500 word ghost story competition

Ghost Orchid Press have just announced an open call for 500 word max ghost stories. I’ll be entering this one myself, I hope and I know it’ll appeal to some of you.

(I’ll take 10% commission if any of you win, lol 😉)

https://ghostorchidpress.com/christmas/?fbclid=IwAR3H2N59fFwWq9-VgfIX8kqrDKRQhJu3-9tRTu6gwQTOQJqJEhIoD1sp_i0

Not just any ghost story, but a Christmas ghost story. I love this genre, stories told by the fire on a winter's night making you shiver from more than just the drafty windows. Might give it a whirl myself

Quote by Mendalla

Not just any ghost story, but a Christmas ghost story. I love this genre, stories told by the fire on a winter's night making you shiver from more than just the drafty windows. Might give it a whirl myself

But if its Christmas why would there be a winter's fire? Christmas is all about heat and humidity, July is the time for winter ghost stories 😇

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Quote by Mendalla

Not just any ghost story, but a Christmas ghost story. I love this genre, stories told by the fire on a winter's night making you shiver from more than just the drafty windows. Might give it a whirl myself

But if its Christmas why would there be a winter's fire? Christmas is all about heat and humidity, July is the time for winter ghost stories 😇

I spent Christmas in New Zealand once and it was wonderful. Sunbathing on Christmas Day instead of turning the heating up to stop myself freezing

Ah… some day I’ll repeat the experience

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Quote by Mendalla

Not just any ghost story, but a Christmas ghost story. I love this genre, stories told by the fire on a winter's night making you shiver from more than just the drafty windows. Might give it a whirl myself

But if its Christmas why would there be a winter's fire? Christmas is all about heat and humidity, July is the time for winter ghost stories 😇

Don't rub it in.🙄 We just got our first snow here. Just a dusting that will melt by noon, but a sign of things to come. Maybe if your country reopens by then, I should come spend Christmas with you.😈

But, yeah, I guess Christmas ghost stories are a Northern hemisphere thing.

I think it would be really interesting to submit a summer tale to this call, don’t you? 😉

Quote by CuriousAnnie
But if its Christmas why would there be a winter's fire? Christmas is all about heat and humidity, July is the time for winter ghost stories.

I have Rellies in NZ. But no, It just wouldn't work for me. This is Christmas for me:

©Anna morgan

That is pretty. We get heavy rain and gale force winds in Britain, though. Not pretty and not pleasant. So, I need to head far south or a bit further North (or turn up the heating and close the curtains )

That is Hohenschwangau, the village that nestles at the foot of the Alps just below Neuschwanstein Castle... damn, I really want to be there! 😪

I haven't been to the German side of the Alps. Just Switzerland and the Italian side. That looks lovely, though.

Quote by Welshdreamer42

I think it would be really interesting to submit a summer tale to this call, don’t you? 😉

Christmas ghost stories are a mood rather than specifically about Christmas. I am pretty sure some of M. R. James Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, which they cite as an example, are set at other times of the year (and, by the way, is possibly the best single author collection of ghost/horror stories ever published).

Dang, this is hard. I am used to doing a slow burn build-up in my ghost stories but with only 500 words available ... yeah, it's not easy. But I have something at least.

Quote by Mendalla

Dang, this is hard. I am used to doing a slow burn build-up in my ghost stories but with only 500 words available ... yeah, it's not easy. But I have something at least.

Glad you’ve made a start. I have no ideas for this one yet and times running out. I’ll have a think about it today, if I get the time 👍🏻

Reworking the basic idea. The one I did last night did not stand up in the cold light of day. It was like "ghost story mark 2". Very bland and nothing really outstanding. Probably based on something I've heard or read before.

Just clicked Send on this. Crossing fingers. They are okay with simultaneous submissions but I think I'll hold off posting it here until I see how this goes. Don't want to jinx myself. 😉 I am pretty happy with it, actually. I think I nailed the style pretty well.

Quote by Mendalla

Just clicked Send on this. Crossing fingers. They are okay with simultaneous submissions but I think I'll hold off posting it here until I see how this goes. Don't want to jinx myself. 😉 I am pretty happy with it, actually. I think I nailed the style pretty well.

Fantastic, best of luck & keep us posted.

I didn’t manage to write anything. 2021 has not been a productive year for me.

Quote by Welshdreamer42
2021 has not been a productive year for me.

I have done okay this year writing-wise. Probably about the same as 2020. In the end, having a fulltime job makes it hard to really commit to writing. Retirement will probably see me doing it more seriously, much as Verbal has been doing, but I am not 100% sure when that will be yet.

First the bad news: I didn't make the short list that's going to the editor who is judging the comp.

Then the good news: 200+ FREAKING ENTRIES! That's got to be the biggest comp I have ever entered. So I can't really complain about not making the cut.

And the last bit of good news: Their loss is StoriesSpace's gain. I'll submit it later today.😇

I saw the notification about the number of entries and that really good news for Ghost Orchid Press who are a new publisher. Sorry you didn’t make the cut but I’m looking forward to reading your story x

Yes, looking forward to reading what Ghost Orchid Press have lost out on.

I don't know if you've seen it but I think you'll admire Girlwriter's latest work 'The Ghostwriter'. It is well-worth a look.

Quote by redwriter

Yes, looking forward to reading what Ghost Orchid Press have lost out on.

I don't know if you've seen it but I think you'll admire Girlwriter's latest work 'The Ghostwriter'. It is well-worth a look.

It's on my to-read "pile" but at 8200 words, I haven't found time yet. WriterGirl is definitely a talent to watch around here.

And here it is ... https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/horror/an-encounter-in-the-woods-by-night