For 5 years, members of WritersNL have succeeded in giving us the heebie-jeebies and haunting our nightmares in true Halloween spirit!
This year, WritersNL, Association for the Arts Mount Pearl, and the Atlantic Canada Chapter of the Horror Writers Association have come together once again to call you into the darkness for A Nightmare on George Street 2024!
We can’t wait to see what kind of bone-chilling, spine-tingling scary stories you conjure from your twisted imaginations in 2024, as our highly anticipated annual Spooky Story-Writing Contest returns to George Street in downtown St. John’s.
WritersNL, AAMP and HWA-AC will present the 2024 top submissions both IN-PERSON and VIRTUALLY.
Hosted by our very own Mr. Halloween, Mike Hickey, readings + winner announcements will take place at The Black Sheep on George Street on Halloween Eve at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
You wouldn’t want to miss this night of haunted tales and crazy costumes!
Here’s how it works:
First, we give our Membership the opportunity to answer this call for submissions and submit their work.
When the deadline passes, we’ll send all submissions along to our esteemed jury of freaky folks, who will determine our top six.
(WritersNL has assembled a jury of writers, actors, and horror fanatics from the depths of the darkness, to adjudicate this year’s submissions to create a shortlist of the top six entries. Stay tuned for jury details!)
At our event, our top six selections will be presented to the crowd, allowing folks on location and online to hear our top six spooky stories.
After hearing all six shortlisted works, in-person and virtual attendees will have the chance to vote for their favourite tale, ranking their faves via an online voting form.
We’ll calculate the results in real-time, both in-person and via live-stream on location to crown and celebrate our 2024 winners together!
And the 2024 prizes are…
🥇1st Place: $350
🥈2nd Place: $250
🥉3rd Place: $150
Contest Details + Submission Guidelines:
Contestants are welcome to submit flash fiction original material of any genre to a maximum of 600 words, limited to one entry per Member.
Writing format is open to all: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, monologues, etc.
*Please ensure your entry DOES NOT feature your name or any other identifying markers.*
PLEASE NOTE: this contest is open to WritersNL Members based in Newfoundland and Labrador only.
(Contestants can become WritersNL Members upon submitting.)
Please send submissions to info@writersnl.ca.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Sunday, October 13, 2024 @ 11:59 p.m. NST
*Important Note For Contestants Based Outside Of St. John’s*
This contest is open to all WritersNL Members across Newfoundland and Labrador, but WritersNL understands that many of our members are based outside of the capital city.
Shortlisted authors who are unable to attend an in-person event in St. John’s will be asked to record 5-7 minute-long readings of their submissions to be screened at our event.
Contestants will be responsible for recording + submitting their own readings:
• to be shot at the highest resolution possible
• in landscape mode (horizontally)
• in a well-lit and quiet environment
• for a total 5-7 minutes each, to a maximum of 7 minutes
+ bonus points for Halloween-themed decor!
Questions or concerns? Email info@writersnl.ca