Nicole Jeffords is an Austin-based fiction writer who explores the hidden motives and unvarnished truths of human behavior.
I write stories that aim to come as close to the truth as possible.
Much of my fiction is inspired by people I’ve known or observed — relatives, public figures, strangers whose behavior lingers in the mind. I disguise them carefully, but I do not soften what I see.
This website is the first home for my short stories and serialized work, their first stop before making their way further out into the world.
Subscribers to Ruthless Fiction receive each new story before anyone else.
Browse the collection and see what unfolds.
Most Recent Short Fiction
Weekend Away
A writer’s weekend away in New York City doesn’t unfold quite as planned. Between an extravagant impulse purchase, a strange encounter in the Yale Club library, and a stubborn case of writer’s block, the trip offers more intrigue than inspiration. But when she reaches for an old trick to awaken her imagination, someone from her past comes rushing back into focus. The getaway may be ending, but a darker story is just beginning to take shape.
Most Recent Nonfiction
103 Speaks: The Legacy of Babette Hughes
She lived 103 years… and never stopped speaking the truth. In this tribute, Nicole reflects on a friendship that shaped her life, and the extraordinary woman behind 103 Speaks. This is a legacy of resilience, wisdom, and a voice that refuses to fade.
Most Recent Political Story
Getting the Dirt
(A Tommy Duncan story)