Writing Horror

by Mort Castle (Editor)

Writers such as Stephen King, Nancy Kilpatrick, Jill M. Morgan, and Harlan Ellison share tips on writing the horror novel

Genres: Writing, Horror, Nonfiction, Reference, Research, Self Help, Essays

224 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

Mort Castle is a horror author, editor, and a writing teacher with more than 350 short stories and a dozen books to his credit.

Reviews

[Paula Cappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is somewhat dated now, but it's not really a "handbook" to instruct techniques on writing horror. I found it to be more a presentation of the current state of the horror industry, standards, and suggestions by some highly experienced and acclaimed horror authors (King, Ellison, Ketchum, Oates, Campbell). I liked Douglas Winter's chapter "Darkness Absolute: The Standards of Excellence in Horror Fiction." He specifies "horror is not a genre. It is an emotion." For new horror writers, this is important because he goes on to point out that "great horror fiction is rarely about shock, but rather more lasting emotions." I write horror. I read horror. I edit horror. And so many new writers in this genre are focused on big blood-splatter scenes and wicked jaw-slashing monsters and not on the characters we want to care about. Joyce Carole Oates on "The Madness of Art" speaks to how this genre (Gothic especially) is a "powerful vehicle of truth-telling." She points out that the standards for horror fiction are the same as literary fiction: "originality of concept, depth of characters, and attentiveness to language." This is certainly a book for new horror writers who are serious about their art and desire insights from the people who have done it successfully. One thing that is really awful about this book is the presentation of the text: The font size is too small and the pages have ragged right margins when they should be justified for smoother tracking when reading.

[Love of Hopeless Causes · Rating 1 out of 5]

With all these high falutin' names, you'd think this book would have grabbed me. I'm noticing a trend. Books that contain small articles by a bunch of authors don't tend to live up to the promise of their titles.

[Katie Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise sounds good in theory: Get a bunch of horror luminaries together to talk about various aspects of writing horror. In practice, it fell down.

First, with no one author, there was no building of knowledge. The essays, while grouped, didn't feel like they spoke to one another at all. Indeed, some weren't even written for the book: They were acceptance speeches or transcripts of roundtables.

Second, many chapters featured nothing that isn't in dozens of other 'how to write' books. I wouldn't have minded this if it had been geared towards writing horror (other books say to do X, but with horror, you want to do X + Y or Z), but besides different references, they didn't differ much from any other book.

Third, with every chapter, just as it gets revved up and you think, cool, I'm prepped, I'm going to learn something... the chapter ends, and you're on to a completely new author and topic. There were quite a few chapters in there that I dearly wish had been longer, or even their own book, but instead, they read like an introduction.

So, if you're interested in writing horror, I'd give this one a glance, but I wouldn't expect too much.

[Carmilla Voiez · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a couple of issues with this book: the font is too small to read comfortably, and a lot of the information is out of date now. However, I did find some of the articles useful. Michael Marano's discussion about negative space fascinated me and his advice to dwell on the "small glimpse of larger atrocity" was inspirational enough for me to feel the book was worthwhile. The chapter on plotting short fiction was both reassuring and helpful. Style as a window was a maxim I have read before, but it was worth being reminded. Tracy Knight's categories of mental illness made me happy; I said thank you, at last, and hope people take heed that schizophrenia is not the same as Dissociative Identity Disorder.

I have read better writing guides, but I am glad I read this one as well. Although it needs updating, it is still useful.

[Wayne Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great info and examples for the Horror writer. This is an extra resource to sit alongside my Writers Market addition.

[Иван Величков · Rating 3 out of 5]

ОК, книгата е категоризирана като наръчник и то много правилно. Състои се от статии на известни, не чак толкова известни и сега вече известни писатели в жанра, като статиите са писани предимно края на предишния и началото на този век. Основно е насочена към американски автори, но чисто техническите части са полезни навсякъде по света.
Наръчникът е разделен на сегменти и общата му насока, поне според мен, е била къде се намира жанра по времето на издаването на книгата – 2006.
Първа част:
Вдъхновяваща, като се откроява речта на Кинг от 2003 година

Втора част:
Включва няколко ключови класически заглавия, доста полезни съвети относно преекспонирането на тропите в жанра , статия за активните за времето на написването писателски работилници и статия за университетите в които жанровата литература се приема добре.

