Blog 41: Shock and Horror

I’m shocked because this year is flying by so quickly. The summer has well and truly left us, and winter is fast approaching, along with the spooky season of Halloween. Do you celebrate it? We didn’t when I was a child, but once I had children, I wanted them to enter into the fun of the season. So we carve pumpkins, dressed up and went trick or treating when they were younger, give out sweets and treats to little ones that come knocking on the door, and I have a selection of decorations that I put up in our front room and window. I love seeing people’s houses where they have gone all out, I know this is mainly in America, where they decorate the outside of the house with all kinds of gory and chilling scenery. It’s just a bit of fun to partake in during the chilly months and bring people together.

However, when we think of Halloween in general: witches and supernatural forces it is anything but fun. Although I do love watching a good supernatural horror film or TV series. Perhaps it’s like going on a rollercoaster, the thrill of the ride, the adrenaline pumping. You know you’re strapped in and safe, but it still gives you a jolt here and there as you go along. Has anyone actually read a horror that they can say has had the same impact as watching it on screen? When we watch horror, there’s so much involved, put aside the acting; there’s the makeup, special effects, sound effects, and usually some sort of chilling music in the background warning you that things are going to get real any second now. Everyone knows the Jaws warning tune! And as it gets faster, you know that Great White shark has almost caught up to the swimmer’s feet – will they make it? It creates an atmosphere, suspense, and tension. So how can you emulate that in writing?

Stephen King, who incidentally turned 78 last month, is such a popular writer of this genre that he has been given the title of the “Master of Horror”. A best-selling author with 65 novels and 200 short stories under his belt, many stories having been developed into either films or popular TV shows, he certainly seems to have the recipe for writing success. His popularity is due to his ability to craft compelling, relatable characters and find terror in everyday situations. He takes ideas from real life experiences, focuses on different fears, and builds from there. There is nothing more frightening than something that was once a safe and loved thing that has been twisted into something dangerous and terrifying. A once loving father turns into a psycho and attacks his family after being tormented by what lurks in a haunted hotel, a demon that appears to children as a clown, a once loved pet dog that turns rabid, a former nurse rescues a man from a car accident but then turns into a torturer. Can you name those examples?

Despite Stephen King’s popularity, he isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I enjoy a handful of his books, however, some that I’ve read have felt a little slow paced. It’s great to look up advice from successful authors, but it’s important to find the style of writing that works for you. So, what should we think about when we want to get our hands well and truly planted into this particular genre? If you want to know, grab a candle, and let’s peer into the darkness together and find what’s lurking there, Waaa Haaa Haaa: -

1. Research

Yes, it's that nasty word again! But it's important to find out what works to make great horror reading material, and getting ideas from reading other books from this genre will avoid falling into cliched or cheesy writing scenes. Check out a few with different writing styles: Stephen King, who I mentioned earlier uses supernatural with everyday realism; H.P. Lovecraft, combines cosmic horror and dread; Shirley Jackson, is well versed in psychological suspense and creeping dread; and Clive Barker’s stories involve body horror and intense, fantastical themes. 

2. The setting

As in the setting of a movie, you need to create an atmosphere that will build tension and cause fear. Utilise the senses: sights, sounds, smells, touch, and taste to place the reader into the scene. The environment of the characters should be as terrifying as what lurks in it, foreboding what is to come.

3. The fear factor

Try to avoid leaning on jump scares. A few are okay but horror is much more in depth than making people jump. Instead think about what kind of things people are frightened of, and what frightens you. Delve deep into yourself to bring out the chills if you dare! Take those fears and put the character in a place where that fear is amplified and put to the test in the extreme. Using fears that the reader can relate to, like the examples above with Stephen King, can be more terrifying than any monster.

5. The full scope of horror

However, horror isn't fear alone, but a combination of that blended with shock and a feeling of repulsion and disgust. Think of the zombies with their rotting features, the blood and guts that often hallmark this genre, and scenes like in Stephen King's Misery where, the nurse, Annie Wilkes breaks her patient's ankles with a sledgehammer to stop him from healing to prevent him leaving. If it makes you recoil and your stomach turn, then it is well suited for this genre.

4. Your monster

As said before, this could be as simple as a pet dog, but it could also be a vampire, werewolf, demon, ghost, an alien or even something like Jekyll and Hyde where the monster is the main character and they have to defeat the darkness within. It may be something completely different like a flesh-eating disease, a flood, volcano, or other natural disaster that causes death and chaos. But whatever you choose, you need to have more than a cardboard cut-out, it needs to have a purpose and feel real. So here are a few things to consider: -

What type of monster is it?

How does it look, smell, and does it make any sounds?

Does it communicate with humans, if so, how?

Why is it feared?

What does it desire?

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

How can it be defeated?

What is the purpose of this monster in the narrative and in furthering the plot?

5. Characters

As always you need believable and relatable characters. Get to know them before you write them. Write out a character profile for each one. What is it they are trying to achieve and what is stopping them from doing that? What fear are they trying to tackle and overcome? Each character should feel real with their reactions, strengths, flaws, and quirks. Make the reader care what happens to them.

6. Make it colourful

Including moments where the characters feel hope, share humour or emotional connections provides a contrast to the horror and serves to increase the tension when the threat returns, building to the climax where everything seems hopeless.

7. A mysterious antagonist

A fear of the unknown is a powerful thing. Our imaginations can be our worst enemy when we cause ourselves to worry about something. In the same way, tease and hint at what information you share about the antagonist/monster with your reader. Let them envisage the worst and feed into the horror. Of course, you can take them along one path and add a twist, where the monster is something or someone completely different!

Now, what are you waiting for? Fly my beauties. Go out and terrify people. No costume necessary.

If you’ve found this blog useful, please let me know. I’ve had an exciting suggestion for conspiracy stories, which I will dive into next month. But, in the meantime, if there are any topics I haven’t covered that you would like me to add to my list, just let me know.

Seeya next time.