I hate participating in writing contests, but I love judging them. I enjoy judging other people’s work because it’s much easier than fixing my own flaws.
I like Halloween as long as it isn’t too spooky. Comedy horror is one of my favorite genres, and Halloween is certainly the perfect time to read or watch something in that genre.
This year, I asked my dear friend Bill to help me launch a Halloween Short Story Contest. He was busy but was too kind to say no to my request. By October 22, we’d received fifteen entries, and I had a great time reading them all. But a competition is a competition, and I had to pick the best stories and announce the winners.
To choose the winners, I first eliminated the stories that had the least to do with Halloween. Then I focused on the stories that were both fun and bizarre.
“Sugar High” by James C. Clar won our Gold Cup because it was the story most closely related to Halloween parties and celebrations. I found it very amusing. To me, it was a summary of life itself: having fun and then poof!
“Ghoul” by Bill Tope won our Silver Cup. Like Bill himself and much of his work, “Ghoul” was weird but intriguing. Some parts of the story left me scratching my head and wondering what was going on, but it was definitely better than 95% of Hollywood movies.
“Do Not Resuscitate” by James C. Clar and “Brian McBruggle and the Phantom of the Hollow” by Wendy N. Bell each won a Bronze Cup. James’s story was fun, while Wendy’s was more serious and traditional. Both were well-written and deserved their prizes.
Finally, I’d like to thank all the participants for their wonderful contributions and invite everyone to join our Thanksgiving Short Story Contest. The deadline for submissions is November 24. I hope to see some familiar names—and some new ones—in the next round!
Sam Kandej
