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 Horror/Scary: June 29, 2005 Issue [#453] |
  Horror/Scary This week: Edited by: W.D.Wilcox   More Newsletters By This Editor   1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions  Webster’s says: horror: painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay; intense aversion or repugnance; the quality of inspiring horror That last definition, the quality of inspiring horror, smacks of everything the Horror/Scary Newsletter stands for. 
 Horrible Words So you want to write horror. You know that the words you choose will help give your story or poem a certain mood or atmosphere, a certain feel. Sometimes making a list of words that capture the feel you want--before you begin to write--can help ensure that you do evoke that mood. Or you can write the piece, then go back later and see where you can replace ordinary words with more interesting ones. And that's one of the keys to good, dynamic writing: instead of using ordinary nouns with lots of adjectives, use more interesting nouns and fewer, but more descriptive adjectives; and instead of using ordinary verbs with adverbs to help describe them, use more active verbs with a minimum of carefully chosen adverbs. In fact, if you use dynamic enough words in your writing, you'll find you hardly ever need adverbs. Horror writing is an especially good candidate for exciting language. Of course, you may not want to bother taking all that time to list good words before you start (but it's fun, and I suggest you try it now and then). To help you out, I've compiled this list of horrific and horrifying words. Pick out some that you like and see how you can use them to create scary fiction or poetry. And if you come across other great words, write them down; you never know when a creepy word will prove useful. Nouns absence agony apparition atrocity banshee blood body brutality cadaver carcass cavern cemetery chill corpse corruption crone cry crypt curse damnation darkness death delirium dementia demon devil dirge dread dungeon empty evil execution exorcism fangs fear fiend fright gangrene ghast ghost ghoul gloom gore grave grief grotesque grue hag haunt hex horror howl hush ichor incubus insanity lament lamentation lamia leech lunacy lunatic madman/madwoman madness malediction maleficence malevolence malice malignance maniac marrow mausoleum miasma midnight misery monster monstrosity morgue mortality mortification mortuary mummy murk necromancy necropolis necrosis night nightmare nosferatu panic paralysis parasite phantasm phantom poltergeist possession rancor remorse revenant rot scare scream screech sepulchre shade shadow shock shriek silence sin sorcery sorrow soul spectre spike spirit spook succubus suffering teeth terror tomb tongues torment torture trepidation unease vampire vault villain villainy void wail waste werewolf witch witchcraft witchery wizardry woe wolves wraith zombie Adjectives absent accursed aching afraid afeared alarmed anguished anxious arcane archaic baneful barren beetling black bleak bleeding bloodcurdling bloodless bloodthirsty bloody brutal cadaverous carmine cavernous cheerless chill chilling corpselike corrupt cowering crawling crawly creeping creepy crimson cringing cursed damned dark darkling darksome dead deadly deceased delirious demented demonic deranged desolate devilish devoid diabolical dire dismal dour dreadful eerie eldritch emaciated empty emptiness ensanguined enveloping evil faint fanged fearful fell fiendish forbidding foul flinching frightened frightful frightening funereal gangrenous ghastly ghostlike ghostly ghoulish gloomy gory gothic grotesque grim grisly gruesome haggard haglike haunted heathen hideous hollow horrendous horrible horrid horrific horrified horrifying hostile hushed immaterial incorporeal infernal insane jagged lifeless lolling lunatic macabre mad maddening maledictory malevolent malicious malign malignant maniacal Mephistophelian miasmal moaning monstrous morbid mortal mortuary mournful muffled murky nervous nervy nightmarish occult oily otherworldly panicky parasitic petrified phantom pitted possessed quavering quivering ragged red repugnant revolting satanic savage scarlet screaming screeching sepulchral sere scared scary shadowy shaggy shivering shivery shrieking shuddering shuddersome silent sinewy sinful sinister sombre sorcerous sorrowing soulful soundless spectral spirituous spooky stark sunless supernatural terrible terrifying tomblike tormented tormenting tortured torturous transfixed trembling tremulous twitching uncanny unearthly uneasy unholy unnatural unspeakable unutterable vacant vaporous venomous vermilion vile villainous viperous virulent voiceless wailing wasted weeping whimpering wicked witchy wraithlike writhing wrong Verbs ache agonize