Something Challenging This Way Comes Write Your Own Holloway & Graves Episode
Something Wonderful This Way Comes
12 Blogs to Help You Start Something Wonderful with
Hollyhock Books
Blog 9: Something Challenging This Way Comes Write Your
Own Holloway & Graves Episode
By Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
Here's something wonderful.
You've been reading these stories. You've been hosting book
clubs and mystery nights and story tents under the stars. You've been catching
stories of your own, inventing creatures and naming places and dreaming up
problems for characters to solve.
Now we want to see what you can do.
We're inviting you—yes, you—to write your own episode
of Holloway & Graves: Supernatural Investigations and Other
Suspicious Activities.
And if we use your idea, you'll win £50 and
your name will be credited in the published episode.
The Challenge
Write us an episode of Holloway & Graves.
It can be set anywhere in the world. Trinidad is home, but
the agency can travel—and supernatural trouble can be found everywhere. Your
episode could be set in your own town, your own neighbourhood, even your own
backyard.
It can feature any kind of supernatural creature or folklore
figure from anywhere in the world. A Scottish kelpie. A Japanese yokai. A
Mexican nahual. A Haitian zombie. An Irish banshee. A Norwegian troll.
Something entirely your own invention. The world is full of strange and
wonderful spirits—pick one, or make one up.
It can be spooky or funny or both. It can be a short case or
a longer adventure.
The only rules are these:
- Use
the characters. Dr. June Holloway, Edward Graves, Aloysius
Duncan, Finnegan Montague III, and Toby the bloodhound must all appear.
(Toby doesn't have to do much—he never does—but he should be present.)
- Set
it somewhere real or imagined. You can send the agency anywhere.
Just make the place feel alive—describe what it looks like, sounds like,
smells like. Help us feel like we're there.
- Give
us a mystery. Something strange is happening. The agency is
called in to investigate. They follow clues, interview witnesses, and
eventually solve the case—though "solve" might mean something
different in the supernatural world.
- Include
a folklore figure or creature. It can be from your culture, from
a culture you've studied, or entirely invented. If you're using a figure
from an existing tradition, treat it with respect. If you're inventing
something new, make it feel like it's always existed.
- Keep
it age-appropriate. This competition is open to ages 5-16, so
your episode should work for readers in that range. Spooky is fine. Scary
is fine. Just nothing too dark or disturbing.
- Make
it yours. Use your imagination. Surprise us.
Who Can Enter
This competition is open to anyone aged 5 to 16.
If you're 5-8, you might dictate your story to a parent or
older sibling. If you're 9-12, you might write it yourself. If you're 13-16,
you might write something longer and more complex. All ages are welcome.
You can enter individually, or you can work as a team.
Siblings can write together. Friends can collaborate. Classes can submit group
entries. We just need to know who wrote it so we can credit you properly.
The Prize
If we use your idea—whether as a full episode, a partial
episode, or inspiration for a future story—you'll receive:
- £50 (or
equivalent in your local currency)
- A
credit line in the published episode
- A
contributor's copy of the episode when it's published
- Our
everlasting gratitude for helping build the Hocksbox universe
If we receive multiple brilliant entries, we may choose more
than one. If we don't receive anything that quite fits, we'll hold the
competition again another time. But we're hoping to be overwhelmed with
wonderful ideas.
How to Enter
Send your episode to: storymailliterarypost@gmail.com
Include:
- Your
name
- Your
age
- Your
parent or guardian's name and email (if you're under 18)
- Your
episode, written in the body of the email or as an attachment
Deadline: 31st October 2026 (Halloween—seems
appropriate)
We'll read every single entry. We'll respond to as many as
we can. And we'll announce the winner(s) here on the blog and on the Hocksbox
website.
Need Inspiration? Here's the Formula
Every Holloway & Graves episode follows a similar
structure. You can use it as a template.
The Opening:
Set the scene. Where are we? What's strange about this
place? What's happening that shouldn't be?
"It began, as most small West Indian tragedies do,
with a missing pair of polka-dot socks, a line of suspicious footprints, and
one very dramatic old lady yelling into the street, 'Somebody tief meh
drawers!'"
The Incident:
Something supernatural is afoot. Describe it with as much
weird detail as you can.
"By noon, two socks and one underpants had vanished.
By evening, five neighbours were reporting similar thefts. The village was
under attack—not by a bandit, not by a breeze, but by something barefoot,
backward-footed, and very, very bold."
The Call:
Someone contacts the agency. Why Holloway & Graves? What
makes this case need them specifically?
