7 Tips on Writing Horror

Besides humor, horror is the one of the toughest genres to write. That is why so many horror-genre films today have resorted to gritty violence and gore. True horror takes something of a personal touch, in that it has to crawl into the audience while staying separate. I can’t tell you how to write the perfect horror story, but I can give you some tips to enhance the fear factor of any story.

1. Employ the senses

There is a strong connection to human sight that makes a writer believe that until there is light to see, nothing is happening. Sometimes people forget there is sound, smell, hearing and touch just waiting for a chance to be noticed. Don’t start with the light, but instead give the reader a new latch.

Take away sight. Put the character in darkness with just the sound of tapping on metal.

“Clink, clink, clink. A loud crash. She looks, but sees nothing. The clicking is coming from everywhere and nowhere. It is all around. The smell of wet cement sticks in her nose. She can feel something cold, but what? Concrete or sandpaper beneath her? Clink, clink, clink. The sound rattles closer: chains shaking? Could it be him?”

I could have written “she saw a ghost in chains, the same ghost that had left her in the darkness of the warehouse.” I could have given a large description about how the black smoke poured from beneath his cape and sheets, but senses as a whole are more powerful than just sight.

2. Restriction

Knowledge is the biggest tool in any horror piece. If the character knows what is chasing her, why it is chasing her and how it can be defeated, then the fear level is low. If everyone in town knows Bill the dead box stacker haunts the old warehouse on fifth, then he isn’t as threatening.

Take away what the victims can do to defend themselves. The monster/villain has to have more power at all times, and the ability to defeat the hero. Fear is about a type of danger, and if no one is in definite danger, there will be no fear. It can't be obvious the monster's weakness is finding his remains. Make the character work to survive. Make the character fear death, because that is horror.

That is why gore works so well. The most common fear is being killed, and so, watching a character get killed means that a character can get killed, which means immediate danger and fear. It is cheap, but very effective.

Again, take away a sense. Hide the monster. Don’t let anyone see it for a long time, except in swipes and grabs. Gore is still okay, just don’t abuse it. Remember as well, humans can be monsters.

3. Misinformation

Again, humans can easily be horror villains. The serial killer, axe murderer or even the werewolf/vampire types take on a human or relatively human forms. It is with this the villain can trick the victims. Use it wisely, and take the audience’s belief in another direction.

Don't lie, but pick out certain details to emphasize over others. It is easier to do in a 1st person restricted narrative, but it can work other ways too. While trying to mislead a reader, though, for strength you must also leave the real trail in the story as well.

Any type of third person can work as well, if the narrator focuses on the perceptions of characters. Imagination the murdering hiding in the back seat. While the character does not see the invader, the audience painfully watched through the rear-view mirror or over the shoulder.

4. Population

If you only introduce three characters in a serial killer story where one is the narrator and the one dies, the reader will quickly predict the killer’s identity. Of course, you could throw a fourth character in at the end, but that won’t make a piece very strong. The random events in a story are the ones that tend to stretch its believability, and when it comes to horror the audience has to believe fully.

Most stories, though, should be well populated. Romances have a habit of forgetting the world as well, where two lovebirds only focus on each other for 100 pages until someone else steps in. This tags along to misinformation, because if the victims are choosing from a line up of twenty people, it is much harder than choosing between two. In the same way, a writer wants the reader to question. Don't make anything too obvious quickly, unless it is purposefully done.

5. Forget What You've Seen

In that, your character shouldn’t be a witty, well balanced individual who magically doesn’t pick up on common clues. Don’t cheat your character out of intelligence or perception to build some cheap suspense. There is the trick in movies to let the audience know more than the characters, and that helps build a feeling of suspense for the viewers. It works, but there are better ways. While (again) you shouldn’t throw random events in there, leave uncommon clues around for both the readers and characters. The best example, although not a horror story, is the book/movie Fight Club. If you haven’t seen it, I won’t ruin it, but there is an art to leaving clues without painting them red for your readers and making the narrator oblivious.

Study actual events that are linked to what you plan to write on. If it is a haunting, look into ghost stories from first hand accounts. If you want to write about exorcisms, check some religious sources. Just research on your own and try to stay away from other works in the category at first. Make sure you know the facts (or commonly accepted beliefs) before venturing out.

6. Life

Since the ability to die is so huge in horror, it is important there is life to any horror story. Don’t create stereotypical high school girl-and-boy characters who are drinking behind the bleachers and get eaten by the werewolf. You can use those molds, but give them traits and quirks. Don’t rely on the audiences general character types for your victims. The audience should feel something for the narrator/character. There has to be more than just a stranger being eaten gruesomely.

When she is abducted by Bill the box ghost, the reader should worry about her daughter at home, or if this woman they've come to feel related to will die in front of their eyes (their imagination eyes).

If you’re characters aren’t alive, they can’t die. If there is no threat of death, there is little fear.

7. Style

Short and choppy is the key to action, especially fearful action (and active voice over passive). When you are working on a chase scene, don’t use overbearing sentences. In opposition, don’t use too much quick writing throughout an entire horror piece, because it will waste the effect. Moderation is the key to horror. Too much of anything will dissuade the reader.

While writing about normal events with minimal danger, give yourself room to use commas and large sentences. That way, when you get to the quick snapping events, the effect is resonant with the reader while not being initially obvious.

a. “Running off of the train tracks she looked over her shoulder to see the bright yellow light, not looking forward as she tripped and her head landed against a large stone, red blood pouring down into her vision.”

b. “She didn’t look forward. Running, she watched the yellow train light behind her. Her foot caught. Falling forward, her head landed against a stone. Blood poured, filming her vision.”

Make everyone involved feel frantic (not the best example, I admit). Imagine your narrator breathing shallow, quick breaths. Write that way whenever the story wants to convey that emotion.

Horror is about writing the unknown. Suspense and empathy are the keys to a scary story. Good luck, and go freak some people out!