How to Write Horror

Horror writing is a genre onto itself and now that the sub-genre of torture porn horror is all the rage, a great manuscript could make you a start writer almost overnight. A good horror novel grabs you by the throat and won't let go. Unlike other genres, horror writing is about exploiting that unsettling balance between everyday life and the unknown. If this is the genre for you, here are some tips to help you write horror.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Read. To get a feel for good horror, the best thing you can do is read as much of it as you can--watch lots of horror movies as well. They all have a certain structure and it won't hurt you to get every perspective.
   
   Start with the classics like Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and work your way towards more modern writers. Stephen King's nonfiction book "On Writing" gives a helpful list of those works that most horror writers consider the best in the genre.
2. Think about what scares you. Good horror is relatable. What scares you is likely to scare other people. It can be something as mundane as an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night to a creaky door that shuts on its own. Identify those moments that have truly scared you and see if you can build a short story around that.
3. Write. The best way to write horror is to just do it. Gay horror writer and creator of Pinhead, Clive Barker says to designated a certain segment of your day to just write--and nothing else. Barker says he gets up early in the morning and dedicates the first four or so hours to writing--this is his routine and it works--whether he wants to write or not. He just forces himself. Sometimes the results are bad, sometimes they're great, but at least you're getting words and ideas down.
4. Consider joining a class or a writer's workshop with other writers who can assess and constructively criticize your work. It might not be a full-on horror writing workshop, but you'll get story structure and storytelling techniques from the experience. You might even find your voice.
5. Hone your skills. After you finish a story, wait a few days then look at it with a fresh eye. Be brutal. If there's something that doesn't read right to you, it certainly won't to your reader. You might also want a few trusted friends or associates to look at it and give you critical feedback.
6. Market your work. The "Novel and Short Story Writer's Market" is published each year and provides numerous listings of markets that buy fiction. Each listing details what the editors are looking for, the rate of pay, response time and submission guidelines. This handbook can be found in almost any bookstore.
7. Submit your best work and see what happens. You never know, you may be the next Steven King. Stranger things have happened, especially in this genre. Whatever happens, use it as an opportunity to build on your horror writing skills.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid common writing mistakes like passive voice and overuse of adverbs.
• Become familiar enough with the horror writing field to ensure that you aren't writing about something that's been written to death (no pun intended).
• Writing horror for a living can be tough. For every Stephen King and Peter Straub, there are a thousand unknown writers who were never able to get published. Keep that in mind before quitting your day job.

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