Трета част:
Посветена е на развитието на цялостна концепция в едно произведение. Статията на Марано за това, какво плаши или изнервя читателя/писателя беше доста добра, особено частта със сравнението с негативното пространство в киното. Статията на Ричард Гилиам за правдивост в сюжети поставени в миналото (или хайде да бъдем нагли – исторически хорър) беше като писана за мен и опитите ми на това поле.

Четвърта част:
Тук вече имаме чисто технически съвети за писане. Статията на Лансдейл за мястото на развитие на сюжета е чук. Тази на Брус Роджърс против правенето на писането претенциозно в насилване на собствен стил също беше бая добра. Останалите са за изграждане на сюжет, правилен диалог, герои и правилните екшън сцени.

Пета част:
Посветена е на иновациите в жанра и развитието му като цяло. Статията на Кетчъм за самопредизвикване да прескочиш табутата е доста по мой вкус. Другите статии също са посветени на подобни теми. Има и едно интервю с Харлан Елисън, който отново прави на пепел всички, забавно е.

Шеста част:
Посветена е на осъвременяването на жанровите тропи и сюжетите-капани, с които е изпълнена литературата на ужаса.

Седма част:
Тук ми беше доста интересно цялото съдържание. Посветена е на поджанрове и как да влезем в тях. Включва статии за еротичния хорър, провинциалния хорър, както и юношеската хорър литература. Отделно има полезни съвети за писане на аудиопиеси, сценарии, игри, комикси, театрални пиеси и тай-ин романи, всичките носят в себе си времето на написването на статиите, естествено, така че повечето директни препратки към издатели, театри и прочие…

Осма част:
Чисто икономическа и като такава определено остаряла и определено американска.

Послеслов:
Един разказ от Елисън, който вдига качеството на наръчника двойно, информация за участващите автори и доста полезен показалец.

[Eoghan Odinsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 wanted a book where I could examine the mechanics of creating good horror; this was a series of opinions on various aspects, but was not well unified at all.

There may be a few nuggets in there, so I'll give it three stars, but have a good look at any Writer's Digest book before you buy - they seem to be interested more in making money than serving to educate bourgeoning writers.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars.

This is a tricky book to review simply because so much of its advice is firmly rooted in the year it was published—2006.

While many of the book's essays contain general horror writing advice that has stood the test of time, there's an even mix of articles that feel varying degrees of outdated. Some feel dated because the genre has moved on or expanded in the intervening years, while others are literally outdated, giving advice that is no longer as helpful (or even true) as it once was. There's also a little bit of this that feels like inside baseball circa 2006—most notably, the inclusion of the Harlan Ellison interview where he spends the duration slagging off the horror genre and horror writers.

On Writing Horror would have been at least a four-star book when it was published almost two decades ago, but now it has sections that read a bit like quaint historical artefacts. I'd love for the HWA to tackle a third edition that takes into account how much has changed in both the real world and the horror world. If you surgically removed the best articles and grafted them onto a new, fresher creation, you could easily spawn a guide invaluable to horror writers of the current moment.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick review for a quick read. Probably would give this a solid three stars, as it's a give and take for content and usefulness. If you can get it at your local library - do so before thinking of buying this, because I can think of quite a few reasons why it wouldn't be worth the $16.99 price tag. It features some great essays and advice, but ultimately, much of this isn't an thorough viewpoint of the horror genre and what it contributes.

