Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "halloween"
Writing spooky stories
In honour of the season: how to go about writing a spooky story!
Don't be misled by the modern tendency for horror films to be all blood and guts, with attractive (but deeply annoying) teens picked off one by one by masked maniacs. A proper scary story is one that holds on the gore but taps straight into primal fears.
Think about what scares you. Some things are inherently creepy: old dolls (particularly wax ones), nursery rhymes, mirrors and fairgrounds, to start you off. Some may be more personal, but you can bet that if it freaks you out, other people will feel the same. For example, I've never been comfortable with escalators or lifts, and as for puppets, particularly that sociopath of the British seaside, Mr Punch ... brr. You'll undoubtedly have an irrational but fruitful fear of your own.
While that's a good place to begin, one spooky element doesn't make a story. Ask yourself that timeless call to adventure: what if. What if what's happening on the other side of the glass is real, and you're merely a reflection of them? What if you end up unwittingly doing a job share for someone, only to learn they're a ghost, and you'll now be holding the reins for eternity? What if you're trapped inside a statue or painting?
The best ghost stories are short but don't waste a word- say between two and four thousand words. Don't allow yourself to become distracted and over complicate it; there isn't room for other plots. You need to decide what tack to take: is the supernatural element a twist, in which case it should be hidden till the very end? Knowledge is trickier to pull off: many writers try to compensate by having a sceptic as a character, as an audience stand in, but such a figure is difficult to sympathise with, unless frustration and/or irritation is your intention.
Don't worry if your story turns out nothing like the 'traditional' ghost story- subversions can be delightful. Think of Sir Simon in Wilde's The Canterville Ghost: a frightful old ham, he's defending his ancestral seat against a family of Americans who have recently moved in. Rather than run screaming into the night, they find his hauntings funny and quaint, and can't wait to see what he'll do next. The story takes an unexpected turn into poignancy when the daughter befriends Sir Simon, and learns that he desperately longs to be released from his punishment (he's condemned to limbo for murdering his wife).
Once you've got it all written down, try it out in the setting that's always suited creepy stories best: by fire or candlelight. If you give your audience chills, you'll know you're on the right track. Indeed, a scary story contest is a fantastic alternative to the usual Halloween customs!
Don't be misled by the modern tendency for horror films to be all blood and guts, with attractive (but deeply annoying) teens picked off one by one by masked maniacs. A proper scary story is one that holds on the gore but taps straight into primal fears.
Think about what scares you. Some things are inherently creepy: old dolls (particularly wax ones), nursery rhymes, mirrors and fairgrounds, to start you off. Some may be more personal, but you can bet that if it freaks you out, other people will feel the same. For example, I've never been comfortable with escalators or lifts, and as for puppets, particularly that sociopath of the British seaside, Mr Punch ... brr. You'll undoubtedly have an irrational but fruitful fear of your own.
While that's a good place to begin, one spooky element doesn't make a story. Ask yourself that timeless call to adventure: what if. What if what's happening on the other side of the glass is real, and you're merely a reflection of them? What if you end up unwittingly doing a job share for someone, only to learn they're a ghost, and you'll now be holding the reins for eternity? What if you're trapped inside a statue or painting?
The best ghost stories are short but don't waste a word- say between two and four thousand words. Don't allow yourself to become distracted and over complicate it; there isn't room for other plots. You need to decide what tack to take: is the supernatural element a twist, in which case it should be hidden till the very end? Knowledge is trickier to pull off: many writers try to compensate by having a sceptic as a character, as an audience stand in, but such a figure is difficult to sympathise with, unless frustration and/or irritation is your intention.
Don't worry if your story turns out nothing like the 'traditional' ghost story- subversions can be delightful. Think of Sir Simon in Wilde's The Canterville Ghost: a frightful old ham, he's defending his ancestral seat against a family of Americans who have recently moved in. Rather than run screaming into the night, they find his hauntings funny and quaint, and can't wait to see what he'll do next. The story takes an unexpected turn into poignancy when the daughter befriends Sir Simon, and learns that he desperately longs to be released from his punishment (he's condemned to limbo for murdering his wife).
Once you've got it all written down, try it out in the setting that's always suited creepy stories best: by fire or candlelight. If you give your audience chills, you'll know you're on the right track. Indeed, a scary story contest is a fantastic alternative to the usual Halloween customs!
