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67th out of 156 books
—
216 voters
On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writer's of America
by
Mort Castle
The masters of horror have united to teach you the secrets of success in the scariest genre of all!
In "On Writing Horror, Second Edition," Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Jack Ketchum, and many others tell you everything you need to know to successfully write and publish horror novels and short stories.
Edited by the Horror Writers Associatio...more
In "On Writing Horror, Second Edition," Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Jack Ketchum, and many others tell you everything you need to know to successfully write and publish horror novels and short stories.
Edited by the Horror Writers Associatio...more
Paperback, 260 pages
Published
November 18th 2006
by Writers Digest Books
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Great Book, Needs To Be Modernized.
For the kind of reference book it attempts to be, this is a pretty good book. It's compiled well, has generally good advice by generally successful and well-received authors and industry professionals.
One problem with this book is that most of the people that supply the contend for the book are now senior citizens, many of whom are form the pre-TV generation, and don't have an entirely modern viewpoint on the publishing and promotional mechanisms available toda...more
For the kind of reference book it attempts to be, this is a pretty good book. It's compiled well, has generally good advice by generally successful and well-received authors and industry professionals.
One problem with this book is that most of the people that supply the contend for the book are now senior citizens, many of whom are form the pre-TV generation, and don't have an entirely modern viewpoint on the publishing and promotional mechanisms available toda...more
I've read a lot of books on writing craft over the past few years, and I really wanted to like this one. Top name authors such as Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates contributed to it, and I have to admit it was the editor's name (Mort Castle) and the Ramsey Campbell and Joyce Carol Oates contributions that convinced me to buy On Writing Horror.
The book is divided into eight sections, and also contains an editor's introduction, and a foreword, which is basically an informal history about the form...more
The book is divided into eight sections, and also contains an editor's introduction, and a foreword, which is basically an informal history about the form...more
As these sorts of books go, I thought this was excellent. The contributors are some of the most successful writers in the horror genre. The essays are brief, but numerous, and cover everything from elements of effective horror (how to write dialogue, action, description, etc) to the impact of Stephen King's success and the current state of horror publishing. One author offers a list of 21 "must read" horror novels. (Yay for lists!)
I also like that some of the advice goes against the common wisdo...more
I also like that some of the advice goes against the common wisdo...more
I was very disappointed with this book. First of all, I've never seen a book typeset with type so small, It might be 8pt, most books are 12pt or thereabouts. I'm a young man with decent vision and I had trouble reading it.
Secondly, like most of Writer's Digest books - it's hit or miss on quality. They've published some great books, but they've also published an equal number of duds. Quality, NOT quantity folks!
Thirdly, the book is a collection of essays, not a cohesive guide to writing horror. I...more
Secondly, like most of Writer's Digest books - it's hit or miss on quality. They've published some great books, but they've also published an equal number of duds. Quality, NOT quantity folks!
Thirdly, the book is a collection of essays, not a cohesive guide to writing horror. I...more
If this book was a table, you would need a phone book to prop up the short leg.
Two thirds of On Writing Horrow is fantastic, and should be read by everyone aspiring to write in the genre. The remaining third, not so much. This anthology was obviously edited by committee, the members of which harbored deep resentments toward one another.
The book opens with essays lamenting the marginalization of horror fiction, and ends with how-to's on "erotic horror" and product tie-ins. I expect that future e...more
Two thirds of On Writing Horrow is fantastic, and should be read by everyone aspiring to write in the genre. The remaining third, not so much. This anthology was obviously edited by committee, the members of which harbored deep resentments toward one another.
The book opens with essays lamenting the marginalization of horror fiction, and ends with how-to's on "erotic horror" and product tie-ins. I expect that future e...more
There is not enough praise that I can put on this book.
Horror writer or not, this book contains a goldmine's worth of information for any and all aspiring authors. If you happen to be one that is looking to get into the horror genre, then this is the cat's meow, the murder's hatchet, the zombie's brains. (You get the idea)
Before I purchased this book, I went and did a bit of research on it. I was actually directed to it by a number of writers, horror and non, that sung its praises. Everything fr...more
Horror writer or not, this book contains a goldmine's worth of information for any and all aspiring authors. If you happen to be one that is looking to get into the horror genre, then this is the cat's meow, the murder's hatchet, the zombie's brains. (You get the idea)
Before I purchased this book, I went and did a bit of research on it. I was actually directed to it by a number of writers, horror and non, that sung its praises. Everything fr...more
This one took me a while to get through simply because there was a lot to digest in this (relatively) slim volume. With Big Name contributors, it’s not really a surprise that there’s something to learn from each essay. That being said, while I know I gained a lot from reading this one, I feel like there’s a lot that I’ve missed also. Each writer has his or her own take, and there are times when it conflicts, but for wildly different reasons. It’s up to the reader to try what’s there and see what...more
On Writing Horror was released in 2006 by the Horror Writers Association, the American based horror writers’ association, with international membership.
I was lucky enough to get my copy recently and have just finished my first, but definitely not my last, read through of it from cover to cover.
Although very squarely slanted toward the American based writer, and a little preoccupied with the word verisimilitude, it contains many writing gems that are relevant to all writers, where-ever they live....more
I was lucky enough to get my copy recently and have just finished my first, but definitely not my last, read through of it from cover to cover.
