Nothing to Fear Anymore: Guest post from author Colin F. Barnes

The problem with being a horror writer, or even a die-hard fan for that matter, is that at some point, all the exposure to horror films and literature can desensitize us to the scares so that they no longer have the same effect on us. Sometimes this just comes with age as we get ever more cynical about our world and realise there in fact is scarier things than ghosts or serial killers: like not being able to pay the mortgage, contracting a terminal illness, or Joan Rivers' face. Other times it's just through sheer familiarity. There's only so many serial killers you can read/watch before they become old news.

This heightened awareness of the world and the grim reality of life diminishes the wide-eyed wonder and fear of the unknown that we have when we're younger. As a kid I remember growing up with the spectre of The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, Omen and The Thing lurking in my bedroom shadows causing me all kinds of nightmares and irrational fears. I remember the spine-tingling excitement as I finally managed to sneak a classic horror VHS tape from my dad's collection and watch it late at night with a friend, revelling in the sheer terror of the unknown.

But of course, that wonderment doesn't last. Like a heroin junkie, the first hits are mind blowing. You're soon hooked and looking for more terror highs. They come for a while, each one hitting the right spot, but then soon you're scrabbling about in old dusty VHS/DVD shops or secondhand bookstores for some obscure italian title rumoured to blow your mind. You soon resemble Golem as you crawl out of your mother's basement in search for your next horror hit — but they're never quite the same.

And then we end up with weak trash like Human Centipede or Saw. Torture porn is the lowest form of horror, and an extension to the search for the scares that have long since diluted.

So what is the solution?

As a writer, we have to acknowledge what came before, but not chain ourselves to its legacy. We have to see what is in the current milieu and seek ways of differentiating ourselves. Dispense with common tropes and find new ways of drilling into the psyche of our readers. Easier said than done of course, but there are ways, such as:

- Looking outside of our culture. Look to other folklore and mythology and draw parallels to present the fear in new and unexpected ways. (like The Ring did for instance, taking a ghost story and splicing it with a technological medium: the VHS tape)

- Go further into psychology and away from cheap torture scares. Gore isn't scary, neither is it shocking. Especially in this day and age of televised war. You have to find what it is thatintrinsically causes fear in the brain and exploit that. More times than not that means doing bad things to the people that your protagonist loves, or taking the control away from the protagonist.

A good psychological fear will hit harder and longer than a pus-filled zombie every single time.

- Take your reader out of the comfort zone. Go somewhere new and unknown. The internet has made the world so small that we are aware and familiar with almost all the cultures. With Google Maps and Google Earth we can see directly into almost any corner of the world. There are few surprises anymore. One could, back in the day, write about headhunters, or weird cults in a foreign country and that would be enough, but not anymore. More imagination in setting is required. There are metaphysical places to explore, multi-verses, dreams and the subconscious. New settings, new rules, and new laws will give fresh ways of delivering the scares.

As a reader/watcher, (and like most writers, I'm also an avid consumer of horror) how do you get that childhood terror back? Personally, I think you can't, not completely anyway. Therefore cherish those memories, you can't replace them. However, by seeking material that's not in the mainstream is one way of finding the good stuff.

The mainstream, by its nature, is somewhat watered down. It's art by committee. Most films follow each other and their only concern is the dollar. Whether the film is truly scary or not is irrelevant. It's the same with books. Many horror books these days from the traditional publishers are derivative, safe, and bland. The best horror literature in my opinion was written in the 80s and early 90s. And before that during the pulp era where guys like H.P. Lovecraft was writing unique works.

However, we have a new paradigm in publishing, one that isn't written by commitee. For good and for bad, indie publishing offers the reader a fresh look at the genre. Within the indie movement there are new stories being told from fresh new perspectives.

For your scares, you need to look away from the mainstream and dig in the fertile ground that is the independent movement, whether that be literature, film, or art.

 

About Colin:

Colin F. Barnes was found alone, swaddled in stained bandages, at the back of a crumbling Greek necropolis. Mewling in a basket, he was taken to a village on an unnamed island, by a quintuplet of lesbian crones. Under the careful watch of an English sailor, he was taken across a number of oceans (go look them up on googlemaps or something), and deposited on the grim wastelands of Essex, England.

Being mute, the only way he could communicate during his childhood was through interpretive dance and the written word. The artwork that he originally tried to use as a communication device landed him on a three month psychological assessment program. He no longer draws.

Education

Despite having no known scale in which to rank his mental abilities, Colin managed to bluff his way through a comprehensive educational structure, excelling in English, Science and Wilderness Survival. He then agreed with the powers-that-be to focus his energies through a formal English Degree.

Professional Career

The jobs he held are inconsequential compared to his desires: that of extricating the maelstrom of stories that are generated in his booze-addled brain. But for the conventionalists, he held positions as follows:

Snake Poison Collector
Laboratory Technician
Web developer
Copy Editor / Proofreader
Celebrity Funeral Consultant
Somalian Pirate
Rare Book Dealer
Violent Somnambulist
Panda Breeder

* One of those is a lie.

What and why does he write?

Colin F. Barnes herds words in  an often random order — not unlike a room of monkeys battering away at typewriters with their poop covered paws. (Do monkeys have paws or hands?). The usual outcome of this seemingly random plucking of words is a glimpse into a dark world of psychological malopropisms, dystopian nightmares, and fluffy children's stories. *one of those is a lie.

The work itself is a blend of science fiction, horror and thriller concepts. He avoids obvious tropes and seeks to write something resembling an original piece of literature. Although, it was proven on his 'program' that he has mass delusions of grandeur. And most of this can be safely filed under 'bollocks'.

Publishing Credits:

City of Hell Chronicles

Dark Metaphor

Connect with Colin:

Personal site: www.colinfbarnes.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ColinFBarnes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003500528869