  Horror/Scary
This week: Encounters with Cthulhu ~ and Others Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
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Welcome to this week's edition of the WDC Horror/Scary Newsletter.
"Horror is that which cannot be made safe -- evolving, ever-changing -- because it is about our relentless need to confront the unknown, the unknowable, and the emotion we experience when in its thrall."
"Horror is not a genre...horror is an emotion."
Douglas E. Winter
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear,"
H.P. Lovecraft
Writing horror opens a dialogue, interactive, between the writer and reader ~ and perhaps being that have been here all along ~ watching, and waiting. And the dialogue is as varied as the writers and readers who embrace this otherworld, be it supernatural or mundane.
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Greetings, perhaps you've envisioned, or encountered, a creature from the past, one of the bringers of knowledge, ala Stonehenge, Atlantis, or what to us are other 'wonders' of our world. Perhaps you'd like to write about it. Well, write your Mythos ~ show us your Cthulhu (Lovecraft) or Stephen King's 'Cthun' (exposed by "N." in his short story collection Just After Sunset.
Have something original to say. If you're just going to write a carbon copy Mythos story in which a reclusive scholar reads from some hideous tome he inherited from his great-uncle and then goes insane or is eaten, go ahead, but don't expect too many people to rave about it. Take your story into uncharted territory.
Choose a proper setting. Lovecraft set his stories in 1920s New England because he lived there. You don't, so set your story in your own place and time, and you know what scares you about them.
You might even be able to find some local folklore or ghost stories for inspiration. If you do stray outside this area, research your new setting as much as possible. Don't imitate Lovecraft slavishly; again his style was born of his time and his voice. .Try to find your own voice, instead of using Lovecraft's.
Consider your use of the Mythos. Use elements of the Mythos sparingly; too much will throw off casual readers. Authors have created hundreds, even thousands, of Mythos elements, so choose the ones that enhance the mood you're trying to create. Some people say that a Mythos story must make such elements an integral part of the story. If you think the story would be better off without them, don't be afraid to leave them out.
Do the research. When using the Mythos in a story, try to find out as much about the elements you're using as possible. Read the stories they appear in, or check in the Enyclopedia Cthulhiana. This isn't to say that you can't deviate from the canon, but you should at least know something about the element before you use it. Also, if you're using scientific or historical data in your stories, make sure it's accurate. Another good resource I believe is Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Try to make your references meaningful, instead of gobbledygook thrown out to impress the reader.
Make your setting believable and your characters real. Avoid the cliches running while looking backwards and booming voices near unidentified. Use your senses and have your characters show it! What they see, hear, smell and imagine as they encounter their environment and interact with the Mythos.
If you'd like to read a free download of Lovecraft's "Cthulhu" you can find it here ~
http://www.necfiles.org/part3.htm#q34
But after all that, it's your encounter to share with your readers ~ invite them into your Mythos, but do give them a safe way out, if you so choose 
Write On!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Enter a few of the otherworlds formed of both recognized and newly created Mythos by some of the members of our Community ~ and share in the journey with a comment or review
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| |  | Shukumei (ASR)
During the ending days of the Samurai, an evil mythology comes true for a reluctant hero.
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| | | Imps (13+)
Contest Entree for A Flicker Of Madness (Flash Fiction) - Prompt "Imp"
#1584567 by Pennywise  |
While you're at it, why not enter into the Mythos here - if you dare
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Before you leave and return to the relative safety of mundane reality, I'd like you to check out this dramatic tale of horror submitted to this Newsletter
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
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I thank you for abiding with me ~ my prior saved selections and comments did not update and many of you first saw blanks. Because of this error of which I was unaware for several days, I've tried to attain some balance by donating the stipend for this week's newsletters to RAOK.
Until we next meet,
Write On!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Horror/Scary: September 29, 2010 Issue [#3967]
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