Horror has a seductive hold on us. Horror is like a tentacle crawling from the crypts of our darkest dreams to suck us into horrific nightmares. If done properly, it casts a dark magic, sending chills down readers’ spines.
Now is the time, now is the hour. In my opinion, horror movies such as Insidious 1-2, The Possession of Hannah Grace, and Sinister don’t scare me. I am an avid writer of horror fiction and well read. In order to give readers or viewers the fright royale, readers should be too afraid to not leave the lights on all night and hide under the covers. And curse the writer because they can’t put the book down.
The writer must make extra effort to horrify today’s jaded readers. There is a difference between horror and terror. One of the two you experience more deeply. Terror is more potent. I won’t watch The Exorcist, which deals with similar themes as the movies mentioned above. The Exorcist doesn’t turn away from the revolting horror, it stares it in the eye. It makes you look too, when you don’t want to – and doesn’t let go. The same can be said for Silence of the Lambs. It doesn’t need to gross readers necessarily to scare audiences or readers.
Novels such as Dracula and Frankenstein reflected the time or era in which they were written. In Victorian times, darkly romantic fanged noblemen were scary because the society had different fears and beliefs about death than now. Those fears wouldn’t faze us today. Anne Rice made vampires intimidating and sexy. That is why the novels succeeded. Today, writers like Suzanne Collins draw from what they view in the world. We are more sophisticated now yet desensitized at the same time.
If you want to pen a horror story, I suggest the following tips:
Get out of your own comfort zone. Change the environment where you write. Bring your writing pad, coffee, and lurk in a cemetery, visit a haunted location or a morgue, or research the folklore of your hometown. You might create something original, which can be helpful. Go on a trip to a quiet seaside town that has a paranormal history. Be safe as you explore cemeteries or towns. Getting out of your comfort zone breathes new life into your writing. Buy a tarot deck to inspire you and read dark poetry by a poet you never heard of to give you a fresh perspective on your own writing.
Trust in yourself. If you’re fearful while writing the story, there’s a good chance your reader will be too. Heed your dreams. Often, dreams reflect our daily lives and what is hidden in our subconscious. Heed your insights and flashes of inspiration. I penned a dark novel based on a flash of inspiration that I would never have dreamed up otherwise. Learn all you can and be open minded. Then, when you have created your villainous monster, make him or her or it the main character. Be true to your creation, your own monster. Your readers will recognize the true effort you put in.
Be consistent about the traits, superpowers, or awesome abilities your monster has. We all know vampires hate garlic and sleep in coffins, but maybe a coffin-shaped bookcase could be their nesting spot during the daytime.
Keep a routine when you sit down to work on your story. Reach into the deepest, darkest part of your imagination. Free write a scene of confrontation between your protagonist and your monster. Or the monster is the protagonist? These days, your demon or ghoul needs to be ORIGINAL. Everything in the paranormal novel realm has been done … or has it? That part is up to you. Know your monster! Make it consistent and believable. It must be original.
Clean your writing/office space. Light some sage and clean the energy to allow for the creative energies to flow unimpeded. Light a candle or incense. Play music that inspires you as you create your ghoul or axe-wielding maniac. Create a special playlist and soundtrack. Buy a new set of highlighters, pens, white out, a binder, paper, and a fresh bag of coffee. Do what it takes to make you commit to the writing for the long haul.
If you are seeking more inspiration, clip and keep newspaper articles. Read widely in your chosen genre. That will let you know what has already been written by other authors.
Allow yourself to imagine, you may invent something that no one has done before. That is a huge advantage in the field of writing and publishing. Being original and true to your monster is extremely important. The world wants to read a story that has never been written before. They do not want thirty knockoffs of It or The Babaduk. For example, I published a short story about pumpkins that can eat people. The vines can extend themselves and the pumpkins were toothy and bloodthirsty. Talk about a real twist on our favorite squashes!
The Horror Writers Association has helped me as a writer and helped many other authors.
Audiences and readers today have seen everything. A novel can be successful still, but writers must be unabashedly original to truly terrify their readers. Look at what is happening in society. The monsters of yesterday are not the monsters of today. It worked for Stephen King and Thomas Harris and with luck, it can work for you too. It might spark an idea or two, and you would then be on your way to writing a Gothic novel like Northanger Abbey or something like the Pit and the Pendulum by Poe.
