good horror short stories to write about

GOOD HORROR SHORT STORIES TO WRITE ABOUT HOW TO
GOOD HORROR SHORT STORIES TO WRITE ABOUT SERIAL

'The Phantom Lover' - Vernon Lee, 1886 - a short novella, this book introduced me to Vernon Lee who is a writer of stories that feel as sensitively felt, and as delicately observed as anything by Henry James. 'The Theater' - Bentley Little, 1999 - this story about a man obsessed with a theater for vegetables isn't very good, but it has stuck with me in a way that so many other, better stories haven't. He does so much with so little, and this one, clocking in at around 2,000 words, manages to evoke Poe and a bleak Midwestern fever dream all at once. Harvey, 1910 - I'm new to Harvey's stories, but they are remarkable. Like 'Mouth' it's about the horrors of being at the mercy of someone omnipotent. 'It's a GOOD Life' - Jerome Bixby, 1953 - in the vein of 'I Have No Mouth' and 'Born of Man and Woman' this is a part-sci-fi/part-horror story, and it's the first short story that ever gave me the creeps. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this story. I think if I had to pick just one as my favorite, this would be it.

'The Yellow Wallpaper' - Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892 - still the classic ghost story. 'Born of Man and Woman' - Richard Matheson, 1950 - so short, so perfect. 'I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison, 1967 - so hopeless, so bleak. 'In the Hills, The Cities' - Clive Barker, 1984 - I love Barker's Books of Blood but this story has stuck with me for a long, long time. 'Evening Primrose' - John Collier, 1940 - something about the way this lighthearted fantasy turns so dark so fast has always freaked me out a little. 'Miriam' - Truman Capote, 1945 - out of all the evil children I've ever met in books, Miriam feels like the one true original and all the others feel like copies. To kick things off, here're mine (11 of them, with a possible 12th): Not the best in the genre, not the most representative, but your personal favorites.

GOOD HORROR SHORT STORIES TO WRITE ABOUT HOW TO

What tips do you have on how to write a scary story? Share in the comments.R/horrorlit recently voted on the Top 10 Horror Stories of all time, but I'd love to know what people's personal Top 10 are. Now go embrace the season! Start with these guidelines and see where your imagination takes you-soon you’ll have a bone-chillingly haunting story on your hands. When using horror motifs, like any story, find your own unique take.

GOOD HORROR SHORT STORIES TO WRITE ABOUT SERIAL

But I think we’ve all seen enough dumb teen girls make bad choices that end with them murdered by a serial killer. Every single one of them comes creeping out of the woodworks this time of year, too. A good horror story exposes just enough for the reader to know something isn’t right, but not enough for readers to know why until the end. The soul of a good horror story isn’t the terrifying killer, it’s the fear of what the killer is going to do. Hitchcock wasn’t one of the greats for nothing.

Personally, my favorite horror characters are often the ones can’t be trusted. This stands true whether you’re telling the story from the perspective of the protagonist or a true villain. Identify your main characterĪ strong main character in a horror draws readers into their experience and makes them feel the fear. Now, how do you get your readers there with you? 2. So what scares you? Explore it for a while and take that fear to its darkest place. Whether it’s something trivial like clowns or something huge like losing a child, the best stories start with something personal. Start with one of your greatest fears-not to be confused with things generically considered scary. What makes a good scary story? Here’s a few pointers on how to write a scary story to start you off in the right direction.

Modified by The Write Practice 4 Tips on How to Write a Scary Story

Good horror short stories to write about