It may sound strange that people love to read stories where blood-curdling things occur, but people do! Today's world has a massive market for horror and thriller novels, but what makes them so bewitching? Horror novels allow readers to be scared and envision a new world, but writing a good horror story involves many parts. To write a good horror story, you can't just use blood and gore, rather you need well-rounded characters and action. Find below the best 8 tips for writing a solid horror novel:
Choose a Subgenre
Even though you know you are writing a horror novel, the ambiance, and tone of your novel will change depending on the subgenre. There are many different subgenres within the category of horror and before writing your novel it is important to choose one. Over time in your writing process, you may change subgenres or combine subgenres, but it is important that you initially start with a subgenre. Each subgenre has its own traits and characteristics. Listed below are five subgenres of horror stories:
Psychological
Gothic
Gross-out/gory
Paranormal
Survival
Include Action in The Beginning
First impressions are crucial in writing and publishing, which is why it is essential to hook readers from the beginning. Including action and drama at the beginning of your novel engages readers early on and lets the plot unfurl quickly. Start your novel with a horrifying and shocking chapter in order to interest readers early on. This lets you insert more action and promptly introduce characters.
Create Three-Dimensional Characters
Although I have mentioned this before, it is true: all good pieces of literature have characters at the heart of their stories, including horror novels. In order to have a captivating novel, you should have characters with fears, quirks, and wants. If your readers find a character they can relate to, they'll feel inclined to root for them and also finish the novel. The more "human" your characters are the more mistakes they will make, which gives you more opportunities as a writer. Make sure you give readers a chance to connect with your characters, so they suffer along with them. Both survival and murder are gory yet common themes in horror novels, but unless you have interesting characters, readers won't care if a character gets killed or injured. For more tips on writing characters, click the button below.
Identify The Stakes
Connected to the previous point, it is important for your readers to understand the stakes. If you want your readers to be engaged in the horror and thrills of your novel, it is helpful they get to know the stakes. Make sure to clearly establish the motivations of each character and why they are doing specific actions. Horror novels are petrifying and damaging to characters, so it is important to know what they have to lose. Historically each subgenre of horror has its own stakes, so it can be helpful to read previous works of horror for inspiration.
Thoughtfully Choose The POV
The point of view you choose should create an added layer of suspense for your readers. Your reader should feel connected with your characters, so they experience that spine-chilling fear when action occurs. To achieve this, you may want to use the first-person perspective, but there are other multiple points of view. When writing a horror novel, the first person is especially effective because it lets the reader be in the shoes of the character and experience the thrills. First-person is also a great way to reel in readers from the beginning. Secondly, you might use the third person. A third-person point of view offers readers a chance to understand the lives of the characters from a different experience. This perspective also allows readers to make their own commentary and judgments about a character without a character's influence.
Utilize Plot Twists
An unexpected plot twist can help readers stay interested in your novel, but they are very tricky. You need to make sure to leave hints and moments of tension without being super predictable. If you feel your novel is lacking excitement in the middle, utilizing plot twists and cliffhangers is especially useful. Including plot twists will have your readers feeling scared and on edge. There are two types of plot twists: major plot twists and minor plot twists. Major plot twists significantly affect the characters and the plot, whereas minor plot twists just affect that moment. Some examples of major plot twists are: the victim is the killer, someone isn't dead, and there are multiple killers. Plot twists are also helpful in cultivating a constantly frightening atmosphere for your novel.
Have Your Characters be out of Control
As writers, we often want to coddle our characters and make sure nothing unfortunate happens to them, but this isn't always effective. When writing a horror story, it is most likely that bad or gory things will happen to your characters and this is okay. Putting your characters in environments where they are out of control may lead them to break down or strive. When writing a horror novel, don't be scared of making your characters out of control, instead let drama ensue and see how they react.
Consider Your Fears
When writing horror, it is useful to consider your own fears. As a way of bringing authenticity into your novel, make sure to consider either your present fears or your childhood fears. Toying with the fears of a reader will allow them to further connect with your story and experience fear along with the characters. The most common fears are tight spaces, snakes, and clowns, and when used heighten the horror in your novel. When writing a horror novel, you may want to read other thriller novels or watch television to see what terrifies you. If you succeed in scaring yourself through your writing, your readers will become frightened as well.
Lots of readers love to have the hair on their arms to rise and be scared, but despite being so popular, horror novels are difficult to write. I hope these tips are helpful in writing a successfully thrilling horror novel.
Comments