7 Spine-Chilling Tips For Writing An Unforgettable Horror Story

7 Spine-Chilling Tips For Writing An Unforgettable Horror Story

Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. In this post, we discuss 7 tips for writing an unforgettable horror story.

What Makes a Great Horror Story?

As a genre, horror has the incredible power to move people to extreme emotion. Why? Because it taps into our collective fear, shame and unconscious impulses. Our earliest mythic creations like Beowulf or even Red Riding Hood stem from horror. From Stephen King to Alfred Hitchcock, horror can be a great challenge for a writer.

7 Spine-Chilling Tips For Writing A Horror Story

1.   Home Terror

Notice how many horror stories take place inside the home, like Paranormal Activity or a displaced home like the hotel in The Shining. This is because safe and familiar surroundings are now subverted to become uncanny and terrifying. Try this: A mother is putting her kids to bed when the lights go out. What next?

2.   Peek-a-Boo

The same mother sits on a park bench reading her magazine. When she looks up she sees an old woman in ball gown drift by a tree. Blink. The crone is gone. At home, she sees the same dirty ball gown trail up her stairs before disappearing. Horror often uses these now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t moments. Marisha Pessl’s Night Film does this brilliantly. Try this: Find a symbol or character that can recur in your tale.

3.   Hurt So Good

We go on rollercoasters even though they scare us. We date bad men even though we know they’ll end up causing heartbreak. There is a tension between pleasure and fear, sex and the possibility of dying that is used to great effect in terror. Think of the vampire’s kiss—exquisite pain and a powerful erotic connection. Try this: Rewrite the orgy scene from Dracula in a modern way.

4.   The Monster Inside

A flawed character is fascinating to watch as he is undone by the monster inside him. This taps into an inner fear—that we will snap and do dangerous or cruel things. The force of light battling against darker impulses is often used in horror, such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or The Dark HalfTry this: Write down a character’s nightmare as a discussion with a therapist.

5.   Urban Legends

Most horror stories devolve from urban legends. The dressing for these stories change from country to country and culture to culture—but the core story is archetypal. In South Africa, evil nurse Daisy de Melker haunts the whole of Johannesburg it seems. She’s a busy ghost. Try this: Interview your friends about the best ghost story they’ve ever heard – see if there is a similar thread.

6.   Thicker Than Water

Blood, vomit, milk, semen. Fluids that can be expelled from the body in a violent and abject way work well in horror stories—think of Carrie or The Exorcist as classic examples. These fluids are primal life juices—life is blood, loss of blood is death. Blood is a powerful metaphor in horror. Try this: A child gets a blood transfusion and seems … changed.

7.   Don’t Go (Too) Crazy

As a writer, your task is to build tension and fear in the reader—so don’t have bodies chopped up on every page, or have every sort of demonic creature show up in every chapter. Use one theme, one powerful storyline, leading up to a gut-twisting ending. Tell a good story that just happens to be a horror. Try this: Write your high school years as a teen horror movie script.

Horror is making a comeback in film and fiction, with many classics being remade or reinvented. Maybe you have the next spinechiller in you.

Read: 101 Horror Tropes For Writers

Five Top Tips To Get You Started On Your Horror Story

  1. Brainstorm as many ideas as you can – no matter how insane
  2. Write down the things that scare you – from being stuck in a lift to getting old, from Teletubbies to toenail jam
  3. Create a mood or theme board on Pinterest
  4. Write out your synopsis as if it was a ghost story being narrated around a camp fire
  5. Use details – the shifting tattoo on the flame thrower’s shoulder, the odd-shaped mark in the iris of a lover’s eye, the clock that stops just before three (better yet, 2:45)

Take a look at these suggested articles from Writers Write about horror:

  1. 10 Ways To Kick Start Your Horror Story
  2. Scaring Your Readers 101: 8 Tips For Writing A Great Horror Story
  3. Why Writers Should Know About Monsters Before They Write a Word
  4. 101 Horror Tropes For Writers
  5. On Ghosts & How To Write About Them
  6. 7 Common Horror Mistakes & How To Avoid Them
  7. Horror Masters: 3 Spooky Tips To Write Like Lovecraft, Poe, & King
  8. The 3 Pillars Of Horror

Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.

If you enjoyed this post, read:

  1. The Backstory Battle
  2. The Inconsolable Writer – From Distraction to Inspiration in Four Easy Steps
  3. The Locked Room – A simple way to test your plot

Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.

Posted on: 10th July 2014
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