Required Reading
The following books such as On Writing by Stephen King, On Writing Horror- the collection of essays by the Horror Writers Association, The Horror Writer by HellBound Books, Writing Monsters by Phillip Athans, and Writing the Paranormal Novel- Techniques and Exercises by Steven Harper. These books go into real detail about writing about the paranormal. There’s more freedom to create what you want whether that be a sparkly vampire, toothy werewolf, or chain rattling ghost.
After you read these books, highlight the advice, and incorporate it into your writing. For a good story about a ghoul of choice to be believed, it must be believable and written well. All stories benefit from good writing.
Classic horror novels such as Dracula by Bram Stoker should lurk on everyone’s bookcase who want to write a horror novel. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Best Ghost Stories by Stephen Hrennan, Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin and The Amityville Horror. Pay attention to the writers’ craft and develop your own original voice. Read widely in the genre you have chosen to write in. Read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Watch the movie of Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Get a good dictionary and thesaurus. Learn your grammar. Don’t be afraid to set a story in a region you are fond of. That can make your story original! You want to be original.
The First 50 pages by Jeff Gerke
Writing the Paranormal Novel by Steven Harper
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Dave King
On Writing Horror by the Horror Writers Association
Oxford Canadian A-Z of Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation
Formatting and Submitting your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino
That may seem like a lot to read, but it is important to get the basics down. I hope this inspires you to pen your own great story.
Writing Tools
Through the centuries, authors used a quill pen and a notebook or a typewriter to create their inspired musings. Today, we have laptops and tablets. Laptops are popular, but I hope to encourage you to try writing using a notebook and pen. This method might seem antiquated, but they worked for Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, and other writers of the past. Writing by hand slows you down, makes you reflect more on what you write. I want to share ways to make your writing sessions fun.
I sometimes use a quill pen and write in a journal before storing it on the laptop. Quill pens convey a slower, romantic time. If you wish to use a typewriter, go ahead. I think the quality of writing was better when we used typewriters than laptops because it took more effort. Now we print something off and think it is complete. Nope. I still edit with a red pen on paper. I find reading the works of other writers helps me to write better. I have many books to study and learn from. I don’t just read for enjoyment.
Burn a candle as you write. Essential oils release tension and get you in a writerly state of mind. The oils can be lavender for relaxation, bergamot for spice, and rosemary oil for memory.
Bat wing clothespins are a cute way to organize your musings. Use cool mugs to organize your pens, pencils, CDs, and markers. Use color-coded file folders to store your stories or poems. If you do print out to review and edit on paper, your writing will be stronger. When you read your writing on paper, especially that’s been put aside for a few days, you edit with more clarity.
If you want a magickal-looking notebook, here is a good idea. Peruse through a tarot deck. Find an image you like. Scan it in, print it out in color, and glue it to your notebook cover. Scribble and draw spiders, pentacles, bats, or moon crescents on the plain pages. Before you know it, it will be as magickal as a tome from a witch shop and half the price.
Meditate every time you sit down to write. Glowing scented candles, mystical tarot cards, and your hard-earned words add magic to your life. Your writing space can be a sacred space. It is your space and should be personal and welcoming to you.
Visualize yourself being successful, never a failure. It ensures you will keep trying.
Make sure your desk and computer are ergonomic and that you are seated comfortably. Take breaks and go for a walk to relax your body. Take care of your health. Drink water and get plenty of exercise. Be sure to eat healthy. It is important to practice self-care. There’s nothing cool about being unable to move due to muscle pain. Don’t let this happen to you.
It is important to protect your health from computers. The blue lights can be harmful to your health. Staring at your iPod five seconds before bedtime can seriously affect your health. But we could use cool cover cloths on laptops for nighttime. My laptop is decorated with cool moon phase stickers.
I use tarot cards to spark creativity. I own a ghost tarot deck and it was perfect for when I wrote my novel. The images were spooky and eerily beautiful. There is a good book to help you use tarot cards to help you write. It’s titled Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner. The book is packed with excellent methods on how to use tarot while writing.
I hope this inspires you and encourages you to try your own hand at writing. Creativity is vital and never more so than now. The whole world is in chaos. Creative outlets offer an escape from that. With practice, patience and effort, you can pen your own horror novel. Seeing it on the bookshelf in a shop next to Stephen King or Stephen Graham Jones is an amazing feeling. All you have to do is take that first step.
