Wednesday, October 26, 2016

What is Scary? 5 Tips for Creating Scary Stories


I was recently asked a funny question: do you write scary stuff?

Well, I don't think so, but some people do. A reader recently told me that she had to put my debut novel (MOONLESS) down because of a scene 5 chapters in. I had to take another look. Maybe I do write tense, if not terrifying things.

I really didn't intend to make my entry for the Parallels anthology scary, but when I typed that first line: "Every day I look into the eyes of a stone cold killer", I knew I had to go with it. What kind of bizarre story was spilling onto the page? And yes, it's intense, but like all emotions, you can't experience one extreme without experiencing the other.

An extreme scare=an extreme relief.


The same is true with my Maiden of Time series. There are creatures one might call a cross between a dementor, vampire, and werewolf. Just perfect for Halloween. They're coming out to play in the final book, TIMELESS, releasing November 1. (Shameless plug there.)

So what is it that makes a story "scary?" And how do we implement the scare?

1. The setting:

The word choices and imagery depict an ambiance that sets our nerves on end. One scene in Moonless takes place in a 17th century cellar at midnight. A "dead girl" is found hanging from the rafters on chains. (She's not really dead, but that's another discussion for another day.) The setting builds on the shadows, the lack of light, the chill in the air, the flicker of a nearly-dead candle, the dead silence, and the bleeding red skirts of the hanging girl. Did you get all those details there? Full sensory experience based on what we perceive as terrifying--and that's the scene that robbed me of a reader. *sigh*

2. A protagonist you like:

If you sincerely care about a character, you don't want to see them step into the attic and get hacked to pieces by an ax murderer. A likable character builds the tension. That was the case with Jak from The Mirror People. I had to tell his story because I had to know that this sincerely good guy would somehow overcome the monster on the other side of the glass.

3. Foreshadowing:

We get hints, snippets that tell us something sinister is coming. A shadow on the wall. A scuttling and closing door. A bizarre taste on the wind... These prepare the mind and build anticipation for a future payout. This is one of my favorite tools--especially when it comes to planting red herrings so the reader is caught unawares.

4. Building tension: 

The stakes are upped. Things that really matter (like people's lives) are jeopardized. We take it to the next level by throwing something new into the fire. In Timeless, Alexia is already battling the Knights Templar to keep her people alive, and then mysterious murders start happening in her camp. Suddenly there is no safe haven.

5. Surprise:

This is the best part of a scary story in my opinion--that thing jumping out that you didn't expect. That twist that changed the entire story for you. Surprises are a must.


If you can pull off the tension and bring your readers to that place of relief, you've got them for life. Go forth and scare!

What's your favorite scary story or movie?

51 comments:

  1. Good tips. I've always thought that writing in the horror genre would be extremely difficult because if you have to get the surprise element just right otherwise it falls completely flat no matter how much tension you've built up.

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    1. It's true, but I don't think it's any more difficult than a well place plot twist that takes readers by surprise.

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  2. Horror definitely isn't within my comfort zone when it comes to writing, but you've got some excellent tips here. It's definitely crucial to have a likable protagonist. If you don't, people might end up rooting for the bad guys instead, and all the tension is lost.

    Have a great day!

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    1. Horror is not for everyone. Again, I honestly didn't think I wrote it.

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  3. Excellent tips! It's tough to get the tension just right to write something scary. Movies are easier because they have the visual and sounds. Stories you have only words.

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  4. Wonderful post! I lost a reader, another writer, simply by having Lucifer in the book but the best reason for not reading one of my books was because on each title page there was a spider. LOL I actually contacted that reader and sent her a spider-less copy. :)

    Halloween will always be on top for me as far as movies go, then Poltergeist. But in books, IT by Stephen King says it all! Today there's too much gore factor involved.

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    1. I know. Gore is lame. It's the psychological fact that really brings the scare, which is why books are so much better at it than movies in my opinion.

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  5. Building tension is key. That's where so many horror films fail now. They go for gore instead of tension.
    Aliens is my favorite movie and it has elements of horror. For straight horror, The Ring is pretty darn creepy.

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    1. Never watched The Ring. I was warned away from that one. It would have haunted me for a long, long time. See, I can do horror in books. Not so much in movies.

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  6. Great tips, Crystal. I don't generally write scary either, but I've had readers say they got scared reading my work. It's all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. Thanks for sharing these tips.

