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It’s the beginning of October and Halloween’s quickly approaching. Personally, I’m excited. I’m a huge fan of the holiday for the same reasons as everyone else: the chance to be someone else for a day, to indulge in sweets and treats, but most of all, for the stories. Whether horror, supernatural, or family-friendly spooky fun, one of the best parts of Halloween is watching scary movies with loved ones and hearing spooky stories.
That makes Spooky Season one of the best times to write, at least in my opinion. Something about the nights growing longer and the air cooler makes this time of year ripe for inspiration. It makes it easier for everyone to suspend disbelief.
Now, writing horror or supernatural fiction may not be your specialty. Truthfully, it’s not mine either, but I do think that there’s a lot we can learn from the elements of a good scary story.
Appeal to the Senses:
We’ve all heard the saying, “show don’t tell”. This is pretty much the same. Most of us have never been hunted by bloodthirsty vampires or plagued by malicious spirits, so we rely on sensory details to let us know what it feels like. One of the main responsibilities of a writer is to make the story feel real and utilizing sensory details can make an outlandish situation more believable. What are the character’s physical reactions to the events? What are they seeing, hearing, smelling? If it helps, think of how fear feels to you. Do you feel it in your chest? Your throat?
Utilize the Horror of Everyday Life:
A lot of what scares us in fiction has very strong ties to what we face in real life. Financial issues, the loss of a loved one, all provide a loss of control and a fear of the unknown. On top of that, fear is often much more complicated than we think. It can be coupled with love, hatred, hope. All of these emotions can be used to up the tension in a story.
Don’t be afraid to up the stakes for your characters. If they are being stalked by a serial killer, maybe they’re also facing homelessness or experiencing conflict with someone close to them. Most of our greatest fears are based in our reality. Use them.
Draw Inspiration from Myths and Legends:
Human beings are natural storytellers. We love hearing tales that move us, whether it moves us to laugh or to tears. For centuries, we’ve told stories of our creation, legends that teach lessons or warn us, and myths meant to inspire us. These stories have been shared over and over again, and for good reason. Learn from them. If your hometown has a local ghost story, use it. Try to add your own spin on it. Create your own backstory or imagine the tale from a different character’s perspective. This can provide a great foundation to build your own story on.
Trying a new genre, especially one that’s harder to pull off like horror, can definitely be intimidating. But it’s important to remember that this is meant to be fun! More than fear, scary stories are meant to excite us. So don’t let fear stop you from trying.
Happy Spooky Season!
Life Without Limits 