Eerie spectres and spine-tingling suspense are what the Goleta librarians hope to receive in their first-ever Ghost Story Challenge, though writers may be more frightened to learn they only have four days left to write their 500-word story and send it in.
Goleta is in league with Solvang and Buellton libraries these days, as well as their twigs and branches in Los Alamos and Santa Ynez. The Ghost Story Challenge was the brainchild of volunteer and poet Steve Branff of the Solvang library in 2018, as “a fun way to encourage create writing, and to acknowledge the many aspiring writers in our communities,” said Solvang’s Carey McKinnon.
The due date to pin the supernatural to the page is 5 p.m., Saturday, September 30, with the professionally adjudicated winners to be celebrated on October 26 in the Santa Ynez Valley. Readings, refreshments, and costumes will be encouraged, with the venue yet to be decided.
Award categories include Scariest, Best Plot, Most Original, Writer’s Craft, and Best Overall. High school and middle school categories also include Best Dialogue and Best Setting. The writings will be set into age categories, as well: adult (18 plus), high school (9th-12th grades), and middle school (6th-8th grades).
To submit an entry, paste the story — do not send an attachment — into an email and send it to goletavalleylibrary@cityofgoleta.org with the subject line “GHOST STORY.” Student submisssions should note “Goleta” or “Santa Ynez Valley.”
The librarians suggest a title for the story is always a good idea. Other entry rules require the full name of the author, a phone number, their age category, and their school, if applicable.
Procrastination or the last midnight rewrite could account for the fact that 90 percent of the entries have been turned in on the last day in past contests. “The very short 500-word format is not too daunting, yet requires some skill,” McKinnon observed. “And, the horror/supernatural subject seems to be, well, just fun!”