Horror/Scary: April 10, 2019 Issue [#9488]
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 This week: Horror Genres
  Edited by: Angus Author IconMail Icon
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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

“What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow.”

~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley~



Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

Like all other classifications of writing, horror has many sub-genres within the main genre, and even sub-genres within sub-genres. Some of these sub-genres are even associated with the authors who typically write/wrote in a certain style of horror. Splatter horror, mixed with supernatural elements, can loosely be compared to the works of Clive Barker. H.P. Lovecraft liked to deal with the supernatural and extraterrestrial, giving rise to ‘Lovecraftian’ horror. Edgar Allen Poe was known for his gothic and supernatural stories, which could be called ‘Poe-tic’ horror (yeah, I know—bad joke—you can stop booing now).

As a writer of horror, I’ve tried my hand at many of these sub-genres, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. And in doing so, I’ve had my share of both positive and negative reviews. To say I’ve been called many different names would be an understatement (sick, twisted, demented, disgusting, to name a few), but that’s part of the game; you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Hell, sometimes you can’t even please any of the people any of the time!

But that doesn’t mean we don’t try. And to all writers of every genre, you have my utmost admiration for not giving up. DON’T STOP!

Anyway, after doing a little research for this Newsletter, I was somewhat surprised to see just how many of these sub-genres are out there. Below are what I believe to be the four main genres of horror in literature, film, television, and other forms of entertainment, with examples of their sub-genres.

Killers, Monsters, Paranormal/Supernatural, and Psychological


KILLERS
Maybe one of the most well-known forms of horror, this genre has murderers, real or imaginary, with crime and thrills, usually with blood, guts, and gore.

Sub-genre: Slashers
Halloween
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Friday the Thirteenth


Sub-genre: Crime
Silence of the Lambs
The Purge


MONSTERS
One of my personal favorites, monsters and creatures date back to the early 19th century with Frankenstein, but I think they really took off in the 20th century with King Kong. Even these can be real, imaginary, or legendary.

Sub-genre: Real
Cujo
Jaws


Sub-genre: Imaginary(?)
Alien
The Fly


Sub-genre: Legendary
Bigfoot
Night of the Living Dead

(the reason I included this is because Zombies are legendary in certain countries, particularly in Haiti)

PARANORMAL/SUPERNATURAL
Ghosts, demons, possession, and even witches have been around forever, and fear of the unknown is a staple of horror.

Sub-genre: Ghosts
Poltergeist
The Conjuring


Sub-genre: Demons
The Omen
Rosemary's Baby


Sub-genre: Possession
The Exorcist
The Rite


Sub-genre: Witches
The Blair Witch Project

PSYCHOLOGICAL
This genre might be the scariest of the genres since it deals with things we know are true. We’ll probably never understand how the human mind works.

Sub-genre: Insanity
Psycho

Sub-genre: Phobias
Frozen
Buried


Sub-genre: Home Invasion/Survival
The Strangers


Please note that these main genres are just my own, and I'm sure many of you will have different ideas as to what qualifies as main genres and/or even how many there are!


Editor's Picks

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Rugged Open in new Window. (13+)
A Rug's Story. March winner of the PersonITfication contest! ~485 Words
#2184949 by Laurie Razor Author IconMail Icon

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The Eccentric Gourmand Open in new Window. (ASR)
A man with a strange talent receives an intriguing proposition
#2184842 by Ray Scrivener Author IconMail Icon

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This item number is not valid.
#2184972 by Not Available.

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#2185968 by Not Available.

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🏆 Miriam's At It Again - - 1st Place Open in new Window. (ASR)
What else is Robin in for if she decides to rent a room in this old house? (Screams! 1994)
#2184086 by 🎼 RRodgersWrites 🎶 Author IconMail Icon

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Stairway To Hell Open in new Window. (18+)
Traveling the corridor between life and death.
#1673067 by W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon

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Intensive Therapy (or Aftermath Anomaly) Open in new Window. (18+)
A traumatized student looks to a therapist to release the demons within through hypnotism.
#2173902 by Dalimer Corwyn Author IconMail Icon

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Pet Me, Master Open in new Window. (18+)
A dog demonstrates his love for his master by bringing him gifts.
#1960819 by Emily Author IconMail Icon

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#2137668 by Not Available.

bobturn's story, Invalid Entry from {sitem:}

 
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Ask & Answer

This month's Question is: What is your favorite horror genre?

In my last Newsletter I asked what "What is the most bizarre thing you’ve ever written for a horror story?"
The responses:


Detective:
One of the things I love about horror/scary is that in this kind of a setting just about anything can become creepy/spooky. I work at a supermarket with isn't creepy at all... until the power goes out. Then the store becomes incredibly creepy , even during the day.

Jenstrying:
The most bizarre thing I've written for a horror story was about a woman changing into a claw foot tub back in college. I got an honorable mention and published in the college magazine.

BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful:
Sometimes the real trick to horror is to not make it horrifying.

Quick-Quill
I love true crime. I love podcasts on true crime. If you want to write horror just listen to what real humans do to another human. Reality is for worse than what people dream up. Ed Kemper, Ted Bundy, I could fill this with names. You want horror ideas, just pick up a newspaper or listen to podcasts. I wrote a 10 page research on Albert Fish. You want creepy? that man was sick.



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