How to Write Horror

Horror as a genre encompasses many kinds of stories. Gore-filled 'slasher' stories featuring psychopathic murderers, quiet tales of psychological disturbance, and horrifying tales of the supernatural are just a few examples of what can be found under the auspices of horror fiction. In this article, we will discuss how to write horror fiction.

The kind of horror you write will largely depend on what kind of horror you personally find effective. Although that which horrifies is not entirely subjective, it goes without saying that many will find certain features of one horror story captivating, while others find it ineffective. So we might be inclined to ask the more general question, "What makes for an effective horror tale?" What readers generally identify as valuable in a tale of horror, whether it be a tale of secret murder or supernatural vampirism, is an element of intrigue or suspense.

If we were to examine the most popular and effective tales of horror, we would find very few that did not maintain a sense of suspense. Stories which divulge their most interesting point, or their most blood-curdling chill at the beginning of the narrative tend to fall flat, because the sense of building tension is deflated, relinquishing the story's power to captivate the reader. Suspense can be cultivated in a massive variety of ways - the crucial factor in writing a suspenseful horror tale is for the writer to maintain an awareness of how the dynamic of his or her suspenseful tale is unfolding, and to never give away too much information too soon (if at all).

Suspense in one of its simplest of forms can be built by narrating alarming events (such as murders) in which the identity of the evil-doer is ambiguous. This is one of the oldest and most common methods of suspense building, in both literature and cinema. It is the basic foundation of nearly all murder mysteries. You probably recall some book or film featuring a group of strangers, one of whom is likely to be the secret murderer, but nobody has enough information to be sure who is trustworthy. Ask yourself why it is that despite the horrific mass murders of dictators throughout human history people are more intrigued and horrified by stories about Jack the Ripper, a far less prolific killer? The answer is ambiguity. Nothing quite fuels that primal sense of horror more effectively than knowing that we are missing valuable information in potentially dangerous situations.

A palpable sense of tension can also be built by the suggestion that some evil entity, whether a ghost or a murderer, encroaches ever closer to the protagonist of the story. As the narrative unfolds in the reader's mind, so too does the unseen malefactor draw ever closer. This can be effected through many means, one being proximity. For example, a story involving a man trying to solve his wife's death may encounter a voodoo fetish being left in his bedroom as he comes closer to discovering the truth. This suggestion of proximity or closeness indicates to the reader just how real the character's personal danger has become, and therefore contributes to an escalation in tension.

So whether your story of horror is about ghosts, ghouls or just the horrors of everyday existence, you would be well-advised to be mindful of the amount of information you keep from your readers in order to prolong suspense. This is not to say you cannot suggest - let your reader use their imagination, because ultimately this is where the magic is happening. Thinking about what you would be thinking and feeling as the reader will go a long way in helping you to write horror.

If you're interested in learning more about the craft of creative writing, or if you just want some ideas for stories, have a look at this free story generator.