3 Minute Scares is back for its eighth ectoplasmic year!

North Manchester FM’s Halloween creative writing competition is open for submissions for 2023.

North Manchester FM's Hannah Kate wants your scary stories for Halloween! Once again, she’s asking people throughout Greater Manchester to submit their 3-minute stories for her annual creative writing competition. Writers keen to be crowned Greater Manchester’s Spookiest Wordsmith can submit a recording of their mini-tale via Hannah’s website, with the best entries being broadcast on the Halloween edition of Hannah’s Bookshelf on Saturday 28th October.

We’re delighted to announce that the prize for this year’s best entry is a fabulous Halloween book bundle (with a few little surprises). Entries need to be 3 minutes long, meaning a word count of around 350-400 words. The judges will be looking for style and originality, as well as how scary the story is. The deadline for entries is Tuesday 24th October, at midnight.

Last year’s competition was won by Catrìona McLean. North Manchester FM presenter Hannah Kate says: ‘Catrìona was a worthy winner last, with a story that blew me and guest judge Daisy Black away with its creativity and expert use of the short form. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this year brings!’

All writers need to enter the competition is a computer with a microphone… and a good story. Entries can be recorded via Hannah’s website. More information and rules of the competition, including information for people unable to submit a recording, can also be found on the website.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 13

My very busy week continues. Tonight was the final push on getting my draft manuscript finished and sent off to the publisher, so not much time for anything else apart work and writing. Nearly done though.

Halloween Decorations

One of my neighbours has gone all-out with their Halloween decorations. At least I hope... oh Jesus... I hope that's what's going on.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 12

I knew it was going to be a busy week, but phew! I think I underestimated it. Today was a full day at work, followed by a full evening of working on the book. No time for big celebrations, but I did manage a teeny tiny bit of Halloween...

Halloween Biscuit

Not the biggest festivity ever, but at least it's something!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 11

Today I went on a road trip! What better way to celebrate Halloween than to go to the seaside!

A Trip to Blackpool

I went on a day trip to Blackpool today with the residents of Castlerea House care home, with a tram ride out to Fleetwood for chips. It was a bit bracing.

Halloween Headband

Got myself a new headband in Blackpool!

Blackcurrant and Liquorice Ice Cream

You can't go to the seaside without having an ice cream, can you? Blackcurrant and liquorice ice cream to be precise (it was the most Halloween-y flavour I could find).

Autumn Squash Box

We've decided to treat ourselves to the most autumnal thing we could find... an Autumn Squash Box from Groobarbs! It's got Crown Prince, Uchiki Kuri, Patty Pan, Harlequin, Little Gem and the most ENORMOUS Spaghetti Squash!

31 Halloween Films: The Wolf-Man

We watched another one from our list tonight... The Wolf Man.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 10

Today was a very, very busy day at work with absolutely no chance for festivities. So here's a picture of some Halloween ducks for you instead.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 9

Today was just work, work, work, work, work. No Halloween time at all, sadly. I think it's going to be one of those weeks, to be honest.

Reading Rocks

I did spot a little bit of Halloween at a school governors meeting I was at this evening. Our meeting was in the library, and I was quite taken with the Reading Rocks!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 8

Another busy day of working on my book. We had a little bit of Halloween fun though...

Halloween Cupcakes

Halloween cupcakes!

31 Halloween Film: Ghostbusters

Back to our list tonight, and the random number generator has decreed that we're watching Ghostbusters!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 7

I spent most of today catching up on rest and working on the manuscript of my book (I have to get a draft to the publisher very soon). But it was a nicely festive day all the same.

Halloween Presents

In a rather cute and unexpected festive campaign, my mum keeps coming round with little Halloween presents for us. Today we've got M&S Halloween snacks and some teeny tiny pumpkin tea lights.

Halloween Donut

Mmmmm... Halloween donut.

Pumpkin Diffuser

New Halloween diffuser from Le Bon Candles... with pumpkin spice wax melts.

Harlequin Squash

Spooky/Squash season continues... tonight's tea was Gratinated Harlequin Squash (with the squash from our Groobarbs box), which was absolutely gorgeous.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 6

Another busy work day with little time for festive antics, sadly. Hoping there'll be more time for festive antics and horror films once a couple of big deadlines are out of the way.

Halloween Decorations

But yay! I got in from work today and Rob had put the decorations up!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 5

Busy day today with both of us at work, so not much festive fun for us. Still, at least I managed to accessorize for the season.