Well organized into its respective sections, and it touched on quite many relevant factors for those looking to start writing horror, from a number of respected writers in the field. Among some of the useful essays I found: Tina Jens wrote a wonderful way to examine characters in "Such Humble People." Joe R. Lansdale examines the importance of place and setting to horror in "A Hand on the Shoulder." Jack Ketchum's "Splat Goes the Hero" is another examination on writing believable characters and ways your readers can follow your story believably. "The Dark Enchantment of Style" - while not simply specific to horror, offers good advice in employing stylistics in writing and attention to language. Michael Marano's "Going There: Strategies for Writing the Things that Scare You" does a great job of encouraging new writers to write past their boundaries and engaging what scares you to the page. Lastly, I really liked "Eerie Events and Horrible Happenings: Plotting Short Horror Fiction" by Nicholas Kaufmann, because of its brief but very helpful eye to plotting details and shaping the narrative overall for appeal.

There are quite a few other essays that grabbed me, as this compilation delves into the appeal of horror fiction, strategies to write it, strategies to market it, and subgenres to consider in other mediums (video games, screenplays, etc.) But I'm going to preface this review with a huge caveat: this isn't really a good compilation for delving into more expansive discussions surrounding the material within. I think it's a worthwhile text for starting dialogue about writing horror, but to use this to actually *write* horror from is severely limiting, and even the references given for authors who want to break into writing the genre is limited.

Beginners to the genre and those who want snippets of encouragement might find this more useful, and I definitely thought some of the advice given was nicely and succinctly stated, but it left me wanting a little more from it.

Overall score: 3/5

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a number of articles in this book useful for style and expression. It has reinforced the notion that the best way to settle into writing a genre is to be aware of what has come before. I have become aware of just how little I know about the horror genre even though I've been reading in it for nearly 30 years. The latter sections on publication etc are 10 years out of date now so I didn't pay them much attention, although the general market research premise is valid. Overall, it was nice to see so many people writing in the genre get together for this publication and it really illustrates that horror is not so much of an odd ball thing to write.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not as advertised. I was looking to bolster my lecture on writing horror with some expert testimony and yes there are some good chunks in this book. But not as much as I hoped. King offers better writing tips in other texts. This is not a how to manual if that is what someone is hoping for. They are going to have to do what I did, read and flag useful passages as they go. About a 1/3 hold decent writing advice and much that is horror specific. Its got some incite into the minds of these authors and useful writing advice but it’s not as advertised. People who write horror talk about writing and not so much horror writing. I condensed what I wanted to use as part of my lecture into three PowerPoint sides. Maybe less experienced writers will find more in the pages. I did not.

[Brenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

What HWA says about it:
A volume of essays on the craft of horror writing, edited by Mort Castle, with contributions from dozens of well-known HWA members. An invaluable addition to any writer's library.The book is filled with lots of helpful tips and suggestions from some of the current leading lights in the genre. The suggested books to read, is alone worth compiling.

Part one covers the oldest question we all get asked, “Why do we write horror?” and supplies surprising answers from a number of different authors, as well as the essay attempting to completely explain why Michael McCarthy writes it. Part one also contains Stephen King’s acceptance speech at the 2003 National Book Awards where he received the gong for Distinguished Contribution. A good speech, where he thanks his wife, and suggests that “literary” awards should include genre writers as a norm, not just because they’ve sold heap’s of books. Here, here!

Part Two: An Education in Horror begins by expanding your “to read” list by giving us 21 books within the genre that every wannabe horror writer should read. As touched on earlier, with other books mentioned throughout this publication, you will quickly gain a reading list of over 50 books. Part two also includes hints on what’s been done to death already – the over used tropes and ways of possibly refreshing them.

The middle of this section is of use only to American based writers as it highlights the educational institutes in the USA that run courses that would be beneficial, as well as a list of conferences and seminars. If you’re planning a holiday in the States sometime soon, you could always plan around the available workshops, conferences and seminars listed here. Remember this book is nearly two years old at the writing of this review so check if the events are still going, and when, on the relevant websites.

Part three is all about developing horror concepts and part four continues the lessons, building the writers knowledge with horror crafting. This section is particularly useful to newer writers struggling to learn the craft.

Additional sections on building horror, tension, characters, plot, even dialogue are all written in an easy conversational tone with relevant thoughts and examples from people in the know – those that are regularly published in the genre.A good history of what’s come before touches on the masters and how to possibly tweak some of the older staples of the genre into modern times.

