Doing the monster mash!
Doing the monster mash!
Thank you for joining our spooky Coop! Featuring prompts and a writing group summary, plus events and open calls for writers & writing
Boo! Aaaaaaaah! And a spooky welcome to our new subscribers!
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Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for a spooky edition of The Chicken Coop Writing Group last night.
It was great to listen to everyone’s stories about scary basements, being abandoned at motorway service stations, and so much more. I also appreciate that everyone was willing to give mirco-stories a go, brevity can be such a scary thing for us wordy folks!
I know spooky isn’t for everyone, but I find it really interesting to contemplate how people handle horror in their own lives. I’m terrified by (but can’t look away from) dystopias that don’t look super different from our own society (looking at you, Tender is the Flesh), but I love rooting for characters that are trying to disrupt oppressive systems and reconnect people with the world and each other (see HellSans).
Creep, spook, and horror look different for each of us, but there’s a reason we hold fear close in writing. It allows us to explore our worries and anxieties without necessarily exposing ourselves to these things in real life. It’s space to consider bigger questions, confront worst-case scenarios, and think about how we want the world to be.
In the last couple of years, I’ve read stories exploring the climate emergency (how would you react if we experienced water shortages and droughts in Scotland as portrayed in Thirsty Animals?), stories that dig into the impacts of history (Mariana Enriquez and Samanta Schweblin are masters of weaving in the haunting history of Argentina into their stories), stories that give modern context to the creatures that go bump in the night (like Bored Gay Werewolf), and fresh takes on classic stories like Dracula (Dracul is a fabulous prequel to Stoker’s story), and then we have stories examining how people live under late-stage capitalism (check out Deliver Me).
Within all of these stories, we can find the repeating patterns of short-sighted humanity, the desire to belong, what it means to be and live as an outsider, and the importance of not just accepting differences but also the need to embrace and not punish them.
Horror teaches us about ourselves and each other, helps us create boundaries, and teaches us what we will and won’t accept individually and as a society. As a genre, it lets us grapple with questions that we can’t quite comprehend and consider how we work together to create something better.
I highly recommend that you head on down to Argonaut Books or reach out to them for some more reading recommendations!
But now, without further to do, let’s look at…
What we got up to last night
You can do these tasks alone, in pairs, or in small groups. The purpose of our micro-stories tasks is to challenge you. Brevity is difficult for many writers as there’s less space to set a scene, and the payoff of the story comes around quickly in comparison to so many other forms.
Novels have both the luxury and difficulty of space and time to build out worlds with lore and history, and readers (generally) get to go on journeys (both literal and metaphorical) with the characters. While a bit more abstract, poems often have more space and time to explore our inner worlds and how we connect with the outside world. Dramas tend to focus on characters, how they navigate obstacles, and how challenges transform them. I feel like you’re getting the drift.
There are many ways to tell a story, and many advantages and disadvantages to each form, but short stories are challenging in a different way to their longer-form counterparts. Not only do writers have less time and space to build worlds, develop characters, and tie up loose ends, but they also have to be conscious of their word counts, ruthless in their word choice, and cutthroat when editing.
I love writing short-form work, whether it’s a nonet, a drabble, a tagline, or micro storytelling, there’s something I enjoy about paring things down and getting my message across urgently. It’s soothing to work within a confine sometimes and when those stories land, oooh, it’s a feeling of satisfaction unlike any other.
I hope you enjoy these tasks, and if you do write something, please consider sharing it with me. I love reading your work!
Task 1
Read the following two-sentence horror stories. Consider the word choice and structure of each story, and think about the following questions:
How does this differ from a longer-form story structure?
What are the difficulties of writing such short stories?
What are the advantages?
Is this structure similar to any other kind of storytelling?
The stories below are sourced from this article by Bored Panda, this article by BuzzFeed, and stories nine and ten are from Reddit’s two-sentence horror channel.
There was a picture in my phone of me sleeping. I live alone.