Halloween Jewellery

I've been wearing some new Halloween jewellery at work this week... a very lovely Tatty Devine necklace that was a birthday present from my line manager!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 4

It's the fourth day of our Halloween month celebrations. So far, it's turning out to be a nice mix of Halloween activities and autumnal festivities. Today had a good balance of both, so I feel like we did the season proud.

Autumn Walk in the Woods

It was the fortnightly Friends of Bailey's Wood Walk and Talk today, which was a nice opportunity to see some of the seasonal changes in the woods. After photographing acorns from their teeniest tiniest first appearance this year, I was beginning to worry the squirrels weren't going to leave me any ripe ones. But look at this autumnal beauty I found! Plus... mushroom season has begun!

Toffee Whirls

Exceedingly good (Halloween edition).

Veg Box

Halloween season means squash season! And we got a Harlequin Squash in our Groobarbs box today! Plus a massive Savoy cabbage, leeks, potatoes and carrots, apples, pears and raspberries.

Halloween Presents

Awww... my mum came round today with a bag of Halloween presents for us!

31 Halloween Films: House on Haunted Hill

The next film on our list was House on Haunted Hill, and Rob decreed that meant the 1999 version (so no Vincent Price for us tonight).

Bakewell Pudding

I don't know if this is Halloween or just delicious, but my mum and dad went to Derbyshire and brought us back some proper Bakewell puddings!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 3

Yay! Day 3 of Halloween month! More festive shenanigans!

Halloween Soup

I made this yesterday. It's Beetroot and Red Pepper with a touch of ginger and surprise fusilli.

Library Visit

I went over to Abraham Moss today. Partly to have a nosy at the new library, and partly to look for some more Halloween reading. Score! I found Grady Hendrix, Anna Mazzola, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Joël Dicker!

Halloween Cookies

Carrying on its famed disregard for the calendar, the Spar Shop near me has completely bypassed Halloween. Think you can best me with your Christmas displays? Ha! I will run around your shop like Challenge Anneka until I find some sort of snack with an orange and black label. You're not getting away with not selling me something tonight, Spar Shop.

31 Halloween Films: The Thing

The next film on our Halloween list... John Carpenter's The Thing.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 2

It's the second day of our Halloween month, but a bit quieter than yesterday as we were both at work. And Rob's on a night shift tonight, so no chance to enjoy any more films from our list. I've had quite an autumnal day, rather than a spooky one, but that's still very seasonal.

More Ghost Earrings!

More new Halloween earrings! These ones were from Kaly Designs, and they're very cute.

Last of the Summer Sweetcorn

Autumn has well and truly arrived, so I'm enjoying the last of the summer harvest - sweetcorn from Groobarbs Wild Farm!

Halloween Cooking

Speaking of veg... I've been cooking up something tonight that I'm hoping will be a Halloween-tastic lunch for us tomorrow.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 1

After a thoroughly horrible, brutal and bruising September, I've emerged with one plan and one plan only... Halloween. We're celebrating all month again, as is tradition. We've got quite a few things planned this year, as well as hoping for a few surprises. And our first day of festivities was a pretty good one. Here's to more fun in October!

Crumpsall Park Litter-Pick

This morning started off with the monthly Friends of Crumpsall Park litter-pick. Not very Halloween-y, but certainly autumnal as we were rained off. I did spot my first mushroom in the park though, so that's certainly seasonal!

Ghost Earrings

New Halloween earrings! Got these little ghosts from Pure and Simple (aka Gillian).

31 Halloween Films: Trick ’r Treat

We made a list of our top 31 Halloween films to watch this October, and we're going to choose the order of them at random. The random number generator didn't steer us wrong though, as we started off with Trick 'r Treat, which is a pretty perfect place to begin.

Halloween Gingerbread

Halloween gingerbread movie snack! (From Morrisons, not homemade!)

31 Halloween Films: Scream

Next on our Halloween list was Scream. What's your favourite scary movie?

31 Halloween Films: Hostel

Bit of a change of pace with our next Halloween film... Hostel!

Spite Crumble

We've got a bramble in our back garden that is utterly impossible to control. It's taller than most of the trees, and as sinister as a triffid. It seems determined to grow in a way that blocks the back door and we've both nearly lost eyes to it on more than one occasion. Well, enough's enough. If the evil bramble is here to stay, it can work for its living. This year, I harvested every last berry from the evil bugger out of spite, and Rob cooked it with flour we got from Walk Mill at Lammas. The bramble grew a weird tentacle last night as some sort of retaliation (probably nothing to worry about), but tonight we dined on Spite Crumble!

Ghostwritten

I started off my Halloween reading this year with Ghostwritten by Ronald Malfi. Books, apparently, can be deadly.