OKMULGEE, Oklahoma– Are you a fan of hearing scary stories? Or do you have a story of something unexplainable that has happened to you? A podcast called Snap Judgement presents a series Spooked, they are looking for spooky tales.
Spooked features true-life supernatural stories, told firsthand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Created in the dark of night, by Snap Judgement Studios and hosted by Glynn Washington. The series streams every other Friday through Spring 2022.
“Spooked is straight storytelling, which is one reason I love it because you’re not listening to people talk back and forth,” Snap Judgement Podcast Consultant Cody Harjo added.
Harjo is Seminole/Otoe/Creek, living in Southeastern Oklahoma. Halloween is her favorite American holiday. She was hired on with Snap Judgment Podcast early in the year as a story scout (consultant). Her title is to research great “spooky” stories and pitch them to the producers. She said if the story gets a “greenlight” the producers take it from there.
“I made it through a rocky first month as Indigenous style storytelling and themes are hard to translate for their narrative style and western audience,” Harjo said. “While I’m clearly the Indigenous hire, I am open to hearing any spooky tale Native or non-Native.”
She said there are a few parameters with the narrative format:
- 97 percent of the stories are first-person. But Harjo has heard great episodes that narrate family lore and community stories. They are searching for the narrator’s unique perspective.
- Ideally, there are multiple encounters. So if you saw something, ran away, and smudged off – it’s probably not going to work.
- However, longer single encounters will work. If more than one person saw it too, then great, love multiple perspectives.
- Medicine Man Saves the Day type narration, are hard to make work. But Harjo said she will keep trying though.
- There has to be a resolution. So many options with this one. It could be a real external change or an internal reflection of the narrator.
- The length is flexible, but the timing tends to come in at 12 – 40 minutes long.
- Storytellers aren’t paid, but they are heavily promoted at the end of the episode. So if you have a film, event, museum, book, website, persona, etc. to promote, great!
Spooked can be streamed on any NPR or streaming services.
If you have a spooky story and would like more information, contact Cody Harjo at: cspooky41@gmail.com.