"The village council called for backup. Holloway
& Graves arrived just after dusk."
The Arrival:
Show us each character arriving and reacting to the
situation. Use their voices.
- June
is practical, exasperated, already spraying holy water on her sleeves.
- Edward
floats nearby, sighing, making withering comments about the state of
things.
- Duncan
swaggers in, all Southern charm and useless firearms, ready for a fight.
- Finney
trails behind, wide-eyed, somehow already tangled in something.
- Toby
runs off to chase something irrelevant.
The Investigation:
The team gathers clues, interviews witnesses, and follows
leads. This is where your mystery unfolds.
The Chase:
Something happens. The creature appears. They chase it.
Chaos ensues. This is the action sequence—make it fun.
"The Dwen was fast. It zipped through backyards,
leapt over clotheslines, backflipped off a chicken coop, and at one point
danced across a neighbour's corrugated tin roof while singing something that
sounded suspiciously like an old calypso chorus."
The Discovery:
They find the source of the trouble. The stash. The lair.
The truth.
"Inside the tree's hollow, they found the stash.
Twenty-three socks. Fourteen pairs of underwear. Two neckties. One sequinned
bra. A beach towel with the words 'Best Dad Ever.' And—most
unsettlingly—Edward's missing cravat."
The Resolution:
They solve the case—but not necessarily by banishing or
destroying the creature. Sometimes the solution is a tailor's tent. Sometimes
it's a wedding. Sometimes it's just balance.
"The following day, the agency hosted the first ever
Paranormal Pop-Up Tailor's Tent in Dickey Trace. Villagers came with scraps of
cloth, bits of elastic, even one very fancy petticoat that had never been worn.
June stitched, Edward critiqued, Duncan poured rum, Finney modelled. The
Dwen—now wearing a smart little shirt and short combo with matching
socks—twirled proudly for all to see."
The Case File:
End with a formal case status.
"Case Status: Resolved. Spirit behaviour:
Fashionable. Community impact: Surprisingly positive. Filed by Joules Young.
Toby licked the cravat. It is now +evidence."
Story Ideas to Get You Started
Not sure what to write about? Here are some prompts to spark
your imagination.
The Folklore Prompt:
Research a folklore figure from your culture or a culture
that interests you. A Scottish kelpie. A Japanese kappa. A Mexican chupacabra.
A Norwegian huldra. An Australian bunyip. Write an episode featuring that
creature. What does it want? How does the agency handle it? What might convince
it to stop causing trouble?
The Invented Creature Prompt:
Invent a new supernatural creature. What does it look like?
What does it want? Why is it causing trouble? Where does it live? What's its
name? Give it a weakness, a strength, and a strange habit.
The Place Prompt:
Set your episode somewhere you know well—your school, your
neighbourhood, your favourite park, your own backyard. What supernatural secret
might be hiding there? What folklore figure would feel at home in that place?
The Problem Prompt:
Something strange is happening. The taps run with coconut
water. The streetlights only work when you sing. The local cats have formed a
committee. The trees keep rearranging themselves at night. What's going on?
The Character Prompt:
Focus on one member of the agency. Give them a moment to
shine. What case would let Duncan actually be useful? What would make Edward
forget to complain? What would finally terrify Finney into competence? What
would make Toby actually catch something?
The Cross-Over Prompt:
What if the Holloway & Graves agency crossed paths with
another Hocksbox character? What would June think of Percival? How would Edward
react to Sherlock Lockwood? What would Duncan make of Crumpet Noggin? What
would Toby do with a jack-rabbit?
Tips from the Story Catcher Herself
Joules Young, the creator of Holloway & Graves, offered
these tips for young writers:
"Start with the strange." Think of
something odd that happened to you or someone you know. A missing object. A
weird noise. A coincidence too strange to explain. Build your story from there.
"Listen to how people talk." The
characters in Holloway & Graves have different voices. June is practical
and exasperated. Edward is posh and judgmental. Duncan is Southern and
swaggering. Finney is earnest and accident-prone. Toby just licks things. Think
about how your characters would sound.
"Respect the folklore." If you're
using a creature from an existing tradition, learn about it first. What does it
want? What does it fear? What are its habits? The more you know, the more real
your story will feel.
"Don't worry about getting it right." Your
first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Just get the story down. You can fix it
later.
"Read it aloud." When you're done,
read your story out loud. You'll hear what works and what doesn't. You'll find
the rhythm. You'll know where to cut and where to add.
"Have fun." If you're not enjoying
writing it, readers won't enjoy reading it. Write something that makes you
laugh, or shiver, or want to keep turning pages.
