Imagine a group of strangers sitting around a campfire, listening and watching, silent and unmoving, as you spin a terrifying tale, knitting its loathsome strands together one by one as the firelight flickers about your face.
This is the effect - the atmosphere - Coquitlam and Port Moody public libraries want you to create with your submissions for their annual Scary Story Contest for young people, sponsored by The Tri-City News.
So indulge your storytelling skills, evoke unsettling details, disturb the judges. Make them believe your story is not just a story. Make their skin crawl!
As in years past, entries are welcome in two age categories: 11 to 14 years and 15 to 18 years. The rules are:
Only residents of Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra can submit stories.
Stories must be e-mailed - as a Word attachment and/or as text inside the body of the e-mail - to [email protected] no later than Sunday, Oct. 20 (submissions sent later than Oct. 20 will not be considered).
Stories can be no longer than 500 words (the title does not count towards the total).
Each story must include the following words: sepulchral, fathomless and unnerving.
Writers must include their name, age, city of residence and phone number with their entries.
Each entry must be entirely original, written only by the author whose name is included with the entry.
Winners in each age category will receive prizes valued at: $75, $50 and $25 for first-, second- and third-place winners respectively.
And some winning entries will be published in The Tri-City News on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The annual Scary Story Contest is a partnership between Coquitlam Public Library, Port Moody Public Library and The Tri-City News.
