Frightening First Line of a Spooky Story Contest 2023

• Calling all school and college students to the Frightening First Line Contest 2023!
• Get ready for a chilling challenge this autumn as we seek spine-tingling first lines for scary stories.
• Create a first line that leaves readers with tingling skin and twitching nerves.
• Stephen King, a master of the craft, emphasizes the importance of captivating first lines in storytelling.
• Find inspiration from these hair-raising first lines:
• "The seller of lightning rods arrived just ahead of the storm." - Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury
• "This story ends in blood." - The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix
• "Here she is, on the porch, all straw hair and slumpy joints and a crack that passes through her lip like she is dirt that has never known rain." - Mothers, Carmen Maria Machado
• Take a shot at winning, just like past winner William Loew from New York, NY.

Spooky Story Contest 2023 Details

• Deadline: Thursday, November 30, 2023, 11:59 pm Eastern Time
• Submission: Submit the first line (or lines) of your scary story online.
• Word Limit: Entries must be 31 words or fewer.
• Submission Deadline: Entries must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
• Entry Format: Only online entries will be accepted.
• Entry Fee: Entry is free with a limit of one entry per person.
• Originality: Entries must be original and unpublished.
• Judging Criteria: Entries will be judged on originality, quality, spelling, and grammar.
• Winner Announcement: The winning entry will be posted at GothamWriters.com, and the winner will be notified by December 18, 2023.
• Prize: The winner will receive a free Gotham class of their choosing, excluding premium classes (Zoetrope Fiction, Business Writing, Level III).