Horror – Words & Deeds

February 3, 2016

Imagine If Book Genres Were Like Theatrical Genres

When I think of book genres, I think of things like sci fi, fantasy, mystery, western, romance, and horror; when I think of theatrical genres, I think of things like comedy, tragedy, comedy of manners, musicals, dramas, and histories. The book genres tend to be named after the plot’s focus (magic, something scary, a love story, etc.). With theatrical genres, that...

General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

November 1, 2015

You Can’t Scare Your Audience Without Suspension of Disbelief

All this talk about horror seems like the perfect time to mention suspension of disbelief – the ability to set aside reality long enough to enjoy the story. As readers or audience members, we have to accept the underlying “lies” of the story (supernatural monsters, magic, amazingly advanced technology, talking animals, or even people bursting out into song and dance),...

October 31, 2015

Illusion Or Truth? What Makes It Horror?

Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

August 7, 2015

How to Put Your Readers in the Mood

“Mood” is a term that gets thrown around a lot – and not always correctly. That’s partly because it’s in everything (movies, books, music, etc.), so even without knowing exactly what it is, many writers use mood automatically. It’s like osmosis – you absorb it and use it without even knowing. If you want to write or enhance a specific...

Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comments: 5

August 5, 2015

Build It, and Readers Will Come

I adore worldbuilding. Even though it can (and really should) require a good bit of research, I consider worldbuilding one of the most fun aspects of writing in a genre like fantasy and science fiction (maybe even horror). You mean I get to make up all kinds of fun stuff? Awesome! I think that most people who write in those...

Creative Process/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 5

July 27, 2015

Deep Dark Public Secrets

As someone writing 3 very different rough drafts in a public forum (twytte), I couldn’t help but laugh (in a good way) when I read Kharis Courtney’s “Writing Scared” article, featuring an Erica Jong quote: “All writing problems are psychological problems. Blocks usually stem from the fear of being judged. If you imagine the world listening, you’ll never write a...

General Thoughts & Updates/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

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Words & Deeds

Tag: Horror