Synthetic.Butterfly
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- Posted: Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:50:03 +0000
I wrote this up as a small tutorial for my Mystery/Horror/Sci-Fi Class. A bunch of my peers were wondering exactly how much I knew about the "Art of Horror Fiction Writing. So here it is for your reading pleasure.
Horror fiction writing is an ever growing industry, with many different styles. The ways that people execute horror in writing could even be
considered an art, and one that few have mastered. In fact, very few people have an understanding of how many different styles and how complicated horror fiction writing can be, as well as the tact and thinking that goes into every novel.
Most people do not realize that horror fiction in fact has many sub-genres that it can be divided into. This list includes (but is not limited to) Noir, Weird, Visceral and Gothic. Each of these sub-genres has a unique style to it that each writer, will personalize through the development of ideas. It is through this personalization that the reader will be able to see what has conjured up in the imagination of the author. One of the most popular styles you see sold today on bookshelves is noir.
Noir, meaning ‘black’ in French, is a sub-genre of horror that deals with the urban underworld, where crime and moral doubt is raging. Having a corrupted ruler to overshadow everything that functions in the setting is a key characteristic of Noir. The main character is the essential anti-hero who searches for redemption in a far from perfect world. When writing the Anti-Hero you want him or her to appear as a “bad a**,” who has nothing to lose but his own worthless life. Themes that fall well into this category while writing about it are paranoia and corruption. This is one of the most modern versions of horror. Oddly enough, “Batman” is based in a Noir style of world, where crime rages freely, as is the story of Al Pachino.
One of the oldest sub-genres of horror is Gothic. A prime example of Gothic Horror is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The characteristic theme of this style is the merging of the dark ages with a modern era. These types of stories are often written with the main setting being an old decrepit castle or crypt. These settings are often plain and expected; but, used in conjunction with imagery of ruin and decay, as well as imprisonment, they become very effective. When writing with this style a person has to be very careful about making things seem very unrealistic; keep to the supernatural, but never wander into unnatural, something from mythology would be fine, but you usually want to stick to old English mythos. You can never go wrong when writing about Gargoyles, Vampires, or even the Occult, when you’re dealing with Gothic Horror.
When writing Weird Horror, though, you want to stick to the unbelievable. Weird Horror tends to be strange and uncanny. An occult or Lovecraftian style of writing is extremely suited to this style. If you have an idea of who H.P. Lovecraft was or what he wrote then this probably make sense. Lovecraft’s style is very floral; it never stretches the use of adjectives. While writing Weird Horror a person could even delve into the realm of surrealism. This style of writing was popularized by the magazine “Weird Tales”.
This level of knowledge is quite extensive but is unpractical for a person who may want to write horror fiction in the future. A person must learn to be aware of what scares them at heart and apply that to the pages. While writing Horror Fiction, a person should be aware of two elements in every horror novel. The element of presence and the element of absence, these are absolute when writing a great Horror Fiction story.
The elements of absence include (but are not limited to) the unknown, the unseen and the unstoppable. All of these you want to be externalized by the reader. You want them to think about the elements of absence without thinking of themselves emotionally. The goal of these elements is to cause a ground zero for fear and suspense to build up upon.
‘The unknown’ is one of the most primal fears of mankind, the knowledge that anything could appear from the darkness, within certain natural guidelines defined by the order of nature. A person who is writing horror fiction should attempt to do away with these guidelines as soon as possible, in order to let the reader’s imagination run wild. If left to his or her own devices, the reader will conjure up a phantasm so outrageous that it is beyond words.
‘The unseen’ is exactly why gore works. It shows us something that we rarely see which is why it is so effective. Any author using this element should use it sparingly; every time an author uses it, it becomes less effective. Eventually, a person will become desensitized to this element from over exposure. So, put a new twist on this according to the type of age category you are targeting. For example, if you are catering towards an adult audience over the age of twenty five, chances are that they have already seen a gaping stab wound, so go for a limb turned around the wrong way. The more unlikely the injury, the more ghastly it becomes.
