Horror & 3 Creative Writing Tips For Students


By Katie Arden


It goes without saying that fear has become an emotion we've come to associate with different types of media. Horror is one of the most favorable, since it can be told well through various platforms, movies, television shows, and otherwise. Creative writing must have been done beforehand, though, which is an endeavor that some individuals seem to be able to tackle easier than others. Follow these 3 methods and, before long, you can creative write with horror in mind as well.

To start off with, make sure that your characters are written well enough for readers to stick with them. One of the biggest problems that I have with many horror-themed works is that the protagonists are not developed well enough for me to care about them. As a result, I find myself drifting along while reading, not truly caring about what their fates were. It's a problem that can be solved through not only effective creative writing but an understanding of social behavior in general.

Descriptions must be set in place, in creative writing, when talking about locations. Some of the best creations in horror include locations you would typically associate with tension and dread. Those which are more enclosed or seem to possess little life are those which you must be able to figuratively paint with your words. This can be done through creative writing and it's a skill which can be developed over the course of time, provided experience is brought into effect.

If you are set to write with horror in mind, it's important to focus on the element of time. You want to be able to focus on how these details are dragged out, since you do not want to give readers everything in a single go. Keep in mind that many deaths in horror films are conducted when it seems like they have been dragged out beforehand. This helps to build tension - an important asset in horror - and it helps to highlight every moment in order to further its worth as well.

Horror is, to say the least, one of the most popular genres in media today. It's a type of media designed to scare us, whether it's through tension, sudden scares, or what have you. For those who would like to write with this genre in mind, the methods mentioned before should be able to help others in the long term. Along with the right amount of research, I do not think that anyone can argue with the fact that one's skill in writing horror can expand.




About the Author: