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2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by Richard

2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest

Back by popular demand to haunt your nightmares! After bringing back our beloved haiku contest, we couldn’t resist diving into another spine-tingling challenge. Welcome to our 2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest – where we prove that sometimes the shortest stories cut the deepest.

Six words. That’s all you get to craft pure terror. No elaborate setups, no lengthy descriptions – just six perfectly chosen words that will make readers’ blood run cold. Think Hemingway’s famous six-word story, but twisted into something that would make him sleep with the lights on.

We want stories that hit like a punch to the gut. The kind that stick with you long after you’ve read them. Stories that make you check your locks twice and avoid dark corners. This is about distilling horror down to its essence – finding that perfect combination of words that unleashes maximum dread.

The Rules:

  • Your horror story must be exactly six words – no more, no less
  • Each entry will be judged on pure terror factor
  • Enter as many spine-chilling stories as you dare
  • Deadline: October 30, 2025
  • Post your entries in the comments below

The Prizes:

  • Bragging rights
  • The terrifying treat of scaring your friends
  • Being awarded the Master Writer Award from Every Writer

Examples to get your dark creativity flowing:

  • “Baby shoes for sale, never worn.” (Hemingway’s original)
  • “She smiled back from the mirror.”
  • “My reflection blinked without me blinking.”

Drop your most hair-raising six-word horror stories in the comments below. Remember, every single word counts in this battle for horror supremacy. The clock is ticking, and darkness gathers.

Let the nightmares begin!

Leave your 6-word stories in the comments, enter as many times as you like.

  • Author
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Richard
Richard
Richard Everywriter (pen name) is the founder of EveryWriter and a 25-year veteran of the publishing industry. With degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology, and Education, Richard has dedicated two decades to teaching writing and literature while championing emerging voices through EveryWriter's platform. His work focuses on making literary analysis accessible to readers at all levels while preserving the rich heritage of American literature. Connect with Richard on Twitter  Bluesky Facebook or explore opportunities to share your own work on ourSubmissions page. For monthly insights on writing and publishing, subscribe to our Newsletter.
Richard
Latest posts by Richard (see all)
  • 2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest - September 19, 2025
  • Call for Submissions: Scary Stories & Dark Poetry - September 16, 2025
  • 125K Writers Are Looking for What You’re Selling - September 16, 2025
Category: Contests for writers

34 thoughts on “2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest”

  1. labubu live wallpaper says:
    September 20, 2025 at 6:07 am

    This contest is terrifyingly brilliant! Six words to unleash pure dread—Hemingway would be proud. Cant wait to see what horrors others come up with!

    Reply
  2. James says:
    September 20, 2025 at 3:27 pm

    The mirror blinked before I did.

    Reply
  3. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:11 pm

    He lay dead. For a while.

    Reply
  4. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:14 pm

    “You got lovely skin. Gimme it.”

    Reply
  5. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:19 pm

    That old man has no shadow.

    Reply
  6. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:24 pm

    “Where’s the corpse?”
    “Delivering the sermon.”

    Reply
  7. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:38 pm

    The sun set. And never rose.

    Reply
  8. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:42 pm

    Beautiful child. Apart from the hooves.

    Reply
  9. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:53 pm

    The ship sank. The mermaids feasted.

    Reply
  10. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 12:59 pm

    The sailors screamed. The mermaids feasted.

    Reply
  11. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:09 pm

    The giant’s eye fills my window.

    Reply
  12. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:15 pm

    The police came. It ate them,

    Reply
  13. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:27 pm

    im outside lol run run run

    Reply
  14. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:34 pm

    im inside lol nowhere to run

    Reply
  15. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:38 pm

    The child didn’t stop growing. Ever.

    Reply
  16. Tracey Brown says:
    September 22, 2025 at 1:59 pm

    The willow tree is following you.

    Reply
  17. Tracey Brown says:
    September 23, 2025 at 3:42 am

    It escaped. Now we live underground.

    Reply
  18. Tracey Brown says:
    September 23, 2025 at 3:44 am

    This is great! Had such fun thinking up loads of stories last night! Oh, the near-miss agony of the ones that needed 7 words… Maybe I can use them for another comp one day…

    Reply
  19. Corinne Pollard says:
    September 24, 2025 at 1:45 pm

    Virgin Wanted for blood moon ritual.

    Reply
  20. Angelyn Gumbs says:
    September 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm

    Hearing that thump in the hall.

    Reply
  21. Angelyn Gumbs says:
    September 24, 2025 at 6:14 pm

    Something just fell by it’s self.

    Reply
  22. Natalie Maxwell says:
    September 25, 2025 at 11:59 am

    Scratched inside a coffin, STILL ALIVE!

    Reply
  23. Paul says:
    September 25, 2025 at 12:07 pm

    She lurched towards him, slashing wildly……

    Reply
  24. SerieA says:
    September 26, 2025 at 3:17 am

    This contest is brilliant! Six words to unleash pure dread—Hemingway would be proud. Cant wait to see what horrors others come up with!

    Reply
  25. Martina says:
    September 29, 2025 at 9:09 am

    Discovering he’s a real vampire…dead.

    Reply
  26. Avatar photo Richard says:
    September 29, 2025 at 4:30 pm

    I love all these entries! You are all making my Halloween!

    Reply
  27. toni says:
    October 1, 2025 at 7:37 am

    The apocalypse came. No one noticed.

    Reply
  28. toni says:
    October 1, 2025 at 7:39 am

    Everyone is dead. So, who’s knocking?

    Reply
  29. toni says:
    October 1, 2025 at 7:43 am

    My love returned, open arms decaying

    Reply
  30. toni says:
    October 1, 2025 at 7:45 am

    A man hangs. Rope for sale.

    Reply
  31. Martina says:
    October 1, 2025 at 9:43 am

    Spiders crawl up your back…inside.

    Reply
  32. Bart Meehan says:
    October 1, 2025 at 9:23 pm

    I cut and the body moved

    Reply
  33. Bart Meehan says:
    October 1, 2025 at 9:26 pm

    The clock stop. Mother was dead.

    Reply
  34. Martina says:
    October 2, 2025 at 9:45 am

    You wake up last on Earth.

    Reply

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  • Martina on 2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest: “You wake up last on Earth.” Oct 2, 09:45
  • Bart Meehan on 2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest: “The clock stop. Mother was dead.” Oct 1, 21:26
  • Bart Meehan on 2025 6 Words of Horror for Halloween Contest: “I cut and the body moved” Oct 1, 21:23
  • Ed Bremson on 2025 Haunted Haiku Contest: “on Halloween night the deadname that’s haunting me and all of my friends” Oct 1, 15:44
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