Tips for Writing More Engaging Horror Stories

Few genres do as good a job of engaging their readers as the horror genre does. The fear and anxiety it induces can, oddly enough, have a very alluring effect. We’re simply drawn to what is scary. This is the same reason why we like rollercoasters this much. So, how do you write proper horror that sets a thrill in the hearts of your readers? Let us give you some tips. 

Writing horror is not as simple as a regular novel about love, life, and daydreams. After all, those three things tend to be closer to us and play a bigger part of our everyday and so we have more we intuitively can write about it. Horror is different. 

Tuning your mind into a state where you can concoct something that won’t only scare you but also others require a specific attitude to writing. Anyone can do it, and here are some tips where to start. 

Associate Yourself with Other Horror Writers

First of all, one of the best ways for you to develop as a writer is to have some sparring partners, that can help you out. What you need is a writing group. They’ll read your content, you’ll read theirs, and every time you’ll leave with new inspiration and new elements/techniques you can incorporate in your own writing. It might seem daunting at first, but you’ll be a much better horror writer for it. Also, it’s always a good idea to give your writing group a good name to spark a feeling of unity. Just like in Dead Poets Society. If you’re looking for creative names for your group, you can visit https://businessnamegenerator.com/writing-club-name-generator/. Here you can type in keywords and get a list of suggested names.  

Any creative writing club needs a creative setting, and if you’re writing horror you might want to choose an unsettling location to really get that creativity going. Now, we’re not saying you should haul your sparring partners out to a cemetery in the middle of the night (although that would be cool).

What you can do is find gloomy and ominous places. Maybe there’s an abandoned house in the area, an old library, or a gothic styled café. There are plenty of spooky places about in the world, you just have to find yours.

Experiment with Scary World Building

Any great story needs a unique and interesting universe to take place in. With horror, you really have to crank your creativity high to concoct something ominous and unsettling. Think of writers like H. P. Lovecraft and his cosmic horror as a sort of benchmark. 

This is a unique universe that is well-developed and full of dark beings that have terrified people for decades. His writing inspires plenty of creepy pasta and even SCP writers, and there are many lessons to be learned from him if you want to craft a world of horror.

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Experiment with different writing and reading techniques 

When it comes to the technical aspects, writing horror is the same as any other genre. You need to be a good writer. So, it is always a good tip to introduce different writing and reading techniques. It will make you evolve your writing to write about different subjects than you’re used to and to use other writing techniques than you usually prefer. You might be surprised by the type of writing you’re able to produce or find out where your limits are. Sometimes writing about something that you aren’t interested in will help you perceive your preferred topics and writing styles in a new light.  

First and foremost, a creative writing space is about creativity and development. If you create a safe and experimental space for you and your group members to share your writing, there’s no doubt that you will elevate your writing skills and expand your horizon.