Part seven splits horror into some sub-genres of note, specifically: erotic horror; redneck horror and Gothic horror. It goes on to give suggestions on how to write horror for anthologies (including how to find markets), how to write comic book horror, horror for the stage, tie-in novels, video games, RPG’s and screenplays.

The last section looks at the business side that all writers would rather not have to worry about. We’re all creative people who just want to write, right? Wrong. Writers should get paid for their work and this section lists some of the common traps out there, that sometimes well meaning, but often unscrupulous editors, use to seize control of your masterpiece.

A short story by Harlan Ellison is included at the end which is a stirring tale about the storyteller. Finally there are bios on the contributors, including websites and a wonderful index to aid in searching for that particular gem you read before but can’t seem to find now.

In a nutshell, the majority of writers who have contributed to this publication have taken on board something Stephen King has been saying for a long time. Writers of fiction need to be truthful in what they write. Fiction, by its very definition is a lie, but writers need to tell the truth within the lie. We need to depict what “real” people would do if confronted with the situations we place on the page. (paraphrased)

We should also write what we know. This wasn’t a unanimous suggestion throughout the book, but the majority of contributors included the mantra in their essays. Don’t write about the streets of San Paulo if you’ve never been there. Today, the Internet can help with research, a lot, but there’s nothing like being there.

One essay struck me. The theme was about a writer’s voice. We’ve all heard the old saying that a writer needs to find their own voice. Bruce Holland Rogers has an issue with that sentiment and I think I agree. A writer needs to find his/her own voice, his/her own style, for each piece they write. If they write each piece in the same voice, then they’re going to struggle. The old masters of Poe and Lovecraft were distinctive and a stray paragraph from one of their works is easily recognisable but genius is an exception. For most writers, they need to find the right way to convey their tale – the tale they are currently telling, which won’t always be (at least we hope not) always the same as the last story they penned.

[Rodney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these essays were written in the 80s & 90s, so they're addressing an industry that's basically as outdated as phrenology nowadays (I mean, even articles about publishing from five years ago seem outdated now). There were one or two articles I found interesting, but mostly they can all be boiled down to two basic premises: 1) Believe It or Not, Horror Fiction Can Be Good; and 2) If You Apply These Beginner-Level Principles, Your Fiction Will Be Better.

[ReD · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content in here varies so wildly--what's excellent is excellent! what's mid is mid and what's poor is, well, you guessed it--poor.

[Colin Garrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revised edition of the handbook with contributions from Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Joyce Carol Oates and many others. Exploring everything from what horror is, to how to avoid falling into the trap of rehashing old tropes, there’s something here for everyone.

I originally bought the paperback version of this, but due to the ridiculously small typeface, I ended up buying the ebook version too, just to be able to read the damn thing! While there is much in this book to appeal to writers in any genre, it is mainly intended for writers of horror. Annoyingly, and despite the so-called ‘revised and updated' spiel, a lot of it is still aimed at American writers (writers’ groups, workshops etc in the US). There’s also a bit of an emphasis on the inclusion of Stevie King, even though his contribution is from an acceptance speech, rather than advice on writing, so not terribly helpful. (A search on YouTube will reveal an abundance of vids about the man and his work.)

Having said all that, there are some cracking good chapters in this volume. My favourites are David Morrell’s thoughts on dialogue and dialogue tags and the conversation with Harlan Ellison. There are worthy contributions too from Tom Piccirilli, Karen E Taylor, Jack Ketchum and an interesting piece on redneck horror by Weston Ochse.

A useful and thought-provoking volume for writers everywhere, but if your eyesight ain’t great, buy the ebook.

[Nikiverse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few gems hidden in a pile of dirt. Some of the information is outdated, but this was released in '97 so I'm sure no one is losing sleep over it. Either way, pass.

Maybe 1/3rd of the book is actually about writing horror content. Most of these essays are self congratulatory and have little content though. The ones that offer actual writing advice talk about genetic writing advice and don't specifically pertain to horror. The rest is outdated descriptions of the publishing industry. Most of the small presses are like - send your writing to horror magazines, go to conventions/build your contacts, or they suggest not getting into horror writing in the first place. Thanks for the vote of confidence ...

