Be Very Afraid: Writing Horror
The Horror Genre holds an interesting place in media. Alongside roller-coaster rides, it is something sought out and praised for its ability to chill and frighten. The found-footage haunted house movie, Paranormal Activity, had a profit return of over 500,000%. There is horror that is loved for its camp-value, its inherent silliness or its over-the-top delivery, such as the slasher movies of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. But the focus of this article is horror that is scary, that is frightening, and that lingers long after the book is finished and put down.
In this article Xlibris Publishing discusses how to make your horror stories… well, horrifying. Pay attention to these critical elements of the horror genre and make sure to keep them in mind when you are writing.
What Scares You?
The question says it all. What scares you? What terrified you as a child? What did your imagination tell you was hiding in the dark? Why and how do these things scare you? Be detailed and articulate in answering the last question. The saying ‘write what you know’ is very true for the horror genre. Without going too deeply into the subject of psychology (not a bad idea for writing horror), many of the things you and other people are afraid of have basis in deep-set instincts and recurring childhood traumas. What scares you more than likely scares someone else too — rooted in thoughts, emotions, and sensations other people have experienced across history.
Nothing is Scarier
Steven Spielberg did not reveal the title shark of Jaws until more than halfway through the movie. Too often, modern movies and books casually reveal the monster or the killer too early. Let the readers’ imagination add fuel to your nightmarish creation. There is no substitute to the horrors our own imaginations generate. The vampire novel The Strain, by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, did not reveal the true nature of the monsters until it was too late for the characters to realize what they were dealing with. In doing so, they reminded modern readers why and how vampires were scary.
Xlibris Publishing will be back with Part Two of Be Very Afraid: Writing Horror!
Please make sure to check out the Xlibris Publishing site for more advice and blogs, and be sure to follow us on Xlibris Publishing Facebook and Xlibris Publishing Twitter.
By Ian Smith