Eek! Tahoma West hosts first horror workshop

Tahoma West held its first horror writing workshop on Oct. 18. Stu­dents were invited to this public event to get in the Halloween spirit while having some fun refining their artis­tic crafts. Their goal was to explore timely genre of horror in a variety of artistic mediums.

The spooky-themed event began with a quick introduction to the hor­ror genre from Tahoma West’s pas­sionate and experienced staff. During this workshop, they explained that works in this genre should always fea­ture evil and wicked characters who do dark, mystical deeds that cause problems for other characters. They also described that works of horror should arouse fear and disgust and be charged with mystery. Good horror stories immerse the reader in macabre and remain tense through plot twists charged with ominous possibilities. Tahoma West ended the insightful introduction by encouraging attendees to imagine monsters such as witches, ghosts and zombies that serve as the reflection of their character’s fears.

After the chilling lesson, the lights were dimmed and students were called up to reach inside a creepy cauldron filled with 101 hair-raising prompts. As creepy Halloween music played in the background, partici­pants began to scribble away as they responded to prompts like, “A man wakes up with no mouth” and “A spe­lunker stumbles upon a series of cav­erns infested with rattlesnakes.”

After half an hour of writing, as Michael’s Jackson’s “Thriller” came to an end, the students were called to­gether with the option to share their spooky work. One student had written a terror-filled short story about a pug who got killed and returned as a ghost to haunt their owner. Another student shared a detailed and frightening draw­ing of a well with a ladder going down it, surrounded by dead trees. Everyone’s work was recognized and celebrated, participants encouraging and compli­menting each other’s creations. After the final reading, Tahoma West’s staff passed out Halloween themed gift bags containing candy and other goodies, and the students were released to par­take in some light socializing.

If you were unable to attend this event or are interested in similar events, Tahoma West will be hosting a talent showcase Nov. 7 at The Swiss. This open mic will be open to any sort of talent — not just musical or written — although it is limited to being acoustic. Signups for this event will begin at 5:30 p.m and the show will go on until 8 p.m.

Tahoma West is also currently ac­cepting submissions of a variety of art forms — such as poetry and photog­raphy — to be published in their yearly literary journal.

For more information about Tahoma West or to submit your creative work, visit their website:
tahomawest.org