How to write a horror story

Horror literature is constructed like all literature. With the development of a prologue, the installation of an atmosphere and the progressive appearance of the various characters. Nevertheless, to cause fear through writing is a delicate work, inseparable from a very strict creative process. Here are some tips on how to write a horror story.

1)     When you write a horror story: decide on your reader

You must consider something very important: the audience you want to reach. It’s not the same to write a story for children as it is for an adult reader; the choice of characters, the plot and the ending will be different depending on the audience. So the first step is to determine your readers to begin to establish the next points of the writing.

2)     Write something that goes wrong

The troublemaker! The peaceful story you start writing will not stay that way for long. In a scary story, it’s important to create a surprise effect, with a surprising element that the reader was not expecting. Some examples: someone suddenly disappears, the neighbor’s murder, strange noises in the attic, doors that start to slam by themselves…

3)     When you write a horror story: focus on characters

Write characters whose character flaws fuel the action of the story. All good literature and movies contain well-crafted characters with desires, emotions and a story. The more you humanize the characters in your story or screenplay, the more their missteps and bad choices will resonate with an audience.

4)     Tick-tock

Time can give a very particular rhythm to the story, giving it an extra sense of anguish. It is wise to alternate moments of extreme tension with calmer passages during which the reader catches his breath before plunging back into the abyss of the unknown.

5)     When you write a horror story: think of a good ending

Finally, to write a worthwhile horror story, you need to work specifically on the ending. And not just how the plot unfolds, but how you reveal it to the reader. How the characters learn about the resolution of the conflict, as well as the subtlety with which you mention a few hints during the tale are essential to making your story worth reading.

When you write a horror story, don’t forget the main ingredients: a context where anguish oozes, the time that inexorably passes, the meeting of the protagonists, the main thread of your plot. The reader must be able to experience all the strong emotions.