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays on horror fiction covering everything from inspiration, motivation, creating believable characters and so on. What it boils down to- and this really applies to anyone wanting to be a good writer- is read, read, read and then read some more. Sure, there are no original ideas, but there are original ways of tackling them. This edition came out over 12 years ago and so some of the essays are slightly outdated; I look forward to reading the latest edition.

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It's pretty much what it says it is: a handbook on writing horror. A lot of different people collaborated on this, some of them seasoned experts in the field and others more recent to the world of writing and publishing horror. It covers everything from characters and plot to marketing and publishing, and includes sections on writing horror screenplays, video games, plays, etc. as well.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Except for one article that I found incredibly condescending, I thought this was an excellent collection and very helpful. Particularly enjoyed the pieces by Wayne Allen Sallee, Joe Lansdale, and David Morrell.

[Searska GreyRaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really good chapters about craft and style, but there were also some pretty dated chapters. (College being cheap? Um, no, not anymore.) It's worth skimming for the good chapters, if nothing else. ^_^

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing tips are really good and super useful but as the book has aged a bit at this stage the resources and publishing advice are unfortunately a little bit outdated. Definitely worth reading for the former though.

[Rease Stoneheart · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a developing Writer, I love self-help books like this because they help break down the business in a way that is easy to understand, and make me realize that with some time, effort, grit, and determination, I too can potentially succeed. Starting out on my journey, it looked insurmountable from the bottom of the mountain. So many established Authors, both traditionally published and self-published, seemed to be making a living at it, and I only had a few scattered stories I had written, and nothing else.

Now I've gotten a few things published in some small publications here and there, starting to network and make some connections, and even have a small community of authors who are in a similar spot, and I'm working as a ghost writer and small-time editor to make up my bills. I've even got a few novels ready to come out, and after reading this, I feel more confident than ever as a horror writer.

Of course, this book - while a must - is full of good advice, there are some downsides to getting the it, and I wanted to share my thoughts for anyone who might want to pick this up for themselves so they know what they're getting into. Because while it worked for me and fired me up to keep going, and keep writing, it might not be the best for another person who reads it.

So here are my thoughts on what I liked, what I didn't, and my final thoughts on who this would be good for.

Positives

The best thing to say about this book is that it is just chock-full of good information. While there's some you don't necessarily have to follow (More on that down below), a majority of it, especially in the central part of the book, is designed to help you recognize flaws in your writing, and improve them.

Make no mistake. This isn't a guidebook, but a collection of essays on what worked for each particular author, but that doesn't mean you can't take their advice when it comes to crafting atmosphere, researching settings and characters, and how to write snappy dialogue not bogged down in melodrama or a sea of adverbs. Plus, while the book seems large, sitting at nearly 800 pages (At least the edition I had), most of it is either a quick read you can tackle on a lunch break, or while you're in the bathroom. In fact the longest essay segment was 24 pages and that was just a list of resources. Most average between 10-16 pages. You can even skip sections that you feel might not be pertinent to your writing, or that you have an understanding on.

While this book is treading ground you probably heard a million times before, its still viable to stop and read through.

Negatives

Unfortunately for all the praise I gave it above, there are a few downsides to the book. For starters, a lot of the information is highly outdated. While a majority (I want to say 80%) of the essays are still viable today - such as those on descriptions, research, and dialogue and such - a lot of them in regards to seeking publishing, resources, and where to seek publishing are out of date. It makes sense as this was written for writers in 2003 or so, and hasn't been updated since.

If you're seeking information on self-publishing, how to market yourself on social media, or using additional sources to spread your reach and market yourself (such as using Substack, making a YouTube channel, or monetizing through Patreon) you're not going to find that here as those are modern tools for writers that were made well after 2003. In fact, among a lot of contributors for this book, the internet and marketing of yourself on it seemed entirely new, with only maybe one or two contributors suggesting getting an author website.

