Gothic Stories

I’ve been seeing a few unofficial challenges given by Vocal Community members, and I thought: You know what? As someone literally invested in Vocal, I should do that, too. So here is my official, nonofficial challenge to you.

Everyone who knows me will tell you I enjoy a good scare. In that spirit, I would like to invite you to write a story in the Gothic literary genre. It doesn’t have to be a horror, though. Feel free to interpret the genre however you see fit. Perhaps you want to craft a ghost story that unfolds in an ancient forest or a dark romance set in a mysterious old castle. I'm eager to see where your imagination takes you! Create stories brimming with glorious details and captivating characters, whether they be sinister or otherwise.

What is Gothic fiction? Well, let me paint you a picture. Borrowing heavily from Wikipedia, Gothic fiction is a realm of fear where supernatural events loom and the past intrudes upon the present. Imagine settings like ruined buildings, castles, monasteries, crypts, or convents, each with its own dark secrets. Plots often revolve around psychological or social conflicts, murders, imprisonments, demons, ghosts, and more. If it has a dark, spooky connotation, it's probably Gothic.

To qualify, submitted stories must be of the gothic genre, between 600 and 1500 words in length, and submitted by June 10, 2024. Sorry, everyone; I’m hoping to receive a lot of submissions and need to be able to read through all of them, so please, no 20-minute stories! I plan to have picked a winner and two runners-up by June 15. The winner will receive a $30 tip from me, and the runners-up will each receive $10.

To ensure I’ve read your story, please post a link to it in the comment section below. Also, let’s keep the submissions to no more than two per person. Thanks for playing, and good luck!