Do you love ghost stories and want to try writing one yourself? Or did you see HighTide’s production of Ghost Stories By Candlelight and now feel inspired? We’ve put together a new ghost story writing guide for creative writers of all levels and experience to learn from and be inspired by. Come and have a go…if you think you’re scary enough. Plus, you can send it to us for a chance to have it performed by professional actors.
The writers of Ghost Stories By Candlelight were all inspired by the famous short story writer, M.R. James. He set many of his most well-known ghost stories in East Anglia. We’ve put together a new ghost story writing guide which includes his ‘top tips’ for writing scary tales and we’ve added in some of our own modern tips too.
Download our guide: How to Write Your Own Ghost Story
What Happens Next?
We would love to read your short ghost stories! You can write a ghost story intended to be read on the page. Or you can write a ghost story intended to be performed on stage. It’s up to you. Your submission should be under 10 minutes long and written as a monologue or a first person narrative. Whether you’re an experienced writer or a first-timer, anyone can have a go.
If you want to share them with us, please send them to
[email protected] by 19th December 2023. We will then select the spookiest to be audio-recorded by professional actors and share them online.
Need more inspiration?
You can join Kelly Jones, one of our playwrights, for a free, online workshop on writing a ghost story on 14th December 2023, 6:30pm.