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    1. I'll second that. Some people say my debut novel is scary, and some say it's not bad. Books are so subjective.

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  7. "Bleeding red skirts," For someone who doesn't 'think' she writes scary stories you sure had my little neck hairs dancing! ;-) Congratulations on that new book and thanks for sharing some terrific tips in such a terrifying way ;-)

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    1. LOL. Strong imagery always enhances a scene, eh? I was attempting to draw out the main characters primal reaction to what she was seeing through the language I used. She was terrified.

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  8. I strongly agree with foreshadowing, or at least basic setups of the stakes you want the characters to engage in. Letting us know the rules by which the Horror will play out lets us invest in rooting for characters to reach those boundaries for at least momentary safety. Great tools for tension!

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    1. Awesome thoughts, John. I totally agree. The ground rules are an important aspect--more so in the fact you then have the freedom to break them at some point and really make your readers panic.

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  9. Great tips! I'm such a wimp when it comes to scary stuff - still have nightmares from the Stephen King phase I went through in high school! :)

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    1. LOL. I get that. There are stories that haunt me from my childhood. (Don't even get me started about dolls.)

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  10. Great advice, Crystal! I found out that one of my scenes was scarier than I intended, too. I'm not sure why I thought a "burning man" wouldn't be super scary, but I really didn't when I wrote my first book.

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    1. Lol. It's definitely a strange think to realize, eh?

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  11. You're so right. It's the surprise in the scariness that makes it work. I also love humor in the darkest tales. Thanks, Crystal.

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    1. Agreed on the humor front. It's always good to lighten things a bit.

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  12. Great advice on how to write a scary tale and perfect for this Halloween weekend!

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  13. Good tips, Crystal. I haven't written scary stuff yet (except for my early attempts at writing, lol), but if I do, I'll take advantage of your insight here. :)

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    1. LOL! I think we all have some scary stuff in our coffers.

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  14. Great advice. I love surprises too. They can make or break a story.

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  15. I really like adding the foreshadowing stuff. Almost too much. I'm usually so focused on stuffing little hints of what's to come inside my story that it often distracts me from writing a scene that flows well.

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    1. LOL! That's a good problem to have--since all that flow stuff will get cleaned up in revision.

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  16. Wonderful tips! The movie that scared me the most was Signs. Too much of it made sense. LOL!

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    1. I get that. It was a pretty freaky movie. I seriously had my head buried in my hubby's shoulder for half of it.

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  17. I think you mentioned an important ingredient that most people probably wouldn't associate with scary stories - a character you like. The more a reader cheers for a character the more they want them to succeed and ... be safe. In scary, spooky, or creepy tales keeping that character likable ups the ante, so to speak. Great stuff!

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    1. It's definitely not something most authors consider when pondering "scary" stories, eh?

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  18. I love the foreshadowing: gets me every time. On screen, the element I find scary is that slightly distant POV, as though the action is being watched by someone or something unknown.

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    1. I hear you. That's totally freaky and always brings on the anxiety.

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  19. I don't watch scary movies, and I don't re4ad horror. But I have got sucked into a few that I thought were going to be strong suspense, only to find out they were not only suspense, but also nail-bitingly scary. :-)

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    1. LOL! I get that. I don't typically read horror, but if a book has horror elements, it doesn't bother me...clearly. We're all different, eh?

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  20. I don't tend to read scary books. I did as a teenager, and one of my favorite authors was Ray Bradbury. He did write some scary stories. I like all your writing tips, though, especially "an extreme scare = extreme relief". I never thought about it that way.

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    1. We should write to the extremes, eh? There's an opposite for every one.

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  21. I can take a little scary, but not Steven King scary. I have nightmares if it's too scary.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. I haven't had nightmares in a long time, but I get what you're saying. Stephen King has a very interesting feel to his work.

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  22. I can read scary stories - but I don't enjoy scary movies. I can name several Steven King novels which pushed all the scary buttons. As for writing scary stories - I have managed to surprise myself by writing some chilling flash fiction.

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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    1. Don't you love that? When you surprise even yourself?

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  23. You have a great recipe!

    A scary story is great if it gives you goosebumps, but not if it gives you a heart attack. :-)

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  24. LOL, I couldnt stop watching the first meme...! Too funny! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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