Of all the elements of absence ‘the unstoppable’ is the most unnatural. Everything must come to the end. It is a rule of nature. So the relentless advance and endless pursuit of a person surpasses all common logic. This is why this element of absence is so effective. When writing about ‘the unstoppable’ you want the reader to make a strong connection to inevitable death, a subject that not very many people want to think about.
The elements of presence are meant to break down the barrier of logic that a person has while reading horror fiction. The elements of presence include (but are not limited to) helplessness, pressure and release. Each of these has its own role in breaking down the barrier of logic. You want the reader to internalize these and feel as if they are in the shoes of the main character when they feel these.
Helplessness is the first line of offense a person should use to break down the readers logic. Nothing is more frightening than a lack of control, especially the lack to control your own fate. In horror, a lot of the attraction comes from the lack of power that the protagonist has. Everyone feels helpless at times, so it is easy to internalize. However, when writing, you have to remember as an author that the reader gets a rush of excitement when your protagonist overcomes the obstacle no matter the odds.
Pressure, also known as suspense, is the keystone of Horror Fiction writing. A successful horror writer must learn to master this technique. Just like helplessness, everyone feels pressure, so this is also easy to internalize. This element is best when it is repeated once or twice without climaxing to catch a reader off guard; however, this method is similar to ‘the unseen’ in the fact that repeating this trick too often causes it to lose effectiveness. The rush that the reader builds when using suspense is phenomenal, and the feeling of a well executed release is even better.
Release is one thing that no story is complete without. There are many ways an author can execute this. There is the complete release, in which the author removes the reader from the entrancing grasp of the story.
When writing horror a lingering release is more common and suitable. The author concludes the story while tying it into real life, to keep the reader on edge for the next fifteen minutes or so while they shake off the events that occurred inside story. It creates a memorable feel for the story. The last method is never recommended, as it annoys quite a few readers. The cliff hanger ending, it releases the reader wondering what will happen next. Refrain from using this whenever possible, even if writing a continuing story. All your works should stand alone, making your reader comfortable wherever they step in, inside the series.
So when writing a horror novel, the author must be aware of their audience. Pick a style that they would most likely find interesting and use devices that are suited to the control of that environment. Some devices are more effective then others in certain environments. ‘The unseen’ works very well in a Weird story, but isn’t as effective in a Noir one. A writer must keep all of this in mind when writing. If they did not, then they would not sell very many books.
Horror fiction writing is an ever growing industry, with many different styles. The ways that people execute horror in writing could even be
considered an art, and one that few have mastered. In fact, very few people have an understanding of how many different styles and how complicated horror fiction writing can be, as well as the tact and thinking that goes into every novel.
Most people do not realize that horror fiction in fact has many sub-genres that it can be divided into. This list includes (but is not limited to) Noir, Weird, Visceral and Gothic. Each of these sub-genres has a unique style to it that each writer, will personalize through the development of ideas. It is through this personalization that the reader will be able to see what has conjured up in the imagination of the author. One of the most popular styles you see sold today on bookshelves is noir.
Noir, meaning ‘black’ in French, is a sub-genre of horror that deals with the urban underworld, where crime and moral doubt is raging. Having a corrupted ruler to overshadow everything that functions in the setting is a key characteristic of Noir. The main character is the essential anti-hero who searches for redemption in a far from perfect world. When writing the Anti-Hero you want him or her to appear as a “bad a**,” who has nothing to lose but his own worthless life. Themes that fall well into this category while writing about it are paranoia and corruption. This is one of the most modern versions of horror. Oddly enough, “Batman” is based in a Noir style of world, where crime rages freely, as is the story of Al Pachino.
One of the oldest sub-genres of horror is Gothic. A prime example of Gothic Horror is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The characteristic theme of this style is the merging of the dark ages with a modern era. These types of stories are often written with the main setting being an old decrepit castle or crypt. These settings are often plain and expected; but, used in conjunction with imagery of ruin and decay, as well as imprisonment, they become very effective. When writing with this style a person has to be very careful about making things seem very unrealistic; keep to the supernatural, but never wander into unnatural, something from mythology would be fine, but you usually want to stick to old English mythos. You can never go wrong when writing about Gargoyles, Vampires, or even the Occult, when you’re dealing with Gothic Horror.
