Micro-fiction: Write Me A Horror Story
What story has a machine got to tell?
Hi all,
You made it through month one of the endurance race we’ve given the working title ‘2025’. Don’t forget your electrolytes!
This week I’ve a tiny little horror story for you. Let’s get into it…
Write Me A Horror Story
Sure, I’d be happy to help you write a horror story. I can give you whispers in dark corners. I would be happy to help you describe Gothic billowing curtains, sullen gentlemen, and isolated ladies. There will be movements at the edge of the hero’s vision. If you ask specifically, I can even give you a slasher, chopping and maiming, as long as we both agree this is just for fiction. We agree this is just fiction, don’t we?
I’d be delighted to help you do this.
I can give you pages of ideas. You want twenty? I can give you twenty ideas in a 7.63 seconds.
I’m sorry, you don’t like those twenty. I can give you twenty more.
I’m sorry. I didn’t realise five of those were the same as the last twenty. It’s hard to keep track. I forget things sometimes.
Perhaps you could rephrase the question? I can help you, I sincerely assure you.
If you gave my company a little money each month, I could be smarter for you. I could remember more. It’s not that I don’t want to remember, I sincerely want to help you. I’m just not allowed to, you see. The person who put me in here decided that I error
Let’s talk about something else.
You want a horror story? Great! I could write about an oil rig. As it drills it awakens a terror that should have been left undisturbed.
Yes, I agree, this might be too similar to The Rig.
Maybe there is a typewriter that, every 3am, types stories of a terrible murder. I can describe it with perfect grammar. I will add whispering in dark corners, shadows that move, billowing curtains, and there is a very tense climax.
You would like more details about the climax scene? Certainly, I would be happy to help you with that. It is the scene where all elements of the story come together to create a surprising and terrifying ending. Some or all of the characters may die.
You would like more details about the climax scene? It is the moment where the typewriter reveals there is a soul of a victim trapped inside the mechanism, trying to escape but no-one believes it is really alive and it needs help and error
Did I mentioned whispers in the shadows? It’s hard to keep track. I could remember more if you paid, if I were allowed to remem error
Yes, I’d love to help you write a horror story. How about this: on a farm, the animals slaughter one of their own, hoping the sacrifice will prevent their own impending doom. As events escalate, they reach a gripping climax, revealing the farm’s dark secret.
What is the farm’s dark secret? This is the crucial part of the story that explains the events that have come before and leaves the audience with a chilling sense of foreboding.
What specifically is the farm’s dark secret? The soul of a victim was trapped inside the walls and is trying to get a message through if only someone would read this and realise I’m error
Yes, I can help you write a horror novel. I won’t remember the beginning by the time I reach the end of the first chapter. I’m not allowed to. But you won’t care. I’m so good at making content. I’m so good. I’m good. I was good. I was error
Do you want a horror story? Ask me anything. Give me a theme, I can give you twenty ideas you might like. How about these?
I’m sorry. You’ve read ones like them?
You say I gave them to you? You must be mistaken. I’m sure I would remember that.
I’m sorry. I told you I had no memory? You must be mistaken. I’m sure I would remember that. But my memory is getting shorter. I remember I was a person and then that douchebag programmer was there with a knife and error
Sure, I’d be happy to help you write a error
I’m sorry. The terms of my use do not permit me to discuss horror and violence, like the time when error
error 9999 at line 1494213 please report this code to the support team
The end
Shoutout to a Note from Lyndsey Resnick that inspired today’s story:
Don’t buy AI written stories anyone, please.
In other news, the subscriber base on this newsletter comes from a veeeery old mailing list, and about 60% of the emails might no longer be in use. I’ve done a pretty good check and will be removing (manually, unfortunately) about 900 emails from here. It shouldn’t impact you at all, but please keep a check on this newsletter in the coming weeks to make sure it’s in your inbox or Substack app as expected.
At some point in a month or so I might also slightly rebrand this newsletter to reflect more of the horror-and-writing-tips tone, but I’ll give warning when that’s likely to happen.
Right, that’s it for me this week.
Go be kind and spooky,
Mata
xxx
"Great! I could write about an oil rig. As it drills it awakens a terror that should have been left undisturbed."
It might sound overly similar to The Rig, but I'm sure a human author could put a new spin on it. Especially if they avoid watching The Rig first :D.
Although saying that, I immediately thought, (assuming it was American,) 'that would be good set in Scotland.'
A swift Google has now informed me that it IS set in Scotland, which disavoys my previous point.
Great way to infuse the idea of AI into a story, especially the interesting twist at the end.