So yeah. The biggest downside of this book is that much of the useful advice outside of how to write is outdated to a serious degree.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it's a worthwhile read, especially for any aspiring writer (such as myself!). While there are other books on writing horror that are more up to date, and will teach you how to market yourself, set up an online following, and use social media as well as how to craft horror that scares, this book is still an essential read for getting a foundation of what to expect.

I highly recommend it as a first read for many writers who want to dabble in horror. In fact, use this book as a foundation and from there, follow the recommended reading suggested in this book by others, and from there go to Stephen King's "On Writing", and then "The Element of Style" and go from there. That'll lay down a good foundation for getting started. I might have given this three stars, but that's only because of the outdated information.

If the Horror Writers Association ever does another revision of this, I would highly recommend that they update it to include current modern trends, such as the self-publishing route, how to maximize subscription platforms like Patreon, Ream, Ko-Fi, how to navigate social media, and how to write for non-traditional platforms such as Webnovels. An additional segment on how to monetize in other ways would be excellent as well to help with developing an author brand, since that's the current success meta as of 2025.

All in all. Get this book if you can.

[Greg Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who writes horror, this book provides the do's and dont's

[Jus · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Writing Horror - A handbook by the Horror Writers Association, edited by Mort Castle. (Writer's Digest Books.) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book even though it was published in 1997. 38 members of the HWA members who contributed to this book. Suitable for horror writing enthusiasts. I have added my favourite bits to this review.

DEVELOPING HORROR CONCEPTS
"What You Are Meant to Know" by Robert Weinberg who recommends reading the following titles for research, inspiration and study of their work: NO MOVIE VERSIONS! Also to read books written by Robert Bloch and Harlan Ellison.
1. 'Frankenstein' by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. "Read the book itself to see what it says and does not say about the meaning of being human. A great book, it raises important questions about life and death, good and evil that are still debated today."
2. 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. "Anyone who dreams of being a horror writer must read Dracula. The book, though overwritten and melodramatic, is filled with powerful images."
3. 'The Ghost Pirates' by William Hope Hodgson. This book is about "..ghosts. It tells in a straightforward, almost journalistic manner how a ship is overwhelmed by ghostly invaders" and the book is described as "tightly written". His other titles are "all worth reading: The House on the Borderland, The Nightland and The Boats of the Glen Carrig."
4. 'Collected Ghost Stories of M.R.James': Montague Rhiodes James - Ghost story writer.
1. 5, 'Burn Witch Burn' by A. Merritt (Abraham Merritt). 1920s and 1930s in Pulp Magazine shows his fiction..
5. 'To Walk the Night' by William Sloane. "This book combines horror, science fiction and mystery into the smoothest presentations ever set on paper. The Edge of Running Water is equally recommended."
6. 'The Dunwich Horror and others' by H. P. Lovecraft. "Lovecraft had his weakness (lack of characterization and dialogue are the worst), but his talent at hinting at the mostrous horrors lurking in the dark corners of our world remains.."
7. 'Fear' by L. Ron Hubbard - 1940s - psychological horror.
8. 'Darker Than You Think' by Jack Williamson - "It brought werewolves into the 20th century and is filled with dark powerful images. It remains the definitive werewolf novel, even though it first appeared in the 1940s."
9. 'Conjure Wife' by Fritz Leiber - Early 1940s - "..mixed witchcraft and black magic with college campus politics."
10. 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson - "A blend of science fiction and horror, could be labelled the ultimate vampire novel as the entire population of the Earth are turned into monsters."
11. 'Rosemary's baby' by Ira Levin - “...in New York high-rise apartment buildings."
12. 'The Collected Short Stories of Richard Matheson'.
13. 'Hell House' by Richard Matheson.
14. 'The October Country' by Ray Bradbury - 1940s / 1950s finest short story writers.
15. 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' by Ray Bradbury.
16. 'The Exorcist' by William Peter Blatty - religion and horror - this title freaks me out from just writing it.
17. 'Falling Angel' by William Hjortsberg. “...a supernatural horror with the private eye genre..."
18. 'Salem's Lot' by Stephen King. "King knows that the more believable a horror novel is, the more frightening it becomes."
19. 'The Stand' by Stephen King. "The end of the world...The Stand described as a global holocaust."
20. 'Watchers' by Dean Kootnz - "...is basically a science fiction story." "..Heroes and heroines engage in life-or-death struggles with sinister forces, from secret government agencies to science gone berserk, in a mad scramble that keeps readers flipping the pages.."
"This list serves as a good starting point. Read these books; see what the authors did to make them work. Then take that same drive, that same ambition, that same vision, and apply it to your ideas."

