Penter Painter's Holiday Haunts
A collaborative Christmas Anthology
A new holiday collaboration among Substack authors. Read on for rules on participation, and to see the stories in the collection so far.
The Setting
You’ve probably driven by one before: an elaborate display of Christmas cheer so well done, it had to be the work of a professional. Decorators-for-hire are in high demand for both businesses, and ritzy neighborhoods with homes too large for your average ladder to reach.
Arnold’s Landing is no different. In this old town, there’s plenty of old money, and Chuck Penter is cashing in. He comes from a long line of painters. But he’s the first to break into the decorating game.
These ancient houses hold secrets, and those secrets are bound to be uncovered when you’ve got workers climbing on your roof, and peeking in your windows.
Writers, scroll on for entry rules.
David’s Encounter — Seville by the Sea
by
A pro-bono job decorating them retirement home leads to an unusual encounter for a sour young man, forced back to his home town from the big city life.
Chuck’s Story — The Dumont House
by
It’s the boss’s turn to tackle an infamous house on the client list. After finding out what’s at the top of the Dumont estate, he’s determined to make sure this is their last visit.
Katie’s Adventure — An Unknown Caller
by
Left alone back at HQ, Penter Painter’s receptionist fields a series of bizarre calls, apparently from an unusual job sight. Deciphering their cryptic warning could be the key to bringing her coworkers home safely.
Ronnie’s Tale — Dale Avenue Déjà vu
by
Penter’s newest employee finds himself decorating the same room over, and over again. He’s determined to deck the halls, unravel the mystery, and be back in time for the office Christmas party.
David Campbell’s Story — The Hardware Store
by
The town’s other David decks the halls at the ancient hardware and paint store, but makes a jarring discovery.
Marco’s Story — the Colonel’s Place
After two close calls, Marco hopes his next assignment from Chuck Penter is a little simpler.
Danny’s Job — The Statue’s Embrace
by
Tasked with livening up the McCullen estate, Danny finds an unnerving eye sore on the property.
Chris’s Christmas Carol — Sweet Molly Grim
by
When the Penter Christmas party turns into a bar crawl, Chris rediscovers a local legend, thought to have been lost at sea.
Rob’s Romance — the Lighthouse at the End
by
Home for the holidays, this college student takes a part-time gig with Penter to make some extra cash. But when it’s time to take the decorations down, he gets enthralled by a mystery at Arnold’s Light.
For Writers: The Challenge
Writers are tasked with telling the tales of unusual encounters had by Chuck’s employees, while out on jobs. These encounters can be supernatural, thrilling, or just emotional. Just don’t tie yourself into knots over this one; the idea is that these should feel like the rumors neighbors would spread about the creepy house up the block. Nothing too elaborate.
There are a few constants and guidelines the stories need to follow:
The town: Your story takes place in the fictional coastal town of Arnold’s Landing, Massachusetts. If you need some lore inspiration; this enclave has been around since the 17th century; is located near Salem; and became something of a loyalist hideaway in the years following the American Revolution
The Business Name: Penter Painters and Holiday Decorating
Shared characters: Chuck Penter, the boss; Katie, the receptionist; and general purpose workers, Chris and Marco
Mystique rule: the townsfolk should not be able to easily debunk the events of your story. Events should generally occur out of plain sight. Most townsfolk should not be able to know with certainty what happened
Scope: your story cannot impact the town to such a degree that normal life becomes impossible; outside investigation becomes probable; or causes its events to become common knowledge among townsfolk
Ret-conning: your story can reference others, but should not attempt to retroactively change events established by other writers
Happy writing, and Merry Christmas!
Inspiration
Huge credit to
for dreaming up The Blackwater Files. I loved the idea of a collaborative story collection like The Suff — which happened somewhat organically.I thought this would be a fun holiday addition to the Substack Tradition.
Please email me; colenobleclimbs@gmail.com, with CHRISTMAS in your subject line, if you have a story you’d like added here!
Has anyone written from Marco's POV yet? I'm thinking of getting in on this and I don't see a Marco story. Hm.
Is there a deadline to participate? I'd love to take part.