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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10595-Inhabitants-of-a-horror-story.html
Horror/Scary: February 03, 2021 Issue [#10595]




 This week: Inhabitants of a horror story
  Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Quote for the week


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

Supporting characters are important in any story, but in horror stories they have the extra function of adding to the horror.

Some characters serve the main function of explaining the horror that has been encountered or will be encountered in the future. This might be necessary if the story involves a monster, curse, or legend that isn't generally known. It often works better if an explanation is given in dialogue rather than long sections of narrative.

In some horror stories, such as slasher films, certain characters exist just to be killed off, sometimes quite early in the story. Be extremely careful about who you kill off, in any story. Some characters are worth more to the story alive than dead. Don't be surprised if a character you intended to kill off in the first chapter is still alive at the end and has taken over the story.

Some characters just add to the spookiness or general feeling that something isn't right. One of the most frightening characters I have ever encountered is the gaunt, skeletal hearse driver in "Burnt Offerings" by Robert Morasco. The driver has no lines and is only present in the main character's nightmares and imagination. Still, he is the scariest thing I remember about the movie based on the book.

Some characters create an atmosphere of horror by being unnaturally perfect. For example, the beautiful, perfect housewives in "The Stepford Wives" are just too good to be true. Humans seem to be wired to be suspicious of too much perfection.

Something to try: Write a horror story where the horror is shown through supporting characters


Editor's Picks

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Cathy and Kate Episodes 1-3 Open in new Window. (13+)
A secret supernatural ability and connection with the dead this woman is not easily scared
#2239973 by Dragonbane Author IconMail Icon


The Wooden Sphere Open in new Window. (13+)
There is no stopping a vivid imagination until it leads to somewhere else.
#1611261 by W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon


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The Temple Open in new Window. (13+)
A homeless man maintains a temple to an unlikely God accepting extreme sacrifices.
#2191232 by J.B. Ezar Author IconMail Icon


Magic Word Open in new Window. (18+)
A man discovers the Magic Word works... to his detriment. (9600 words)
#2209674 by Santeven Quokklaus Author IconMail Icon


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Ask & Answer

Question for next time: What subjects would you like to see in future horror newsletters?

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