HORROR CRAFTING: Plot, characters, mood and more.

“Such Horrible People” by Tina Jens advises:

1. “Find the character first. Don’t plot, then create characters. Start with your basic idea.”

2. “Borrow from Life”.

3. “Start a Picture File”.

4. “Create a Character Sketch” – basic personality type, names, how does a character look like? What does the character think about how he/she looks? Do others agree? Transportation e.g. bicycle, car etc. Clothing? Family history.. “Give your character flaws. Are they messy, neat freaks, grumpy in the morning?” “To get to know your character. Your character should be talking back to you by now which is what the character sketch work it about.”

5. “Listen to your characters”.

6. “Use Anecdotal Evidence”. – “Don’t tell us, show us.”



“A Hand on the Shoulder” by Joe R, Lansdale.

1. Finding a Unique Voice

2. Books as characters – “even if the plot fades, you remember the characters.”

3. Telling the truth – “Getting in touch with your internal environment, letting the delights and the disappointments of your life seep their way into your writing, personalises it.” “Write what you truly know”.



Keep It Moving, Maniacs.

Writing Action scenes in Horror Fiction by Jay R, Bonansinga.

1. Establishing a Rhythm.

2. Getting inside the point-of-view character – “When the real action kicks in, the scene should always be perceived—whenever possible—from the inside character.”

3. Engaging the environment.

4. Seasoning your scenes with detail.

5. Funneling Time.

6. The Final Blow. – “The key is writing excellent action is perception. The rhythm, the point of view, the environment, the detail—it’s all filtered through the human perspective. That’s what action is. A human being in peril—forced to perceive.”



“He Said?” She Asked – Some Thoughts about Dialogue by David Morrell.

1. Good dialogue imitates life.

2. Real Men (And Women) Don’t Rumble.

3. Dialogue without tags.

4. Adverbs.

5. Punctuation.



Darkening the Mood by Gregory Nicoll.

1. Sinister Similes and Murderous Metaphors.

2. A slithery sense of smell and touch.

3. Beastly Brand Names.

4. Deadly Little Details.

5. Edgar Allan Poe’s “Unity of Effect”.


Capturing Kids by Jill M Morgan – was a great chapter about audience, young adults (YA) and middle-grade (MG) market.


This chapter requires a special mention. Make sure you ‘get it right’ , in Chapter called “More Simply Human” by Tracy Knight, wrote about “inaccuracies represent common errors writers make when including psychological terms in their fiction”.


INNOVATION IN HORROR – TODAY AND TOMORROW by Jeanne Cavelos.

“The more great writing you read, the more will rub off on you. Read works from different periods of history, from different cultures. Read fiction and nonfiction. Many innovations arise from taking ideas outside the genre and bringing them in. Some of our favourite stories even mix genres.

When a story is innovative, it brings fresh ideas and techniques to the genre. It helps enlarge the genre and to renew it. It helps keep the genre exciting and alive for future generations of readers. And it creates on hell of a great story.”


There was a chapter in the book called “The Green Mile – A conversation with Stephen King”, which appeared in the Halloween 1996 issue of M.A.I.N. Magazine, a trade publication focusing on comic books and collector cards. King talks about how he “started with an idea about a guy in prison who was going to escape by learning magic” – that was how The Green Mile started. He read a book called “20 Thousand Years in Sing Sang by Warden Lewis Laws. And I thought, from that point on, I’ve got to wrote a story about the electric chair.”


In a chapter called ‘On Horror, A Conversation with Harlan Ellison’, Harlan Ellison (HE) dislikes the term ‘Horror Fiction’ and he “would rather use the phrase ‘fiction of the macabre’. Consider: most people, what we like to call ‘normal people’, spend most of their lives trying to avoid horror.


