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Re: Any tips for writing a horror story?

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Ultracrash is not online. Ultracrash
Joined: 13 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 11022
12 Dec 2013 04:22 PM
I'm thinking of writing one. It'll be the first story I actually ever sit down and write, so, yeah, don't expect it to be good.
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rose6666 is not online. rose6666
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Total Posts: 6541
12 Dec 2013 04:31 PM
Reflect the genre in the sky, for example:

The skies were swirling with thunderous clouds, turning the sky bleak and nasty. A ferocious scream came from the brewing tornado; I gasped, and took a deep breath to calm myself.

^You can tell it's going to be a horror story just by describing the weather, and giving it emotions and dark characteristics that only humans have. I believe it's called pathetic phallacy and personification.
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Ultracrash is not online. Ultracrash
Joined: 13 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 11022
12 Dec 2013 04:34 PM
Thanks Rose, I appreciate it.
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JewishPiglet is not online. JewishPiglet
Joined: 15 Aug 2017
Total Posts: 700
12 Dec 2013 04:51 PM
Oh and rose, just to clarify pathetic fallacy is kind of a more specific version of personification.

Pathetic fallacy is giving weather the feeling/mood of the current scene. Personification is when you give inanimate objects human characteristics. Both are really good to make a nice detailed story.
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LeslieVernon is not online. LeslieVernon
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10800
12 Dec 2013 05:14 PM
Try to develop your characters over time. Don't just flat out say everything about them in one sentence.

Also one of the biggest mistakes I see here is that people don't indent when they have a new speaker. Every time you have a new character speak with dialogue, indent and make a new paragraph. And make sure the dialogue is realistic and interesting.
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JewishPiglet is not online. JewishPiglet
Joined: 15 Aug 2017
Total Posts: 700
12 Dec 2013 05:16 PM
Also, make each character unique but yet believable. The worst thing you can do is make all of the characters virtually clones of one another.
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Slime2345 is not online. Slime2345
Joined: 29 Apr 2010
Total Posts: 2656
12 Dec 2013 05:18 PM
>The worst thing you can do is make all of the characters virtually clones of one another.

lol Imagine an family of clones. XD
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capricutie is not online. capricutie
Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Total Posts: 951
12 Dec 2013 05:26 PM
i cant write horror

im about as frightening as a newborn puppy so no tips from me

sorry.
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swiftattak7 is not online. swiftattak7
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 8029
13 Dec 2013 02:40 AM
Don't worry Capri, I'm here for you baby.


Oh and Ultra, writing horror comes more naturally then writing other things. And since you've seen a lot of horror movies, you'll never run short of imagination.

As Rose and Leslie said, introductions and small details give a lot of meaning.

Other than that, keep the dialog interesting and develop different characters, such as.

The hero that says we've got to stick together.


The coward that wants to run away.


The sub bad guy who wants to take advantage of a girl or whatever.


Also don't forget to proof read out loud, it is great for spotting mistakes and seeing how it sounds.

I'm sure it'll come out great man, and I can't wait.
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
13 Dec 2013 06:16 AM
" people don't indent when they have a new speaker. "

You can't indent on the forums though, unless there is another method that doesn't involve the Tab button that I don't know about.

Even when you copy and paste something with indentation, the thread box removes it.
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mageofpower is not online. mageofpower
Top 100 Poster
Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Total Posts: 43654
13 Dec 2013 06:18 AM
Make it scary.
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LeslieVernon is not online. LeslieVernon
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10800
13 Dec 2013 08:15 AM
On the forums we just use "enter" to make a new line which stands for the new paragraph. This new line is the indention and where the new dialogue should be placed.
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GleamingGauntlet is not online. GleamingGauntlet
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 8999
13 Dec 2013 08:46 AM
try to avoid reliance on existing tropes
but at the same time don't be too afraid to use them
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rose6666 is not online. rose6666
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Total Posts: 6541
13 Dec 2013 09:55 AM
Yeah, Pathetic Phallic is what Jewish said, mine was wrong I think.
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MarioDude0123 is not online. MarioDude0123
Joined: 27 Jan 2013
Total Posts: 9290
13 Dec 2013 11:45 AM
[ Content Deleted ]
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GleamingGauntlet is not online. GleamingGauntlet
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 8999
13 Dec 2013 11:52 AM
A good thing to keep in mind is that you absolutely can't have jump scares in a written stories. Instead of that, you need to rely on the unknown, and surprise people with terrible things that are scary to think about, since they can't necessarily see it.

Lovecraft wrote a story called The Lurking Fear. It does exactly what I just described in a fantastic way - especially with the ending.
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swiftattak7 is not online. swiftattak7
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 8029
13 Dec 2013 12:05 PM
You can have jump scares.

But not the TV kind, for example.




Nathen woke up one morning, he felt like a train had hit him and last night was still a daze. He stood up stretched only to feel an aching pain in his head.

Suddenly something small tingled down the side of his head, then another, and another, in less than a few moments hundreds of tiny spiders were crawling out of his ears, mouth, nose and hair. Nathen screamed out in pain and fear as the spiders slowly devoured him bit by bit.


Wasn't that good but you get the idea.
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LeslieVernon is not online. LeslieVernon
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10800
13 Dec 2013 04:59 PM
Yeah you had a jump scare but there was no character development or build up or suspense and so it wasn't effective at all.
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Zilex1000 is not online. Zilex1000
Joined: 14 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 5647
13 Dec 2013 05:03 PM
If you can engage your readers to the main characters, you should be able to build suspense around them with much ease.

Jump scares don't work in stories. You can have surprises and twists, but much of your 'horror' needs to come from shock and tension.
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atpo32 is not online. atpo32
Joined: 24 Feb 2012
Total Posts: 212
13 Dec 2013 07:48 PM
Have a good LEAD.
Like sound effects:

TAP TAP TAP. The rain fell on the window.

Dialog:

"Hey did you hear that?" I asked.

Action:

I dashed down the hall because I was late for school.

Something like this to keep the reader READING.
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swiftattak7 is not online. swiftattak7
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 8029
13 Dec 2013 09:29 PM
Ultra, don't follow all of this crap advice we give you.


We're high and believe we're hotshot authors.
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GleamingGauntlet is not online. GleamingGauntlet
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 8999
13 Dec 2013 09:39 PM
my advice should be followed though
im a smartypants
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swiftattak7 is not online. swiftattak7
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 8029
13 Dec 2013 09:45 PM
whaa, bru u evn left?
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GleamingGauntlet is not online. GleamingGauntlet
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 8999
13 Dec 2013 09:54 PM
i don't need to, i burn calories with my brain
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TheAsassin is not online. TheAsassin
Joined: 14 Nov 2009
Total Posts: 16697
13 Dec 2013 11:53 PM
make it scary
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