Although very squarely slanted toward the American based writer, and a little preoccupied with the word verisimilitude, it contains many writing gems that are relevant to all writers, where-ever they live....more
I realize that I give many books a five star rating, and it probably seems illegitimate that I could possibly feel strongly for so many books, but I do. This book, however, makes me wish I had twenty stars to give. The best way to share how strongly I feel toward this book and how often I have flipped its pages is to simply say, my copy has come undone at the seems at long last. The smudges were bad enough, the smeared ink, but now, the pages are flying free haha
I bought this book hoping that I would learn some tools and and techniques related to the horror genre. Unfortunately that is not the case. This book is screenwriting 101 or writing 101, whatever is your point of view.
However, what if you are a beginner writer? Even then I wouldn't recommend you by this book because you're better off buying books that are specific to the craft of writing. Books by Syd Field and James Scott Bell are really amazing.
However, what if you are a beginner writer? Even then I wouldn't recommend you by this book because you're better off buying books that are specific to the craft of writing. Books by Syd Field and James Scott Bell are really amazing.
Although not all of this book is applicable to what I am trying to do, I still found the bulk of it both informative and interesting. The overall amicable tone in which most of it is written also helped to continue to foster interest. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to write within the horror genre - while the whole book may not be helpful, I would defy anyone to say that at least one chapter in there didn't give them at least one new idea.
This book is an excellent resource for both the new and experienced writer, and not necessarily only horror writers. The style section offers great advice and writing tips for developing characters, creating tension through rhythm in writing, and writing what scares you most. I have read through it once, but I anticipate that this will be one book I will continually reference back to in my future writing. I recommend this one to all writers, not just us horror fiends.
If you want to write horror, this book is a must-have. Castle collects essays by many of the top horror writers working today, and offers their thoughts on plot, setting, character, theme, and the market. Even if you don't write horror, many of the rules and market tips apply. On Writing Horror contains great advice from professional writers--the ones who know best.
I read this book for an Independent Study and thought it was great. The authors cover every topic related to horror writing including: plays, television, radio, short story, novel, film, and more. They also provide a ton of information on what types of jobs are available in the horror writing field. I highly recommend this book if you are in to horror writing.
Some very useful chapters, including the ones on short-story writing (which included tips and hints that crossover into pretty much every genre of fiction) and how to write the suspense/action scene. Some other chapters were rather boring (some of the intro - why I write horror tidbits), but the rest of the book made up for it. While some of the information seemed like it was for newbies to the genre (explaining the different subgenres), others were useful for newbies and seasoned writers alike....more
This is a pretty good starting point, but if you know some of the basics of writing, it might not help too much. It's more basic ideas, like how to create character, how to make that character authentic. At one point, it suggests using this new thing called Google. It also several times suggests reading horror novels and non-horror novels.
As I have learned, time and time again, great wisdom comes from years of experience, and the collective wisdom on display here has been conjured from an all-star roster of unyielding and wildly imaginative minds forged in decades of hard work and labor. The philosophy of horror and its impact on story, as channeled through some of the best published authors the genre has to offer, makes On Writing Horror an essential must-have resource for any novice or veteran writer. Some of the contributors p...more
Although this book is quite informative, it isn't anything that hasn't already been said in countless other books on writing. In that, it violates one of the many rules it seeks to advise novice writers on: Always be original. Also, Harlan Ellison's pompous interview midway through the book sort of ruined the whole thing for me. He seems to think anyone who isn't endorsed by the Washington Post or hasn't won a major award doesn't have the right to pick up a pen or sit down at a keyboard and writ...more
Pretty good selection of articles tailored to the Horror genre. There is a lot of information packed into this little gem, quite useful, for someone interested in writing a horror piece. If writing horror is your thing, pick this up. You should not be disappointed.
53rd book for 2009!
This is a collection of short essays by horror writers put out by the respectable Horror Writers Association. It is a wealth of information packed into 260 some-odd pages spanning all level of writers and focusing on the macabre.
There are simple articles giving advice to "show not tell" even advice on punctuation, which I would love to hand out to my fellow students of other genres.
Then there is a whole section on marketing which is useful for those of us who have already figu...more
This is a collection of short essays by horror writers put out by the respectable Horror Writers Association. It is a wealth of information packed into 260 some-odd pages spanning all level of writers and focusing on the macabre.
There are simple articles giving advice to "show not tell" even advice on punctuation, which I would love to hand out to my fellow students of other genres.
Then there is a whole section on marketing which is useful for those of us who have already figu...more
Horror is my preferred genre, and as such I found this book to be very helpful. There's a lot to wade through and the font is too small, but it's got some good information inside.
I found some these articles useful and fresh. In particular, the pieces by Joe Lansdale, Harlan Ellison, Stephen King, and Jack Ketchum, were valuable to me.
I found this book to be very informative. It goes from what you should know, to what you will need to know, if you're writing in the genre.
This informative book belongs on the short list of anyone who writes, aspires to write, is published, aspires to be published; and should probably be read several times.
One need not be interested in the writing of horror to glean information from this edition. One only needs to write.
One need not be interested in the writing of horror to glean information from this edition. One only needs to write.
Much less a "how to" than a general description of things to do. Some of the essays were interesting (few were interestingly written), but for the most part nothing that couldn't be found in non-horror oriented writing books was here.
Eh, for the horror enthusiast, it's interesting to see how the authors view the genre, but there are better books for that.
Not just for horror enthusiasts - a lot of tips and tricks in this book can be used for any genre.
Jul 05, 2009
She Poet
is currently reading it
If you like writing all things scary, this is an excellent resource to add to your library.
I learned how to better craft a plot and how to craft dialogue that does not feel wooden
You need to read this along with King's On Writing if you want to be a horror author.
Apr 24, 2012
Andrew
added it
Great book, very useful for anyone interested in writing horror fiction.
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Mort Castle is a horror author, editor, and a writing teacher with more than 350 short stories and a dozen books to his credit.
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