I thought it was cute that my cat always randomly stares at me. Then I realized he was looking at something just behind me.
I rage-quit after losing to the final boss for the 13th time. As I was shutting off the computer, I noticed my avatar pounding on the screen, begging me not to leave him alone.
“Put the mirrors back,” the stranger’s text said. Their next message: “We miss watching you.”
When they delivered the mannequins, I was relieved to see that they’d covered them in bubble wrap. Why do I hear popping from the storage room?
I noticed I was casting two shadows. There’s only one lightbulb.
I begin tucking my son into bed when he says, “Daddy, check under the bed ‘cause I think there’s a monster.” I check and see him - another him - shivering under the bed, whispering, “Daddy, there’s something in my bed.”
The funeral attendees never came out of the catacombs. Upon further investigation, you discover that someone locked the crypt door from the inside.
I was hired to set up and monitor security cameras at my daughter’s school, but I found a frightening pattern when the tapes were at 100x speed. The hill the school sits on is breathing.
As soon as the man’s blade cut her skin, the woman lying on the bed opened her eyes wide and let out an ear-piercing scream. Quite a surprising sight for his first day as a coroner.
Task 2
Write your own two-sentence horror story or multiple two-sentence stories. Try to keep your stories under 50 words. This task will challenge you to be conscious of your word choice and how you’ll set a scene without the space you find in longer-form writing.
Task 3
Use the spooky word bank below to free-write your own horror stories - if you’re more comfortable writing poetry please feel free to write a horror poem instead:
Try to either a) work some of these words into your writing or b) use one as a starting point for your piece, for example, you can write a story about a ghost who is chained behind a locked door, a first-person account from a spider hiding in a witch’s kitchen, or a ritual in a poetic form. Use these words to guide your writing.
Coop-ers, if you’d like eyes on your writing, please feel free to send your piece to me and I’ll take a look and make some notes before the next session! You can find the guidelines on the Google Form.
Community events
Responsible Tourism: Solutions for Edinburgh’s Future
Join The Cockburn Association today, October 30 from 12-5 pm for an afternoon of discussions on Edinburgh's tourism industry. Tourism is a significant part of Edinburgh's economy while also contributing to issues like the housing crisis. The proper management of tourism is vital and needs to consider the well-being of residents, stakeholders, and tourists alike. Tensions resulting from Overtourism are high across Europe, and it is more important than ever that Edinburgh anticipates the need to identify and implement responsible, sustainable strategies for managing its tourism industry.
There’ll be several guests speaking, including Dr Harold Goodwin, Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership, Professor John Lennon, former Director of the Moffat Centre of Travel and Tourism Business Development, representatives from the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, City Council officials, and more!
Book sliding scale tickets here
They’re back! Poetry & Pints is back in Leith! Join poet and host Jacob O’Sullivan at Leith Community Croft today, October 30 from 6-8.30 pm. P&P will bring you the best of Leith’s writers next to the Croft’s wonderful garden and tonight’s line-up will be reading some of the best poems found north of the Pilrig Muddle wheels.
Audience space is limited, so Poetry & Pints asks that you book a ticket. Money raised from ticket sales will cover the hire of the space, which goes directly to Earth in Common who run Leith Community Croft.
Get your tickets here
Ross Wilcock is back at Glasgow’s The Alchemy Experiment for The Poetry Experiment open mic tonight, Wednesday, October 30. Ross creates a welcoming and safe environment for new and seasoned performers alike and the mic is open to poets and storytellers. The line-up is filled with variety and talent who explore a spectrum of emotions and weave stories that will leave you enthralled or a little jealous you didn’t get on the mic yourself! Doors open at 7 pm for a 7.30 pm start. You can message Ross to sign up on Instagram or ask about a spot on the door.
