Do you like stories about haunted houses and supernatural encounters? The Library wants you to write your own urban myth or ghost story. If your story scares us enough, we’ll produce it into a spooky video that will feature on the Youth & Family Engagement YouTube channel around Halloween. (Mwah hahaha!)

View Trailer

Submissions Closed

Timeline:

• Submissions open Sept. 1 – Sept. 30, 2021
• Winners will be announced mid-October
• Winners and honorable mentions will be published on the Library website.
• Videos will premiere late October
   

Who can enter:

There are two categories, with one winner from each group:

• Ages 10-13
• Ages 14-18

Contestants must live within the Kansas City metro area.

Rules:

• Word Limits - Max 1000 words/Minimum 350 words.
• Stories should be wholly original, written in the writer’s own words.
• Applicants may submit more than one story.
• Stories can be typed or neatly written by hand (photos of handwritten material can be uploaded as JPEG images).
• Winning stories may be subject to minor editing to prepare it for the video.
• By submitting entries, contestants give the Library permission to adapt or edit the content for promotions related to this contest.

Entries must include:

• Full name of writer
• Phone number
• Email
• Age
• Zip code

Submissions Closed

Not sure how to start?

Click the button below for story prompts and questions. If you’re into a story, write an ending for it. If you’re inspired and want change something, do that, too. And if you want to learn more about the history behind these stories, visit KCHistory.org, Oh, and note that we’ve taken the inspiration for these stories from actual events and people in our history, but we made them much, much weirder. 
  Scary Story Starters (PDF) | Additional Tips

Get Inspired with eerie reads

 watch a spooky youtube playlist