 Horror/Scary: June 13, 2007 Issue [#1767] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Edited by: darkin
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Reading a horror story, one that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page, is what every horror fan dreams of. Being scared, to the point that sleep is almost impossible, makes the read all the more worthwhile. Does that make us crazy? You bet!!!
My name is Darkin, and I’m your host this week for the Horror Newsletter.
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Finding the Perfect Monster for Your Horror Story
Horror writing takes many forms. Psychological, supernatural, and everyday horrors are but a few of the story plots you'll come across when reading scary tales. Another great one is the monster story.
Monsters come in many shapes, sizes, and nationalities. Every country has its own legends and myths about them. If you want to create a unique monster story, why not use one of those monsters to terrify your reader?
A wonderful book for finding new monsters is A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack. I've provided a link to the book at the end of this article. It is a wonderful compilation of characters for the horror writer. All of the following creatures can be found in this book. I'm chosen one creature from each continent as an example.
North America - Windigo
This man-eating creature comes during the winter months, when food is hard to find. Much larger than a human, it has glaring eyes, is naked and gaunt, and brings blizzards with it when it hunts. It feeds on human beings, at times possessing them to find more victims. It is said that throwing excrement is a way to avoid possession. The only way to get the Windigo out of a person is to kill the person, cut their body into pieces and burn it. Not very helpful to the victim, but a great horror plot twist.
South America - Munuane
Considered by the Sikuani to be the "Master of Fish", the Munuane appears as a toothless, gray-haired guardian demon with eyes in his knees. He travels on a raft and uses a bow and arrow to dispatch those who are taking too many fish from the river. He is very large and not very bright. He only attacks greedy fishermen and is an excellent shot. If the victim must fight, the creature's knees are his weak point.
Europe - Duergar
This is a fairy from Great Britain who leads travelers astray by using am image of a flickering torch. He's about one foot tall, wearing a lambskin coat, moleskin shoes and a hat made of green moss with a feather sticking out of it. He believes the woods are his and will harm or kill any human he catches trespassing, usually by trickery. He is an illusionist and can fool the human mind into seeing things that aren't there. If caught by a Duergar, staying still until daylight is the only way to survive. Any movement can be deadly.
Africa - Bori
A mischievous spirit that is easily offended or angered. Most often appears human with hoofed feet. One way to spot one, should your victim come across a stranger in your story, is the stranger will seem slightly weird and have oddly unfocused dreamy eyes. It kills an offending human slowly by sucking the victim's life force out of their body. Iron is a powerful repellent for this creature; even the word spoken several times can drive the creature away long enough for an escape.
Asia - Yuki-onna
This creature appears as a beautiful and an irresistible maiden. Dressed all in white, her skin is pale and her breath is like frost. She can appear as a vapor or mist, and kills her victims by sucking their life from their own lips. Should a male victim catch her eye, she will extract some sort of promise before letting him go. Later, she will disguise herself as a human female to become romantically involved with him. Should he break his oath, she appears in her true form and kills him. There isn't much that can be done should she attack; avoidance seems to be the best course of action.
Australia - Mamu
A malevolent man-eating demon who roams the desert, this shape-shifter is seen at times as a friend, fellow traveler, birds, and even inanimate objects. When in its natural state, it is tall with a huge pointed head and bloody fanged teeth. The males carry large clubs to use against their victims. A good defense to these creatures is fire and dogs. When traveling in the desert overnight, sleeping in a circle of fire with dogs keeping watch will keep you safe.
This is by no means a complete list of the worlds legends and myths surrounding monsters, but a sampling of what you will find. Research your choice carefully and have fun creating your horror story based on that choice.
Monsters make wonderful horror story characters. Big or small, they are frightening because they are part of the mist and shadow of our own fears. It is up to the horror writer to use that fear to scare the pants off his reader. So, what are you waiting for? Start scaring!
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin
To buy the book mentioned in this article, click on the link 
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Here are some items I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
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If you call someone a name often enough they may soon believe it
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Story for Writers Cramp about a bunny with bulging eyes.
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| | | The Lake (13+)
Seeking revenge for his daughter's death, Daniel goes out to fish...
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Thank you for allowing me to enter your world. If you have any comments, or questions, feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you! Here are some of the comments I received on my last guest editing
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Submitted By: Budroe
Submitted Comment:
Great Newsletter!
I particularly enjoy the works you highlight. I have just one question: Do you mean to tell me there are actually zombie scientists? Wow! Who knew?
LOL, according to my research there are zombie scientists, but I have yet to met one in person
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Submitted By: ⭐Princette♥PengthuluWrites 
Submitted Comment:
I love The Zombie Survival Guide. I'm already preparing for when the zombies take over the world...but I'm not sharing where so none of you can try to hide with me when your worst fears are confirmed. Bwa, ha, ha...
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Submitted By: likenion
Submitted Comment:
Hey Darkin! We meet again!
It is very cool that you bring up the zombie and I learned so many things that I didn't know before as in the mechanism of the virus and so on. But there are many variations to this monster that really mess up all lines. I have watched an old movie, in which zombies have intelect and still can speak and recognise humans and so on, which was very scary. I have also read about Voo Doo zombie rituals taht raise the dead via rituals and as i say too much different info.
I have a question though. How can you permanently destroy a zombie! I read and watched enough to know so far that the head must be seperated or destroyed from the body. Is that so?
Other than that I think that this is a cool newletter! Congratulations!
Separating the head and burning the body are the only ways I know of to do in a zombie...though there could be other ways
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Submitted By: Fish*sWife - I'm Baaaaack!
Submitted Comment:
Great issue this week! I fear zombies above all monsters, but can't seem to keep myself from watching all the zombie movies they make! They terrify me and I love it!
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Submitted By: IdaLin
Submitted Comment:
Excellent! I now have a newfound appreciation for zombies. Well, maybe not appreciation, exactly. Yecch!
Sorry about that, hopefully I didn't give you nightmares
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Submitted By: A thinker never sleeps
Submitted Comment:
Zombies... Watch Shawn of the Dead. Need I say any more? One of the funniest parts is where they are winding up one of the female zombies because they think it's a drunk woman in their garden.
Yep, that's one of the funniest zombie scenes in any movie!!!
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Submitted By: CandyStaiNeCane 
Submitted Comment:
Divine!! Darkin, you inspired me to a new subject, Zombie's, and I enjoyed your knowledge of them. May the darkness in you, live on in your Endless Nights. 's stained.,
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Submitted By: Annje - Jewel of Darkness
Submitted Comment:
Great zombie article! I've watched the classics, read some of the works, but i was never really creeped out respectfully until i saw "the Serpent and the Rainbow" and then read the non-fiction work of Wade Davis, who chronicled his experiences in Haiti. He talks about the zombification process, and i can't pass a cemetary since without succumbing to superstitious rituals. Definitely worth reading.
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Submitted By: Lauriemariepea
Submitted Comment:
loved the zombies newsletter--thank you, darkin!
i appreciate your thoughtful analysis of zombiehood. i'd not really considered the circulation aspect of the infection.
i've read 'world war z', and was surprised and impressed the entire read by how well-written, how realistic the zombie war had been. i agree completely, an amazing book. thanks again!!
i also enjoy the stories of zombification through voodoo, and the control the bokor has over them. very scary, and not written about as often. if you're interested, read 'brown girl in the ring' by nalo hopkinson, or 'tell my horse' by zora neale hurston. both great books, one fiction, one not. and of course, 'the serpent and the rainbow' (movie and book, both). sorry to run on. i got all excited.
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