 Horror/Scary: December 09, 2015 Issue [#7361] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Reacting to fear Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week: Which is the true nightmare, the horrific dream that you have in your sleep or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?”
― Justin Alcala |
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Like real people, characters in horror stories react to frightening situations differently. In order to make your story as realistic as possible, it is important that your characters' reactions match their personalities. Here are some examples of ways different people might react when they are scared:
Screaming and crying: Any of us might react this way if the situation is bad enough, but try to keep hysterical characters to a minimum. If they aren't the first to get picked off by the villain, the readers might be annoyed enough to go after them themselves!
Anger: Some people cover up their fear with anger. Anger may be misdirected at fellow protagonists rather than the villain, which can lead to interesting dynamics among characters.
Head in the sand: These characters cannot or will not understand that anything is wrong. They may be in shock or may just use denial to cope with bad situations.
Pretend not to be scared: These characters are different from the "head in the sand" character, because they know something is wrong, but pretend it doesn't bother then. They might do this to help keep other characters calm, especially children. Some people find that pretending they aren't scared helps them conquer their fear.
Studying and learning: Some people combat fright by learning all they can about the things they fear. Understanding the objects of our fear can show us that they are not so frightening after all, or can point out weaknesses we can use to defeat them.
Taking charge: Some people are natural leaders, and others look to them for guidance in difficult times. Others are not such good leaders, but they want to be in charge anyway. If a group has several people who want to lead, it can cause trouble.
Remember that the same situations do not instill fear in all people. I once read about an alligator hunter who is afraid of spiders, while I love spiders but would rather not come face to face with an alligator.
Reactions and behavior in a frightening situation are an important part of character development in a horror story. Make sure your characters' behavior makes sense for them. For example, if a normally calm character suddenly becomes hysterical, make sure you show the reason why. A person's fear reactions (or lack of them) might give clues to his background or point out that he is not what he appears to be.
Try to avoid characters with cliché behavior, such as the "damsel in distress" or the "big strong hero." Maybe the cute little girl or little old lady can save everyone else, or the tough, muscular guy can lose it at the sight of a snake or bug. 
Something to try: Write a horror story in which several characters react to a threat in different ways. |
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| | Bad Dreams (18+)
Ben suspected a link between Laurie's nightmares and local murders. 1st Place GX4 Nov. '15
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| Question for next time: How do you react to fear? |
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