EPIC Update — 5 Min Read

Submit your local ghost story to Winter Hauntings!

By Autumn Ware

EPIC Update — 5 Min Read

Submit your local ghost story to Winter Hauntings!

By Autumn Ware

Last year, I launched EPIC Carteret to experiment in a new mode of storytelling – the podcast. It’s been fun to learn some of the tricks of the trade – like “nonlinear, narrative interspersion,” a way of breaking up a story to add layers and depth and to create a more dynamic listening experience. In podcasts, a more fragmented approach creates a rhythm and pacing that keeps the audience engaged.

I used the same format when I coordinated the live Winter Hauntings event this past January, where a rapt audience listened to locally inspired ghost stories crafted by the three top contenders in the EPIC Carteret ghost story contest in 2023: New Bern writer Willow Redd, new CW board member Jessi Waugh, and former CW board member Melissa Kelley, who took home $100 and The Haunted Doll Prize.

During the evening of ghost stories, actors from Carteret Community Theater gave rousing readings of the finalists’ tales of terror, and interspersed among those stories, we had original music by Chick ‘N’ Biscuit (Emily and John “Smokin’ Hot Love Biscuit” Carter), haunting poetry by Malaika King Albrecht, and an unforgettable reading of John Whittier Greenleaf’s “The Palatine” by playwright Doug Miron.

If you missed out, have no fear. Head over to epic-carteret.com, where I recently released Summer Spirits, a recording of the event complete with eerie sound effects.

Better yet, be a part of the magic!

If you’re a local writer who happens to be a smidge creepy – or if you’re a writer interested in experimenting with the weird and eerie, you’re in luck! Last year’s contest and event were a spook-tacular success, so we’re doing it all over again.

On January 29, 2025, CCT actors will once again be reading the top three submissions, and this year, the venue will be three times the size! That means three times as many people listening to your story if you’re in the top three. If you’re in the top five, your tale will appear in the souvenir program. Take a gander at last year’s digital version of the program over at epic-carteret.com, where it’s gotten a second life with online visitors.

Here’s what you need to know about the contest.

Submission Guidelines

  • Word Limit: 1,300 words.
  • Theme: Carteret County-inspired ghost stories.
  • Eligibility: Writers must have a connection to Carteret County, be it through birth, residency, familial ties, or other significant connections. Additionally, all participants must be 16 years or older.
  • Prize: $100 and your very own Haunted Doll (plus, bragging rights)!

For alllll the nitty gritty submission details, head to the official EPIC Carteret Contest Page.

Important Dates

  • August 4: We opened submissions.
  • October 5: My four-part ghost story writing workshop* through CCC begins. More info here.
  • October 31: Submissions close.
  • January 29, 2025: We’ll announce the winner at the Winter Hauntings Evening of Ghost Stories.

*If you plan to take the Winter Hauntings course, I recommend getting started ahead of time and using the classes as an opportunity to refine your story and work out any kinks. We’ll be workshopping, so it’s best to come with something, even if you decide to take a new direction once we get started.

**If you can’t make the course, but you want some tips, I offer summaries of last year’s workshops at my blog. This year’s will be a little different since we’re workshopping.

Judging and Rewards

I will not be judging the contest, but I can assure you that you will be in good hands. Judges include Poisoned Press author Tom Kies, Beaufort Bookstagrammer Tara Sandmann, librarian and creepy corvid-lover Caitlin Kuhn, and last year’s winner Melissa Kelley.

Selected finalists will have their tales of terror terrifyingly told by local actors at the Winter Hauntings Ghost Storytelling Event on January 29, published in the souvenir program, and brought back to life next summer in our next Summer Spirits broadcast.

The more the scarier!

Join me this spooky season in penning paranormal parables complete with phantoms, ghouls, and other creepy critters! Light a candle, pull out your quill and ink, and get weird with it!

Questions? For any queries or support, contact us at [email protected].

