Campfire Stories

Campfire stories. We have all heard them. We have all told at least one. They send chills down our spines, making us scared to sleep at night. Parents, siblings, friends, and camp counselors have told us. The scarier they are, the more we love them.

In a New York Times article by Melinda Wenner Moyer on October 27, 2022, she interviewed three researchers, including Dr. Cynthia Hoffner. According to Dr. Hoffner:

“Research suggests that horror fans also tend to be people who enjoy intellectual stimulation and imaginative activities, and that many are sensation seekers — people who love thrills and new experiences — because they enjoy the rush of adrenaline they experience when they’re scared.”

Researchers are not telling us writers, anything we do not already know since most of us love a good scary story now and then. Scary stories get our blood pumping and flowing, carrying more oxygen to our brains and helping fire our neural synapses, enabling us to be more creative.

Spooky Season is almost here, and we will see more horror stories posted, more movies to watch, and TV series with a horror theme. Stores already have Halloween candy on shelves and will soon, if not already, have costumes on the racks. We are already seeing an ad here and there for Halloween.

Right now, with the cooler weather approaching, it is the perfect time to sit around and tell spooky tales to each other. It's time to sit with our family and friends and give each other a good scare while roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores.

Now I know some writers write nothing but horror stories. Some write a variety of topics. Some never write horror. However you write, it is always okay; never let someone tell you you should write something else. Only write what you want to write.

That said, I encourage, no, I CHALLENGE the Vocal Community to scare me. To scare my socks off. Write me a story that is the scariest campfire story of all time.

I consider a campfire story to be micro-fiction. So, each tale must be more than 75 words and less than 250 for this challenge. Post your stories under Fiction, of course. Remember to follow Vocal's community standards and guidelines when posting your tales. No AI, I want to read your honest ideas, not some computers (I can do that myself if I want to read AI).

If you need inspiration, here are three of my micro-fiction horror stories.

Or read any of Stephen Kramer Avitabile horror stories. Two of my favorites are The Pit Behind The Old Well and Secrets Held by House's Walls. These are not micro-fiction, though.

Bringing the Light by Rachel Deeming is another great read to get you in the Spooky Mood, even though it is not a micro-fiction, either.

The short story Haunting Echoes by Zayn is another good horror to get you properly spooked.

Or this two-parter by Mark Gagnon: Stay Awake, Stay Alive. It will surely get you properly spooked.

Any of Dharrsheena Raja Segarran horror stories always set a spooky mood for me. Don't Be A Mommy's Boy, The Phantomic Coffee, or Meloetta's Jealousy

If by chance none of these inspire you enough to get started on your own micro-fiction, you can always go to the Horror section of Top Stories.

Once you have written your Campfire Story, post me a link down in the comments, so that I may be able to read your idea of a scary campfire tale. And remember, I want to be scared! So, write me a story that you think will scare the pants off of me.

I will close the judging on September 8, 2023. And announce my favourite on September 10, 2023.

Thanks for reading.

Hope to be reading your stories soon.

Mother Combs

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Ashley Lima's Campfire Story Entry: Full Moon

Alivia Varvel Campfire Challenge Entry: Watchers

Ian Read Campfire Challenge Entry: The Mortal Masquerade: A Microfiction

Mark Gagnon Campfire Challenge Entry: Glorious Moon

Lamar Wiggins Campfire Challenge Entry: Fear is a game...

Paul Stewart Campfire Challenge Entry: Clock, Lamp Figurine

Mohommed Darasi Campfire Challenge Entry: Tunnel Vision

J.S. Wade Campfire Challenge Entry The Moxies

Rachel Deeming Campfire Challenge Entry: Loon in the Moonlight

Kendall Defoe Campfire Challenge Entry: Bus Ride

Alex Mittelman Campfire Challenge Entry: Ghost Train to Nowhere

Dharrsheena Raja Segarran Campfire Challenge Entry: The Horrifying Moniker

Gerard Dileo Campfire Challenge Entry: Adrenal Insufficiency

The Invisible Writer Campfire Challenge Entry: Fear