apparate bedevil bemoan bite blacken bleed bloody blind brutalize consume convulse corrupt cower cramp crawl craze creep cringe cry curse damn darken dement derange devour die drain dread entomb envelope execute faint fear flinch frighten gag ghost grieve haunt hex horrify howl impale infest lament leech lunge lurch madden moan mourn muffle mummify panic paralyze parasitize perish petrify posses quake quaver quiver ravage rend repulse revolt rip rot savage scar scare scrabble scrape scream screech shiver shriek shudder silence sin snuff sob spasm spike spook squelch stifle succumb suffer tear terrify terrorize torment torture transfix trample tremble twinge twitch unearth wail waste weep whimper witch wither wolf wound writhe wrong Adverbs absently anxiously banefully blackly bloodily bloodthirstily brutally cheerlessly darkly deadly deathly demonically desolately dismally dourly dreadfully eerily evilly fearfully fiendishly forbiddingly frightfully frighteningly ghoulishly grimly gruesomely hideously hollowly horrendously horrifically hostilely infernally insanely lifelessly madly malevolently maliciously malignly malignantly monstrously morbidly mortally mournfully nervously nightmarishly parasitically redly savagely sinfully sombrely spectrally starkly terribly tremulously uncannily unnaturally vacantly venomously vilely virulently wickedly wrongly 
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 twyls swimmingly insists: Nice newsletter, W.D. I have no trouble admitting (as it amuses me as well as others) that I have a true phobia of dolphins. I'm not sure what that's called, but it's very real, and I have no idea why I'm afraid of them. This gets scary, as I live near the Pacific Ocean, and am asked to join people at the beach frequently. I just can't get near that ocean, thinking there might be a dolphin in it. *Shudders* I have to go relax now, or I'll get myself in a panic! Dolphins have always been depicted as man’s best friend of the sea. Although I must admit, I never did like Flipper very much. shaara remarks: Dear Bill, did you know that you just get better and better? Whatever magic pill or writing course you're taking, I want one. Smiles, Shaara PS Thanks for the phobias. They're crawling all over me now. Well, Shaara, one pill makes me larger, and one pill makes me small. And one pill Mother gives me, doesn’t do anything at all. Darkness  counts the ways: Firstly, amazing newsletter. the first one and you’ve already given me ideas for the usage of agateophobia. Secondly - I would like to ask your thoughts. How do you feel about a destruction of reality in horror? Things that cannot possibly happen in real life, but do - even simple things as a heavy immovable metal door swinging silently. My style is japanese psychological horror, so a destruction of reality is important in my work. Not everyone agrees though. The one piece I have in my portfolio should give you an idea though... Thank you, and please write back :) Things that cannot possibly happen in real life? Now, see there, that’s where we disagree. True horror has got to be believable. It’s got to happen to a average guy or gal in a lazy little town where nothing ever happens. It has got to be totally unexpected, like a small child skipping down the sidewalk, and then, “BAM!”. If you want to destroy reality, be my guest. Once horror raises its ugly head, reality as we know it, is pretty much destroyed anyway. lynk quips: Hi Bill, thanks for including my story in your newsletter. I like your idea's on writing about phobia's. It gave me some idea's - thanks! Lynne. Always glad to help, Lynne  Pretty in Black graciously says: Interesting newsletter this week, W.D.! I think you may have inspired me to try writing a story about a character with an unusual phobia now. Might be fun. Take care, Jamie We are all afraid of something, Jamie. A phobia is just an attempt to label it. I am thrilled if I helped inspire your work. That’s the highest compliment a writer can get. InkyShadows says: Well, Bill, you've done it again! You've written yet another wonderfully informative and muse stimulating newsletter. I'm definitely going to check out that list of phobias that you linked for us. Inky PS: I think I feel the onset of automatonophobia each morning when I go into work. Gawd, don’t you just hate it when that happens? LOL. Thanks Inkster, it’s always good to hear from you. Have a question or comment for the Editor? http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  To stop receiving this newsletter, go into your account and remove the check from the box beside the specific topic. Be sure to click "Complete Edit" or it will not save your changes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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