Tips for Telling Ghost Stories

Telling a ghost story, of course, is a perfect part of a Halloween party or dinner, but it has some special features you need to consider to make it a success:

First of all, consider the setting. A ghost story cannot be told effectively in broad daylight. Darkness or semi-darkness is essential, but make sure there is enough light to allow the teller to always have eye contact with his audience. In fact, any single light source is best, with the background in darkness. And make sure the audience can see the storyteller, too.

The suitability of the ghost story depends upon the audience. A classic horror tale like the Murders in the Rue Morgue, with its bloodthirsty escaped ape, would not be appropriate for small children. Neither would a tale about a ghost under the bed or in the bedroom wardrobe. But older children, say 10 years and above, love these kinds of tales. Adults enjoy the modern urban myths like the hitchhiker who turns out to be an escaped lunatic with an axe.

Be sure that the listener can identify with the setting of your tale. If the house in which you hold your party has a ghost, tell of someone’s encounter with it. A multi-story car park in town can be the scene of a murder tale told to adults, many of whom will have parked there and will shiver at your details. Any notable local building can be claimed to have its ghost.

Listening to a story is like reading a book. The words fire the imagination and the individual draws pictures of the people and events in the story. This means you don’t have to be very detailed to be successful. The listener does not have to know what colour shirt the character is wearing, you can leave them to fill in such details for themselves.

Tips for Telling Ghost Stories

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