Grab your tickets here
Edinbrugh’s only open mic night that celebrates sadness is back at Sketchy Beats in Leith tonight, October 30 from 7 pm. Songwriters, poets, and performers of all kinds are welcome to bring along their original work or to share covers as well, as long as it’s sad and you can have fun anything goes! The event is inclusive, welcoming and creative, to help Sketchy Beats they welcome donations. You can sign up at the door or message SSC’s host Dan on Instagram to sign up earlier.
Stay up to date with SSC here and find out more about tonight’s open mic here
Join the lovely beans at Typewronger for Short King Story Hour on tonight, October 30. The Typewronger team loves a short king: sharp and snappy prose that draws readers in and leaves them changed. SKSH is a new book group spotlighting a different short story or essay collection each month, and you don't need to read the book in advance!
You can turn up to the shop and sit back while a story or essay is read aloud and everyone is welcome to linger to explore the story further or disappear into the other stories on the shelves. The Typewronger team loved being read to as kids, and they want to share that delight with folks of all ages! This week they’re exploring Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.
Find out more here
Join Alba Writing Club’s Lily M Frenette at Edinburgh’s SHRUB Coop Zero Waste Hub for their weekly Joyful Writing group on Thursday, October 31 from 2-3 pm. Writers at all levels of experience are welcome in this group. Lily will use short lessons and prompts to help you flex your imaginative muscles. Each session ends with a chance to share writing or talk through any creative questions you may have. Join each week or drop in as your schedule allows.
Grab a pay-what-you-can ticket here
Local writer, Lorna French is hosting this 90 mins of generative writing session at The Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh on Thursday, October 31. These classes are perfect for young adults aged 16-25 who want to spark their creativity to unleash intuitive, instinctual work. Using poetry as a prompt, Lorna takes attendees beyond journalling, writing in small, intimate Writing Circles, always moving past the inner critic. Lorna will also hold space for participants to share their writing with acceptance and support. This is a novel opportunity for young people to develop their writing and creative practice and meet new friends.
Learn more and book tickets here
A couple of weeks ago the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) shared this post relaying that the Home Office is replacing Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) with digital eVisas. All physical BRP cards will expire on December 31, 2024. As a result, SRC is hosting a series of free, multilingual information sessions on Zoom to give refugees more information about these changes and how they might affect you.
This week, they’re hosting a session on Thursday, October 31 from 10 am to 12 pm. The session will have English, Arabic, and Farsi language options. SRC will also be holding another session on Monday, November 11 from 2 pm-4 pm with English, Vietnamese, and Tigrinya language options. They’ll also be announcing more sessions and dates soon.
Find out more about eVisas and register for a free info session here
Linda Jackson at Poetry at Books and Beans
Aberdeen friends, this one’s for you! This month, Poetry at Books and Beans is hosting the fabulous Linda Jackson on Thursday, October 31 from 6.30 pm. Linda will be reading from her new collection, Siren Calling. Linda is the founding editor of Seahorse Publications and the originator of a myriad of regular literary, arts, and musical events in Glasgow and further afield. She is one of the trio of poets in Wanderlust Women and Extra Baggage, a lecturer and writing tutor of many years, and a lifelong singer and musician with 6 albums released.
Poetry at Books and Beans is also welcoming a few local poets in support with open mic slots available as well. You can message the Poetry at Books and Beans page to book a spot.
Find out more here
Beginning this Thursday, October 31, the Edinburgh Horror Festival is at The Banshee Labyrinth until Sunday, November 3. Packed with comedy, cabaret, theatre, and storytelling shows, screenings, workshops, a market, and so much more, you don’t want to miss out on the spookiest weekend of the year! And you can even catch some of the events live-streamed on the Horror Fest’s website.
Highlights from the programme include:
- Stand Up Horror, gory-telling at its finest spinning tales from audience suggestions on October 31, November 1, 2, and 3
- My Grandmother Taught Me To Knit, original storytelling on knitting, grief, and perfectionism on October 31, November 1, 2 and 3
- Rogues So Banished, a theatre-storytelling show with local actor and writer Paul Case who’ll take you on a bloody ride into the darkest depths of Australian history
with this nightmarish horror story on October 31, November 1 and 2 - RSB is spectacular storytelling and Paul had me on the edge of my seat during his Fringe run at the Scottish Storytelling Centre this summer, you don’t want to miss it!
