Haunted houses are often depicted as decrepit manses with crumbling Victorian architecture, sitting on top of hills, surrounded by creepy dark woods, isolated from civilization. The house in Brenda Iijima’s second novel, Shelter Is Necessary for Existence (Two Dollar Radio, 2026), is set instead in a densely populated, affluent brownstone neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, and is haunted by the ghosts of previous tenants and psychogeographical history, as well as its new owners’ preoccupations and paranoias. Write a story set in a haunted home located in a neighborhood that doesn’t lend itself to conventional spooky tropes. Start with a scene of exploration or discovery of something that formerly went unnoticed, in or around the home. How might gentrification, exploitation, or constant construction contribute to a sense of dread as elements of psychological horror seep into your story?
Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.