Masters of Macabre 2013 Story Contest: Haunted Houses.
This is the 3rd annual (Men’s) Masters of Macabre story contest, sponsored by The HorrorAddicts.net. This is the guys opportunity to show those Wicked Women Writers that we know how to make your skin crawl and your blood turn cold as effectively as any moonlit cemetery or chainsaw carrying kid in a hockey mask.
This year’s challenge is Haunted Houses. They come in all shapes, sizes and locations with as wide a variety of ghosts, ghouls and poltergeists. Here’s your chance to walk us through the dark halls of your imagination and paint us frightening portraits to hang in the hidden chambers of our minds.
When you accept our challenge you’ll get a location and an item which relates in some way to the paranormal pest of your preference. How it all relates is up to you.
With your house, item and ghost in hand, you’ll have ten (10) minutes to give us goose bumps, nightmares and your best spooky voice. If you’re unable to record it yourself and you can’t find someone to do it for you, let me know. I know a few creepy podcasters who might help you out.
Some dates to remember:
As Soon As You Can: Send your name, e-mail address, a head shot (That’s just a picture of you. No bullets through the head, please) and a short bio, (How wonderful you are, in 50 words or less.) Send that to MMMchallenge2013@gmail.com.
A Few Days Later: We’ll send you a contract. When we get that back we can send you a location and an item. The sooner you get your stuff to me, the sooner you can start crafting your masterpiece of the macabre.
June 10, 2013: The last day to enter the contest.
July 20, 2013: The last day to send us your completed story in mp3 audio and your edited text.
August 24, 2013: My wife’s birthday, the day the stories will air and voting begins. Have your social networks, fan clubs, garden society, and old folk’s home prepped and ready to start the voting. They’ll only have 30 days, so get out there and pimp the competition and vote for their favorite story.
September 24, 2013: The last day to nag family members to vote for their favorite story.
October 5, 2013: The day one of you will revel in the glory of being crowned Master of Macabre, 2013.
If this sounds as fun to you as it did to me last year, get us your information. If you have questions, you can ask me anything by sending an email to MMMchallenge2013@gmail.com
Yours in Horror,
Philip ‘Norvaljoe’ Carroll, Master of Macabre, 2012

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Horror Addicts Master of Macabre Contest, 2012
Hosted by Shaunessy Ashdown and Rachel von Hindman
Contestants:
1. Dan Shaurette – Curse of the Pharoahs
2. Rish Outfield – Curse of Macbeth (the “Scottish Play”)
3. Shawn Micallef – Curse of Otzi
4. Donald L. Pitsiladis – Voodoo Curse
5. Philip “Norvaljoe” Carrol – Curse of Winning the Lottery
Vote now! Send your vote to: horroraddicts@gmail.com

Masters of Macabre Contest – Stories audio

The challenge:
Write and record a story based on a famous curse. Obviously, this challenge is not for the faint of heart or the superstitious. Six brave men have taken it on.

The contestants and their curses:

Dan Shaurette
Curse of the Pharoahs

Donald L. Pitsiladis
A voodoo curse

Will McNeice
The Curse of the Hope Diamond

Rish Outfield
The Curse of Macbeth (the “Scottish Play”)

Jeremiah Donaldson
The Curse of the Crying Boy

Philip “Norvaljoe” Carrol
The Curse of Winning the Lottery

The rules:
All curses are assigned by the organizer. If a contestant doesn’t like his curse, he can forfeit it and draw a new one, but he can only do this twice.

Has anyone exercised this privilege so far? Yes! Rish Outfield was originally tasked with writing about A Cursed Story (of the Romani people), but decided after multiple failed attempts at weaving a tale that it was his story that was going to be cursed if he didn’t trade it in! But will the “Scottish Play” afflict him when he records his story?

What’s next?
Despite intensive work with hexed subject matter, no evil has befallen any of the contestants… yet! Let’s hope they all get through this alive. There isn’t much time left for writing and recording. Audio is due on May 11th.

An opportunity for male horror writers, published and unpublished, to strut their stuff! You write and record your own scary story, we post it on the internationally famous HorrorAddicts.net site and let the listeners vote for the best one. The winner receives a host of prizes, most importantly the coveted “Master of Macabre” title and the privilege of organizing next year’s MoM Challenge. You can listen to last year’s stories here.

2012 THEME – CURSES!

This year’s Challenge will lure us into the dark domain of malicious hexes and inescapable afflictions. Contestants will be tasked with telling stories inspired by famous, or once-famous, curses from around the world. The real curse will be on us listeners who have to choose a winner. Woe is us!

GUIDELINES

• Entries will be accepted until April 11, 2012.
• Each entrant will be assigned a curse from somewhere in the world. Look here for an idea of the kinds of curses we might give you.
• The entrant is to write a story of 1500-3500 words in which the assigned curse plays a central role. Stories should explain the curse for listeners who have never heard of it, but should not be merely a re-telling of the original story.
• The entrant records the story. Horror Addicts will not provide readers this year. If you need help recording your story, the MoM group on Facebook is a great place to ask questions. Audio will be due in mp3 format on May 11, 2012. After your story, you may tell listeners how they can find more of your writing.