- Spooky Zine-Making Workshop with Coin-Operated Press where you’ll make horror-inspired zines on November 3
- Lady Tequila Welcomes You To Hell, a Gorlesque cabaret featuring burlesque stars from across the UK on November 3
Browse the programme and get tickets here
Join the Lemon Grove Bookclub on Friday, November 1 for a cozy evening of discussions, drinks, snacks, and new bookish friends at Backstage Barbershop in the city centre of Edinburgh. The evening is very informal with questions and prompts to get the conversation going and see where it goes. It doesn't matter if you come along yourself or with a friend, loved or hated the book, are confident talking in a group, or would rather quietly listen. There's no stress or pressure and all are welcome!
LGB celebrate women's fiction and the book for October is a spooky one for the season of the witch, A Haunting in the Arctic by CJ Cooke.
Grab a ticket for LGB here
Join The Singular Raven Society for an exciting in-person gaming event filled with mystery, deception, and strategy at the University of Edinburgh’s Paterson’s Land on Friday, November 1 from 6-8.30 pm. Test your sleuthing skills and uncover the truth in this social deduction game like no other. Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, all are welcome to participate.
For any queries, please email singularravensociety@gmail.com or book a ticket here
Lou Sanders in conversation with Michael Pedersen
The next edition of Michael Pedersen’s Edinburgh University Writer in Residence event is on Friday, November 1. This month Michael is joined by comedian, author, and presenter, Lou Sanders. Together they’ll discuss Lou's 2023 memoir, What's That Lady Doing? The event will be followed by a signing, with books provided on the night from Lighthouse Books.
Get more information and tickets here
On Saturday, November 2, join one of eff-able’s project partners, the incredible Sallyanne Rock for this relaxed workshop where you’ll look at how poetry helps us to commune with our bodies, sex, desire, and sensuality. You’ll discover how other poets have done it, and explore some poetic techniques that will help you create your own eff-able poems! This is a free online workshop where you can show up and engage in the ways that fit you best - with your video on or off, as an active contributor, or as a background observer. Live captions will be available. Please note this workshop is for people over 18 and eff-able is only open to submissions from queer, disabled writers.
Sign up for the workshop via Outsavvy
Edinburgh Zine Library’s House Warming Party at EMBASSY Gallery
EZL is welcoming everyone to their new home at EMBASSY Gallery for a house warming party and they’ll be celebrating their 7th birthday too! Join the EZL team on Saturday, November 2. From 3.30-5.30 pm, there’ll be quiet time with no background music and attendees are required to wear masks to protect medically vulnerable community members. From 6-9 pm, they’ll have music, drinks, and snacks. All day there’ll be zines!
For access information and to learn more visit EZL’s website
On Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3, Typewronger Books is hosting the Edinburgh Zine Fair at St. Margaret’s House in Edinburgh. There’ll be a range of zinesters, small presses, self-publishers, and artbook makers who’ll be exhibiting and selling their work, including: Coin-Operated Press, Smex, Mark Lewis, Sounds Sketchy, Sinoist Books, Louis Cammell, Mits Makes, and so many more. Typewronger is also bringing along a hand-press so you can print your own souvenirs!
Find out more here
Introduction to Seaweed Paper Making
The Steeples Studios in Newburgh, Fife is hosting this workshop on Sunday, November 3. Dive into the fascinating world of seaweed paper-making from 10 am. You’ll work together to create unique, beautiful, and tactile paper from seaweed from the beaches of Fife. The workshop promises to be a fun, hands-on, and slightly messy way to explore the wonders of seaweed!
