Normal Ends Here — Real Stories of the Strange & Unexplained

Safety first

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number right now. This form and channel are not emergency services and are not monitored in real time.

Encounter Submission Form

Submit Your Paranormal Encounter Story

What this is

Normal Ends Here: Real Stories of the Strange & Unexplained is a brand new YouTube channel started by Zach Cutler-Orrey, the indie author behind the action-horror novel Screams of the Jungle and founder of Zenraith Tales and Publishing. Normal Ends Here is dedicated to sharing stories of real encounters with the paranormal. Here we welcome stories of the unknown, unexplained, mysterious, and/or deeply unsettling.

You may submit your own encounter, or someone else's encounter if you have their explicit permission to share it. You may also submit anonymously.

All submissions must go through this form so I have the proper permission to consider, edit, narrate, publish, and potentially monetize the story if selected.

Why it matters

This is a mission-driven channel. In addition to sharing strange and unexplained experiences with respect and care, a committed percentage of future net profits from this channel and related Zenraith Tales and Publishing projects will support vetted organizations working to prevent abuse, promote healthy masculinity, and make the world a safer place for women, children, and vulnerable people by empowering men to be better men.

What you can submit

Stories of strange phenomena may include, but are not limited to:

—UFOs / UAPs / extraterrestrials / NHIs / entities
—Cryptids, mystery animals, legends, or strange creatures (e.g.: Mothman)
—Sasquatch/Bigfoot, or other mystery hominoids (cryptids)
—Ghosts, hauntings, paranormal, or spiritual encounters
—High-strangeness, ESP, premonitions, or glitches in reality
—Any unexplained experience that makes the hair on your arms stand up
—Any unexplained experience that was life-changing
—Unexplained experiences that were positive or neutral are also encouraged

Note: At this time, story submissions must be written through this form. If your story seems like a strong fit and I need more detail, I may contact you (if you grant me permission to do so here) for follow-up questions.

Privacy

Your safety and privacy is my top priority. You may submit your story completely anonymously if you choose. Please do not include full legal names, exact addresses, workplaces, usernames, or identifying details for yourself or others. When in doubt, change identifying details.

Before you continue

Ownership, permission, and privacy

To protect everyone involved, please confirm that you have the right to submit this story, it is not plagiarized, and that you will avoid sharing private or identifying information that could expose, harm, or defame another person.

I confirm that this story is either my own experience or I have explicit permission to share it from the person who experienced it. I also confirm that it is not copied, plagiarized, or knowingly false, and that I will not include full legal names, exact addresses, workplaces, usernames, serious accusations, or other identifying/private details.

Contact & Credit Information

Name, alias, or "Anonymous"

This is how I'll identify your submission privately. You may use your real first name, a pseudonym, an alias, or simply write "Anonymous."

Email address for private follow-up

Your email will not be shared publicly or read on the channel. I may use it only to contact you about your submission, ask follow-up questions, request clarification, or notify you if your story is selected. I will never sell your contact information to data brokers.

Are you open to being contacted if I need clarification or additional details?

Yes, you may contact me about this submission

No, please do not contact me unless absolutely necessary

How would you like to be credited publicly if your story is selected?

First name only

Alias or pseudonym

Anonymous

Other

Encounter Basics

Before sharing the full encounter, please answer a few quick questions so I know how to organize your submission.

Your Encounter!

Please write your encounter in as much detail as possible, from beginning to end. Write it the way you would tell it to someone who has never heard the story before.

Some prompts that may be helpful:

—Events leading up to / what happened before
—When it happened
—Who was there
—Where you were
—What happened
—What exactly was said, and by who if you remember
—What exactly you saw, heard, felt, or experienced — describe it!
—What happened after
—Aftermath & why this encounter stayed with you
—Did you tell anyone about it? Report it?

You do not need to be a professional writer! Clear, honest storytelling is more important than perfect grammar. Take your time. Dialogue, emotions, uncertainty, small details, and your honest interpretation of what happened are all welcome!

Your story may start similar to this example: "The experience that I'm about to share happened to me in the Fall of 1971, just outside the small town of Sasabe, Arizona. I was 12 years old."…

For privacy, please change any names, exact addresses, workplaces, schools, usernames, or identifying details you do not want shared publicly.

If your story is selected, this is the main text I'll use for narration, subject to editing for clarity, pacing, privacy, length, and platform compliance. If you want me to emphasize key words in your story while I'm narrating it, please *put asterisks around them*!

Note: I strongly encourage you to save your progress elsewhere if you need to step away mid-writing.