“The secret is ‘staying’ a writer. And staying a writer is hard. To stay a writer you have to keep growing, have to be flexible, have to be able to recognise when the world has gone on and changed without asking your opinion. Do that, and you cannot only ‘become’ a writer, you can ‘stay’ a writer.” – HE.

[H.G. Gravy · Rating 3 out of 5]

On Writing Horror: A Handbook by The Horror Writers Association is an introduction to the world of horror fiction theory, publishing, and elements. Many of the essays and articles within are written by some of the most well-known and prolific names in horror out there. While their advice is sound and generally touches upon many aspects of the craft, marketing, and style, it isn't a very comprehensive study in any area in particular.

The information is a bit generalized to give a prospective or novice author an idea of what they should be doing with regards to their careers, their ideas, and how to seek out more knowledge on the subject matters contained within. I believe the title of the book should have reflected more upon what the book actually is. Something more along the lines of a Horror 101 or Introduction to Horror Writing.

In 2018, a lot of the non-conceptual information is dated. Of course, this isn't something I hold against the book. Just something to point out to those who are reading this in the future. Leisure/Dorchester Publishing is gone now. Self-Publishing has risen to epic proportions with Amazon. Small press publishers have a much greater reach now than ever before. Otherwise, the subjective materials about the craft, style, and generating ideas is still relevant today.

While I don't think I got much out of this book, it does serve as a refresher course on how far the publishing world has gotten. If you are looking for a book with much more substance, I suggest checking out Crystal Lake Publishing's "Writers on Writing" series.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first six sections of this book are filled with ideas that can be useful to writers just starting to write horror or are looking to integrate elements of horror into their fiction. The last two sections feel somewhat dated in 2018, with the subgenere section feeling overly general and the publishing section feeling as if it does not reflect the current market. A general critique of this book: while there are a few female contributors, this book skews towards male writers. "The canon" proposed in this book is one such example, with Mary Shelly serving as the only woman on the list despite the fact that Shirley Jackson, Daphne Du Maurier, and other women have penned some fantastic horror tales. This same list also include L. Ron Hubbard, which also makes me fairly skeptical. I also find Harlan Ellison's interview more egocentric than helpful and his epilogue to be more masturbatory than useful for a guidebook to writing horror.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with any book where each chapter has a different author, some chapters are better than others. It's a mix of standard writing advice and genre-specific information, but mostly my conclusion was that I don't like the specific types of horror fiction some of the contributors do. That's fine and normal, and one of the chapters implies I'd prefer British horror over American--and looking at my reading history, maybe I do?

Anyway, most of my quibbles would have to do with specific chapters and not the book as a whole. It was published in 2007, and some of the advice already feels or objectively is outdated--there are workshops talked up that no longer exist, and certainly online publishing in 2023 isn't what it was in 2007. Trends in the genre have also had a lot of time to change.

So mostly... it's fine. It has some good advice, and raises some good points. But mostly I skimmed, and shouldn't have spent as much time with it as I did.

[Saphi · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Writing Horror feels like it's a better analysis in studying horror than Philosophy of Horror. Not only does it explore various media fields, including board and video games, which is a personal honby of mine which I feel is also a great literary tool nowadays, but it explains why things work, and why you feel horror in specific situations, and why it is different from Terror (BECAUSE IT IS DIFFERENT, TRUST ME MOM)

But hey, if you are or will be in a Creative Writing masters, which I'm considering following if education doesn't go well, this is what I feel to be necessary to understand the concept of horror and become a better writer in the genre. Learn from it, and use it as a tool to also make you a better critic when checking work from the field!

[R.K. King · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent source of essays written by a collection of successful Horror Authors. There is a broad range here, from creative to commercial. On writing. On marketing. On alternative paths a writer can follow (pursuing game design etc).
Not every single entry in this book will resonate with every single reader, but you are certain to find valuable insight somewhere within.
The only downside is this book is fairly dated now. Provided link resources are unlikely to still be relevant. But the structure of advice is very sound.
Great for any horror writer.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes