The Halloween Horrors Competition is a creative writing contest at WHHS where students can submit a spooky story to be voted on by other classmates.   

Jonathan Rubin, ‘26, is a new contestant, having entered only this year. 

“I’ve recently found a liking to horror over the past year. I’ve gotten more into the genre,” Rubin said. “I’ve always found it fun to write stories.”

Even though Rubin has written stories before, this is one of the first that he has shared with others. 

“[My story] is about this kid who goes into this coma, and wakes up in this weird mystical world that feels like it’s empty and it feels like something else. He’s trying to get back to where he originally was,” Rubin said.

While Rubin has found the rising action to be his favorite part in his story, he has still found areas to improve upon.

“I think I could do a better job explaining the surroundings and not going back to repeating, just making it more clear and precise,” Rubin said.

Amy Sarr, ‘27, has also entered the contest for the first time this year.  

“I like fantasy, and since horror is kind of like fantasy, I thought I could write a story on horror,” Sarr said.

Sarr’s story is about a little girl who finds a book dropped in the street by an old lady, and uses it to try and get revenge on her family. 

“[My favorite part] is when she figures out what she’s doing wrong, because she sees her little sister just standing there,” Sarr said.

Taking current events and one’s own experiences into account is something Sarr recommends to those wanting to write. 

“[The main character] is 12, and she has a big family so she doesn’t get much attention, and I have three siblings, not really that big, but I’m the middle kid,” Sarr said.

Unlike many other students who took part in the Halloween Horrors Competition, Evelyn Denen, ‘26, has participated in the contest since its creation.

“Horror in general… I like the genre. I’ll take a stab at it sometimes, no pun intended,” Denen said.

Denen has seen an improvement in her storytelling throughout the years. 

“I had a lot of plot holes [in] my first ever submission, so I nitpicked this one a lot to make sure I thought it was good enough. So I’ve definitely improved upon the way I’m writing,” Denen said. “It hooks the reader a little bit more.”

Denen’s story is about a yandere, a violently possessive love interest, who stalks the main character.  

“[My favorite part] is the intro where you get the first look at what the story is gonna be based upon,” Denen said.

For next year’s competition, Denen also sees some breakthroughs to be had in her writing skills. 

“I think I could use a few more descriptive words. I want to add more gore to the next story, right?” Denen said.

In terms of writing and entering contests like this, Denen thinks that if interested, one should go for it. 

“You’re going to be nervous. I’m nervous. I think nobody’s gonna like it. But I’m going for it anyway, because it’s better to hear what people are saying about it,” Denen said. “Even if [what they say] is negative, it’s better to improve than to not do it at all.”