Find out more and get tickets here
Scurvy and the Pathology of Exploration
On Monday, November 4, Dr Edmund Joseph and Professor Ken Donaldson are giving this talk as part of National Pathology Week. They’ll be discussing the pathologies that blighted some of history’s most famous expeditions. Long sea voyages with large crews were typical and posed huge problems in providing nutrition over long periods at sea. The foremost pathology arising from long voyages was scurvy, which killed more men than storms, shipwrecks, and war during this time. Scurvy remained an intractable problem until Scots physician James Lind carried out the first ‘clinical trial’ in 1747 and showed that citrus fruit prevented scurvy.
This talk will introduce the background to scurvy as an occupational disease of sailors and the pathology of the disease. The talk will last approximately 1 hour and the Wohl Pathology galleries will be open for ticket holders only between 6 and 8 pm.
Book your ticket here
PBH Free Fringe Drop-in Information Session
On Monday, November 4 from 6.30 to 7.30 pm at The Old Toll Bar in Glasgow, Candlelight Open Mic host and Artistic Director of Spoken Word at PBH Free Fringe, Ross McFarlane will be leading an information session on how to get involved with the Fringe as a performer. The PBH Free Fringe programs hundreds of shows during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every August – providing artists with free venues, free marketing through their Wee Blue Book, and providing audiences with free art during one of the biggest arts festivals in the world!
The session will answer the following: What happens at the Fringe? Who is PBH Free Fringe and what do they do? How can I perform at the Fringe? What does a Fringe show look like? How much does it cost to perform at the Fringe? What kind of benefits are there to bringing a show to the Fringe? Plus time for any questions from those in attendance.
For more information check out this post or get in touch with Ross on Instagram
Following the PBH Free Fringe Drop-in session, Ross McFarlane will be hosting the Candlelight Open Mic - a place where everyone is welcome. Join Ross at The Old Toll Bar on Monday, November 4 from 7.30 pm for an evening of poetry and spoken word from new and experienced writers alike. Sign-ups are currently open and you can book a slot by messaging Ross on Instagram. There’ll be a couple of slots on the door for anyone who can’t commit in advance!
Get more information here
Join Listening Party on Tuesday, November 5 from 7.30 pm for another open crit session at Embassy Gallery. The sessions are drop-in with no booking required and you’re encouraged to bring a pal. Artists and creatives from all disciplines are welcome and there’s no crit experience necessary. This time around you’ll break into small groups organised by similar disciplines, for maximum usefulness.
As always the vibe will be informal, supportive, and healthily critical. The Listening Party team want you to leave feeling inspired and motivated not deflated! All they ask is that you consider how you’ll present your work to a small group (e.g. bring a smaller painting over a larger one, or make sure you have headphones if you want to play music or a film).
Find out more here or follow Listening Party on Instagram
Open calls for writers & writing
Village Storytelling Centre Open Call
Last week the Village Storytelling Centre announced that they’d received funding to develop an arts and creativity strategy for the Greater Pollock local area. The VSC team will be researching, hosting meetings, and facilitating workshops between now and March 2025, and want to hear from artists and creative individuals living or working in Greater Pollok. Please note this opportunity is open to artists and creatives working in the Greater Pollock area under the G53 postcode.
To find out more, email hannah@villagestorytelling.org.uk
The Story Sessions: Nourishment
Soapbox for Creatives are looking for storytellers to join them at Tribe Porty on Friday, November 8 for the latest installment of The Story Sessions. TSS is an evening of storytelling in collaboration between Soapbox and Tribe. It is an invitation to come together and be inspired while listening to real people sharing real stories. This time the theme is Nourishment. Consider how you feel nourished; is it through food? Being in community? Spending time with family and friends? How do you nourish your body, mind and soul?
If you’d like to share a story at The Story Sessions on November 8, you can reach out to the Soapbox for Creatives team at soapboxforcreatives@gmail.com with a brief synopsis of your story
Underbelly Press is a UK-based working-class online lit mag. Submissions for Issue 2 are open now and they’re looking for pieces rooted in dirty realism with writing that is gritty, authentic, raw, and unfiltered. You can send them poetry (up to 30 lines), short fiction (up to 1,000 words), and art & photography. The deadline to submit is November 15.
