How do traditional campfire horror stories usually start?

Often, they start with a setting like a dark forest or an old, abandoned place. For example, 'In a deep, dark forest where the trees seemed to reach out with their gnarled branches, there once was a group of hikers...' This immediately sets a spooky mood.

Often, graveyard horror stories start with someone entering the graveyard at night. Maybe it's a curious teenager who wants to explore the spooky place or a person who has to pass through it to get home. For example, a young man might take a shortcut through the graveyard on his way back from a party, not realizing what awaits him in the darkness.

You can start with a spooky setting. For example, 'In a small, forgotten town on a moonless night, there was an old, dilapidated house at the end of a long, overgrown path.' This immediately sets a mood of mystery and unease.

They usually start with a spooky setting. For example, 'It was a dark and stormy night in the middle of the forest. The campers huddled around the fire as the wind howled through the trees.' This kind of description sets the mood right away.

They also rely on common fears. In the story of 'The Girl with the Green Ribbon', the fear of the unknown and the unexpected is used. The girl's strange behavior with the ribbon around her neck makes the listener curious, but also a bit scared. When the big reveal at the end comes, it's a shock. And as the story is being told, the listeners are sitting around the campfire, away from their normal comforts, so they're more vulnerable to these scary ideas. The wind blowing through the trees, the crackling of the fire - all these sounds can be incorporated into the story - telling to make the atmosphere even spookier.

Ghosts are a common element. They often appear suddenly, bringing a sense of fear and mystery. Another is the isolated setting, like a deserted cabin in the woods. Strange noises also play a big part, like creaking floors or howling winds that make the listeners' spines tingle.

Typically, it begins when there's a shift in the way they interact. They might start to get a bit jealous when the other person talks about dating someone else. It could also start with a simple compliment that makes one of them think, 'Hmm, there might be more here.' For instance, if a guy friend says to a girl friend, 'You look really beautiful today in that dress,' and she blushes and feels something special in that moment.

Often, it starts with a simple moment. Maybe a compliment that was a bit more than just friendly. For example, 'You look really beautiful today' in a tone that was different from the usual friendly banter.

Often, they start with a normal - seeming situation. For instance, a person finding an old object or moving into a new place. Like in 'Ben Drowned', it starts with someone getting an old Majora's Mask cartridge.

Often, they start with the introduction of the main character in their ordinary world. For example, in 'The Hobbit', we first meet Bilbo Baggins in his comfortable hobbit - hole. Then, something disrupts this ordinary life. It could be a message, a strange visitor, or a mysterious event. In 'The Lord of the Rings', it's Gandalf bringing news that sets Frodo on his quest.