 Horror/Scary: September 07, 2011 Issue [#4599] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Celebrating the Birthdays of Two Legends Edited by: Tornado Dodger  
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Welcome to the Horror Newsletter. It is our goal that Writing.com members of all ages can find useful information and entertaining articles within. If you have specific questions, try visiting "Writing.Com 101" .
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Celebrating the Birthdays of Two Legends
Do you know what horror legend shares a birthday with Writing.com this month?
Stephen King's birthday is on the 21st and in his honor, I'd like to share some of this prolific author's writing tips. Even if you're don't write in the same style as King, you can still benefit from his words of wisdom.
"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot."- Stephen King
Reading is the foundation of good writing. If you don't believe that, then you're not reading enough. Some people will say that only works if you read good writing, but I disagree. How many times have you read a bad story and known instantly what was wrong and what you would have done differently? To grow at your craft, you have to consistently stay active. King believes that if you let your writing grow stale, your characters will reflect that and the excitement will fade. He suggests writing 1000 words a day for beginning writers. How close are you to that goal?
"Put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around." - Stephen King
He says, to be a better writer, you must be a productive writer. So you must set - and stick to - your writing schedule. In his words, "write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open."
Write about what scares you. Write realistically.
King has always advised authors to "be relatable and honest" in their writing. His characters are very real and that's what draws his readers in. He has been quoted as saying "Don't write to impress agents, publishers, other writers or even your friends." One of the keys to doing that is to have an honest voice and honest characters with both bad and good sides to them. People we can relate to with all of their faults, passions, fears, dreams and weaknesses. King's characters seem so hauntingly human. This is what creates the connection to the reader.
For me and many others, what makes certain horror stories so scary is how real they seem. The more believable you make it, the more your readers will feel like they're immersed in the scene. That's what makes your audience flinch at just the right moment, and not be able to put your story down.
Sometimes reality makes the best story. I'm sure you all remember hearing about Stephen King's accident and being run over by a van near his home in Maine. Did you know how his assailant died?
On King's 43rd birthday - 21 September 2000 - Smith was discovered dead in his trailer in Brownfield, Maine. The cause of Smith's death was listed as an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, according to toxicology reports. Smith had suffered from a back injury and might have been prescribed the painkiller not long before his death. King publicly responded, stating: "I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Bryan Smith. The death of a 43-year-old man can only be termed untimely."
Make you wonder what King wished for when he blew out the candles on his birthday cake, doesn't it? 
Timing and pacing
Another process King suggests is "Write a draft, then let it rest". I've read that he puts his manuscripts away for several months before rereading and start the editing process. We all don't have the time to do that, or the patience. While he suggests to keep writing to not allow your characters to get stale, he doesn't want you to rush through the story itself. Many writers want to rush through descriptions in the hope that fast pace will translate to the reader. While fast-paced storytelling is great at times, there are some time you have to slow down to savor the horror of quiet moments as well. You all know that some of the scariest scenes in horror movies are at a very slow pace. The slower parts can make the quicker moments really explode with emotion and action. What I like is scary, creepy, and psychological stories that get me so involved, they make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. This suggest cutting to speed the pace, and that's what most of us end up having to do (kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings)...I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever. Jotted below the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: "Not bad, but PUFFY. You need to revise for length. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. Good luck." - Stephen King
Don't Dress Up Your Vocabulary. Cut Useless Words.
"One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed."
King believes most writers, especially inexperienced writers, have a tendency to put in too many useless words. I've seen it here on this site and even in some books from new authors. Good writing involves cutting them out and getting to the point. King has a simple tip with vocabulary - "use the most appropriate word, and usually, that is the first word that comes to mind. The only way to improve your vocabulary is to read more. When writing, don't stop so you can think of a better word, and don't put in words that you don't really know. If you don't know it then there is a good chance that other readers won't know either. " - Great advice.
Hope you enjoyed this article. If you would like to share your thoughts, please send me a note using the box at the bottom of this newsletter.
Write and Review on! ~ Brooke
[Related Links] 
This month's links are to challenges that help you improve your writing.
"A MidSummer Night's Scream" [13+] by Adriana Noir 
"Sinister Stories Contest" [13+] by Jeff 
"Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor
"Invalid Item" by A Guest Visitor
"Birthday Raffle" by Diane
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Here are some talented member's items that caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. 
Excerpt:
No amount of rebelliousness could fully drown out her piercing voice. I remember her favorite nonsensical saying: If you ever hear your name called from nothing, don't answer. That's the Devil calling you home. Complete and utter gibberish.
At least that's what I thought until this morning...
~  ~
Excerpt:
Suddenly, the lights go out, and then it starts: the scratching.
I wish desperately that it would be a quiet sound, a random sound, an unobtrusive sound, something that I can easily ignore or pass off as a tree branch scratching at the window, but it is not.
~ ~
Excerpt:
Haunted by memories of the horrific incident I had witnessed, I found myself unable to achieve restful repose due to the unflagging nightmares that occupied the few hours of slumber I could muster. Eventually, I was inspired to sit down at my writing desk and pen a missive to that unfortunate individual, even knowing he could not have survived, with the intention of releasing those pent-up emotions that resided within my psyche.
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Excerpt:
Her dreams, when they came, were pleasant at first. For a while she imagined she was outside, watching the moon rise overhead as the ocean roared in the distance. But gradually the crash of the waves turned into the rush of water in her ears, cascading over her body, filling her mouth and throat, dragging her deep beneath the surface.
~ ~
Excerpt:
Mary Anne Nichols ran her hand down the buttery soft leather. "Never seen anything like it before... never owned something so beautiful, neither." Her voice was low with awe; a sacred whisper. "Jack, come over here and sit, like the King of England, Hisself!" Mary snickered, exposing gaps of black among crooked yellow teeth.
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Excerpt:
Sarah knew the dream well because it wasn't exactly a dream as much as it was a flashback. As soon as the scene started to shape itself, she willed herself to wake up, but she couldn't. She gave into the fight and let the scene unfold.
~ ~
Excerpt:
"Dylan, how many times have I told you not to yell like that unless something is wrong?"
The little boy stared at the television. "She won't move."
Susan sighed. "Abigal, please step away."
"But Mom, it's not fair. I want a turn."
Susan threw her hands in the air. "I never should have let your father buy that contraption. It's such a headache."
~ ~
Excerpt:
He was making his way west and had stepped into the house, being cautious on the dilapidated porch. The storm door lay with other debris on the porch and the entry door hung precariously askew by one rusty screw on the bottom hinge. The inside smelled like rot and dust, but it was good enough for him.
~ ~
Excerpt:
I stopped walking and looked around and it all seemed so familiar. I knew where things where, I even knew where I would trip if I began to run away from the thing that chased me through my dreams.
Inscribed on the gravestone next to me was Gareth Carleton 1790-1832 and I knew that the headstone behind would read Eliza Bucket 1984-1827. I walked around the stone to see the one behind and standing there in the shadow cast by the stone in front was confirmation.
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Excerpt:
The noise was almost defening. It was loud from the inside but it was so much worse outside. He looked up and saw big swarms flying around the tree tops and a bunch were sitting on the trunk. He shook his head and went back inside where he turned up the t.v louder than usual.
That same routine went on for three days.
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