I've never actually known how to write 'horror.' At least, properly. I've written it before, but I felt as if it wasn't scary. I believe the last time I wrote and finished a complete horror story was an entry for a Christmas contest. Despite me not thinking that it was that scary, it still won.
So, how do you write horror? I'd like some tips to do psychological horror, but also other types as well.
The reason I'm asking is due to my story Desolation containing some scenes that might be considered in that genre. Any help is appreciated.
I haven't ever written it, but from a reader's perspective (Not that I've necessarily read a lot of it either) maybe try to keep it very unexpected and well timed, letting it seem like it could happen to you literally any day. First setting it up to seem perfectly normal and possible and then twisting it into the kind of thing that gives someone nightmares. The more unexpected and abnormal, the better. I hope this helps!
When writing descriptions in horror either make them far too detailed or far to vague and nothing in between, greatly over or underdescribing the scene can give your reader anxiety. This goes without saying but when ever possible get you character isolated and alone. and as always a slow build is better than a quick scare. For physiological horror the goal isn't so much to make your reader feel scared but to feel dread ya know. Shorter sentences for fast paced scenes and opposite for the opposite. Do you have any idea what exactly you'll be trying to do plot wise?
Thank you, the both of you!
@IShotAnArrowInTheAir Plotwise Desolation doesn’t really start out as a horror story. It’s more so the main character crashes onto an island, gets knocked out and wakes up a few days later with his companions gone. He goes on to explore the island after recovering, and eventually comes across a city that looks like it’s been abandoned for several years. There isn’t really any horror to this scene, just a sense of dread.
I think the psychological horror comes in at the portions of the chapters (or just chapters that take place completely during this time) that take place during night. On the island, there’s animals that haven’t been exposed to humans for very long, so they don’t really have a fear of the main character. This is where I have an opportunity to write the horror a little bit since he won’t be sleeping very well for the first few nights, though I probably won’t be doing anything drastic until later chapters. The most things I’ll probably do is have an animal enter the place where he’s staying, look around a little bit, then leave.
The other parts of the horror in my story might come from being out in the wilderness alone. He might have a weapon, but there’s still a sense of dread when the main character is out exploring, and trying to get food as well.
Still staying in the psychological horror sector, eventually the main character comes across a bunker. He visits it a few times before figuring out to open it. In hopes of finding his companions or someone else, he explores it. I’ll probably apply some horror to this part as well, as he’s alone in a bunker at this point. Eventually he finds no one and leaves back to his base at the city.
This next night here is when I want to start to slowly increase the amount of horror. When he left the bunker, he did not lock the doors of it, and he lets out creatures (so far I don’t have a name for them right now, but they’re very alien like in terms of appearance, vaguely humanoid with little to no physical features on its body.) I sort of want to increase the amount of horror until he finally confronts the creatures.
Horror isn’t the main genre of Desolation, there’s also several other aspects to it of course.