Read the guidelines here and submit your work here
StAnza, Scotland’s international poetry festival, is inviting poetry film submissions to showcase at their festival and online in March 2025. Viewers in-person and online will vote for their favourite and the winner will receive the Audience’s Choice Prize and £200! Those selected to showcase their films will also receive a free digital pass to attend the festival online.
Films should be no longer than 6 minutes and need to have captions or subtitles. The film submission deadline is 5 pm Friday, January 31, 2025. The StAnza team is looking for poetry films that utilise both poetry and film conventions and elements. They’re not open to poetry readings to camera and ask for only one film per person or group. If you have any questions, get in touch with the StAnza team at stanza@stanzapoetry.org
Fine more details and submission guidelines here
Thank you for reading!
Horror is a mirror and it can be easy to get distracted by our own reflections, to over-analyze them, and forget there’s a lot to fight for in the world we live in. But horror writing asks us to consider what we’d change about the world around us, it asks us to be better by showing us the worst of what society has to offer.
We’re currently living through seemingly endless horror as Israel continues to displace people in Gaza and Lebanon, commit genocide against Palestinian people, and employ ever crueller and more inhumane ways to harm people.
In other parts of the world, we see climate destruction and a writing-off of whole communities and their rights as capitalism and colonial legacies continue to pursue profit without any care for the danger they’re putting people in. Within our own country, we continue to face austerity at the cost of our health, well-being, and people because many politicians would rather line their pockets than accept accountability or work for something better.
Radical acts look like keeping ourselves accountable, being creative, holding space for each other, and understanding that mutual aid and support will move the needle much faster than relying on our failing political and economic systems. It includes things like paying what you can to support communities like ours, it’s donating to organisations like Art Workers for Palestine Scotland, it’s challenging hate speech and misinformation, it’s writing and protesting to demand better from your MPs, MSPs, and institutions, and disrupting business as usual.
We can change things, we just have to try. And you can take a small step towards that change by…
Donating to Art Workers for Palestine Scotland
Art Workers for Palestine Scotland (AW4PS) is asking for donations to help sustainably fund their activities, support & empower their communities, and raise money for those facing Israeli aggression. Donations will be split across AW4PS’s Palestinian & Lebanese crisis relief funds, the AW4PS BPOC Mutual Aid Fund, and AW4PS actions & running costs, including access costs and kids group activities.
AW4PS is currently fundraising for The General Student Union in Lebanon, the Lebanon Solidarity Collective, Fazaa Community Kitchen Lebanon, and Gaza Collective: Gazan youth and families project, alongside fundraisers for families in Gaza organised by Industrial Workers of the World - Edinburgh and Zionist Free Leith.
Individuals and organisations can make a one off or monthly donation of any amount. If you are part of an organisation who wants to donate and have any questions get in touch with AW4PS at aw4ps.expenses@gmail.com. All financial income & spending are visible on the AW4PS Open Collective page.
Donate to AW4PS here and subscribe to their newsletter here
Thank you for sticking with me through this big ol’ newsletter today! It means a lot to me and I’m so happy we could come together to explore the spooky season and write new stories.
The Chicken Coop Writing Group will be back next month, on November 26, if you’d like to get early-bird access to tickets, please consider becoming a paying subscriber!
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Take care and happy Hallowe’en,
Naomi x
P.s. If you know someone looking for a place to write, whether they’re new to words or returning to writing after a break, please consider sharing our newsletter with them!
P.p.s. If you’re looking for more events and local news, check out my favourite daily publication The Edinburgh Minute. Every Wednesday Michael also shares The Culture Minute which gives you an overview of cultural events happening across the city, updates on industry news, and for paying subscribers you can access creative job listings as well!