Portland horror author Tyler Jones will talk with middle and high school students about writing scary stories at Beaverton City Library on Saturday, Oct. 3.
The free session, hosted by Young Willamette Writers, runs from 11 a.m. to noon in the library's Admin Conference Room at 12375 SW Fifth St. Students in grades 6 through 12 can attend in person or join by Zoom. Registration is required at BeavertonLibrary.org/Register.
The topic: writing horror in the fall and all year round.
Jones has published five novels and short fiction in venues including Cemetery Dance and The NoSleep Podcast, according to his website. His story collection Burn the Plans was named one of Esquire's best horror books of 2022. His work also appeared in the anthology Burnt Tongues, edited by Chuck Palahniuk. He lives in Portland.
In a previous interview, Jones advised young writers to seek honest criticism rather than praise, saying the people who point out what needs fixing matter more than those who say everything is great.
Young Willamette Writers, a student program of Willamette Writers, meets at Beaverton City Library and brings in published authors, illustrators and industry professionals. The group also publishes the Young Willamette Writers Journal. A previous session on Sept. 12 featured author Dan Finnegan discussing how to promote your work.
The library is also accepting entries for its Scary Short Stories Contest, open to grades 6 through 12. Students can submit a one-page or shorter scary story starting Thursday, Oct. 1, at BeavertonLibrary.org/2026ScaryStories.
Upcoming at Beaverton City Library
- Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m.–noon: Young Willamette Writers Author Chat with Tyler Jones (grades 6–12, free, registration required)
- Thursday, Oct. 1 onward: Scary Short Stories Contest entries open (grades 6–12, free, virtual)
