English Stories from English
Crafting the Perfect Scary Story A chapter from "Living Like an Artist"
Telling scary stories is an art form. It's something only a true artist like myself can do well.
Want to impress your friends at your next campfire?
Let me guide you in telling the perfect spooky tale.
Oscar suggests he can help withspooky storytelling
scary costumes
campfire decorations
Slowly build the tension.
Start with the darkness.
It was slowly getting dark, and the wind whispered through the trees.
Oscar says the story begins withscary creatures
fading light
loud noises
What comes next?
Mention the owls and squirrels—they’re not just animals; they’re your background music!
Let the tension rise gradually, like an artist painting the first strokes on a canvas.
Add cliffhangers like an artful pause.
Every scary story needs a cliffhanger. Perhaps the group hears a rustling sound, and you ask: "Could it be a grizzly bear?"
But leave it there.
Oscar suggests leaving a cliffhanger unresolved.No, that's wrong.
Yes, that's right.
Let your friends sit on the edge of their seats, just like when you see a masterpiece for the first time and anticipate each new detail.
End with a stunning surprise.
No sooner have they settled down when—boom! A ghost bursts into the room!
Your story must have a brilliant end, like a final flourish from a brush.
Leave your audience with goosebumps and questions, much like a gallery exhibit that leaves you pondering the meaning behind each piece.
Choose the option that means "thinking".
Leave your audience with goosebumps and questions, much like a gallery exhibit that leaves you pondering the meaning behind each piece.
Leave your audience with goosebumps and questions, much like a gallery exhibit that leaves you pondering the meaning behind each piece.
Remember, you're not just telling a scary story; you're putting on a performance, much like a play I direct in my drama class. Your story, like any great work of art or a moving opera, will be remembered.
Now you can live like me! Congratulations.
Oscar compares storytelling toexploring a forest
creating a masterpiece
training a grizzly bear
19 sentences
15 choices