Scared Out of My Wits: October Prompt

Summary

Mary Chang Story Writer presents an October prompt for a six-word photo story challenge with a "Scary" theme, inviting participants to submit original, eerie photographs accompanied by concise stories.

Abstract

The website content introduces a photography challenge for the month of October, themed around the concept of "Scary." Mary Chang Story Writer, an award-winning writer and editor of the Six Word Photo Story Challenge publication, encourages photographers and storytellers to capture and share a photo that evokes fear or eeriness, paired with a six-word story. The challenge is part of a monthly series that aims to inspire creativity and brevity in storytelling. Participants are required to adhere to specific formatting and submission guidelines, with the option to also submit freestyle stories unrelated to the monthly theme. The challenge is open for submissions until October 31st, 2021, and emphasizes the importance of keeping stories short and impactful.

Opinions

Mary Chang Story Writer finds personal photographs, such as one taken during a nighttime walk, to be a source of inspiration for the challenge, highlighting the impact of lighting and environment in creating a haunting image.
The writer expresses a personal connection to the theme, sharing an anecdote about being frightened by her own shadow in a photograph and reading a ghost story from her childhood journal with her son.
The challenge is presented as an opportunity for writers to confront and express what scares them, with an invitation to be brave, curious, and mysterious in their storytelling.
There is an emphasis on the community aspect of the challenge, with the writer expressing anticipation and curiosity about the diverse interpretations and submissions from participants.
The writer endorses the Medium platform and encourages readers to join using her referral link, suggesting that membership supports writers directly and provides access to a wide range of stories.

Ghost shadow —I couldn’t run away.

This photograph was taken at nighttime during a walk home. When I got home that evening and scrolled through my photos and saw the image — it scared me out of my wits. That ominous shadow, the lighting, the dead grass — haunting.

That shadow — was me. I was frightened of my own shadow — yikes! I still find this image eerie.

An old journal from when I was in Grade 3 was returned to me in the mail over a year ago (that’s another mystery story) — and my 9-year-old son and I read one of the ghost stories I had written in it. He asked me,

“What does scared out of your wits mean?”

October’s Challenge

October’s challenge is to find the answer to that question. Can you publish a photo that is scary, eerie, or frightening in some way and tell a story about it in six words? Grab those cameras and see if you can snatch a ghost, shadow, or monster in action or dig into those graves, ahem — I mean photo archives — and see what mysteries you can solve.

I dare you to be scary!

I dare you to take the Scary Challenge. Be brave, be curious, be mysterious — be scary. I wonder what writers will come up with…(evil chuckle, blood-curling scream, gory music cue.) I’m getting goosebumps — Halloween is coming. Stir up the cauldron, clear away the spider webs — say boo!

The photo must be taken by yourself and include your photo credit. For your subtitle: Please use October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Scary (like the subtitle used in this article). Please tag your story using these tags: Monthly Challenge, Six Word Photo Story.

Note: October Challenge “Scary” submissions will be open from October 1st and WILL CLOSE AT 8 PM, October 31st, 2021, Pacific Standard time.

Freestyle Six Word Photo Stories

You also have the option to write a six-word photo story featuring a photo and topic of your own choosing — as long as the photo and story are connected in some way. The story doesn’t need to be related to the monthly challenge. Please tag your story using these tags: Freestyle, Six Word Photo Story.

On writing your Six Word Photo Story

Read and follow the submission guidelines. Your story must be six words only. If your six-word story has a backstory, the backstory can be between 1–2 minutes. Anything longer than 2 minutes will not be accepted. The concept of this publication is to keep the stories short.

Format: It should be formatted like this story from the featured photo that appears ABOVE the title down to the 3 dots after my son’s quote — which signals the end of the story. For formatting instructions, see Formatting Your Six Word Photo Story.

If your story requires any edits or doesn’t meet guidelines, it will delay publication and may not be accepted.

If you’d like to be added as a writer and submit to Six Word Photo Story Challenge publication, please read and follow the submission guidelines.

Photography, The Shadow

Scared Out of My Wits: October Prompt

October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Scary

Ghost shadow —I couldn’t run away.

October’s Challenge

I dare you to be scary!

Freestyle Six Word Photo Stories

On writing your Six Word Photo Story

About the Writer

Join Medium with my referral link — Mary Chang Story Writer

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