So, reading a story that makes your heart race and palms sweat is a good thing? For lovers of horror, the answer is an unqualified “yes!” We’re approaching the season of ghost stories and things that go bump in the night. How do these stories grab us, and how can we create our own stories that do the same thing?
The Psychology Behind the Chill
Why do we love stories that make us jump and gasp while we read them? It’s simple: fear is fun when we know we’re safe. Think about your fear on rollercoasters: you’re coming down at breakneck speed and scream, but you know you’re safe. The same applies to reading a horror novel on your couch with a cup of coffee; your heart might be pounding, but part of your brain knows you can slam the book shut at anytime. This is the thrill of danger without the risk.
I remember this experience when I read The Amityville Horror shortly after it was published in the 1970s. After reading the entire book in one sitting, I was in bed and heard a noise. I sat bolt upright in bed, turned on the light, and felt my heart race for a couple of minutes before I calmed down enough to go back to sleep. I can’t say I enjoyed that, but the book had me engaged for hours because of the emotions it stirred up.
The Foundation of Fear
We know that at their core, horror stories aren’t just about the intense scary reactions. The real trick is making our readers uncomfortable and ill-at-ease from the first page even before the scary stuff happens.
Think about setting. In horror stories, the setting isn’t just a backdrop—it’s practically another character in your story. Creepy places with vines and dark corners on the outside become much creepier when the power goes out. The same can apply to an empty parking garage at night versus during the day. Mind you, this is important for writers in all genres, but particularly important in horror writing.
As always, spend more time showing, than telling. One suggestion is to sprinkle spooky details throughout the work. Mention, for example, how the stairs creak on the third step, then bring that detail back later when your character is trying to sneak around. Or, mention the smell of roses in a house where no one tends a garden. The key is making readers feel that something’s off without them being able to put their finger on exactly what. Their subconscious will do most of the work for you.
The Importance of Pacing
Pacing is important, too. We bring our readers’ emotions up and down throughout our work. This means we have to allow them to relax and feel more comfortable for a time before the next emotional surge. That’s pacing. The trick is knowing when to step on the gas and when to let readers catch their breath. Give readers too much too fast, and they’ll get overwhelmed and tune out. Go too slow, and they’ll get bored and put your book down.
One way to vary the emotional reaction is to vary the length of sentences. Shorter sentences and paragraphs naturally speed up the pace and create tension. Longer, more descriptive passages slow things down and let the tension recede. Finally, end chapters with questions rather than resolutions. In fact, even my chapters tend to be shorter as the story’s pace picks up. This works in other genres as well, particularly mystery and suspense.
Character Development
In all genres, readers need protagonists they can relate to and root for. The most compelling protagonists in horror stories are often ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances. Without characters readers feel connected to, there is no horror. This is because our emotional reactions are based on character reaction and our empathy with those characters.
The same can apply to villains in the genre, and they need careful development as well. We know that the best villains believe they’re justified in their actions, making them more complex and threatening than cartoon monsters. Whether it’s a serial killer with a twisted moral code or a supernatural entity with its own alien logic, understanding your villain’s motivation creates more believable and frightening opposition.
How-To Techniques for Writing Horror
Here are some techniques to elevate your horror writing
The Twist: Make familiar things slightly wrong. A children’s playground at midnight, a family photo where one face seems different each time you look—these small distortions create powerful unease.
Red Herrings and Misdirection: In mystery, false leads keep readers engaged. In horror, they prevent predictability. When evidence can point in multiple directions, your ending can feel both surprising and unavoidable.
Careful Foreshadowing: Drop subtle hints in the story about coming events. This creates a sense of inevitability that amps up the dread for when the pieces finally connect.
The Power of Suggestion: Just dropping a hint may be enough. Allow your reader to fill in the blanks. Human imagination is without limit, and giving readers just enough details to make a leap may be all you need to do. That’s what my latest published story in Pen in Hand does. And sometimes, your readers will create something far more terrifying in their minds than you described.
October is almost here, and the world needs your horror stories. What are you waiting for?
