by Editor
on October 24, 2015
As Interest In Christian Spirituality Wanes, Fascination With Ghosts And The Paranormal Has Been Booming
People the world over seem to have a longing for the unknown and the unknowable in one or more of the many forms in which they are encountered. Throughout the millennia, whenever one set of spiritual beliefs has crumbled or faded, another has risen from the earth or descended from the sky to take its place. And sometimes, rather evolving, spirituality returns to its earliest roots, and the beliefs of old gain a new hold over the human heart and imagination.
In Western Europe, for instance, while Christian churches have been losing adherents, interest in the supernatural—specifically in ghosts and spirits—has been gaining greatly in popularity. [continue reading…]
by Editor
on September 21, 2015
Ghost Hour. Illustration: Alice Popkorn
Submissions Closed!
The contest is now closed to submissions. Thanks to everyone who participated. We’ll be announcing (and publishing) our winner and honorable mention on Halloween. Visit our contest page for information about the next Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition.
If you’re a writer of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror, or magic realist fiction, beware the witching hour as September 30th draws to a close. That’s when we’ll stop accepting submissions to the short fiction competition in which we will award $1,000 to the writer of the best supernatural story, and $100 for an honorable mention. Of course, we’ll also publish both stories here on TGS.
If you’ve already submitted your tale, we’ll be in touch with you about the results before the end of October—and your work will be published here on Halloween. If you’re still working on your piece, keep at it; the more polished your prose, the better your chances, and you’ve still got a few days left. But don’t let the sand run out of the hour glass; that midnight bell inevitably will toll.
And if you’re still thinking about entering, you might want to have a look at our complete contest guidelines.
Good luck!
by Editor
on July 29, 2015
What Now? Getting Their Attention is Easy—But Maintaining The Suspense Is Hard! Image: Curtis MacNewton
Our Writing Tips On How To Craft a Ghost Story Or Other Eerie Tale That Keeps Your Reader Riveted
In reality, a supernatural story isn’t all that different from any other piece of short fiction. Most of the same good, technical practices apply for creating any tale that is truly memorable. Nonetheless, writers of stories that contain a supernatural element do face a few additional hurdles that need to be surmounted. For just one example, how do you structure and pace your story so that your readers remain with you for the complete ride, that delightfully icy feeling running up and down their backs the entire time?
As it is once again the season in which a lot of writers are polishing their submissions for The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award, we thought this would be an ideal time to offer an array of tips on writing, revising, and presenting ghost stories, vampire stories, horror stories, fantasy stories, literary magic realism, and other tales with a strong supernatural kick. But keep in mind that most of the advice we give here will be effective regardless of the fiction genre in which you’re working. [continue reading…]
by Editor
on June 20, 2015
An Illustration For Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Painted In 1793-1794 By Swiss Artist Johann Heinrich Füssli
It’s Finally Midsummer—And Time To Publish The Three Top Stories In The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award Contest. Happy Reading!
The competition was ferocious—especially considering that this is the first time we’ve run this contest. Of course, the high quality of the submissions probably had at least something to do with the fact that the winner was going to walk—or in this instance, dance—away with $1,000. . . .
In any case, out of an impressive selection of short stories sent to us by writers from around the U.S. and Canada, we’ve chosen three, as Winner, Honorable Mention, and Second Honorable Mention, that really astonished us. Come on inside for the names of the winners, and to enjoy a chilling summertime read.