Example: A Mini-Episode to Show You How
Here's a very short episode written in the Holloway &
Graves style. Use it as inspiration—but remember, your episode can feature any
folklore from anywhere in the world.
Case File #00X: The Singing Goat of Piparo
Filed from Piparo, by someone who now checks their back
seat for farm animals.
It started with a sound. A high, sweet, slightly-off-key
melody drifting from the back seat of Mrs. Ramlogan's car every time she drove
past the old Piparo junction.
At first, she thought it was the radio. Then she thought it
was her grandson's forgotten toy. Then she turned around and saw the goat.
It was sitting in her booster seat, hooves crossed, head
tilted, singing along to "Sundar Sundar" like it was auditioning for
a talent show. Its voice was surprisingly good—a little bleaty on the high
notes, but full of feeling.
By the end of the week, three other drivers had reported
similar encounters. A goat with musical aspirations had taken up residence in
Piparo, and it had excellent taste in chutney.
Holloway & Graves arrived on a Tuesday.
June stepped out, machete in one hand, a bag of animal
crackers in the other. "A singing goat. Of course. This is my life
now."
Edward floated beside her, already sighing. "The pitch
is questionable. The enthusiasm is not. Also, I believe that goat is wearing
someone's hat."
Duncan swaggered up, revolver swinging. "A singin'
goat? I've fought worse. Probably." He tried to load his weapon. June took
it away.
Finney stumbled out of the van, tangled in cables and
covered in what appeared to be glitter. "I brought karaoke equipment! Just
in case the goat wants to duet!"
Toby ran off to chase a chicken. The chicken was winning.
The investigation led them to the Piparo junction, where a
small crowd had gathered. The goat was perched on a bus stop bench, hooves
crossed, serenading a group of schoolchildren who had abandoned their homework
to listen. It was wearing a faded straw hat that looked suspiciously like the
one missing from Mr. Ramlogan's scarecrow.
June approached carefully. "You know you can't stay
here, right?"
The goat tilted its head. It looked hurt. Then it looked at
Finney's karaoke machine. Then it looked back at June with an expression that
clearly said: "What if I didn't stay, but I visited? On karaoke
nights?"
Finney, who had developed an unexpected gift for
understanding supernatural animals, translated. "I think it wants to know
if we have open mic."
An hour later, the first ever Goat Karaoke Night was
underway at the Piparo community centre. The goat sang its heart out—a mix of
chutney classics, one surprisingly moving rendition of "Lean On Me,"
and an original composition that sounded suspiciously like it was about the
time it escaped from Mr. Ramlogan's pasture and ate all his prize-winning
roses.
The villagers brought snacks. Someone set up a tip jar. By
midnight, the goat had enough donations to buy its own portable speaker and a
lifetime supply of rose-flavoured treats.
It agreed to limit its performances to Thursday evenings and
to stop riding in cars uninvited. It also agreed to return the scarecrow's hat.
The case was resolved. The village had a new attraction. And
Finney finally got to use his karaoke machine.
The Fine Print
- This
competition is open to individuals aged 5-16, or groups where all members
are in that age range.
- Entries
must be received by 31st October 2026.
- Entries
must be original work created by the entrant(s).
- Parents
or guardians must provide permission for entrants under 18.
- We
reserve the right to edit, adapt, or use ideas in ways that work for
publication.
- If
we use your idea, you'll be credited and we'll contact you to arrange the
prize.
- Multiple
entries are welcome. Send as many ideas as you like.
- There's
no entry fee. This is just for fun.
A Final Word on Childhood Wonder
There's something about childhood that lends itself to
stories.
Children haven't yet learned that some things are
impossible. They still believe in magic, in spirits, in the possibility that
the ordinary world might crack open at any moment and reveal something
extraordinary. They still look at the dark and wonder what's there, rather than
assuming it's nothing. They still know, in their bones, that a goat might sing
if the moment was right and the song was good.
This is what Holloway & Graves is built on. That
childhood wonder. That willingness to believe. That knowledge that the world is
stranger and more beautiful than we usually give it credit for.
When you write your episode, tap into that. Remember what it
felt like to be young, to be curious, to be certain that anything could happen.
Let that feeling guide your story.
The best episodes will come from that place. From wonder.
From play. From the sheer joy of making something new.
We can't wait to read what you create.
Next in Blog 10:
Something Else Challenging This Way Comes — Write Your Own Percival Episode
Until then: start writing. The agency is waiting.
Look, Listen, Linger, Laugh, and Love.
— Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
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