Four Supernatural Reads For Fall

We received a record number of submissions in the Fall 2023 Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition, and from those hundreds of stories, we selected a winner and three Honorable Mentions. These tales span an array of imaginative takes on the supernatural: We’ve got a good-looking golem, a family of athletic jinn, a smoldering grandfather ghost, and an alien seduction and abduction. And of course, we invite you have a look. As always, each story comes with a custom illustration by Andy Paciorek.

Enjoy. Our next contest will be the Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition, which opens to submissions on December 1, with the winner and Honorable Mentions published on Valentine’s Day.

For Fall 2023 . . . Now CLOSED To Submissions

We will announce and publish the winners here on Halloween

Our contests have been running since 2015. Our next contest is The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition, for sudden stories of 1,000 words or fewer. You’ll find our guidelines here.

Happy writing, happy reading.

The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition . . . & Our Next Contest

We have now published TWO of the two honorable mention stories in our summer supernatural sudden fiction contest. Scroll down to give it a read. Between now and July 31, we’ll publish the other honorable mention and the winning story.

Then, on August 1, we start accepting submission to our full length story contest—the fall 2023 Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award. Click here for guidelines.

The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition—Now Closed

Our next contest? The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition for short stories of up to 10,000 words. OPENS AUGUST 1. 

Our contest for stories—supernatural or magic realism—of between 250 and 1,000 words will be open to submissions until July 15. To read more, and/or to submit a piece, have a look at our guidelines page. And be sure to have a look at the stories written by our past winners and honorable mentions.

Supernatural Fiction Award Winners for Spring 2023

They’re Heeeeere!

Publication For Our Fiction Award Winners . . . And Our Summer Flash Contest Opens On June 6

Ever since we decided to run two Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competitions per year here on The Ghost Story website . . . it seems like year-round we’re always either opening a contest, closing a contest, or celebrating a new winner and several honorable mentions for a contest—and this spring is no different.

As you’re likely aware, the Spring 2023 Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award contest for full-length short stories (1,500-10,000 words) closed to submissions on April 30. We received over 250 supernatural stories from all over the world, and we’re currently preparing to announce and publish a winner and two honorable mentions on June 1. Each of those stories will appear right here our our website accompanied an original illustration by Andy Paciorek.

Then, a week later, our Summer 2023 Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition, for supernatural stories of up to 1,000 words, will open to submissions on June 6. The summer flash competition will remain open until July 15, and we’ll present the winner and honorable mentions on July 31. You can check out the complete guidelines here.

Right after that, The Fall 2023 Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award contest opens to submissions . . . but at this point—mid spring—that’s probably looking just a little too far ahead.

In any case, it all adds to four seasons of enjoyable, often chilling, reading here on TGS.

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award

. . . For full-length short stories incorporating a supernatural, or magic realism, theme or element . . . is currently open to submissions.

Winner receives $1,500, plus online and print publication. Two honorable mentions receive $300 plus online and print publication. All three will be accompanied by a custom Andy Paciorek illustration.

If you’re a writer and this event interests you . . . have a look at our guidelines.

The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition

. . . For short stories incorporating a supernatural theme or element. Competition was fierce, but in our (admittedly subjective) opinion these four stories rose to the top. For your reading pleasure we now list them here, with helpful links. The honorable mentions are not ranked, and are listed in no particular order.

Winner: “The Barnyard and the Graveyard” by Maureen McEly: A stressed-out woman driving past an expansive cemetery with a car full of kids and a head full of worries picks up an unusual but helpful hitchhiker.

Honorable Mention: “Night Marcher” by Michael Kaukeano Sonray-Kelly: A deadbeat dad long thought dead returns to haunt a young man living rough on the streets of a Hawaiian city.

Honorable Mention: “Ghost Story” by Isobel Oliphant: Is there sex after death? The author imagines an answer.

Honorable Mention: “Beat the Devil” by Mona Susan Power: In this humorous piece, A Native American deity must do battle with Satan after some wayward kids get naked and lure the old devil up through the broken floor of an abandoned gymnasium.

Enjoy.

Screw Turn Winners—Followed By Our Spring Contest Opening

On Valentine’s Day—as always—we’ll be publishing the winner and honorable mentions in the Winter 2023 Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition. This time around, there will be three honorables rather than the usual two. Check back on Tuesday and you can read them all.

Then, as soon as the clock hits the witching hour on Wednesday, February 15, we’ll start accepting submissions to our full-length story competition: The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award. Deadline for the Spring contest is April 30, with an online publication date of June 1. Look here for complete guidelines and access to our electronic submissions system.

We’ve Got A Contest For Every Season

Looking for information on The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition or The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award contest? Here’s all you need to know.