Shutterstock / Maya Kruchankova©If you want some pointers for writing a spooky story, here’s the place to start!
We’re well into autumn now — the pavements are full of red and gold leaves, and it’s chilly. The heating is most definitely switched on! The end of October heralds the clocks going back, and Hallowe’en, so this time of year is perfect for writing darker, spooky stories.
So: this week’s writing prompt is Hallowe’en, or All Hallows’ Eve.
Carving pumpkins. Ducking for apples. Guising. Dressing up. Trick or treating. Looking back at the traditions of Hallowe’en over the years, and how they’ve changed.
Old Hallowe’en. Witches. Ghost stories.
Ghost stories
Regarding ghost stories, it’s important that anything spooky is written bearing the reader in mind, in a “Friend” style — with nothing too scary, contentious, or likely to offend.
Historical stories
When it comes to historical stories, generally speaking, in the weekly, we don’t go back in time further than the Tudor era.
It’s fair to say we have more leeway with content and eras in the Specials, though. In the past we’ve had a story set in the 13th Century; and a story by Ewan Smith set around the ancient feast of Samhain in the 8th Century. (Samhain was a feast marking the end of harvest and the beginning of the darker half of the year.)
And a word about how many historical stories we need. In the weekly, we aim for one period story per issue (and “period” can mean any time up until around the 1990s!).
In the Special, we usually aim for four or five historical stories, and the same for the Annual. So you can see that proportionately, more contemporary stories are needed.
Landmark days
We always welcome stories based around landmark days in the calendar. So, for example, Bonfire Night, Christmas, Hallowe’en, saints’ days, New Year’s Eve, Father’s Day. Right now, we’re looking for stories set around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Easter.
If you’ve written a story but think, “ah, I’ve missed that date for this year, should I send it in?”, the answer is usually “yes!”.
We look for stories all year round for our Annual and Specials, as well as our weekly. The response time may be longer than usual, as non-seasonal stories may take priority, and occasionally we may ask you to resend later in the year.
Read more details about submitting to “The Friend”.
If you’re looking for more writing ideas, you can pick out another Story Starter by clicking here.
Lucy Crichton Better known as “Fiction Editor Lucy”, I am always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, I enjoy working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of “Friend” fiction!
