The now fully official Author’s Hangout Halloween 2025 competition support thread

[EmilyMiller]

It was a dark and stormy night in early September. Emily’s mind was filled with thoughts of Erotic Horror. Her cursor moved over a Halloween 2024 story. Thus disturbed, something dark and sinister stirred, and vapours rose from its neglected one year old grave. They swirled around Emily, who was paralyzed with fear. An ominous voice emerged from within the mists, one only Emily could hear, “Create an unofficial Halloween 2025 thread”, it commanded. Taking control of Emily’s body, but not her mind, it forced Emily’s fingers to touch the keyboard. Words were entered, phrases copied and pasted, sentences appeared as if by magic. All Emily could do was watch helplessly (an unusual thing for Emily).

Emily stared helplessly at the screen and screamed! For upon it was the manifestation of an unofficial Halloween 2025 thread! Pleased, the dark entity released its grip, but it did not leave Emily untouched. For while lingering at the corners of her mind, it unleashed a sinister plot bunny! The plot bunny burrowed deep, and as plot bunnies tend to do, began multiplying. Emily gasped as the mists faded, because she knew at that moment, that her only hope of being truly free was to surrender to the plot bunnies and write a wonderful Halloween 2025 story.

 

[EmilyMiller]

@Laurel if you are OK with this thread becoming the ‘official’ one, please give us some sign. Like a dove, or a burning bush (not that bush ), or the lion lying down with the lamb (no beastiality involved).

 

[StillStunned]

@Laurel if you are OK with this thread becoming the ‘official’ one, please give us some sign. Like a dove, or a burning bush (not that bush ), or the lion lying down with the lamb (no beastiality involved).

All the sex toys arranging themselves in a straight line? Men suddenly being able to find the clitoris? The AH finally agreeing on how to define a "stroker"?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Conspiring with the mischievous @PennyThompson, I’ve recently written a Ted Logan-adjacent manticore in my Halloween story. As a result, I now have this awful compulsion to style this thread as the “Totally official…” one

 

[EmilyMiller]

All the sex toys arranging themselves in a straight line? Men suddenly being able to find the clitoris? The AH finally agreeing on how to define a "stroker"?

No, those are signs that the end of days is upon us. Easy mistake to make.

 

[HarryHill]

 

[CalBishForNow]

I started with last year's Halloween contest, so the more I think about it, the more I'm interested in doing it again this year.

I've got one idea I like involving a characters from previous stories. (Not parts of series, they'd be fine as standalones, just adventures that happen to reuse a character or premise.) The biggest concern I have is that it might not be original enough. Girl goes out for the night with a friend, gets attacked by vampire, with plenty of time to be surprised that vampires exist and realize what trouble she's in. If it weren't for the horror aspect, it would be in nonconsent/reluctance, which is a new category for me. (In fact, I may post it in Nonconsent and just keep the supernatural elements minimal, but the point is, it's a kink I don't normally work in/on.) I'm not sure the added details are enough to make it interesting.

Of course, I still have plenty of time and in the end it's all subjective, but that's where I am right now.

 

[EmilyMiller]

So Summer Lovin’ 2025 is dead, long live Halloween 2025.

Feel aggrieved with how your gem of a story was treated by the Philistine readers? Get back in the saddle and show them you’re better than that. Be the author you always wanted to be .

 

[secretLace]

I will have to have a think about this one. Always fun with themed events, love the enthusiasm Emily <3

 

[alohadave]

All the sex toys arranging themselves in a straight line? Men suddenly being able to find the clitoris? The AH finally agreeing on how to define a "stroker"?

She's looking for a sign, not enough miracles to be sainted.

 

[GaryDickins]

Working on a Twisted Fairy Tale submission that really leans into the horror side of fairy tales. Come to think, it's amazing we've let kids read those for centuries, isn't it?

I seem to recall reading a long time ago that fairy tales and nursery rhymes were ways of getting around ancient censorship in days where saying negative things about the crown might cost you a trip to the headsman's axe or get loyalists breaking down your door to hang you in the public square.

My draft is taking longer than I expected, so if I can't finish it by the September deadline for the fairy tales contest, I think it will also work for the Halloween contest.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Working on a Twisted Fairy Tale submission that really leans into the horror side of fairy tales. Come to think, it's amazing we've let kids read those for centuries, isn't it?

I seem to recall reading a long time ago that fairy tales and nursery rhymes were ways of getting around ancient censorship in days where saying negative things about the crown might cost you a trip to the headsman's axe or get loyalists breaking down your door to hang you in the public square.

My draft is taking longer than I expected, so if I can't finish it by the September deadline for the fairy tales contest, I think it will also work for the Halloween contest.

I think Halloween is pretty flexible about subject matter, maybe not a beach-themed story, but otherwise

 

[secretLace]

I might have gotten a small idea. Let's visit the Arkham asylum, what could possibly go wrong there?

 

[EmilyMiller]

I might have gotten a small idea. Let's visit the Arkham asylum, what could possibly go wrong there?

That’s Batman, right? I sooo don’t do comics.