OTHER DATES

June 30, 2012: contest airs and voting starts

July 27, 2012: voting ends

August 25, 2012: winner announced on HorrorAddicts.net podcast

HOW TO ENTER

1. Send the following information in the body of an email to momchallenge2012@gmail.com.

Name
Email address
Skype name (if you have one)
Websites and blogs (if you have any)

You will receive a brief contract for your perusal.

2. Return contract, a short bio (50 words or less) for our website, and your headshot to momchallenge2012@gmail.com.

3. Shaunessy Ashdown, the current Master of Macabre, will assign you your curse (but not curse you) and you can get writing!

Who will be the next Master of Macabre?

A chat with Master of Macabre, Shaunessy Ashdown.

HA: What inspired you to enter the Masters of the Macabre contest?

Shaunessy: The Wicked Women Writers Challenge, of course! I became a fan when Kimberly Steele, an author I admire very much (check out her cool vampire novel Forever Fifteen), participated in 2010. Each writer had to write a story about one of The Seven Deadly Sins and thought that would be so much fun to do. You can imagine how elated I was when a year later I saw that there was going to be a challenge for the lads.

HA: What did you think of the items you were given? 

Shaunessy: I thought, “Score!!!”

HA: When you listened to the other stories, who did you think would win?

Shaunessy: As soon as I heard Michael Burns speak his first words, with that fun-loving voice of his, I thought, “Oh, this is gonna be good.” and I was not disappointed. I have to also mention Colin Barnes’s very intelligent story. Both of these authors did an excellent job of putting the phobic protagonist in a situation where her/his phobia is cranked up to maximum volume, so to say. I didn’t quite manage that in my story and so I was honestly quite jealous.

HA: How did you feel when you were told you won?

Shaunessy: Like I’d been kissed by Elvira!

HA: What will this contest mean to the future of your writing?

Shaunessy: Who can say? I feel very encouraged to write more fiction and to record it, and to do more challenges. Does anyone out there have any for me?

HA: Where can listeners find out more about you and your writing? 

Shaunessy: Well, if you Google my name, all you will find is a lot of schoolbooks I’ve written for English lessons in Germany/Austria—not exactly what horror addicts are looking for!

I wrote a couple pieces here that are quite personal in nature. They might be of interest to someone who is dealing with addiction or just struggling through their 30’s. I published them anonymously in 2007-8 but I think now it’s safe for me to reveal myself as the author.

Any schoolteachers out there should please watch my video which gives suggestions for helping queer victims of bullying.

Please listen to all 8 stories, before casting your vote for…
Who will the first Master of Macabre
Email your choice to: horroraddicts@gmail.com
Voting ends October 1st! Get your vote in now!

1. Chris Ringler
Agyrophobia – fear of crossing roads
Graduation
Golf clubs

2. R. Michael Burns
Ailurophobia – fear of cats
Parade
Stereo or sound system

3. Jerry J. Davis
Technophobia – fear of tech
Y2k
Computer

4. Rish Outfield
Entomophobia – fear of insects
Luau
Hang Glider

5. Colin Barnes
Necrophobia – fear of death & dead
Gallery opening
Hunting Knife

6. Tom Andry
Osmophobia – fear of smells
Outdoor Picnic
Telescope

7. Shaunessy Ashdown
Spectrophobia – fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection
Bachelor Party
Motorcycle

8. Don Pitsiladis
Astraphobia – lightning & storms
Sporting event
Riding Mower

Who will the first Master of Macabre be?
Stories will be aired and voting begins September 15th!

1. Chris Ringler
Agyrophobia – fear of crossing roads
Graduation
Golf clubs
2. R. Michael Burns
Ailurophobia – fear of cats
Parade
Stereo or sound system
3. Jerry J. Davis
Technophobia – fear of tech
Y2k
Computer
4. Rish Outfield
Entomophobia – fear of insects
Luau
Hang Glider
5. Colin Barnes
Necrophobia – fear of death & dead
Gallery opening
Hunting Knife
6. Tom Andry
Osmophobia – fear of smells
Outdoor Picnic
Telescope
7. Shaunessy Ashdown
Spectrophobia – fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection
Bachelor Party
Motorcycle
8. Don Pitsiladis
Astraphobia – lightning & storms
Sporting event
Riding Mower

Enter now!!!

What is it?
A challenge to all male horror writers.

2011 Theme:
Phobia Phollies

What are the guidelines?
Each entrant will be given:
1.) A phobia
2.) An occasion (4th of July picnic, wedding rehearsal, etc…)
3.) A boy toy (race car, speeboat, golf clubs, etc..)
They are then to write a horror story about said phobia containing the other two elements. Whoever the fans vote the winner, gets the most honored “Master of Macabre” award. Though this is the first Masters of Macabre Challenge, it is patterned after the Wicked Women’s Challenge and therefore, one lucky listener (voter) will win prizes from each of the enterants of their chosing. Prizes can range from a free book, free e-book, promotional gifts, to a simple letter thanking them for participating.

Specs:
*Podcasted stories between 15-35 mins (approx. 1500- 3500 words).
*We will accept stories that need a volunteer reader.

Entrants will be accepted until:
April 10^th, 2011

Story text will be due:
 July 21^st, 2011

Podcasted story audio will be due:
 August 18^th, 2011

Send your entrant information (see below) in the body of an email to emzbox@sbcglobal.net

Entrant Information:
Name:
Email:
Website:
Publications? Or first time writer?