When writing Weird Horror, though, you want to stick to the unbelievable. Weird Horror tends to be strange and uncanny. An occult or Lovecraftian style of writing is extremely suited to this style. If you have an idea of who H.P. Lovecraft was or what he wrote then this probably make sense. Lovecraft’s style is very floral; it never stretches the use of adjectives. While writing Weird Horror a person could even delve into the realm of surrealism. This style of writing was popularized by the magazine “Weird Tales”.
This level of knowledge is quite extensive but is unpractical for a person who may want to write horror fiction in the future. A person must learn to be aware of what scares them at heart and apply that to the pages. While writing Horror Fiction, a person should be aware of two elements in every horror novel. The element of presence and the element of absence, these are absolute when writing a great Horror Fiction story.
The elements of absence include (but are not limited to) the unknown, the unseen and the unstoppable. All of these you want to be externalized by the reader. You want them to think about the elements of absence without thinking of themselves emotionally. The goal of these elements is to cause a ground zero for fear and suspense to build up upon.
‘The unknown’ is one of the most primal fears of mankind, the knowledge that anything could appear from the darkness, within certain natural guidelines defined by the order of nature. A person who is writing horror fiction should attempt to do away with these guidelines as soon as possible, in order to let the reader’s imagination run wild. If left to his or her own devices, the reader will conjure up a phantasm so outrageous that it is beyond words.
‘The unseen’ is exactly why gore works. It shows us something that we rarely see which is why it is so effective. Any author using this element should use it sparingly; every time an author uses it, it becomes less effective. Eventually, a person will become desensitized to this element from over exposure. So, put a new twist on this according to the type of age category you are targeting. For example, if you are catering towards an adult audience over the age of twenty five, chances are that they have already seen a gaping stab wound, so go for a limb turned around the wrong way. The more unlikely the injury, the more ghastly it becomes.
Of all the elements of absence ‘the unstoppable’ is the most unnatural. Everything must come to the end. It is a rule of nature. So the relentless advance and endless pursuit of a person surpasses all common logic. This is why this element of absence is so effective. When writing about ‘the unstoppable’ you want the reader to make a strong connection to inevitable death, a subject that not very many people want to think about.
The elements of presence are meant to break down the barrier of logic that a person has while reading horror fiction. The elements of presence include (but are not limited to) helplessness, pressure and release. Each of these has its own role in breaking down the barrier of logic. You want the reader to internalize these and feel as if they are in the shoes of the main character when they feel these.
Helplessness is the first line of offense a person should use to break down the readers logic. Nothing is more frightening than a lack of control, especially the lack to control your own fate. In horror, a lot of the attraction comes from the lack of power that the protagonist has. Everyone feels helpless at times, so it is easy to internalize. However, when writing, you have to remember as an author that the reader gets a rush of excitement when your protagonist overcomes the obstacle no matter the odds.
Pressure, also known as suspense, is the keystone of Horror Fiction writing. A successful horror writer must learn to master this technique. Just like helplessness, everyone feels pressure, so this is also easy to internalize. This element is best when it is repeated once or twice without climaxing to catch a reader off guard; however, this method is similar to ‘the unseen’ in the fact that repeating this trick too often causes it to lose effectiveness. The rush that the reader builds when using suspense is phenomenal, and the feeling of a well executed release is even better.
Release is one thing that no story is complete without. There are many ways an author can execute this. There is the complete release, in which the author removes the reader from the entrancing grasp of the story.
When writing horror a lingering release is more common and suitable. The author concludes the story while tying it into real life, to keep the reader on edge for the next fifteen minutes or so while they shake off the events that occurred inside story. It creates a memorable feel for the story. The last method is never recommended, as it annoys quite a few readers. The cliff hanger ending, it releases the reader wondering what will happen next. Refrain from using this whenever possible, even if writing a continuing story. All your works should stand alone, making your reader comfortable wherever they step in, inside the series.
So when writing a horror novel, the author must be aware of their audience. Pick a style that they would most likely find interesting and use devices that are suited to the control of that environment. Some devices are more effective then others in certain environments. ‘The unseen’ works very well in a Weird story, but isn’t as effective in a Noir one. A writer must keep all of this in mind when writing. If they did not, then they would not sell very many books.
