Enter the Cemetery Gates

Leave Your Mark

Oct 16, 2023

A most gloomy welcome to you all.

Macabre Monday is upon us once again, bringing with it all kinds of awful…ly exciting new stuff.

I have been awaiting this week since I started the official page for Macabre Monday and I can only hope it will be successful in the way that the writers in our community get some more eyeballs on their work.

Before we get to that though, I wanted to quickly mention that the Wicked Writing contest’s due date is coming up quickly! Only 7 more days (October 23rd) to enter a short story in order to have a chance at winning the prizes. So far we have had a few entries, and I can tell you from reading them that I am so excited to see the results of the contest! I would like to pose a quick question to you, writers, below pertaining to the contest’s future.

I think it is important in order to make this contest a success that the writers have a say in the frequency of the contest. The last thing I want is for writers to feel rushed, get burnt out, or any other nasty thing that plagues us when trying to create stories. If you left your choice, I appreciate your feedback!

Now, back to what we are all here for.

You’ve entered the Cemetery.

Enjoy your stay, be cautious not to prolong it.

Welcome to The Cemetery, a once monthly promotional event for all the twisted horror writers that you can find right here on Substack. It’s never been easier to find the nightmarish works of aspiring horror authors than here in the—possibly haunted—graveyard.

At this point I would like to invite all the writers to post (link) their work below in the comments, but please share no more than 2-3 pieces (remember, this will happen monthly). If you don’t want feedback/critique make sure to post that in the comment.

Readers, visit the comment section to browse the work of many talented writers. You aren’t allowed to leave The Cemetery before indulging on someone’s work! Feel free to leave feedback, many writers are looking for some kind of critique, but please honor their wishes if they say they do not want feedback.

In an effort to keep it organized and easy to spot what you are looking for, follow the below guidelines to help everyone out!

🦇- If you are a reader, or a writer, and have a question for anyone, begin your comment with a bat and then follow it with your question.

“I got rabies shots for biting the head off a bat, but that’s OK – the bat had to get Ozzy shots.” - Ozzy Osbourne

💀- If you are sharing work(s) that are short stories, begin the comment with a skeleton and follow it with your favorite paragraph from the story.

“We need the skeletons of other stories to understand our own, sometimes.” - Lauren Groff

🪦- If you are sharing work(s) that are serialized stories, begin the comment with a tombstone and follow it with a pitch of your stories plot, characters, etcetera.

“Some people hate funerals. I find them comforting. They hit the pause button on life and remind us that it has an end. Every eulogy reminds me to deepen my dash, that place on the tombstone between our birth and our death.” - Regina Brett

🥀- If you are sharing work(s) of poetry, begin the comment with a wilted rose and follow it with your favorite line or two from your poem.

“Withered and silent, a dead rose tells the story of lost hopes and unfulfilled desires.” - Unknown

👻- If you are sharing work(s) that include essays, reviews or anything else that is not mentioned above, begin the comment with a ghost and follow it with a description of what you are promoting.

“Our feet are planted in the real world, but we dance with angels and ghosts.” - John Cameron Mitchell

Your Weekly Horror Digest

stay free & crafty

(otherwise known as Maribel, but wouldn’t let me tag her) asked what everyone’s favorite deities are that represent death. Do you have one?

John Coon

talked about the superstitions that surround the number 13. Did you do anything special for Friday the 13th or have any stories to tell from previous ones?

Andrei Atanasov

After presenting a movie called “The Humans” Andrei asked everyone, “does a movie need monsters in order to be considered horror, or is human nature scary enough?”

The Chronicler

talked about the “final girl” or “final character” trope that is prevalent within horror, specifically slasher films. She asked, “Do you have any favourite “final” characters?”

Edward Rooster

gave a list including 5 of his favorite horror movies that all share a similar theme—the cold.

Goatfury Writes

wrote about what he describes as a “majestically macabre” tree in his backyard. Gravestones included!

Goatfury Writes

The Tree

There’s a tree that sits in my back yard. I don’t know how long it has been there, but by the looks of it, I’m guessing a long time. The tree has a history with humans, and you can see the evidence of that a few places. It seems to have been cropped or pruned a few times over the years. A dog’s leash melts into the fabric of the tree. Maybe kids swung f…

a year ago · 11 likes · 14 comments · Andrew Smith

Honeygloom

offered a glimpse at her spooky season reads and it includes some great titles. Even more shared their favorite horror books to read during October in the comments, so if you are looking for book recommendations look no further!

Jenovia

decided to present some beautifully macabre artwork by the artist Ettore Aldo Del Vigo.

Shaina Read

Gave us a list of books that encompass the survival horror genre, do any of them pique your interest?

That’s all I have for you this week! Check back in next Monday for a surprise. We have an extra Monday this month, so truth be told I need to come up with something for next week to include in the post aside from the digest.

Don’t forget, next Monday is the deadline for the Wicked Writing contest!

Join the discussion on notes here on the Substack platform every Monday!

Stay Spooky.

If you are looking for people to follow on notes for Macabre Monday other than the ones above, check out all the people participating:

Author Michele Bardsley

Lloyd Miner