Please write your full encounter here *

0 / 2,500 min

The minimum is 2,500 characters. Strong full-length submissions are usually 5,000–8,000+ characters. Shorter submissions may still be used in multi-story episodes.

One last note: if you've had multiple or recurring experiences with the paranormal, you're more than welcome to submit this same form again and again for each encounter!

Editing & Publication Permission

If your story is selected, I need your permission to edit, narrate, publish, distribute, monetize, and promote it as part of Normal Ends Here and related channel content.

This permission applies to YouTube, podcast platforms, social media, websites, newsletters, and related promotional content.

This does not grant separate book, audiobook, film, television, or fictional adaptation rights. Any future literary or adaptation project would require a separate written agreement.

Permission to use your submitted story — I grant permission to use, narrate, publish, distribute, and promote my submitted story as part of Normal Ends Here and related channel content (YouTube, podcast, social media, websites, newsletters, and related promotional content).

Editing acknowledgement — I understand that my submission may be edited for grammar, clarity, pacing, length, privacy, and platform compliance.

No guarantee of use — I understand that submitting a story does not guarantee that it will be selected, published, narrated, or responded to.

Compensation acknowledgement — I understand that I will not receive payment, royalties, or compensation if my story is selected for use on Normal Ends Here, YouTube, podcast platforms, social media, websites, newsletters, or related promotional content.

Privacy responsibility — I understand that I am responsible for removing or changing any names, exact locations, workplaces, schools, usernames, or identifying details.

Release of Liability — I understand that I am responsible for the story and information I submit. I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, my submission does not knowingly include false, defamatory, private, or identifying information about another person without permission. I agree that Zach Cutler-Orrey, Zenraith Tales and Publishing, and Normal Ends Here are not responsible for claims, disputes, reactions, comments, reposts, or other consequences that may arise from my submission or from the publication, discussion, or promotion of the story if selected.

Optional: Future Literary Collaboration

Separately from Normal Ends Here, Zenraith Tales and Publishing may eventually explore nonfiction story collections, books, audiobooks, or fictional works inspired by selected encounters.

This section is completely optional and does not affect whether your story may be considered for the YouTube channel.

Saying yes below does not create a contract, grant book rights, grant fiction/adaptation rights, or give permission for your story to be used in a separate publishing project. It only means you are open to being contacted later if your submission seems like a possible fit for a future literary project. Any such project would require a separate discussion and written agreement.

All literary works, nonfiction or fiction, will fall under Zenraith Tales and Publishing's Stories That Make A Difference series. A percentage of these net profits will also contribute to the mission over the years: working to prevent abuse, promote healthy masculinity, and make the world a safer place for women, children, and vulnerable people.

Would you be open to being contacted about a possible future literary or publishing collaboration?

Yes, I'm open to being contacted about a possible future literary/publishing collaboration

No, I only want my story considered for the Normal Ends Here YouTube channel

Optional: Updates from Zenraith Tales and Publishing

This is optional and does not affect whether your story is considered or selected!

As a new author looking to find my footing, it is a goal of mine to create a way to connect with readers in a way that doesn't rely on any one platform or algorithm. So far my niche is speculative horror fiction, and I'm currently working on a historical fiction sci-fi thriller. If you choose yes, you may receive occasional updates from Zenraith Tales and Publishing about when I have a new book coming out, or Normal Ends Here related announcements. These would be infrequent and only sent out when I personally send them out — no annoying autoresponder emails.

Yes, you may use the email I provided to send occasional updates

No thank you

How did you hear about this?

Final Confirmation

Before submitting, please confirm the following. These confirmations help protect you, me, the people mentioned in your story, and Normal Ends Here.

Age confirmation — I confirm that I am 18 years of age or older.

Final submission confirmation — I confirm that I have read and agree to the permissions, acknowledgments, and privacy guidelines in this form, and that the information I provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Emergency and support acknowledgement — I understand that this form, channel, and creator are not emergency services, crisis support, legal support, medical support, mental health support, or investigative services. If I or someone else is in immediate danger, I should contact emergency services or an appropriate professional resource.

Is there anything else you want me to know?

You may use this space for phonetic pronunciation notes, sensitivity concerns, or anything that did not fit elsewhere. For example:

"Please change my town name."

"Please don't mention my sister's real name."

"My alias is pronounced…"

"I'm okay with follow-up questions."

"This was hard to write, so please present it gently."

Hotline / Safety Resources

Click here to view a safety resource guide for sexual assault, intimate partner/domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, or other forms of abuse: Safety Resource Guide

By submitting, you confirm all permissions and acknowledgements above.