Some tips for writing horror
1. Remember that people fear the unknown.
Stories that revolve around something easily solved or figured out are boring. Make sure to keep your audience guessing through the book (and you shouldn’t always give everything away at the end, either).
2. Build strong characters with strong relationships.
If I’m reading a horror story and I can’t be bothered to care about the main character, then guess what? I’m also not going to care about what happens to them.
3. Be believable.
Your character’s motives (especially regarding your antagonist) should be realistic enough that I’m not sitting there scratching my head, wondering why the hell they’re murdering half the town. And please, for the love of god, don’t give them a generic backstory. Be creative.
4. Write about something that freaks you out.
Scared of clowns? Write about it. Scared of being murdered? Write about it. Scared of the impending void that swallows us all whole eventually? Write about it. If something scares you, there’s a big chance it scares other people, too. Plus, your writing will be a little more raw that way.
5. Have fun with it.
I cant stand reading a horror story that takes itself too seriously. The world isn’t black and white, and yours shouldn’t be, either. Your characters might say something funny. Maybe your antagonist even says something funny. Don’t think that just because you’re writing a horror novel the entire thing has to just be doom and gloom.
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