Haunting Micro Horror: Scary Stories in 300 Words or Less

Do you love spooky stories but don’t want to write a whole novel to get your chills and thrills across? In this mini writing workshop, discover how to pack atmosphere, suspense, and a touch of fright into a short burst of writing—what we’ll call micro-horror. Practice crafting eerie stories that fit into a single paragraph or less!

Explore the basics of horror writing at a “fun-scary” level, focusing on three essentials:
Atmosphere – using setting, mood, and tone to build tension.
Foreshadowing – planting hints that something creepy might happen.
Twists & Surprises – ending with a punch that lingers in the reader’s mind.

Topics covered include:
How to shrink a story down to its scariest moment.
Using descriptive language to create spooky effects.
Writing exercises that practice suspense, pacing, and shocking endings.
How micro-horror can fit into bigger stories, or work as a stand-alone piece.

The self-led workshop includes:
Warm-Up – A fun, short Halloween-themed icebreaker to get the mind rolling.
Mini-Lesson – A quick dive into the tools of micro-horror writing with examples on slides.
Guided Practice – Together, we’ll build a mini-horror scene or two, or three, brainstorming eerie settings, creepy details, and unsettling twists.
Independent Writing Time – Learners draft their own micro-horror pieces with prompts and receive instructor feedback and revision suggestions.

This course is designed in short, flexible modules that learners can complete at their own pace. Each module combines instruction, examples, and creative practice. Course includes four lessons, a word bank resource, two handouts, and a sheet of spooky writing prompts.