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A few words from the masters:
“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.”
~ Edgar Allan Poe
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
~ H. P. Lovecraft
“We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”
~ Stephen King
“Horror fiction shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion.”
~ Clive Barker |
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According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘horror’ means ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock or disgust’. The word comes from the Latin horrere, meaning ‘to tremble or shudder’.
The best horror stories share at least five elements in common and this week, we will take a look at them.
1. They have ‘malevolent’ or ‘wicked’ characters, deeds, or phenomena.
2. The story will arouse feelings of fear, shock, or disgust as well as the sense of the uncanny – things are not what they seem. There is a heightened sense of the unknown and/or mysterious.
3. They can be intense (as the dictionary definition reminds us). Horror books convey intense emotion, mood, tone, and environment. Together, these produce a sense of ominous possibility.
4. Contain scary and/or shocking plot twists. In horror, the ghosts and werewolves are very, very real.
5. Immerse readers in the macabre. Horror tends to deal with morbid situations, from repetitive cycles of violence to death-related uncanny scenarios. Zombies march, vampires make you join their legion, or (in subtler scenarios) long-dead friends or relations pay unexpected visits.
So, how do you accomplish those five things? Well, here are some ideas:
 Use strong, pervasive tone
Understanding ‘tone’ is crucial to how to write horror well. Tone and mood are two style elements that affect how your story feels. Great tone and mood make readers’ spines tingle before a single character has made a terrible decision. How you describe settings, character movement and actions creates an overarching tone. In horror writing, a dark or frightening tone is often pronounced.
Read widely in your genre
Whatever genre you write in, whether psychological or paranormal horror, read as many books by respected authors in your genre as possible. Examples of celebrated horror authors include Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Bram Stoker, Neil Gaiman, Chuck Palahniuk, John Lindqvist, and more.
As you read authors in your genre, make notes on what aspects of your genre the author excels in. Is it great, spooky settings? Copy out your favorite quotes that create an eerie sense of place and re-read them when trying to make your own settings more vivid. Actively learning from great authors will improve your mastery of the horror genre.
Give evil characters motivativation
Give every malevolent character a strong, clear motivation. Revealing what the motivation is for the sinister goings-on in your story can be part of the mystery that sustains it and keeps readers guessing why unsettling things keep happening.
Tap into common human fears
I've touched on this before in other newsletters. If the point of horror writing (and horror elements in other genres such as paranormal romance) is to arouse fear, shock, or disgust, think of the things people are most commonly afraid of.
Know the difference between terror and horror
To learn how to write horror stories, it’s useful to understand the difference between horror and terror. ‘Terror’ describes a state of feeling. Oxford Dictionaries simply define it as ‘extreme fear’. To ‘terrorize’, means to use extreme fear to intimidate others.
Horror, however, also suggests elements of disgust and surprise or shock. Thus the word ‘horror’ describes not only extreme fear but also revulsion and a sense of surprise and the unexpected.
If you have some other tips, I'd love to hear them! Drop me a comment below! |
Here are some horror/scary stories from some of our newest members!
"A Beast of the Forest" by Sielov 
Teaser:
It's cold, yet my whole body is in a deep sweat. These forests are so dark that even a flashlight couldn't help me light the path ahead. However, this darkness makes me feel oddly safe; from what, I don't know for sure.
"The Hailstorm" by Infernity
Teaser:
The warm summer breeze surrounds his head as he joyously strolls through the playground, the
ever-scorching heat-producing sweat pearls inmidst of his face as the next game of Tag begins to unfold.The parents seem satisfied about the current situation and smilingly sit on a bench, waving at the little toddler and his little friend.
"Epistolary Dreams" by Ashutosh Galgali
Teaser:
She sat up in her bed, her sleep rudely interrupted once more by the same dream that had visited her continuously for the past few nights. She glanced at the luminous dial of her clock; It read two in the morning. Cold air moistened by the dew spilled in through a crack in the window. It was going to rain that day, she decided, as she slipped off her bed and walked into the study. It wasn't so much a study as it was an artist's studio. Her art was digital.
"The Song from the Depths" by Ashutosh Galgali
Teaser:
As the airplane began its descent, I felt a wave of anxiety, not the irrational kind, but rather, the kind that arises from the prospect of meeting someone after a long time. I knew Avelyn from college, and while we were never particularly good friends, we shared a few common interests. I hadn't heard from her since graduation, and we had more or less drifted apart. |
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Horror/Scary: October 20, 2021 Issue [#10892]
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