You're Invited

A special community project

Welcome to the Macabre Monday Dinner Party - A Collaborative Dark Fiction Experience

🌑 Dive into the Shadows of Storytelling 🌑

Greetings, brave souls and creative minds,
You are cordially invited to partake in a unique and thrilling adventure, "Macabre Monday Dinner Party." This is no ordinary gathering. Here, mystery intertwines with the shadows, and every character holds secrets yet to be unveiled.

What Awaits You:
"Macabre Monday Dinner Party" is a collaborative writing project set in the ominous realm of dark fiction and horror. Within the framework of a stage play script, each participant will embody a character, scripting their own actions and lines amidst a gathering shrouded in mystery and suspense.

Your Role:
As a participant, you will craft and bring to life a character of your creation. Will you be a mysterious stranger with a past filled with secrets? A charming debutante with an insidious agenda? Or perhaps a guest with an unspoken mission? The choice is yours, and the possibilities are endless.

The Setting:
Imagine a dinner party where the unexpected lurks in every corner, and each conversation could be a clue or a red herring leading to the heart of a chilling mystery. Your words and actions will weave together with those of others, creating a tapestry of intrigue and dark imagination.

Join the Soirée:
To RSVP (in character or not), please send your intent to participate, along with a brief 4-5 sentence outline of your character, to MacabremondayDinnerparty@gmail.com. Once RSVP’d you will gain access to the festivities.

🔍 Will you dare to explore the eerie depths of the unknown? Will your character emerge unscathed or become entwined in the web of horror and mystery? The table is set, the candles flicker in the dim light, and the story awaits your arrival. Let the Macabre Monday Dinner Party begin!

Rules of Engagement:

1. Stay in Character: Consistently portray your character's personality, background, and motivations. This consistency is vital for maintaining the story's authenticity and depth.
2. Respectful Interactions: Embrace the dark themes and mystery, but ensure interactions between characters are respectful and appropriate for the narrative. Personal attacks or inappropriate content are not allowed.
3. Adhere to the Script Format: Contributions should follow the standard stage play format, including proper dialogue, action descriptions, and character entrances and exits.
4. No Overpowering: Create a balanced character. Avoid making your character overpower the storyline or other characters to ensure a collaborative and engaging narrative.
5. Follow the Plot: While individual creativity is encouraged, ensure that your contributions align with the overarching plot and theme of the dinner party mystery.
6. Have Fun!: The most important rule – enjoy the process of collaborative storytelling and the excitement of creating a mysterious, macabre narrative together!

Your Weekly Horror Digest

Olivia St. Lewis was sharing some deep thoughts on the macabre oddities of life itself. What do you find walks the line between oddly macabre, yet beautiful in our lives?

L.L. Ford talked about the first horror movie that they ever watched, “The Cave”. Have you seen it? What is the first horror movie that you can remember watching?

Michael P. Marpaung talked about the role of music in horror and offered his favorite example of such. What song springs to mind when you think of horror?

John Ward showed us a timelapse sketch of his favorite horror actor, the legend Tony Todd. So real, it looks as if he could just…jump out and getcha!

Honeygloom bestowed upon us what is probably the shortest, amusingly dark fairy tale story from The Brothers Grimm. Give it a go! At only two paragraphs you have nothing to lose, not even time.

Macey asked a chilling question, “How close have you come to being connected to a serial killer or other scary/bad human?”

A. B. Frank shared his recent Victorian post about decay and deterioration in gaslamp horror among other macabre things. Be sure not to miss this one!

Jessica Maison shared her latest monster of the week, but this one is special! I’ll say no more, at risk of ruining the intrigue, so go check out what mad monsters she’s writing about!

That’s all I have for you this week! Check back in next Monday for something new!

Don’t forget about 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, check out all the people participating (updated list): John Ward Andrew Smith Carla Pettigrew John Coon Jon T The Chronicler Honeygloom Macey A. B. Frank Cole Noble Leigh Parrish Buck Weiss Jenovia S.E. Reid Edward Rooster Jessica Maison reinancruz Shaina Read Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️ Michael S. Atkinson Maribel Jennifer Morrow Stirling S Newberry Susan Earlam Author Michele Bardsley Lauren Salas Daniel W. Davison Daniel O’Donnell Nicolina Torres Michael P. Marpaung Olivia St. Lewis L.L. Ford Joshua T Calkins-Treworgy EJ Trask Anna C. Webster Skyla Redd Oscar Alec Worley Hannah V Kelly-Sibley Kathrine Elaine Renee George The Man Behind the Screen Hamish Kavanagh Kay Moulton Chris Well Brian Martinez A.M. Radio