One Dark and Stormy Night . . . YIKES!

Back in my sleep-over camp-out nights, with the campfire crackling and tossing spooky shadows, the wind howling and tree branches scraping on the tent, we used to make scary spookier still with a game called Yikes!

Back in my sleep-over camp-out nights, with the campfire crackling and tossing spooky shadows, the wind howling and tree branches scraping on the tent, we used to make scary spookier still with a game called Yikes!

Things that go bump in the night. . . Scary , right? Scary how a simple bump sound—in the right setting at the right time—sends tingles, quivers, hair-raising heebie-jeebies shivers chasing up our spines.

Things that go

bump

in the night. . .

Scary

, right? Scary how a simple

bump

sound—in the right setting at the right time—sends tingles, quivers, hair-raising heebie-jeebies shivers chasing up our spines.

It’S Hallow’s Eve; let’s get our Yikes! on. Whoever creates the spookiest poem, wins! First, write a scary poem. And then . . . make it even scarier still by replacing specifics with sounds words.

See if you can scare yourself silly!

OooooohhhhhCREAK

SCRATCH EEK

EEK YOWL

HOWL

Mwahaha

SCREECH SCRITCH

WHAT’S THAT NOISE . . .

ThumpTHWACK

thwaaaaaaaaaa

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Start writing!

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Kelly Bennett

and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

It is said that everyone fears the same thing—the Unknown. Thus, the secret to writing scary is not what you write—but what you leave out. “Readers will imagine the rest, filling in the gaps with whatever scares them most,” noted Nocturium in a recent post**.  Which takes me right back to those spine-tingling sounds. Let’s give it a Go—ghost!

It is said that everyone fears the same thing—the Unknown. Thus, the secret to writing scary is not what you write—but what you leave out. “Readers will imagine the rest, filling in the gaps with whatever scares them most,” noted

Nocturium

in a recent post**.  Which takes me right back to those spine-tingling sounds. Let’s give it a Go—ghost!