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Writing Excuses Episode 26: Horror
Aug. 6th, 2008 03:27 pmWriting Excuses Episode 26: Horror
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/08/04/writing-excuses-episode-26-horror/
Key points: Horror is not just scary, it's horrifying. Main characters are usually less competent than they need to be. Start by making the reader identify with the character, then put them through terror. The protagonist's internal faults should at least balance the external horrors. An inescapable setting forces the confrontation. Horror: the more you know, the worse it looks. Horror is very personal, almost a private scale.
( In the shadows . . . )
Writing prompt:
[That wasn't a scream, that was a squeak. More like a chair being dragged across the floor.]
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/08/04/writing-excuses-episode-26-horror/
Key points: Horror is not just scary, it's horrifying. Main characters are usually less competent than they need to be. Start by making the reader identify with the character, then put them through terror. The protagonist's internal faults should at least balance the external horrors. An inescapable setting forces the confrontation. Horror: the more you know, the worse it looks. Horror is very personal, almost a private scale.
( In the shadows . . . )
Writing prompt:
Dan: We've been talking about a descent into madness. So the writing prompt is a descent into madness written from the first person point of view. You are going to descend into madness, your writing will become gibberish or something horrible will happen, and then Brandon will scream.
[That wasn't a scream, that was a squeak. More like a chair being dragged across the floor.]
