Calling all campfire storytellers: Time to put ghost stories to paper

March 12, 2022  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

Waterbury Center resident and Halloween fan Jeff Cavender created this creepy character in 2020. What might its story be? Courtesy photo

It’s barely spring but the folks at Bridgeside Books are already thinking ahead to October, Halloween, and the season of ghosts and goblins. 

They’re hatching a plan for a creepy but entertaining fall event with the working name currently being “Spooky Tales.” The plan is to enlist local actors to read original short spooky stories by local writers.

“The event details are still in the works, but first things first -- we need the stories!” said bookstore staffer Jenna Danyew who is helping coordinate. 

The model for this creative pursuit is an annual event held in Burlington each December called Winter Tales featuring original stories by Vermont authors and songs. Running for 17 years, the event is a fundraiser for the Vermont Stage Company. 

Danyew said they’ve recruited Winter Tales hosts Mark Nash and Kathryn Blume from the Vermont Stage Company to work their magic with the fall event in Waterbury. 

For now, however, a call is out to writers to submit a short story. The details?

“We are seeking original spooky stories that take place in Vermont and hold local towns, themes, or people at their heart. Stories should be best when read aloud, set and themed in Vermont, and feel like a campfire ghost story,” Danyew explained. 

Stories that are not set in Vermont will not be considered. Submission requirements are few: Aim for 8-15 pages in length with no special formatting needed. The deadline is June 15 for stories to be emailed to info@bridgesidebooks.com. 

Looking ahead to October, Spooky Tales will be an evening event with actors reading the stories. Danyew said this is intended to be family-friendly, but aimed at teens and adults. “We hope to walk the thin line of creepy and haunting, while still enjoyable for all ages,” she said. 

If people already have a story they like to tell, write it down. If you’re creating a new tale, Danyew offers some advice: 

“Invoke occult characters, real-life monsters (humans with monstrous behaviors), local legends and ghost stories, or your own original imaginations. We are looking for a fun, spine-chilling kind of story that leaves the audience paranoid, but not deeply disturbed or grossed out,” she explained. “We would love original stories set in real haunted Vermont inns, creative twists on well-known Vermont ghosts, or a Michael Myers-esque evening on the streets of a small Vermont town.”

One final tip: “Let Vermont and the spirit of Halloween be as much a setting as a character itself.”