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Academics & Arts
Upper School (Grades 9-12)
The Capstone Scholars Program
Capstone Student Showcase

"Viscera:" A Collection of Horror Stories

Cici Cao ‘25
Mentor: Irene Gibson, author of the The Defiers Trilogy
Faculty Support: Megan Weiskopf
Summary: I wrote a collection of short stories around a central theme of horror titled Viscera and published a blog-style website.
I originally came into Capstone thinking I would create something involving visual storytelling (i.e. a graphic novel, comic, etc) since I was always interested in illustration. However, this idea shifted toward the middle of my Sophomore year as I explored writing more, eventually developing a collection of short stories.

At the same time, I was really into the horror genre, which became the central theme of my short stories after reading many horror novels and books as research. I decided to take a different approach to the genre though, because I found horror’s emotional and personal aspects less talked about and far more intriguing than what or who was scary. As I brainstormed ideas, typed up first drafts, and cried through writer’s block, I wrote each story with a fear of mine in mind. By the end of Junior year, I had nine finished stories ready to be published. Due to how arduous self-publishing is, I chose to create a blog-style website to share my stories. After playing around with title names, I settled on Viscera to further emphasize the personal fears and horror I wanted to portray.

Moving forward, I still have three stories I want to finish that didn’t make it to the final product. Additionally, I’m working to bring back an element of illustration into my website—mainly through sketches and character designs—and refining it overall.

All in all, I’m incredibly grateful for Capstone—for giving me the time and space to expand my passion for creating something refined and tangible. Because of Capstone, I improved drastically in my writing and learned a multitude of skills I wouldn’t have without it. Most importantly, I produced something I’ll forever be proud of.

Read Viscera

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