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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/5523-Horror-Around-Every-Corner.html
Horror/Scary: February 19, 2013 Issue [#5523]

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Horror/Scary


 This week: Horror Around Every Corner
  Edited by: Diane Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

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

About This Newsletter

Welcome to this week's edition of the Horror/Scary newsletter. Horror can be found lurking in every genre from action to mystery. Each edition of this newsletter highlights stories and poetry on the site that will hopefully set your nerves on edge and send shivers up your spine.

~ Diane ~


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

As I've matured, I've come to the realization that it isn't the physical aspect of horror that terrifies me most, but the psychological. The thought that horror could be found in an ordinary object or situation and is potentially lurking around every corner is enough to make a person paranoid! Still, I must love the potential for paranoia because my bookcase is filled with books that are clearly horrific in nature. My favorites are those that take the mundane and add a twist to make the reader tense with the possibility of a similar situation happening in their life.

As a writing exercise, I often take an ordinary object or situation and bend it into something horrifying. For example, one of the stories below, "Myself? Himself?"  Open in new Window. [GC] by Pacific Blue Author Icon , uses a glass eye as the focus of horror. While many might dislike the idea of a glass eye, it isn't truly a horrifying object in and of itself, but the author adds a twist that elicits dread in the mind of the reader at the possibility. As the story progresses, the tension builds and while I was confident that the author was taking me down one path, I was proven wrong in the end, which made it even more horrific.

Another story linked below, "How About this Weather?"  Open in new Window. [13+] by Beckyl Author Icon takes an ordinary situation, a call taken at work, and transforms that moment into the start of a terrifying experience. The emotion from the situation in the story creates an overwhelming sense of horror and by the time I finished reading, I was wondering how it happened. The key to using an ordinary situation as the basis of horror is to make everything outside of the situation completely normal, which this author does well. That keeps the focus on the horror and allows the tension to build.

One of my favorite quotes about horror was written by Douglas Winter who stated, "Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction, meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries or bookstores. Horror is an emotion." Clearly, horror can be found everywhere and there is the potential for a scary story in the most innocent of scenes. To that point, I challenge you to take the photo prompt below from "Short Shots: Official WDC ContestOpen in new Window. and write a horror story.

Image for the 2013 Short Shots Contest

Until next time,
Diane Author IconMail Icon


Editor's Picks

I've selected a nice mixture of horror stories for your reading pleasure. Enjoy, and remember to send a review to the author.



 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1803065 by Not Available.


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1585591 by Not Available.


 
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STATIC
Eastern Penn Tours Open in new Window. (13+)
What happens when men meet the spirits
#1791864 by Quick-Quill Author IconMail Icon


 Myself? Himself? Open in new Window. (GC)
The eye still won't look at me directly...
#1917227 by Pacific Blue Author IconMail Icon


 How About this Weather? Open in new Window. (13+)
Short story for a contest about the Darker Side of unseasonably warm weather.
#1861133 by Beckyl Author IconMail Icon



 
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Word from Writing.Com

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!
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Ask & Answer

As a guest editor, I have no feedback to share with you, but the editors work hard to make sure the newsletters are informative and enjoyable and appreciate your responses.

In lieu of feedback, I'll share a prompt from Prompts  Open in new Window. and a place to post and find items in the Horror/Scary genre:

Prompt: In a castle, where you stay as a tourist, an armoire swallows people who open its doors.


If you write something based on the above prompt, email the link to me and I will review it for you. After sending the link to me, you should also plug it, and any other horror items you write, in:

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1831282 by Not Available.


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