A Basic Guide to Writing Horror

What is horror?

Horror is supposed to make the audience feel dread, fear, disgust and unease. It aims to provoke fear-based reactions by showing the disturbing details that may usually be left out.

Not to be confused with thrillers, that focus on suspense and mystery.

Types of horror:

Stories are a lot easier to write when you know the exact type of book you are writing, so here are the most used types of horror:

Supernatural horror – features ghosts, demons, cursed objects, unexplained entities, and paranormal phenomena.

Monster horror – focuses on vicious monsters, usually hunting the main characters, such as vampires, werewolves, zombies and aliens.  

Body horror – graphic descriptions of gore and mutilation to the body.

Psychological horror – focuses on terror of the mind, perception, and sanity of the characters.

Survival horror – characters trapped in an isolated setting trying to escape a threat.

Slasher horror – serial killers stalking and murdering victims in gruesome ways.

Paranormal horror – events that contradict the laws of nature.

Zombie horror – zombie apocalypse based.

This is not a list of all the types of horror, but the most popular.

Popular horror tropes:

Each genre has a vast list of tropes. Here is a list of the most popular tropes related to horror; is yours on this list?

• The haunted house

• Serial killers

• Cursed objects

• Man-eating monsters

• Evil children

• Zombies

• Torture devices

• Creepy small towns

• Demonic possession

• Creepy basements

• Mad scientists

• Ancient curses

• Sinister cults

• Haunted asylums

• Ghost ships/vehicles

• Evil dolls/toys

• Eldrich abominations

• Ancient burial grounds

What makes a good horror story?

Horror is a challenging genre to write, but the stories that succeed can tick most of these boxes:

Strong atmosphere and tone – The imagery, wording and setting create a creepy, tense and unsettling feeling right from the beginning.

Suspense and tension – keep the readers guessing about what will happen next. Using mystery and thrill to build suspense.

Vulnerable characters – having lovable characters that the readers can relate to and fear for when in danger.

Creative monsters/villains – original and frightening antagonists that pose a threat without seeming silly or contrived.

Blurring reality – weaving between the line of real and unreal to make the audience question what is actually happening.

Slow reveal – holding back just enough information to tease the audience and make them keep reading to get answers.

Disturbing imagery – detailed visual descriptions intended to shock and frighten the readers, like gruesome death scenes.

Themes of dread – Using common human fears and phobias – darkness, pain, disease, isolation, madness, death, etc.

Shocking twists – A big surprise that turns the story story in an unexpected direction.

Tips to writing horror

Read plenty of horror

Like with any genre, reading is possibly the best way to get good at writing something. Reading horror will absolutely help you get better at writing it so make sure you have read a good amount of horror books before you start writing.

The setting creates the atmosphere

The setting is an important part of any story, but it is one of the most important things of horror. The setting plays a crucial role in making your readers feel that chill go down their spine. It must be as fleshed out as the main characters. Make your readers feel the cold air, see the creeping shadows and hear the creek of the door as it opens.

Ask yourself what frightens you

What are you really afraid of?

To write true horror the author must dig deep, and be more truthful than even they know about what truly scares them.

Make detailed characters

The characters are the readers guides through the terrifying world you have created. Flesh them out, make them detailed and relatable. When your readers truly care about the characters, it makes the ordeal even more scary and tense.

Add happy moments

Having a few happy moments for the characters increases the stakes and creates tension.

Thank you for reading, if you have any other tips to writing horror do leave them in the comments below!