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2 Sentence Horror Story Competition at Swem

By Rose Caisley '26

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Scary version of Swem Libraries on a purple background

Every year, as spooky season approaches, Swem Library hosts its annual 2 Sentence Horror Story Competition to encourage students, faculty, and alumni to share their scariest short stories. The competition challenges community members to use their creativity to come up with these bone-chilling tales in the most concise way possible. The competition has become a mainstay in the library’s October programming with over a hundred entries yearly. The rules are simple: create a 2 sentence short story (under 300 hundred words) that falls into the horror genre. While it may sound simple, the competition is fierce, meaning authors must bring their A-game to even make the running for the top prizes. The creator of the competition Candice Benjes-Small, the Head of Research at Swem, first got the idea three years ago from a library down in Texas that had held a similar horror short story contest, and has been hosting Swem’s version ever since.

The challenge of the competition is to be “really concise and still be on theme and really engaging” says Benjes-Small. Her advice: “Brainstorm and write down anything that comes to your mind and then pick the top three that you like!” However, authors shouldn’t feel constrained to stay in the horror genre. Benjes-Small recalled that one of her favorite stories from over the years was about being in a Zoom meeting and the proctor saying, “Alright now we’re going to go into breakout rooms!” The limited format of the contest presents both a challenge and an opportunity for students to flex their creative muscles. Additionally, the competition generates greater community creativity by being open to students, faculty, and alumni. The effects are not just felt on the William & Mary campus, as Swem inspired the Preston Library at Virginia Military Institute to hold its own competition this year! Here are the 2024 Winners: 

My childhood photos lined the walls of the house. The real estate agent only smiled when I asked where he'd gotten them. 
- Elizabeth Sweeney, undergraduate student 

"Finally" I said, as I embraced my brother, alone in the desert. "I can finally eat", I say, when he stops resisting. 
- Benjamin Tremblay, undergraduate student

In the dim and forgotten alcoves of the college library, where shadows clung like specters to the walls, a weary scholar stumbled upon a manuscript, its pages yellowed with time and steeped in a foreboding air, detailing the lives of all who had mysteriously vanished from campus. As she reached the final entry, a dread palpitation seized her heart - there, inscribed in a tremulous hand, ink still drying, was her own name. 
- Glen Westerback, Class of 2000