Mary Shelley wrote her now classic work Frankenstein as the result of a writing competition, which included her husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron during what she described as a “wet and ungenial summer.”
Lord Byron suggested the writing of a ghost story to pass the time. The outcome is obvious.
As I began to invite the fall season into my home, I wanted to create something that was not only visually appealing but something that told a story. I imagined how fun it would be to do something that was more engaging.
Feeling inspired, I sought out items that would help create the elements of a good story that would spark the imaginations of neighbors. Before I knew it, I had the makings of what could be a remarkable Halloween tale.
Now I just need you to tell me the story, by entering a Halloween contact.
While this little contest may not result in anything quite as epic as Frankenstein, I do hope it will be an opportunity for people to get in the spirit of the season and have a bit of fun. So here we go:
Our story begins on the right side of the porch, where a scarecrow leisurely sits among haystacks. Unbeknownst to him, a ghost floats behind him, while at night, witches fly overhead. Our story ends on the left side of the porch with a crashed witch on one beam, our scarecrow face down in the bushes, a witch’s boot where once the scarecrow sat, three conical hats floating above and a broom leaning against a post …
Your task is to create a tale between the right and left side of the porch. What happened here? You tell the story. Whether it is morbidly macabre, scarily spooky or hysterically hilarious, create the Halloween story that describes what might have happened.
Judges will consider originality, style and how you have incorporated the elements of the story. There will be three readers/judges:
• Steve Mark is a Professor of English at Housatonic Community College where he teaches creative writing, literature, and journalism and serves as the coordinator of the journalism program. He lives in Westville with his husband, Jim, and their dog, Fionn.
• Stacey Valerio is a staff attorney at the Connecticut Department of Banking. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English. She received her law degree from The George Washington University National Law Center. She lives in West Simsbury with her family.
• Editor Paul Bass of the New Haven Independent, an online hyperlocal news outlet that reports on all things New Haven.
Email your stories to me at this address with “Westville Halloween Story Contest” in the subject line. The winner will receive $100 cash prize and will be announced at an Oct. 28 Halloween fundraiser to help our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who are struggling with the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. The event will be hosted at 16 Maplewood Road (the house in the pictures).
A special guest will announce the winner, who will be revealed later in the month.
Deadline for submissions is Oct. 20, 2017, by 5 p.m. The winning submission will be published on Halloween here in the New Haven Independent.
A few rules:
• One entry per contestant
• All decisions made by the judges regarding the winners are final
• By submitting you are agreeing to all contest rules
• Rules subject to change.
Good luck!
Four-word extremely scary story:
Donald Trump is President.