It seems that spooky season has arrived early. The evenings are drawing in, and supermarket shelves are already stacked with Halloween goodies. This was certainly the case on Wednesday evening as members gathered at Ayr Writers’ Club for the second Skills Builder Session of the 2025/26 season. There were witches’ hats, bats, and scary gravestones to set the scene. As for the eerie sound of horses trotting by in the dark… well, you simply had to be there!
Our club president, Fiona Johnson, led the session: The Elements of Horror Writing. Rather than trying to scare us outright, Fiona reassured us that she would focus on how to structure a short story in the horror genre. Her aim was for everyone to leave with a clearer idea of how to write one, and I think it’s fair to say she succeeded.
The evening explored three key elements of any good horror story: dread, terror, and horror. Through a series of activities, we considered how each contributes to building fear and tension, how they differ from one another, and how to use them effectively at different stages of a story.
Of course, while Fiona said she didn’t intend to scare us, that didn’t stop participants from scaring each other. When we shared the results of the activities, we encountered wallpaper that changed patterns and whispered instructions to follow a headless demon downstairs, a doppelganger who returned to claim a soul, and a remote research station where strange things were happening. Not to worry though, the gingerbread man won out against the demons at the door! Chilling stuff! I’ll admit, I left with a few story ideas bubbling away (though maybe not ones I’ll want to write in the dark!).
Fiona also reminded us about the Genre Short Story Competition, with the theme of Horror, which closes on 21st January 2026. Plenty of time to put these ideas into practice!
Committee members Jennifer and Gavin announced they’re planning a second-hand book sale at the 15th October meeting, following the Poetry Slam. Donations of books will be welcome from 8th October . More details to follow soon.
Competition Secretary Linda reminded us that the Flash Fiction Competition is now open, closing on 1st October 2025.
Finally, the evening ended with Carrie taking the Last Word spot, reading her suitably eerie 100-word drabble, Soul Stealer. A perfect close to a spine-chilling night!
Bernadette Wardrop