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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/7020-Formulaic-Horror.html
Horror/Scary: June 03, 2015 Issue [#7020]

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Horror/Scary


 This week: Formulaic Horror
  Edited by: blue jellybaby 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

Formulas work in some instances, but in the art of scaring people, not so much. What not to do when writing horror!


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Letter from the editor


Have you heard anyone talking about horror films recently? I have and it's always the same thing. "Nothing is scary anymore," or "It's all been done before." Ever heard that?

It got me to thinking, what is it about today's horror films that people find boring? The formulaic nature of them perhaps, or the ability to guess whodunit before the victim did or maybe even the fact that we know what is going to happen right through the narrative. There's nothing worse than knowing what's going to happen before it happens. It leaves a stale taste in the mouth, leaves the watcher (or the reader) wondering why they bothered to turn on or pick up the book and looking for the next scare.

I'm sure most of us has heard the story about the doll who climbs the stairs to murder the family in the middle of the night and the ghost that showed up at the graveyard. What about the little toy train that chugged and chugged until it ran right over little Timmy and spilled his guts or the ghost that was so scared of the graveyard it went to live in your closet?

If we want to succeed in scaring people, truly giving them the chills, then we need to give them something completely unexpected. I bet they won't expect a teapot to go crazy or the whodunit to really be the cat. I know how far fetched that sounds but horror can be found in the mundane and we need to show our readers how scary everyday life can be, whether it's in the house, in the yard or the park, or how about school or work. Bring out something different, give them a twist they will never see coming and ramp up that tension. We won't have any dramatic music bringing the spoilers, instead, let them wonder when the next big scare is going to happen right before... it's on them!


Build it up and bring something different to your horror story.



Something to try: write a horror story set on a sunny day in the garden. Bring on the horror!





Editor's Picks


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 There Is Light In Darkness Open in new Window. (E)
Sometimes its is hard to distinguish between the actual reality and the perceived reality.
#2042510 by Georgina Elise Author IconMail Icon


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The Crimson Rose Open in new Window. (18+)
Her obsession made him jealous, but her transformation confirmed his worst fears.
#1169782 by iKïyå§ama Author IconMail Icon


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