 

[secretLace]

Arkham is taken from the Cthulhu mythos by HP Lovecraft. I imagine that Bob Kane borrowed the name for its sinister conotations. So it is a Cthulhu story rather than a batman story.

 

[Jorunn]

I think Halloween is pretty flexible about subject matter, maybe not a beach-themed story, but otherwise

My WIP for a Dark Fairy Take is Hunting for a Cryptid. It is written, but I have learned that rushing to meet a challenge or contest deadline often produces an average story. The hunters are from Alabama, and I want to include some of their interesting language. Plus add better descriptions and do a good self edit.

A few small changes should convert my story from a fairy tale to a fall ‘hunting’ story. And if I need to, I can add a ghost or a witch!

 

[Actingup]

I now have an idea, but I'm a little unsure and I wouldn't mind advice.

@PennyThompson and I recently did a story 'Dark Waters: Mothman vs The Bunyip', set in contemporary Australia but featuring a culture clash of sorts between ancient and modern cyrptids.

My idea is to do a Bunyip-focused prequel of sorts, set in the 1830s as rumours of the the European colonists were just starting to penetrate inland towards the spot where 'Dark Waters' was set. My worry is about cultural appropriation - the story would reflect my limited understanding of the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali peoples resident in the area at the time, based on what is now known. I don't know if I can pull that off sensitively enough. But then, surely here is a good place to take some risks...

 

[EmilyMiller]

Just running this up the flagpole.

I’ve submitted my story, Shining Valley High (10k words). Though I talked to Laurel about one potentially problematic aspect of it in advance, and she said it was fine, I wanted to allow time to fix it if she changes her mind.

 

[lovecraft68]

In spite of being a huge horror fan-and my pen name-I've only entered this one a handful of times. Maybe because its my favorite time of the year I will only enter if I'm really high on the idea.

About a week ago I was hit with a great one, but these days I write mush slower and I can't start until I finish my WIP so we'll see.

But if I get it done, its going to be a great homage to the real HPL

 

[secretLace]

Lovecraft all they way for me too if I manage to get it off the ground in time. really looking forward to read your Lovecraft take Lovecraft68.

 

[Jorunn]

I now have an idea, but I'm a little unsure and I wouldn't mind advice.

@PennyThompson and I recently did a story 'Dark Waters: Mothman vs The Bunyip', set in contemporary Australia but featuring a culture clash of sorts between ancient and modern cyrptids.

My idea is to do a Bunyip-focused prequel of sorts, set in the 1830s as rumours of the the European colonists were just starting to penetrate inland towards the spot where 'Dark Waters' was set. My worry is about cultural appropriation - the story would reflect my limited understanding of the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali peoples resident in the area at the time, based on what is now known. I don't know if I can pull that off sensitively enough. But then, surely here is a good place to take some risks...

One way to do this might be to have a visitor or explorer tell the story of their encounter. They won’t always get everything right, certainly not all the details. And they may embellish or exaggerate. If you try to set the story in the native culture and village, you will want to get everything as right as you can. You can do it, but it will take a lot of research.

Look at stories from English explorers searching the Nile, or others going up the Amazon. Spanish conquistadors in Peru. Tales of giant pyramids, cities of gold, strange creatures, and both hostile and friendly natives. They didn’t many get things right. Even Australia has stories of reefs of gold, found, then lost.

 

[GaryDickins]

For the Twisted Fairy Tales and the Halloween stories, do they relax any of the rules on things like MC death? For instance, if someone were going to tackle Red Riding Hood (not my subject for either) and have the MCs be the grandmother and the wolf, would they blanch if the wolf dies because... um... that's what happens to it in the Grimm's version of the fairy tale? Or would they expect you to change the ending to avoid all the normal off-limits stuff?

A lot of fairy tales and most Halloween horror stories end up with bodies littering the pages, so I'm just wanting to clarify where the lines are drawn as compared to stories that are not submitted for such contests.

Thanks!

 

[alohadave]

For the Twisted Fairy Tales and the Halloween stories, do they relax any of the rules on things like MC death? For instance, if someone were going to tackle Red Riding Hood (not my subject for either) and have the MCs be the grandmother and the wolf, would they blanch if the wolf dies because... um... that's what happens to it in the Grimm's version of the fairy tale? Or would they expect you to change the ending to avoid all the normal off-limits stuff?

A lot of fairy tales and most Halloween horror stories end up with bodies littering the pages, so I'm just wanting to clarify where the lines are drawn as compared to stories that are not submitted for such contests.

Thanks!

There's no prohibition to death in stories. The death just can't be sexualized or be snuff.

 

[EmilyMiller]

For the Twisted Fairy Tales and the Halloween stories, do they relax any of the rules on things like MC death?

Not MCs, but the body count (not that body count) in my Halloween story includes:

1 vampire
2 Nephilim
1 ogre
2 basilisks

 

[PennyThompson]

Not MCs, but the body count (not that body count) in my Halloween story includes:

1 vampire
2 Nephilim
1 ogre
2 basilisks

At least Mantikeanu survives