 Horror/Scary: September 17, 2014 Issue [#6551] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Beautiful but deadly Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
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
Quote for the week:“It's your gift, to see the beauty and the horror in ordinary things. It doesn't make you crazy, just different.”
~Cassandra Clare |
| ASIN: 1542722411 |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99
|
|
Which of these is more frightening?
A) A rotting zombie
B) A snarling werewolf
C) A bloodsucking vampire
D) A beautiful butterfly resting on a flower
Most of you probably did not pick D as your first choice. But what if the rose had poison tipped thorns and the butterfly had a sting? Humans are attracted to beautiful things, so we get a shock when they turn deadly. 
Nature has many examples of beautiful things that can kill, such as tigers, hawks, and snakes. The bright colors of coral snakes and poison dart frogs are an advertisement that says, "Stay away. I'm dangerous." Monarch butterflies contain a poison from the milkweed leaves they eat. Any bird that eats one will get so sick that it will never eat another one as long as it lives. Most people wouldn't think of spiders as beautiful, but many of them have wonderful color patterns, and their webs have a delicate symmetry.
Mythology also contains examples of lethal beauty, such as the sirens who captivated sailors with their lovely songs. Unable to resist the siren song, the sailors met death when they wrecked their boats on the rocks. Other dark beauties of mythology include the Morrigan of Celtic myth and Persephone, the Iron Queen of the Underworld. While these characters are dark forces of nature rather than villains, they could be great horror characters.
Disney movies even have some beautiful dark characters, such as Maleficent from "Sleeping Beauty" and the Wicked Queen in the story of Snow White.
The short story "Rappacini's Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells of a doctor who experimented with poisonous plants. His daughter, Beatrice, grew up with the plants and became resistant to the poison, and in the process, became poisonous to other humans. Beatrice isn't evil, but a victim of her father's obsession with poison.
Something to try: Write a horror story that features a beautiful villain.
|
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1673220 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B01FST8A90 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: $ 24.95
|
|
| Question for next time: What topics would you like to see in future horror newsletters? |
| ASIN: 0910355479 |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 13.99
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction
of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