I originally wrote this post for the Carteret Writers blog. If you’re not familiar with the 40-year old organization founded by local writers to support local writers, check it out. Membership is a mere $30/year.

Last year, I launched EPIC Carteret to experiment in a new mode of storytelling – the podcast. It’s been fun to learn some of the tricks of the trade – like “nonlinear, narrative interspersion,” a way of breaking up a story to add layers and depth and to create a more dynamic listening experience. In podcasts, a more fragmented approach creates a rhythm and pacing that keeps the audience engaged.

I used the same format when I coordinated the live Winter Hauntings event this past January, where a rapt audience listened to locally inspired ghost stories crafted by the three top contenders in the EPIC Carteret ghost story contest in 2023: New Bern writer Willow Redd, new CW board member Jessi Waugh, and former CW board member Melissa Kelley, who took home $100 and The Haunted Doll Prize.

During the evening of ghost stories, actors from Carteret Community Theater gave rousing readings of the finalists’ tales of terror, and interspersed among those stories, we had original music by Chick ‘N’ Biscuit (Emily and John “Smokin’ Hot Love Biscuit” Carter), haunting poetry by Malaika King Albrecht, and an unforgettable reading of John Whittier Greenleaf’s “The Palatine” by playwright Doug Miron.

If you missed out, have no fear. Head over to epic-carteret.com, where I recently released Summer Spirits, a recording of the event complete with eerie sound effects.

Better yet, be a part of the magic!

If you’re a local writer who happens to be a smidge creepy – or if you’re a writer interested in experimenting with the weird and eerie, you’re in luck! Last year’s contest and event were a spook-tacular success, so we’re doing it all over again.

On January 29, 2025, CCT actors will once again be reading the top three submissions, and this year, the venue will be three times the size! That means three times as many people listening to your story if you’re in the top three. If you’re in the top five, your tale will appear in the souvenir program. Take a gander at last year’s digital version of the program over at epic-carteret.com, where it’s gotten a second life with online visitors.

Here’s what you need to know about the contest.

Submission Guidelines

  • Word Limit: 1,300 words.
  • Theme: Carteret County-inspired ghost stories.
  • Eligibility: Writers must have a connection to Carteret County, be it through birth, residency, familial ties, or other significant connections. Additionally, all participants must be 16 years or older.
  • Prize: $100 and your very own Haunted Doll (plus, bragging rights)!

For alllll the nitty gritty submission details, head to the official EPIC Carteret Contest Page.

Important Dates

  • August 4: We opened submissions.
  • October 5: My four-part ghost story writing workshop* through CCC begins. More info here.
  • October 31: Submissions close.
  • January 29, 2025: We’ll announce the winner at the Winter Hauntings Evening of Ghost Stories.

*If you plan to take the Winter Hauntings course, I recommend getting started ahead of time and using the classes as an opportunity to refine your story and work out any kinks. We’ll be workshopping, so it’s best to come with something, even if you decide to take a new direction once we get started.

**If you can’t make the course, but you want some tips, I offer summaries of last year’s workshops at my blog. This year’s will be a little different since we’re workshopping.

Judging and Rewards

I will not be judging the contest, but I can assure you that you will be in good hands. Judges include Poisoned Press author Tom Kies, Beaufort Bookstagrammer Tara Sandmann, librarian and creepy corvid-lover Caitlin Kuhn, and last year’s winner Melissa Kelley.

Selected finalists will have their tales of terror terrifyingly told by local actors at the Winter Hauntings Ghost Storytelling Event on January 29, published in the souvenir program, and brought back to life next summer in our next Summer Spirits broadcast.

The more the scarier!

Join me this spooky season in penning paranormal parables complete with phantoms, ghouls, and other creepy critters! Light a candle, pull out your quill and ink, and get weird with it!

Questions? For any queries or support, contact us at [email protected].

I originally wrote this post for the Carteret Writers blog. If you’re not familiar with the 40-year old organization founded by local writers to support local writers, check it out. Membership is a mere $30/year.

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