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Gothic novelist Anne Radcliffe describes terror as that which "expands the soul and awakens the faculties to a high degree of life," whereas horror is described as that which "freezes and nearly annihilates them."
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Clowns, weddings, bunny rabbits, children (especially young children), flowers, puppy dogs, and of course, dolls.
I’d ask you what all these have in common, but I’m sure you already know the answer: they’re cute, happy, beautiful, cuddly, sweet, harmless, and innocent, right?
That’s what horror writers want you to believe, anyway. And that’s why they make great subjects for horror stories. After all, no parent wants to think that the sweet, little doll they bought for their daughter (or in the case of Chucky, their son) could become an axe-wielding, homicidal maniac. No more than a groom wants to find out that his beautiful new wife, whose face is hiding behind that veil, is actually a hideous, decomposing corpse.
It’s the old ‘bait and switch’, which most, if not all, fiction writers use to grab their audience.
The idea of dolls coming to life has been around for some time, so it’s not easy to put a new twist on it. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but who really wants to read the same idea over and over again? The same goes for some of the others things I listed above. So in that sense, not only has the subjects of innocence been lost, but the whole theme of innocence has been lost.
(Yes, that might be a little extreme, and I know horror isn’t ‘innocent’, but I’m trying to make a point!)
What it boils down to, in my opinion, is that a good many subjects for horror have been used so much (stereotyped?) over the years that they’re just not any fun anymore. 
Fortunately though, with technology advancing as fast as it is these days, horror writers have a whole new cornucopia of things to write about! When cell phones hit the scene, I knew it was just a matter of time before somebody jumped on it. I really wasn’t too surprised to see Stephen King’s Cell on the bookstore shelves so quickly. Nanotechnology seems to be the new thing now, which Dean Koontz quickly took advantage of with his Jane Hawk series (although that’s more thriller than horror, but you get the idea).
Now before anybody starts accusing me of being any more hypocritical than I already am, I’ll readily admit to writing about dolls, clowns, and bunny rabbits. But I’ve also written stories about leftovers, an insomniac, and a graffiti artist.
I think horror writers are a lucky bunch because we’re not limited to what we can write about. With a little bit of imagination, we can write about anything! And I should know! As I mentioned in a previous Newsletter, the judges and I have set some pretty lame (and weird) prompts in my contest, hoping and wondering if we’ll get any takers. And 99.9% of the time we’re not disappointed, because contestants are thinking so far out of the box it boggles the brain!
That about wraps it up, but before I leave you to go sifting through your warped imaginations for your next bizarre magnum opus (opuses? opi?), please allow me to recommend one of my favorite Clive Barker short stories, The Body Politic, from his collection, The Inhuman Condition. It’s not really scary, but considering his subject matter, it’s about as original as you can get!
Now go forth, Masters of the Macabre, and bring your literary creations to life! Because as someone once said, ‘Your mind is an oyster, and your stories are the pearls.’
I don’t know if anybody ever really said that, but if they didn’t, I’m taking credit for it. 
Until next time, my friends, SCREAM ON!!!
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This month’s question is: What is the most bizarre thing you’ve ever written for a horror story?
Some of you responded to my last question (Thank you!): Have you ever lived near or visited a haunted house.
Your answers:
OOT™ 
Thank you so much for featuring my story in your newsletter! 
My pleasure!
Jenstrying
You might enjoy Stephen King's "Rose Red." It was a mini series that aired back in 2002. A very good haunted house story. There are plenty of ghosts but the house is alive too!
Loved that series! Watch it every time it comes on!
willwilcox
My life is a haunted house. Do come in. 
I'll definitely put it on my list!
Quick-Quill 
Fear to me is just know what's ahead and if it's going to cause to pain or death. There are spirits in our word, but I don't believe they are the ghosts of the departed. I could go on and debate my belief, but here's the thing I like watching Ghost Hunting TV shows. Rather I did. They are boring to me now. I like all the books you listed and enjoyed them back in the day. I don't like the slasher movies. I like a good mystery. If it involves the supernatural its good. I'm still afraid of things that go "bump in the night" but I don't believe they are dead people walking around.
I've seen some people walking around who might not be dead, but they're about as close to Zombies as you can get!
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Horror/Scary: February 13, 2019 Issue [#9377]
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