The suspense, the fear, the shock – these are all emotions that can be evoked through quality horror story writing. This Halloween, many of us will get lost in murky underworlds, ghoulish graveyards, and in the haunted tales of those who have passed over to other realms. Horror fiction can transport us to a place in our minds that thrills and frightens us in equal measure.
If you love reading and telling great horror stories, then why not try your hand at creating a devilish masterpiece yourself? You can learn essential skills, techniques, and tricks to create heart-racing horror fiction. Thrill, scare, and shock your readers every Halloween! Below, we have outlined the intricacies of great horror story writing and how you can learn to create your own terrifying tale.
How to Define a Horror Story
Horror fiction is a story that is predominantly created to instil fear into the hearts and minds of those reading it. A page-turning horror story can leave you breathless, and if you want to learn how to create this sensation in your readers, you need to know about the various literary elements of horror story writing.
Most horror fiction that you come across will feature one or more of the following:
- Ghosts
- Vampires
- Witches
- Serial killers
- Supernatural beings
Generally, a horror story writer will either create a tale based on the supernatural world or the real world. Some find the idea of otherworldly beings chilling, making them wonder what goes bump in the night! Others are terrified of what real-life people are capable of and reading novels about murder sprees and psychotic killers forces them to keep the lights on.
Good horror story writing will evoke a range of emotions in your readers, so whether you want to delve into the supernatural or psychological, you will need expert writing skills.
What are the Elements of Horror?
When writing a horror story, you need to plan out the structure and plot. Unlike other forms of fiction, horror is designed to create fear and even repulsion in some instances. This can be tricky to achieve, but by adopting the below elements, you can start building an exciting plot:
- Suspense
- Mystery
- Emotion
- Fear of the unknown
- Shocking twists
- Defined characters, including a villain, victims, and a protagonist
What Makes a Good Scary Story?
If you are a beginner when it comes to horror story writing, then you should consider the below approaches when creating your own horror fiction.
- Create fear – The whole purpose of a horror story is to create a strong sense of fear, so you need a character that your readers will be scared of. Whether that’s a monster or murderer, your villain needs to be written in a way that sparks terror in the hearts of your readers
- Create a protagonist that readers will root for – If your horror story is going to include plenty of twists and turns, you need a protagonist that readers can go on the rollercoaster with. Build a character that readers will feel attached to and will root for. This is particularly impactful if you decide to harm the main character or put them in danger in the story
- Shock – When reading horror fiction, the scenes are conjured in the minds of the reader, so writing descriptive scenes that are out of the comfort zone will cause shock. If you want readers to be disturbed, create a moment that they would never see coming
- Tap into real-life anxieties – All of us feel anxious about something or have fears that plague our everyday lives. By including these in your horror story, your readers will be faced with their own fears, and what’s scarier than that?
How Do You Become a Horror Writer?
Having a clear and defined structure is one of many elements that you need to write enticing horror fiction. If you are keen to become a horror story writer as a profession, or you just want to write horror fiction in your own time, then learning skills and techniques through online study will be beneficial.
Stonebridge Associated Colleges is one of the UK’s leading distance learning providers, with more than 650 courses, covering a wide range of subjects. We provide a selection of writing courses that will give you the techniques you need to create a thrilling horror story. Below, we have outlined the available courses and the modules you will learn while studying them.
Fiction Writing
This Fiction Writing course will teach you how to craft horror fiction, teaching you a range of techniques, including the following:
- Style
- Theme
- Emotion
- Plot
- Motives
- Characters
- Content
- Writing the novel
Novel Writing
To become an interesting horror story writer, you will need to develop a strong understanding of how novels are created. With this online Novel Writing course, you will learn a range of modules, including:
- Fiction Fundamentals
- The Way to Characterise
- Emotions, Theme, Viewpoint
- Dialogue, Style
- Structure, Chapters, Publishing
Writing Short Stories
Rather than put your horror story writing skills into a novel, you could write a series of short stories. This will enable you to pen horror stories with various plots. By taking our Writing Short Stories online course, you will learn the following:
- Plot Planning
- Writing Effective Stories
- Essential Fiction Know-How
- The Way to Characterise
- Selling Short Stories
If you opt for any of the above courses, you will have the benefit of studying online. Stonebridge Associated Colleges provides you with an innovative online platform, where you will have 24/7 access to all of the learning materials you need.
Whether writing horror fiction is a hobby or something you would like to eventually become a professional in, our range of regulated courses will help you get there. As well as learning essential skills and techniques, you will also be issued with a recognised Certificate.
With the courses being online, you have the freedom to complete your studies at your own pace and in your own time. This is ideal for anyone who works full-time or has other commitments that they cannot neglect. Also, as soon as you enrol, you can get started straight away!
If you are hoping to make a career out of horror story writing, then studying our courses will give you a base of knowledge that will benefit you ahead of degree-level study. If you simply want to write horror fiction in your spare time, then perfect your craft with these online courses.
Get into the Spooky Spirit!
This Halloween enjoy the tricks and treats, but why not contribute to the spooky spirit by learning how to write your own horror story. Speak to one of our Course Executives on 0121 392 8288 to discuss the best online courses for horror story writing. Alternatively, you can reach us online or click below to learn more. Tap into the dark side and let your creativity run wild!
Leave a Reply