndale will be. New readers, old friends from the streams, anyone curious about the world, this is where I’ll send you first.

You can expect:

🌿 Free short stories set in the world of Anndale
📖 Lore posts and world-building notes
🏘️ Behind-the-scenes glimpses of how the world develops
✍️ Introductions to other writers who may tell their own Anndale stories

Everything here will be free to read here on Substack. No paywall, no fuss.

For Those Who Want to Go Deeper and Contribute

If you read Brambles and Blackbirds and want more, I’ve set up a Patreon at patreon.com/anndalehaven where things will go further. Downloadable formats, audio narrations, early access to new stories, the Anndale World Bible, and details of future guest writers will live there across three tiers starting at £3 a month.

But there’s no pressure at all. Everything I post here will be free. Patreon is for the people who want to carry a piece of Anndale with them.

One More Thing

Anndale isn’t just my world. Community member Adrienne Nester has already written three stories set here, and more voices will hopefully come in time.

The story is waiting. I hope Anndale feels like somewhere you want to stay for a while.

Andy