Find a stick that won’t burn up the second you put it near the fire, we have enough marshmallows for everyone. We’re telling Campfire Spooky Stories. Tell me about the spooky goings-on in this very forest. Make me uneasy to go back to my sleeping bag.

Even if the judges will be reading these stories, remember that this is first and foremost an oral genre. Avoid complicated characters, and focus on the unseen and the unknown.